Marriage at Any Price

by Lauren Canan

  She never should have made love to Seth. But she had, and while she didn’t regret it, she was in the dark about where it put them going forward. Did she talk to him about it? Or just keep quiet and play it by ear?

  That seemed to be the best alternative. The only trouble was she wanted to make love to him again. That didn’t mean she had to fall in love with him. It didn’t mean he would lose his freedom. Did it?

  She stood and opened her suitcase. Taking her clothes out of the bag and hanging them in the closet kept her hands busy but couldn’t stop her mind from wandering. She was glad he’d gotten his inheritance. She was thrilled she got her ranch. She should just stick to thinking about that and leave the relationship alone. Trouble was, it was easier said than done.

  She changed into her jeans and a loose shirt and headed to the barn. It was late, but she wanted to check on the horses. As soon as she stepped inside, the familiar scents of alfalfa, molasses and leather filled her nostrils.

  “I had a feeling I would find you here,” Seth said from behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah, it appears to be.” She looked over at the stalls. The horses had finished their grain and moved on to munching on their hay. They looked contented and happy.

  “Good. I have to make some phone calls. It will keep me tied up for a while, in case you wondered where I was.”

  “Okay. Thanks for letting me know. I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “No. You’ll see me later.” He gave her a devilish grin before he turned and walked out of the barn.

  Ally fiddled with the horses for a while then, realizing she was tired, turned off the lights and walked toward the house. Seth hadn’t said anything about their trip to LA. She should have felt relieved, but she didn’t. He probably wasn’t giving it two thoughts, which only made her yearn for the closeness they’d discovered. Apparently it meant a lot more to her then it did to him.

  When she got back to the house, she decided to get ready for bed. The shower felt good. It reminded her of the rain-forest shower at Seth’s home. She got into bed and turned off the bedside light. She needed to put this past weekend out of her mind. Stop dwelling on it. The house grew quiet, and she finally drifted off into a restless sleep.

  In a fog, she felt lips against hers, reminding her of Seth’s kisses. As sleep receded, she became aware that it was Seth kissing her. She couldn’t stop her moan of welcome. The kiss deepened, and his arms came to rest on both sides of her, cradling her face, playing with the strands of her hair.

  “Did you finish your phone calls?” she asked when he raised his head.

  “All finished.” He nuzzled her neck, making shivers go down her spine.

  “That didn’t take too long.”

  “Mmm. It’s two o’clock, Ally. You’ve been asleep for hours.”

  “Does your work always require so much of your time?”

  “Yes. Unfortunately.”

  And his job would always come first. Yet another reason why she must maintain a friendship and not fall in love with Seth Masters. Even if he cut back on his work, which wasn’t likely, there was no future with him. She would not again fall for a handsome man knowing only too well all the future held was another note on her pillow.

  “I want to make love to you.” His deep, throaty voice threatened to overcome her determination to put some space between them. Her body reacted to his words as if she had no control at all. A rush of pure fire ran down her spine, and she fought to hold still and not press herself against him.

  “I... I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Oh? Ally—”

  She pushed him back and struggled to sit up.

  “I let it get out of hand in California. We shouldn’t have made love. We’ve taken our relationship to the next level. This can only end badly.”

  “It doesn’t have to.”

  “But it always does.”

  Seth was quiet for a long time. Long enough that Ally began to regret her words. Yet she couldn’t take them back. They were true. And if this relationship grew deeper, she would be the one who suffered when he said goodbye.

  “Okay,” he said finally. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well.”

  She doubted she’d be able to do that.

  He stood from the bed and walked to the door. “Good night, Ally.” He looked back at her one more time before closing the door behind him.

  What was she doing? Was she crazy? Apparently Seth wanted her as much as she wanted him, and she’d just rejected him. He probably thought she was some kind of tease.

  With that unsettling thought, she rolled onto her stomach and bunched the pillow under her head. It was going to be a long night.

  By five o’clock she was no closer to a sound sleep than when she’d first lain down. The covers were oppressive, but when she kicked out from under them the room was too cold. Memories of being with Seth filled her mind. The walk on the beach. The restaurant. Kissing him at the water’s edge with the sound of the ocean all around them. Making love...

  Those women.

  This wasn’t going to work. There would be no more sleep tonight. All her body wanted was to be touched by him again. To feel his big hands roaming over her, squeezing her breasts, to feel the nips on her neck causing electric currents to race over her body.

  Frustrated, Ally sat up in the bed. Seth was next door. Did she dare wake him up? No. That would only increase her need for him. She moaned to herself and punched the pillow. It was, indeed, going to be a long night.

  * * *

  The sun had yet to reach the horizon when Seth dressed and headed downstairs. He paused in the kitchen to make a pot of coffee before going outside to find Bryan. The night had been quiet—too quiet, in more ways than one. But the intruder hadn’t come back. It had been two weeks, and there hadn’t been any more incidents. He would talk to Ally later when she woke up and see what she thought about sending his security guys back to California. He didn’t want to make the decision without her input. Perhaps she still needed the extra assurance right now.

  After talking with Bryan, he headed back to the house. The eastern sky was a soft pink as the sun began to crest over the horizon. As he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to find Ally helping herself to the coffee. She looked tired, worn-out, not her usual perky self. He had to wonder if her night had been as restless as his. It couldn’t be. At least not for the same reason. He had tossed and turned through the night, wanting her so badly it hurt.

  “I thought I would call Chance and see if he had some time today to show us some horses.”

  She nodded, looking at her coffee instead of his face. “Sounds like a good plan. And yeah, I’m all in. They have some of the best bloodlines in Texas. I’d be curious to see a few myself.”

  Seth took out his cell and noted the time: seven o’clock. Chance should be up by now. He pushed a button, and the phone began to ring.

  “Seth? Hey, what’s going on?” his brother answered.

  “I’m looking for a horse. Do you have any that might be for sale?”

  “For you? You bet. Why don’t you come over about ten o’clock? Let me get a few things out of the way and I’ll be glad to show you some.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Chance.”

  “See ya later.”

  * * *

  The Masters Ranch was immense. They drove past buildings containing offices, an on-site veterinary clinic and corrals and finally arrived at the main barn. The gabled building had enormous white columns set against green walls and a door large enough for cars and trailers to go inside. Next to the main barn door were smaller glass doors that opened into a lobby. Carpeted in dark green, there were several chairs and sofas. Across one wall was a display cabinet holding a slew of trophies. Down the hall to the right
were offices. To the left and straight ahead were stalls, tack rooms and rooms for feed storage.

  “This is unbelievable,” Ally commented.

  “It’s big,” Seth agreed. “The main structure was built before I was born. Over the years they added on as needed. Go straight down the main aisle and you’ll find an indoor riding arena. Come on.” He led her to an office several feet from the lobby. Chance was just getting off the phone. He looked up and immediately smiled.

  Standing, Chance walked around his formidable desk and came toward them, his hand held out. Dressed in worn jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, he looked like your everyday cowboy.

  “Seth, Ally,” he said, shaking their hands. “Welcome.”

  “Thanks for doing this, Chance.”

  “It’s my pleasure. So, what kind of horse are we looking for?”

  Seth paused a minute. “I was thinking maybe a quarter horse.”

  “Good choice. We have quite a few you can choose from. Let’s go take a look.”

  They followed Chance to a section of stalls just down from the indoor arena. Seth noticed Ally had become very quiet, but her eyes were alert and she seemed to be taking in her surroundings. She walked close to Seth, her hair gleaming under the neon lights.

  “These are magnificent horses,” she said.

  “Thanks,” Chance replied. “Most of our bloodlines go back quite a few years. My grandfather started breeding our quarter horses before I was born. He took real pride in the results eventually produced. Seth, I want to show you a couple that have been trained to ride but as yet haven’t gone through cutting training. These horses can turn on a dime, sometimes when you don’t expect them to. You’ll find yourself on the ground in a heartbeat.”

  “I appreciate that,” Seth laughed. “My goal is purely pleasure and that means staying in the saddle. I’ve seen what these highly trained quarter horses can do.”

  Chance stopped in front of a stall on the left. Inside was a large bay quarter horse with four black socks and a white star on his face. His coat glistened under the fluorescent lighting. A truly magnificent animal. Chance grabbed the halter hanging on the door, quickly put it on the horse and led him outside the stall into the wide hallway.

  “This is Cajun’s Creed. He’s sixteen hands tall and smooth to ride, a quality not always found in quarter horses. He handles real nice. Would you like me to throw a saddle on him?”

  “That would be great.”

  Chance led the horse down the hall, stopping in front of a tack room. Soon Cajun was saddled and ready to go.

  “Let’s go to the indoor arena. It’s kept partially opened this time of year, and it’s the closest. Here ya go.”

  Chance handed Seth the reins, and they walked to the arena.

  Seth swung up into the saddle with no problem. The horse held perfectly still until Seth was seated and ready to go. After a few rounds in walk, trot and canter, Seth drew the horse up to the entrance.

  “He’s nice,” Seth said. “Ally, what do you think?”

  “Me?” She seemed surprised he would ask her opinion. “He’s definitely a keeper.”

  “I think I agree.”

  They tried out three more horses and came back to the first one.

  “So, Cajun is going to be your choice?” Chance asked as he lifted the saddle from the horse’s back and placed it back in the tack room.

  “I think he’s perfect.”

  “Well, all right then. He’ll be ready to go anytime you want to come and get him.”

  “Would tomorrow be okay?”

  “That’s fine. I’m supposed to go to Oklahoma City in the morning, but I’ll let the section manager know you’re coming to pick him up.”

  Seth shook his brother’s hand, and together the three of them walked toward the front of the building. Seth helped Ally inside the truck and they were off.

  “That horse is fantastic, Seth. You’re going to have a lot of enjoyment riding him.”

  “I think so, too.”

  “We can go and pick him up any time tomorrow.”

  Seth smiled. “How about we go home and discuss it?”

  “Home, huh?”

  “Yeah. I want your full attention.”

  “My full attention? On what?”

  “Me.” He looked at her and grinned.

  Twelve

  “I’m thinking of sending the security detail back to California,” Seth said over breakfast a few days later. “It’s been over three weeks, and nothing else has happened.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” she replied. “Besides, I can handle the intruder myself if he comes back.”

  Seth’s eyes twinkled as he struggled to contain a grin.

  “I don’t care what you think. I have a perfectly good baseball bat sitting in the closet begging to be swung. Hard,” Ally argued.

  “You’re too feisty for your own good.”

  “Call it what you want, but I want a chance to confront this guy.”

  “And what if he has a gun?”

  She shrugged. “So do you.”

  Seth shook his head. “What am I going to do with you, Mrs. Masters?”

  She shrugged. She refused to be drawn into that conversation.

  “So, how are you and Cajun getting along?”

  “Good. He’s a great horse. Thanks for letting him stay in your barn.”

  How could she have said no under the circumstances, even if she’d wanted to? The horse was not a problem and got along with her horses very well. That made it possible for him to go out to pasture with the others rather than being kept in a stall. She believed in pasturing horses whenever possible and felt sorry for any that were stalled for long periods of time.

  Seth was a good rider and seemed to love his horse. Where Cajun was going to go when Seth returned to LA, she didn’t know. They hadn’t talked about it. Seth was welcome to leave him with her, but he might have other ideas.

  “I spoke with Chance the other day, and he said we could bring our horses over and trail ride all we wanted. How about this afternoon?”

  “I’m getting in two horses to train this weekend, so this afternoon or tomorrow would be great.”

  “All right then. Let’s go after lunch. I have some calls I need to make, but I should be finished by lunchtime.”

  By one o’clock they’d put one of Ally’s horses and Cajun in the trailer and were headed for the Masters compound. Passing through the north gate, they ventured into the largest section of the ranch. They followed an old cow trail that took them over hills, through trees and down into canyons, where they discovered a lake at the bottom.

  “Can we stop?” Ally asked. “This is so beautiful.”

  “Sure. How about over there next to that gray boulder?”

  “Perfect.”

  Stepping down from the saddle, Ally tied her horse to a small pine tree. Seth followed suit. Together they climbed to the summit of the large rock and found a flat spot to sit down. Ally could see the river below them as it cut its way through the flatlands that seemed to go on forever.

  “This is great,” she said. “I’m amazed at how far you can see.”

  “As boys we used to trail ride all through this area. At the time, we were about ten or twelve. We didn’t notice the picturesque quality, we just wanted to see what was around the next bend or over the far hill. There are a lot of stories about outlaws who camped in this area after robbing a bank or the general store in Calico Springs. We found old trapper cabins, one supposedly used by Jesse James and his gang. Wade once found an old revolver up in the attic of one of the cabins. That was a day I don’t think any of us will forget. As boys, we thought we’d struck gold.” Seth laughed, and his chuckle sounded deep and sexy.

  “For me it was searching for pieces of pottery and spoils from the Civil War,” Ally sai
d. “I’ve found a pair of eyeglasses, a canteen and several tin cups. Knives, old razors used for shaving and once an old rifle that was inside the trunk of a tree. The soldier apparently set it down, leaning against the oak tree, and left it there. Over the years the tree grew around it. I can’t imagine why anyone would leave their weapon like that. But it’s still there. I didn’t have the heart to cut it out.”

  “That’s wild. So...we experienced many of the same things growing up.”

  “I guess we did. I never pictured you here, in the Texas countryside. You looked like a businessman from the city when we first met.”

  “I am a businessman from the city,” he replied with a laugh.

  “Speaking of life in the big city, how are things going with the research center?”

  “The blueprints have been finalized. And the official groundbreaking is still on track for the month of June, which is when I return to California.”

  “I see.” And she did. Apparently Seth was counting the days until he could return to LA. She was counting down, too, only not with the excitement he was apparently feeling. She was going to miss him.

  She shook her head to clear the tears that welled in her eyes. Seth had gone from being an arrogant stranger to a trusted friend. More than that, a lover and partner, helping her over the bad bumps in her life and standing beside her through the rough times.

  “I wish you could be there, Ally.”

  “You’ll have so many things to oversee, you won’t want me getting in the way.”

  “That’s not true. You’re always welcome. Anytime. We may have started off on the wrong foot, but I’m glad for the opportunity to get to know you.”

  Seth looked at her with a serious expression. She felt her heart speed up as a delicious heat began to envelop her. Slowly he lowered himself toward her. She closed her eyes as they kissed. His lips were moist and succulent, and she was unable to stop the desire that sprang to life inside her.