The Rancher's Bargain

by Joanne Rock

  Tucking the covers higher under her chin, Lydia hoped she could figure out a way to balance the two sides sooner rather than later. Because she’d just experienced only her first taste of behaving with a little reckless abandon. She couldn’t bear to return to her careful, cautious self just yet.

  * * *

  James paced around the nursery with his nephew asleep on his shoulder half an hour later, not ready to put him back in his crib quite yet.

  Part of the reason was because he guessed Lydia would have dozed off by now, too, so no need to rush. But the other reason that had him still pacing? He knew that bringing Lydia to his bed tonight would have repercussions. She wasn’t a woman to get involved lightly. He knew that in his bones. Yet here he was, risking losing a nanny he desperately needed just to be with her.

  He tipped his cheek to his nephew’s curls, stroking the baby’s back while he stared at the stuffed felt figures that Lydia had strung along one wall. A bunny in a Santa hat. A couple of cats dressed like elves, one hammering a toy train and the other sewing a doll. She was so good at her job. Compassionate. Warmhearted.

  She had come into James’s life for Teddy’s sake, but she’d brought a whole lot of happiness for both of them. Was it fair to Teddy to deprive the boy of Lydia if he went to live with his maternal grandparents? Thinking about parting with the child was getting tougher every day, but James had to do what was best for him.

  Settling the baby back into the crib, James stepped out of the nursery and into the hall to check his phone. He’d seen a message from Teddy’s grandmother while they’d been out shopping, but he hadn’t responded to her yet. He reread it now.

  We gratefully accept your invitation to spend the new year with our grandson, Samantha Mason had written in a short email. We will be arriving in midafternoon on New Year’s Eve and can watch Teddy for you that evening and the next day. Thank you for opening your home to us so we can get to know our grandson.

  There was nothing in the note about taking Teddy full-time. But James understood they wanted to meet the boy first. Still, it shouldn’t be like a job interview where Teddy had to perform well in order for his grandparents to want to raise him.

  Either they wanted the child or not.

  Still, this was a step in the right direction, he hoped. Teddy needed a more stable family than what James could provide. Plus, he deserved the tender touch of a mother figure in his life.

  Opening an email screen for a response to Mrs. Mason, James tapped out a quick reply, confirming the details of their trip to Royal. The annual Texas Cattleman’s Club New Year’s Eve Ball was that night, and this way, Lydia would be available to accompany him.

  James clicked the button to send the email and then strode back to the bedroom. He knew Lydia wanted to attend the New Year’s Eve Ball for networking purposes, to find potential clients for the day care business she would open next fall. But he hoped she would be pleased to attend as his guest so they could share more incredible nights like this one.

  He looked forward to thinking about how to invite her. Maybe with an extravagant Christmas present as a hint—earrings or a necklace, something beautiful to wear—could be his segue to asking her.

  They had a lot of fun ahead of them. Together.

  But first things first, he planned to slide back into his bed beside her. Kiss her. Touch her. Wake her slowly, in the most seductive way imaginable.

  Ten

  Christmas Eve day passed in a whirl of holiday preparations, and Lydia had so much fun with James and Teddy that she felt a twinge of guilt by the time the evening rolled around. She hadn’t phoned her mother. Hadn’t tried calling Gail.

  But as she watched Teddy and James lying side by side in the living room, making “snow” angels in giant piles of cotton balls, she couldn’t muster much regret about her family. They hadn’t phoned her either. A fact that made her wonder why she always had to be the one to give. Was it so wrong to soak up the fun with the Harris males? One, a giggling, overtired toddler patting the cotton ball snow onto his head. The other, an exceedingly attractive rancher who had hurdled all her defenses and inspired her to start thinking about her own wants for a change.

  Maybe it was high time she did just that.

  Seeing how much fun her two companions were having while they played at least reassured her she’d done one thing right in helping James to be more comfortable in his father role. There was no denying he was good at this.

  “Mrs. Davis is going to wonder what happened when she gets home from her holiday with family and finds cotton everywhere for the next two weeks,” James observed as he sat up. Fluffy white balls rolled off his shoulders, disappearing under the sofa.

  For her part, Lydia was happy to have the house to themselves for three whole days. The cook, the housekeeper and the extra part-time staffers were all on vacation for Christmas. At least now she didn’t have to pretend there was nothing going on between her and her sexy employer.

  “I’ll vacuum it up,” she assured him, her gaze wandering over him appreciatively. “It was my idea.”

  “You’re not allowed to clean.” Something heated glinted in his eyes as he leaned closer to her, kissing her hands where they rested on her knees. “I’m pulling rank on you with that one. Besides, we can turn the cotton into a tree skirt, right?” He shoved a pile closer to the fifteen-foot Fraser fir near the windows. “It will look like it snowed in here.”

  “What should we do with the tired little boy in the middle of the floor?” She smiled to see Teddy carefully pulling apart a cotton ball, his fingers picking at the fluffy strands before he waved a hand impatiently to remove the tufts.

  James was already on his feet, scooping Teddy up in his big, strong arms. “I’ll only put him in bed if I can trust you not to clean anything while I’m gone.”

  Lydia rose, following him so she could wipe the remnants from the baby. “It’s a deal, but let me make sure he doesn’t have any extra pieces on him.” She picked off a few bits clinging to his sleeper, making Teddy giggle. Then she carefully examined his hands. “My little sister got a strand of hair wrapped around her toe once inside her footie pajamas, and we had to take her to the ER to have the hair removed.”

  “You went to the ER for a strand of hair?”

  “When it winds tightly enough, it can cut off circulation.” She stepped back. “But he looks good to me.”

  James shook his head as he spoke to Teddy. “Champ, it looks like we’re going to have to change your sleeper and examine all your toes now.” He glanced back at Lydia before he started up the stairs. “And I’ve got an early present for you when I’m done. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Something about the tone of his voice sent a shiver of awareness through her. Waking up in his arms this morning had felt incredibly decadent. Making love in the shower while Teddy napped had been even more self-indulgent. Still...

  She could get used to it.

  Not that she’d have the chance since this window of time with James was only temporary. Soon enough, the holidays would end, her sister would return and Lydia would convince Gail to step up and take over the nanny duties with Teddy. After all, it was still Gail who owed the debt to James, and Lydia had faith her sister would do what she could to pay him back for generously covering her donation. But could Lydia maintain a relationship with James if she was no longer working for him?

  The idea tempted her.

  Being with James had made her take more chances, and so far, she had reaped wonderful rewards from her gambles. Continuing to see him, to date, would be an even bigger risk. She’d never wanted to turn into a woman like her mother, falling head over heels at the drop of a hat. Yet what Lydia had with James seemed so much different from that. So much more special.

  Sure, she may have felt like she’d rushed into an intimate relationship. But in comparison with how fast her mom normally moved from dating to t
he altar, Lydia had practically proceeded at a snail’s pace.

  She corralled a few rogue snowballs under the tree, liking the idea of a snowy tree skirt. Teddy had so much fun playing with the fake snow anyway, he would enjoy it tomorrow, too.

  James’s deep voice behind her sent a thrill through her. “Remember what I said about no cleaning?”

  His arms went around her a moment later and she forgot everything but being with him. About falling for him. Maybe it would be simpler if it was just about the heated connection they shared. But that didn’t begin to account for her growing feelings for this incredible man. The tenderness she experienced when she watched him play with his nephew. The respect she had for his generosity and his work ethic.

  She couldn’t pretend what she felt was simply attraction.

  “I don’t think you can boss me around when I’m not technically working now,” she teased. Tipping her head back to his chest, she rubbed her cheek against all that hard strength. “And I think we’ll have more fun tonight if I remain off-duty, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” He spun her in his arms so she faced him. His eyes probed hers, his expression more serious than she’d expected. “I’ve been looking forward to tonight all day.”

  His hand cupped her cheek, cradling her face. Her heart stuttered a jerky rhythm. Had Gail felt anything close to this when she ran off on a weeks-long vacation with her bachelor?

  If so, maybe Lydia owed her the tiniest bit of slack. Because right now, she could almost imagine turning her back on everything to be with him.

  “Me, too,” she told him honestly. As much fun as she’d had preparing for Christmas and playing with Teddy today, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to a repeat of the night before.

  The chance to be in James’s arms.

  “But first...” He let go of her to lead her toward the Christmas tree. “...presents.”

  He guided her toward the big leather sofa closest to the pine branches and waited while she took a seat. She tucked the skirt of her burgundy-colored sweater dress closer to her while she watched him retrieve a small box from the back of the tree.

  Wrapped in gold foil painted with white snowflakes, the paper was elegant, the package itself curiously shaped. He handed it to her, and she could feel a flat square on one side, and a heavier square against it. Almost like he’d wrapped a card.

  “I only have one gift for you,” she protested, wondering if she should retrieve it. “Shouldn’t I wait to open this until tomorrow?”

  He lowered himself onto the sofa beside her, his hand sliding around her waist. “No. This is a bonus present for tonight. Something I wanted you to have sooner rather than later.”

  How quickly she’d grown used to his touch. She leaned into it now while she slid a finger into the wrapping, not wanting to tear it needlessly. Inside, there was a card with her name on it along with a smaller box. But why had he wrapped the card?

  She glanced over at him, but his expression gave nothing away as he waited. Opening the envelope, she saw it wasn’t a greeting card, but an invitation.

  “The Texas Cattleman’s Club New Year’s Eve Ball?” She read the embossed letters aloud. It was one of the most anticipated and prestigious events in Royal. “Really?”

  “I want you to be my date,” he added. “It should be fun, and I think it would really help you meet potential clients for the child care facility.”

  “That’s very generous of you.” She was touched that he’d thought of the business that meant so much to her. “I would be honored to be there.”

  She didn’t know what the date said about their new relationship, but he must realize that taking his nanny to the New Year’s Eve Ball would be a very public way to acknowledge their relationship. Surely that implied the same level of seriousness she felt about him?

  “Good.” He kissed her temple and squeezed her waist a little tighter, hugging her. “Then open the next part of the gift.”

  Excited, she opened the foil paper carefully, then lifted the lid on a yellow-and-red box. Inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, rested an old-fashioned hair comb in art deco style, with crystals outlining three tiny skyscraper buildings.

  “James, it’s beautiful,” she breathed, already imagining how she could wear her hair to show off the piece.

  “It belonged to my mother. I have a photo of her and my father on New Year’s Eve with that comb in her hair, and I would like you to have it.”

  Overwhelmed from the magnitude of the gesture, she shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly accept a family heirloom—”

  “Please.” He laid his hand on her forearm. “She had an extensive collection of jewelry, and I think your kindness to her grandson warrants a thank-you. I know she would be as grateful to you as I am for all you’ve done to help Teddy.”

  Blinking away the sudden moisture in her eyes, she smiled. “In that case, thank you. I will treasure it.”

  She felt something shift inside her. A tender place in her heart that was just for this man. Or maybe it was the last of her defenses crumbling in the face of his warmth and generosity. No one had ever put her first the way he did.

  Maybe that’s why it was so easy to lose herself in his kiss when he captured her chin in one strong hand. Because giving in to the heated attraction, and the simplicity of that connection, was easier than trusting the feelings for him multiplying with every moment they spent together.

  * * *

  James didn’t waste a second coaxing Lydia up the stairs when he wanted her right here. Right Now.

  The front door was locked. He had the nursery monitor feed on his phone. So he dragged the cashmere blanket from the arm of a nearby chair and spread it out on the leather sofa behind her before he gently lowered her there.

  They’d been together on multiple occasions since that first electric encounter. But far from quenching his hunger for her, each time only made him want her more.

  Lydia’s frenzied touches were as desperate as his own, as if not touching for hours all day long drove them to this frantic shedding of clothes. His shirt. Her shoes. He didn’t even bother removing her sweater dress. Between her wriggling and his greedy hands, they had the fabric up around her waist in no time.

  “Condom?” she rasped against his lips, not even bothering to open her eyes while they kissed.

  “Mmm.” He reached in his pocket to put the packet in her hand since he didn’t feel like breaking that kiss either.

  He’d waited all day to have her mouth on him.

  She must have set the packet aside, because her hands wandered over his fly, stroking and seeking, speeding his pulse to a drumroll. He helped her only to save himself from the zipper, but he appreciated her desire that echoed his own. The way she touched him threatened his control.

  Together, they made quick work of his pants. Her panties. And, for expediency’s sake, he ended up with her straddling his lap while he rolled the condom into place.

  Her hands laced behind his neck, thighs bracketing his hips as he slid inside her. She tipped her forehead to his, holding herself very still for a long moment. He waited, need for her burning through him. But when she started to move, the sweetness of it made him want to give her free rein with him. She kissed her way up his neck. His jaw. All the while moving with a hypnotic grace that had him seeing stars.

  It was too soon.

  He’d hardly even touched her yet. But she seemed intent on her course, pinning his hands to the sofa cushion with the light press of her fingers. Her breath was a sweet brush of air along his earlobe when she told him how good it felt.

  He closed his eyes, scavenging for the control he’d exercised the night before. But between her soft words, the gentle glide of her hips and the way her fingers circled his wrists, he was burning from the inside out. He kissed her deeply, then trailed his lips down her neck to her breast. He c
aptured the peak with his mouth, feeling the answering shiver that coursed through her right before her release hit her.

  He focused on the feel of it, her body throbbing all around him, drawing him deeper. Squeezing. He couldn’t have held out another second, his own completion surging hard.

  He banded his arms around her, anchoring her to him while the passion burned white hot. Leaving him spent and sagging into her. Strands of her hair clung to his skin as she laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, wanting to carry her to his bed. To wrap her in his arms and his blankets.

  “That was just a warm-up,” he assured her, drawing the cashmere throw up to her shoulders.

  She gave a soft laugh as she disentangled herself from him and dressed. “In that case, I’m not sure I’d survive the main event. Besides, we have Christmas presents to bring downstairs. I know Teddy is young, but he will be excited to see all the packages in the morning.”

  James admired her commitment to making the day special for the boy. “You’re a pretty great nanny.” He slid on his boxers and pants. “The women who looked after Parker and me never gave much thought to our holidays.”

  She regarded him silently, as if waiting for more. Making him realize how self-pitying that had sounded.

  Damn.

  “We had great holidays thanks to my dad.” It was sort of true. Christmas was one of the few days their father didn’t work. “I only pointed it out to let you know you’re very generous with your time and attention.”

  “Every child deserves happy holiday memories.” She folded her arms around herself. “And Teddy is all the more special to me because he’s your family.”

  Her words chased around his head long after they went upstairs to bring down the presents they’d wrapped from their shopping outing, distracting him. He tried picking them apart, to figure out what it was about her statement that troubled him.