Pursued by the Rich Rancher

by Catherine Mann

  Gasping, Nina stroked the horse again, reverently almost. “Wow, I didn’t know. I rode a little as a child, but I only remember how scared I was and how bad it hurt to fall off. I thought she would feel bristly, but her coat is like satin.”

  “You’ve truly never been around a horse before?” And yet she’d come here for her son, even though the horse clearly scared her every bit as much as she entranced her.

  “I can feel her heartbeat.” Her awe and laughter stoked him.

  He kept his hand over hers, his eyes locked on her gaze, watching her entranced by the animal. “She can hear yours.”

  Nina turned and met his gaze. She wanted him. He could see that clearly, felt her desire crackling off her skin and into him.

  Unable to resist, he dipped his head and kissed her. Just a simple kiss because they were outside and anyone could walk up to them. But damn it, this was his last chance before he would have to tell her about his grandmother’s plan, and then he didn’t know if he would get another opportunity. The thought of never tasting her, never knowing the feel of her was more than he could wrap his brain around.

  She tasted like fresh spring water and the fruit salad from lunch. Strawberries and grapes. His hands curled around her shoulders. Soft. Warm. Such a perfect fit. Sparks shot through him, damn near knocking him senseless, as if he’d been tossed from a horse onto his head.

  God, how he wanted to haul her closer, but they were out here in the open. A good thing, actually, because he still needed to talk to her. He couldn’t go further. In fact, he had already taken more than he’d planned. But damn, she was tempting. And if she booted him on his ass once she found out who he was, what would he do?

  The sound of a little boy’s screams split the air.

  Nina’s supple body went rigid in his arms.

  “Cody,” she gasped against his mouth, pulling back. “My son. That’s my son.”

  Frantic, repetitive screeches grew louder by the second. Nina tore out of Alex’s arms and raced back to the barn.

  * * *

  Nina bit down the well of nausea born of pure panic. The smell of hay and dust threatened to choke her with each breath. Instead of making out with a man she’d only met yesterday, she should have been watching her son. She searched the barn, following the noise and finding her son on the far side, in a line of children waiting outside the bathroom.

  Relief almost buckled her knees. He was fine. Safe.

  But he was definitely having a meltdown. He needed her and she wasn’t there with him. Her fault. Irresponsible. And just the sort of thing her in-laws would be watching for to claim their right to have custody of her son.

  What if they had one of their private detectives here watching her now? She’d tried to keep this trip quiet, but her in-laws were cunning.

  Alex raced past her, his boots pounding the earthen floor of the barn, past the now-blank movie screen, to the line of children.

  He knelt in front of Cody, not touching. “What’s wrong, sport?”

  Her son stomped his feet, faster and faster, crying. Two camp counselors backed away, giving Cody space and looking at her with a shrug.

  She resisted the urge to rush forward. Startling movements could upset Cody again, and focusing on Alex seemed to be calming him for now.

  “Not his turn,” Cody insisted.

  Alex angled closer, not touching but using the breadth of his shoulders to block out the rest of the world and reduce distractions. “Excuse me?”

  Without looking up, her son pointed at a boy wearing braces on his legs. “Not his turn,” Cody gasped, tears streaking down his blotchy face. “He cut the line.”

  Nina stepped up and whispered, “He’s comforted by rules and order.”

  The camp counselor, a slim blonde woman, was already sliding in to restore order, gently and ably distracting the child who’d innocently pushed to the front of the line. Or maybe not innocently. Children were children regardless of disabilities or special needs. But Nina was beginning to see that these counselors truly had the skills to manage the special issues these children faced.

  “Cody,” the camp counselor said softly but firmly, “breathe with me. Deep breaths at the same time I do.”

  And within a couple of dozen slow exhales, Nina’s son was back under control again. Crisis averted for now. In fact, looking back, the meltdown hadn’t been one of his worst. The teacher had read the signs and acted.

  Nina knelt beside the camp counselor. “Thank you so much.” Then she glanced at Alex. “And thank you for reaching him so quickly.”

  She forced herself to meet his gaze, tougher than she would have expected from just a half-innocent brush of their lips. But there had been so much more in the moment than she could remember feeling...ever. Though she didn’t have a lot of first kisses in her life, this one ranked up there as the very best.

  And the most unexpected.

  One she ached to have happen again. Soon. But not with her son around. God, she was a mess.

  She drew in a deep breath for herself this time. “I should take Cody back to our cabin for a while.” She stepped away, slowly. “Thank you for introducing me to the horse—Amber—and for the help with my little guy.”

  “My pleasure.” His hand cupped her shoulder, reigniting the sparks in her belly. “After your son falls asleep, would you mind if I stopped by again?”

  What? Did he actually expect they would jump in bed together because of a simple kiss? Okay, not such a simple kiss. A brief kiss that packed more of a wallop than most full make-out sessions.

  Did he use this camp as a pickup pool full of easy marks, needy, lonely moms? But how could she ask as much with so many people around them?

  “Alex, I don’t think seeing each other tonight is such a good idea.”

  “With dessert,” he said carefully. “Truth. Nothing more than dessert, and I never got to tell you what I planned when we walked outside.”

  “Tell me now,” she pressed, even though the thought of having him come to her cabin tonight was damn tempting.

  He hesitated and there was something in his blue eyes she couldn’t read. “It’s too noisy here. Cody’s still on edge...this isn’t the time.”

  “Okay, but just dessert. Nothing more,” she said carefully. Curious. Nervous. And yes, she wanted to see Alex again at a time when she could be sure her son was 100 percent safe and settled, because the times for her to be a woman were few and far between.

  He touched the brim on his hat. “Nothing more...unless you say otherwise.”

  * * *

  Alex tucked out of the kitchen, through the back door of the family’s private quarters, carrying a container with two fat slices of chocolate-raspberry cake. He really needed to up his game if he expected her to forgive him for holding back on who he was—and if he wanted a chance in hell of a repeat of the kiss earlier. A kiss that had rocked him back on his boot heels.

  Except he had no clue what tack to take with her, and he couldn’t figure that out until he got to know her better. If she gave him that chance after tonight. And then there was the whole issue with his grandmother and the stocks...

  Hell, this better be some damn good chocolate-raspberry cake.

  He stepped out onto the back lanai, lit with brass torches to keep the Texas-sized mosquitoes at bay. He stopped short at the sight of Amie, Stone and Stone’s fiancée, Johanna, all having a dessert gathering of their own. Any other time he would have been fine sitting with them. He would have welcomed the chance to smooth the waters, to prove he was genuinely okay with Stone and Johanna as a couple. They were meant to be together. He got that. Nothing he’d ever felt for Johanna came close to the intense emotion coming from his normally reserved cousin.

  Amie waved her fork in the air. “Join us,” the former beauty pageant queen said. “We’v
e been waiting for you.”

  A family ambush? Great. “I’m on my way out for the evening. Rain check.”

  His stubborn twin just smiled and shook her head, her long black ponytail draped over one shoulder. “It can wait.” Amie leaned to pull out a chair for him, a gray tabby cat leaping from her lap. “We need to talk.”

  He considered telling her no—not enough people told Amie no—but whatever she needed to say might have something to do with their grandmother.

  Or God forbid, the upcoming wedding.

  He set his container full of cake on the tiled table. “Make it quick. I really do have somewhere to be in fifteen minutes.”

  Stone had an arm draped over his fiancée’s chair. “I heard Gran called you in for a special meeting yesterday.”

  Word traveled fast around here. How much did they know? Not much if they were ganging up on him this way.

  “We just had lunch.” The last thing he wanted were the details of his “test” going public. That wouldn’t be fair to Nina.

  “How did Gran look?” Johanna leaned forward, her fingers toying with the diamond horseshoe necklace Mariah had given her. “She went to the doctor today and it wore her out so much she wasn’t taking visitors.”

  Alarm twisted the knot in his gut tighter. “She looked tired. But determined.”

  The tabby cat bounded off the lanai and Johanna shoved up from her chair to race after it, even though it was Amie’s pet—a part of their ongoing battle about indoor vs. outdoor cats.

  “So?” Amie licked her fork clean. “What did you and Gram talk about?”

  Alex leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over her chest. “Why are you making such a production out of me having lunch with my terminally ill grandmother?”

  Amie chewed her bottom lip. “We used to be able to talk about anything. We’re twins.”

  Stone studied Alex through narrowed eyes and said softly, “Are you ditching us because of the wedding?”

  Leave it to Stone to throw it out there. At least Johanna was still chasing the cat through the shrubbery. “I’ve made it clear I’m happy for both of you, and I mean that.” Might as well go for broke. “In fact, I’m asking a new friend to come with me to the wedding.”

  “Who?”

  “You don’t know her.” And Lord, he hoped Nina was still talking to him after tonight. He brushed his thumb along the top of the boxed dessert, his memory filling with that world-rocking kiss.

  Stone relaxed back in his seat. “That’s good to know. You’re just so damn quiet it’s tough to get a read off you, and we’re all on edge with the new CEO stepping in and Gran’s—”

  Amie sat up bolt. “Gran gave you your test, didn’t she?”

  His twin always had been able to read his mind. Most of the time he could see right through her as well, but she had up walls today. He should have noticed before, but he’d been so wrapped up in himself. Damn it. “Amie—”

  She stabbed her fork in the cake. “I knew it!” She clapped her hands. “My life is boring as hell these days, so spill. What’s your test?”

  Nuh-uh. His secret for now. He shoved out of his seat and grabbed the boxed dessert. “If you want to know, ask her. But I suspect if she wanted you two to know, she would have invited you to lunch.” He stepped away, determined to share as much as he could with Nina to lessen the chance of this blowing up in his face. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date and I’m running late.”

  * * *

  He was ten minutes late.

  Gripping the arms of the porch rocker, Nina told herself it shouldn’t matter. She didn’t care. But she did. She’d spent the past hour since her son went to bed showering and changing into white shorts and a silky shirt that showed off her arms and legs. She’d put on makeup and dried her hair out, straightening the curls. All because of one kiss from a guy she would only see for a week.

  And then?

  What would life be like when she returned to San Antonio with nothing but memories? The thought chilled her.

  She shot to her feet and yanked open the front door to go back inside. She refused to appear overeager—or heaven forbid—desperate.

  Still, at the sound of his footsteps on her porch steps, her stomach lurched. Damn it. Pressing a hand against her butterfly-filled stomach, she realized she had to regain control. For starters, she had to be honest with herself.

  Yes, she was attracted to him. Very. And clearly he was attracted to her too. She hadn’t misread that. Plus, he was so different from her silver-spoon-born ex. Alex was down-to-earth, a regular kind of guy.

  And he was knocking on her door.

  Late.

  She yanked a scrunchie off the table and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. If anything happened here, she needed to be back in control—and never let him know he’d rattled her.

  She grabbed a magazine for good measure and folded it open as if she’d been casually reading before she opened the door.

  Her stomach flipped again.

  She stepped outside, a much safer place to be with this man who tempted her.

  She took the dessert box from him and sat in the porch rocker, only to realize the pitcher of lemonade she’d prepared earlier gave away how eager she’d been to see him. She was revealing too much of herself too fast. It was time to level the playing field.

  “Alex, what did you come to tell me?”

  He blinked in surprise. “You sure do cut right to the chase.”

  “The sooner you tell me, the sooner I can have my dessert.” She tried to add levity even as nerves tap danced in her stomach. Did he have to look so hot in jeans and a simple T-shirt, his Stetson resting on his knee?

  “I think we’ve had some miscommunication.” His work calloused fingers drummed along the brim of his hat. “And I don’t want you to think I misled you.”

  An option she’d never considered broadsided her, sending a flush of mortification, anger and disappointment through her. “Oh my God. You’re married.” Her breath hitched as she gasped, inhaling faster and faster. She pressed her hands to her face. “I should have thought to ask. But you’re not wearing a ring, and yes, I looked—”

  His hand clamped around her wrist. “No, I’m not married.” He pulled her hands down and held them in his. “Hell no, actually. Never have been.”

  “Oh.” She laughed nervously, hyperaware of her hands clasped in his. “Are you trying to tell me you’re involved with someone else—”

  “I’m not with another woman.”

  Relief flooded her, so much she wanted to launch herself at him for another kiss, one much deeper than the public one earlier. A kiss where she wrapped her arms and body around him, feeling the hard planes of those muscles against her. Oh. My.

  She needed to rein herself in and find out what he wanted to tell her first. “Not that it matters, since we just met and this isn’t anything like...or...um...”

  “And before you ask,” he said deliberately, shoving aside the table between them and leaning in closer to her, “I’m straight.”

  His knee brushed hers, the warm denim against her bare skin setting her senses on fire. He’d angled so close she could see the peppering of his late-day beard and her fingers itched to explore the raspy terrain, get to know the masculine feel of him.

  She clenched her fingers against temptation. “I wasn’t saying... Um, I wasn’t... Oh hell. It’s okay by me if you’re—”

  He leaned in closer, his clear blue eyes holding her. “I’m one hundred percent straight and one hundred percent attracted to you.”

  The night air went hot and humid fast, heavy with innuendo and need. She wanted him. Her body was shouting that truth at her. She wanted to have a wild and passionate fling with this man. No complications. A simple cowboy she would only know this week. A man who was
the total opposite of her privileged, spoiled ex-husband. A man she would say farewell to in a week and who could give her sweet memories to carry with her.

  She squeezed his hands and said, “Okay, that’s nice to know. Very nice.”

  “And that’s why I need to clear something up before you hear from someone else. I’m not a hired hand at the ranch. I’m a McNair. My family owns the place.”

  Four

  Alex’s revelation stunned Nina silent. She snatched her hands from his.

  Songs of deep-throated bullfrogs filled the quiet void as she clutched the arms of her porch rocker. Of all the things she’d expected to hear from Alex, this was last on the list. In her experience in New York City and with her ex’s family, millionaire bosses didn’t run around in dusty jeans.

  Betrayal bit like persistent mosquitoes. The sting lingered, itching even as she told herself it shouldn’t matter. She thought back, though, and all the signs were there. She’d even heard him called “boss” and let herself hear what she’d wanted. She’d heard of the McNair family but didn’t keep track of all their first names.

  But the heir? The McNair who oversaw the Hidden Gem Lodge? He wasn’t a regular, easygoing cowboy. And he was now the last sort of man she could consider for a fling. “You’re serious? Your family owns the Hidden Gem Ranch?”

  “As well as Diamonds in the Rough Jewelers. Yes, my cousins and I have run the family empire together. The Hidden Gem is my domain.”

  “And the rest of holdings?”

  “My cousin Stone was the CEO of Diamonds in the Rough before he founded the camp. My twin sister, Amie, works for the company as a designer. We all own a portion of the portfolio, but our grandmother is the major stockholder.”

  Squeezing her eyes closed, she let his words sink in. Had she been dense about the “boss” part on purpose because she didn’t want to know the truth or had she just been so dazzled by this man she couldn’t think straight?

  Hook, line and sinker, she’d bought in to the whole cowboy fantasy. Except the fantasy wasn’t true at all. Alex was a rich businessman just like her ex. She scratched her arms along those imagined stings. She should go inside and close the door on him and her feelings.