Page 13 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

“You’re doing nothing wrong. It’s just that you’re the same as ever and at the same time, you’re not,” she said, unable to stop herself from revealing her thoughts. “Maybe I just never really noticed you. You have sinfully wicked blue eyes.” She was still shocked over his kiss and her reaction, and she couldn’t keep from telling him what she noticed now about him because she liked him and was struggling with the attraction.

He grinned and placed his hands on his hips. “You’re putting me on to try to get me to be convincing in this little scheme of yours. You don’t have to do that. I’ll take you out where we’ll be seen and let you stay at my ranch. I’ve already agreed, so stop trying to pour it on and schmooze me into this fake love.”

“You fantastic man,” she gushed, amused how he had taken her remark. “I’m going to make you miss me when I’m out of your life again.”

He stepped closer to place his hands lightly on her shoulders, and she was instantly aware of his touch, his proximity and her heart beating faster. “You’re not going out of my life. That will never happen as long as we’re both alive and well. I’m sure you’re doing all of this just in case anyone is watching. Let’s go inside and you can be yourself.”

“Sure. What brings you to my house?” she asked him as she dug in her purse for her keys.

“I was in Dallas, so I decided to stop by and see you and catch up on where you stand with Justin.”

“I turned down an invitation to go out with him Friday night. I have a charity event to attend with a friend, so it’s no lie. He gets back into town tonight and I told him I would meet him for a bite. I’m driving myself so I can leave. It isn’t a date. This is goodbye.”

“I take it your friend is female and not someone else who could have done this fake engagement.”

“She is female, and no one else could have done this except you. You’re perfect. I told you that. I don’t think you pay attention to me sometimes,” she said.

“Darlin’, since we kissed, you get so much of my attention you wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”

Stopping abruptly, she tilted her head and smiled at him. “Do I really? That’s exciting to hear.”

“Maybe. I didn’t much think you wanted any real attraction to spring up between us.”

Her smile vanished. “You sure know how to kill happy moments.” She pulled out her key. “Come in and we can have a drink and I’ll give you the tour.”

“Yeah, give me the tour. It might come in handy if I can describe your bedroom, or at least sound as if I have an inkling of what it looks like.”

She laughed. “I’ll give you the tour, but you’re not going to have to tell anyone about my bedroom and I doubt if you do that with anyone else you’re with.” She was aware of him at her side, his height and long stride. Had one kiss created this instant, intense awareness of Gabe that she’d never had before in her life?

“Of course I don’t, but Justin might just suspect you of doing exactly what you are doing—faking an engagement.”

“Oh, no, he won’t,” she declared. “Not when he hears Tanya’s and Cassie’s reports on last weekend. We looked convincing, I’m sure. And then your reputation—at least as far as seduction is concerned—will convince him easily,” she said, thinking about all the reasons she had gone over several times in her mind. “Now, the fact that you are engaged to me will be a little more difficult to sell, but that’s where my lifetime of being frank and honest to a fault will carry us through this.”

He shook his head. “You’ve got this all figured out and I have to admit, you’re right.”

“Just wait until that ring is on my finger and I’ve been to the wedding store in Downly. There won’t be a doubting soul in town,” she said, thinking more about Gabe brushing against her lightly as they entered the kitchen. As he hung his hat on a rack by the door next to two of her hats, her gaze ran across his broad shoulders and down to his narrow waist. It took an effort to pay attention to what he was saying.

“Don’t get me roped into showers and having to return presents later. Also, I want to tell my brothers the truth. They’ll laugh and forget it. I don’t want them planning anything for us or getting some lavish wedding gifts. Ditto my mom, although if I didn’t let her in on this, I don’t think she’d believe it until she received an invitation to a rehearsal dinner, and we’re not going that far.”

“No, we’re not. Your mom wouldn’t believe it?”

“I doubt it, but I want to let her know the truth from the start.”

“Sure. Let your family know. I’m sorry to be deceitful with my family. I never have been, but they’ve pushed me into this. I’m desperate. Mom is looking at wedding cakes and showing me pictures. Yuk.” She put down her purse and the papers she’d carried in from a job she was designing.

“At least my family knows I’m going out with you and will continue to do so,” she told him. “That’s a death knell for a serious relationship with Justin. I expect to tell him farewell the first minute we talk.”

“And you think he’ll just drift away without trying to convince you otherwise? I don’t think so, Meg.”

“That’s why I want to move into your Dallas house. That will do it. He has strong feelings about a woman being faithful.”

Gabe laughed and draped his arm casually across her shoulders. His touch made her tingle and she was intensely aware of him so close beside her. “I would have sworn you didn’t have a devious bone in your body until this deal. My, oh, my, how I misjudged you,” he said, looking down at her. “I misjudged you in other ways, too,” he said, suddenly turning serious, and his solemn gaze made her pulse jump.

“I don’t think I want to pursue what other ways,” she said breathlessly, aware how close he stood and thinking about his kiss. The moment stretched and she realized how they were staring at each other.

“Last Sunday, dinner at my parents’ house was grim for a little while. Mom was on my case. Dad looked as if he could eat nails. My grandparents were all horrified because you know how they feel about your dad.”

“I hate it when people think I’m just like my father,” Gabe said and lowered his arm, propping his hands on his hips. “Just because he ran roughshod over people and his family, that doesn’t mean I do.”

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