Pursued by the Rich Rancher

by Catherine Mann

  “Nina, stop.” He held her hand firmly and stared straight into her eyes. “I want to be here with you. And I want you to be my date for the rehearsal party and wedding because I enjoy your company.”

  She scrunched her nose. “Forget I said anything. Let’s talk about something else.”

  “No, I need to be honest about this and I need for you to believe me.”

  “Good, because honesty is the most important thing to me.”

  He glanced down for an instant before meeting her eyes again. “If there wasn’t wedding, I would still be asking you out, pursuing the hell out of you, because you are a fascinating woman. And please, please find that incredibly sexy dress. Except it will be me and the other men there staring at you.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Now, would you like to dance before they serve dessert?”

  “Yes, I would like that very much.” She squeezed his hand and stood, letting the music tug her along with his words. Because all those jealous thoughts and wondering what he might be up to didn’t matter. Tonight was a rare treat. To be out and romanced.

  The band segued into a slow song as if anticipating her preference...her need. The small dance floor already held four other couples, but everyone was in their own private world. She’d thought she had that with Warren. God, she’d been so wrong.

  Shaking off thoughts of her ex, she stepped into Alex’s arms, determined to enjoy the night and stop thinking about the future. The heat of his palm on her back urged her closer, until her breasts skimmed his chest. He tucked her near him, resting his chin against her temple, the rasp of his late-day beard perfectly intimate against her skin.

  No words were needed and in fact, she didn’t want to speak. She soaked up the manly sensation that had been so lacking in her life for so long, the scent of Alex’s aftershave mixing with a hint of musk. The strong play of his muscles under her hands as they danced. Her body flamed to life. Embers so long buried she’d assumed them cold and dead were stoked to life, igniting a passion. And not just for any man. She wanted Alex. This week was her only time with Alex McNair, and she should make the most of it.

  The absolute most.

  * * *

  Something had shifted in Nina between the main course and dessert. She’d become...intense. All he’d done was ask her to his cousin’s wedding. She hadn’t even read the French poem yet. She’d tucked it in her purse, and as far as he could tell, she hadn’t taken it back out.

  He walked silently beside her up the flagstone walkway to her cabin. She hummed the music from the boat but didn’t speak and wasn’t sure where they were headed next. Especially after that out-of-the-blue outburst of hers offering to be his arm candy at his cousin’s wedding.

  Her speech would be burned in his memories as one of his favorite moments in life. Ever. She was amazing. Sexy and funny. Loyal. They hadn’t known each other long, but in two days she’d turned his world upside down until he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  Although there was still the issue of her son’s stocks. She didn’t even appear to know Cody had them or she would have said something. Her not knowing would only make it harder for him to offer to buy them.

  Alex was a businessman, a damn good one. He always had a plan—everything from a five-year plan down to a plan for the day. But with Nina, he’d been flying by the seat of his pants without even reins to hold on to. He wasn’t normally impulsive, but Nina made him want to forge ahead, throwing away rationales and agendas. He would figure out the issue of his grandmother’s quest later. It would all come together. It had to.

  The creak of the rocking chair sliced through the night sounds. His sister sat on the front porch under the outdoor light.

  The former beauty pageant queen spread her hands. “Welcome home. You should have stayed out later.” She carefully tucked her padded box with kittens back into her boho bag. Long fingers that had once played the piano to accompany her singing now crafted high-end jewelry. “Cody was an angel. We fed the kittens. Then he drew pictures of them. There’s one for you on the counter, and I hope you don’t mind that I kept one for myself. He’s a regular little Picasso.”

  Nina grabbed the banister and walked up the steps. “Surely it wasn’t that easy.”

  “He woke up once, asked for a glass of water. He really wanted to feed the kittens again.” She adjusted her back, bracelets jingling. “I didn’t think you would mind, so I let him, and then he went right back to sleep. We had fun. Truly.”

  Nina took Amie’s hands. “I can’t thank you enough for making the evening special for him too. Change is difficult for him, but you made the night magical with your kittens. I wish I’d thought to take a picture.”

  “Don’t worry. We took tons of selfies. I’ll forward them to you. I mean it when I say I enjoyed myself. I’ll bring the kittens by again.” She tipped her head to the side. “I would like to do a sketch of him, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course.”

  “Good. It’s a plan. I have this week off work for the wedding, so I’ll see you around.” Amie swept in a swirl of elegance. “Good night, you two. I’m going to head back before I turn into a pumpkin.”

  His sister patted him on the face as she walked down the steps, brushing aside his thanks before she wound her way back to the main house.

  He turned to Nina to ask if she and Cody would go on a ride with him tomorrow, but before he could speak, she kissed him. Not just a quick kiss or peck on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed flush against him. Her mouth parting, welcoming and seeking. And he damn well wasn’t saying no.

  Moving her closer, taking in the give of her soft curves, he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue against hers. Tasting and exploring. Wanting. The chemistry between them had been explosive from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. With Nina, he was alive in the moment—the future be damned.

  A throaty moan of pleasure vibrated through her into him. This kiss was the kind a couple shared when there was going to be more. But while he’d known things were moving fast between them, he hadn’t expected to move this quickly. Her hands slid over his shoulders, digging into his shirt, sliding lower.

  Sweeping back her hair, he kissed along her jaw. “This is not the reaction I expected.”

  “Good.” Her head fell back to give him freer access, the gold links of her delicate necklace glinting in the porch light against her pale skin. “The last thing I ever want to be is predictable.”

  He trailed one finger along the path of those gold links, lower down her throat and collarbone, all the way to the curve of her breast. A slow shiver went through her, and it was all he could do not to put his mouth on the leaping pulse at the base of her throat.

  “You’re so incredible. You damn near bring me to my knees.” Even if he hadn’t come close to understanding her yet... God, how he wanted to.

  She toyed with the top button of his shirt, as breathless from the touches as he was. “What if I said I don’t care about your money and I don’t have room in my life for another person? But I’m okay with having a fling this week?”

  His body shouted hell yes, but his brain insisted this was too good to be true. And what if he wanted more than a week? How had she turned the tables on him so quickly? “You’re really propositioning me? For the week only?”

  “You may not believe me, but I don’t do this kind of thing often.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “But there’s chemistry between us. With this window of time away from the rest of the world, it seems meant to be. For now.”

  He looked for doubt or hesitation in her green eyes and found fire instead. Pure fire. “When do you propose we start this fling?”

  She wriggled closer, backing him toward the cabin door. “What about now?”

  Six

  She was actually doing this. Having her first offici
al fling.

  Sure, she’d been married, but she’d dated her husband for nearly a year before sleeping with him and he’d been her first. Her only. Even the thought of Warren threatened to freeze her with nerves, so she pushed away those memories. Nothing would steal this opportunity from her. This was a fantasy getaway with a fantasy-worthy man, a slice of time away from the real world. She deserved this. Needed it, even, with a physical ache she hadn’t known was there until Alex made her feel all that she was missing.

  Nina reached behind her to fumble for the cabin door without ending the kiss. She was an adult with few chances to feel like a woman anymore. Right now, with Alex’s hands cupping her bottom, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt like this before.

  He nibbled her bottom lip. “I’ll get that.”

  Before he finished the sentence, he’d swung the door wide, his hands returning fast to her bottom. He lifted her until her feet dangled and he walked her across the threshold. One step at a time, he moved deeper into the room until the backs of her thighs hit the sofa and he lowered her, leaning with her and stretching out over her. All of it so fluid they never broke contact. Her nerves hummed with arousal from the weight of him. His hands tangled in her hair as he kissed her deeply, thoroughly.

  Her body ached for release. Not just release, because she could take care of that alone, but the completion that came from sex. From a man’s hands on her body. From this man’s hands.

  He angled up onto his elbows, murmuring against her neck. “I don’t want to crush you.”

  Her fingers skittered down his back, tugging his shirt from his pants. “I like the feel of you on top of me.”

  In particular the warm press of his muscular thigh between her legs. She arched her hips ever so slightly. Pleasure rippled through her.

  Alex picked up on the nuance and nudged closer. “And I like being here.”

  She purred her approval against his mouth. “Thank you for the flowers.”

  The wildflowers’ sweet perfume mingled with the rustic air of the log cabin. And there was that note she’d never gotten to read. What had he written to her?

  Alex stroked her hair back from her face. “You deserve more pampering.”

  “You’ve pampered me to bits today.”

  “I have plans for tomorrow, if you’re game.”

  “Let’s focus on the right now.”

  “And what is it you need, Nina?”

  “More of this.” She skimmed her mouth over his. “And this...” She tucked her hands into the waistband of his slacks. “And this...”

  She writhed against his leg, the pressure giving the perfect stimulation to the aching bundle of nerves. His growl of appreciation sent molten desire pumping through her veins. She met him kiss for kiss, stroke for stroke, exploring the feel of his hard-muscled body. She kept waiting for him to steer them toward the bedroom, but he seemed content to make out—with some seriously heavy petting. His hand smoothed aside the top to her wraparound dress, his fingers tucking inside her bra. The rasp of his work-roughened fingertips sent sparks shimmering along her skin, her nipples pulling tight.

  She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she indulged in just old-fashioned necking. He was stroking her to a fever pitch, her body moving restlessly under him.

  “Alex,” she whispered, “let’s move to the bedroom.”

  Or to the spa tub in her bathroom. Her imagination took flight, the naked visions in her mind bringing her closer to the edge. Still, Alex didn’t move to leave the sofa. In fact, his head dipped and he captured her nipple in his mouth, rolling it with his tongue and teasing gently with his teeth. Her back arched into the sensation, pressing her more firmly against his leg.

  Bunching the hem of her dress in his hand, Alex skimmed against her panties. She thought about her mismatched bra and undies, wishing she’d indulged in some new lingerie at the gift shop instead of a necklace. Then she felt the full attention of his eyes focused on her as he dipped inside her panties. The intensity in his eyes relayed how much he wanted to make this happen for her. That care aroused her every bit as much as his skilled fingers stroking her until she couldn’t hold back the orgasm exploding inside her. She bit her lip to hold back her cries of completion as he caressed every last aftershock from her. With a final shiver, she sagged back against the leather sofa, her body melting into the cushions with the bliss of completion.

  Her breath came in ragged gasps and she dimly registered him smoothing her clothes back into place. Then he stood and cool air washed over her. She elbowed upward and he touched her shoulder lightly.

  “Shhh, just relax.” He kissed her on the forehead, pulled the unopened card out of her purse and set it beside the pitcher of flowers on the coffee table. “Good night, Nina. Lock up after me.”

  Before she could collect her stunned thoughts, he’d left. Shock chilled the pleasure as she lay on the sofa, her arms sprawled and one leg dangling off the side. What the hell had just happened?

  She gathered her dress together and sat upright. Alex was definitely the most confusing man she’d ever encountered. Not that she was doing any good at understanding herself these days either.

  She swept aside her tousled curls and reached for the card on the coffee table. She popped the seal and withdrew a folded piece of paper, not a card at all. But a poem written in French. Her eyes scanned and translated...the romantic words about an ode to a beautiful woman.

  Her fingers crimpled the edges of the paper as the words soaked into her brain.

  She’d just convinced herself to have her very first fling. But she’d indulged with a gentleman bent on romancing her.

  * * *

  Walking away from Nina took every ounce of self-discipline Alex possessed. But the night had spun out of control and he needed time and distance to plan his next move with her.

  He jogged down her porch steps, putting space between him and the mind-blowing image of her sated on the sofa. Yes, he wanted her—so damn much his teeth hurt—but he hadn’t expected her to offer a fling. And he certainly hadn’t expected to start caring about her and her son. Ducking under a low branch, he made faster tracks through the trees on his way back to the lodge, glowing just ahead.

  Pursuing a relationship with Nina was a train wreck in the making. Eventually she would find out about his pursuit of the shares in Cody’s trust fund—the details of which his grandmother had emailed to him this afternoon. So much so he felt like a damn financial voyeur. His grandmother could lose the company if he told Nina now and she walked away.

  It wasn’t just about keeping the ranch for himself. He would do anything to make Gran’s final days peaceful. Now he’d put all that at risk by starting a relationship with Nina. And he couldn’t deny the truth. He didn’t regret pursuing her, not for a second, and he had no intention of stopping.

  He halted midstride, his eyes narrowing. Turning on his boot heels, away from the house, he walked toward the stables instead. With luck a midnight ride would burn off the steam building inside him.

  Because the next time he faced Nina, he needed to be absolutely calm and in control of himself.

  * * *

  “Horse rides, Mama. Horse rides,” Cody chanted the whole way from lunch to the afternoon activity, clutching Nina’s hand so tightly her fingers went numb.

  The sun baked the ground dry as she led Cody from the picnic area to the stables. Nina’s nerves were shot. She hadn’t slept the night before, tossing and turning, wondering why Alex had walked away from her. She hadn’t heard from him or seen him all morning. She wondered if they were still on for their plans he’d mentioned the night before. He’d said he wanted to see her and she’d agreed.

  She absently chewed her already short nails. Her son had been wound like a top since he woke up. For the past few days they’d ridden ponies and worked on their equine skills
. Today, he would ride a larger horse.

  Nina’s stomach was full of butterflies. She knew he was ready, but still. She tried not to let her own fear of horses taint the experience for him.

  As she neared the corral, children clustered around their counselors, each camper wearing a different color shirt according to the group. Cody broke free and raced to his teacher. His confidence was already growing. And his joy. Even an inkling of joy from her pensive son was pure shimmering gold.

  Parents had been encouraged to step back today, so Nina stopped by the split-rail fence.

  “Hello, Nina?” Amie’s voice called to her through the masses.

  Nina searched the faces down the line along the rail. She angled and walked past other parents until she reached Alex’s sister, standing with another woman. Part of Nina winced at the possibility Amie might ask about the date, but another part of her insisted this was an opportunity to learn more about Alex. And hopefully figure out her own feelings in the process.

  “Hello,” Nina said. “Thank you again for babysitting last night.”

  “My pleasure, truly.” Amie set her sketch pad on the corral railing and hooked arms with the other woman. “Let me introduce you to Johanna Fletcher, soon to be Johanna McNair. You wouldn’t know she’s supposed to be the pampered bride. She insists on working in the stables right up to the day before the wedding. Johanna, this is Nina Lowery. Her son is that adorable little blond-haired camper over there—the one I told you I want to draw a sketch of today.”

  Nina stifled a gasp as she realized this was the woman Alex had mentioned briefly dating. Curiosity and something greener prompted Nina to study the leggy, down-to-earth woman. Johanna and Amie were total opposites, yet there was a scrubbed-clean glamor to Johanna in her frayed jeans, worn boots and baggy T-shirt.

  Johanna laughed, swishing her blond braid over her shoulder. “The substitute vet tech doesn’t arrive until then. I’m here for my animals. Stone knows that.”