The Rancher's Second Chance

by Victoria James

  Cole looked over at her after a long stretch of silence. “Everything okay?”

  Melanie nodded. “I’m shocked that I’m actually beginning to enjoy this.”

  A crooked grin, complete with the dimple made her smile in turn. “Well, I gotta tell you, I’m enjoying it, too.”

  Melanie didn’t say anything, distracted as the cabin came into view. “Is that your cabin? We’re already here?”

  “Yup,” he said as the horses slowed to a stop, neither of them dismounting yet.

  “I can’t believe it. This was a lot easier than I thought. It was great.” She rolled her back and looked up at the dark sky.

  “You look hotter than I expected.”

  Her eyes widened, and she looked over at him. Their horses were standing close together and she could almost touch his thigh. His compliments always seemed to come out of left field, and they were impossible not to physically react to. It was hard concentrating on the horse and the cowboy at the same time. “I guess this is a good time for me to admit that this whole cowboy thing you have going on is a very good look.”

  His deep, rich laugh made her smile. “You do realize I’m not trying to make a fashion statement, right? This is my livelihood.”

  “Of course, I get that you’re not dressing up in a Halloween costume,” she said. “But it does work well.” She tilted her head to the side and tried to hide her smile. He was fun to tease and flirt with and she enjoyed making him laugh. There always seemed to be a hint of surprise on his face when he let go and laughed.

  “Mel?”

  She tried not to smile as she raised her eyebrows, signaling for him to continue.

  “I find you irresistible. You are insanely gorgeous and since our night together at the cabin I have thought of you all day, every day. That night ended way too soon. All I want to do is taste you, feel your body against mine. And if you have any doubt…” He paused, his brown eyes holding hers with their intensity. He took her hand in his warm one and placed it over his heart. He held it there and she squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the rapid beating of his strong heart. “If you have any doubt, know that this is what happens the second you walk into a room.”

  Her breath was locked inside her chest as he stared at her with a longing that mirrored how she felt. Seconds later he dismounted and was standing in front of her. “I should probably tell you to dismount on your own, to gain that experience, but I’ve been thinking about picking you up and letting your body slide down mine, knowing how good that would feel.” His brown eyes glittered with desire, the words coming out of his mouth laced with pure seduction. She was absolutely more than willing to be seduced by Cole.

  His strong hands planted themselves at her waist, and as promised, he lifted her off the horse and she began a torturous descent down his hard body. Her feet never did touch the ground because his mouth found hers and stole all her breath and his body housed hers so she didn’t need to walk. He kissed her with a passion and hunger that told her exactly how much he’d missed her. Minutes later, her feet touched the snowy ground and he looked down at her. His jaw clenched tightly, and he placed keys in her hand.

  “I’ll see to the horses, you go inside.”

  She nodded, fumbling with the keys. Moments later she was inside waiting for Cole. He joined her a few minutes later, silently walking in. Cole strode across the room, tossing his jacket and hat on the couch and crouched down in front of the hearth. Neither of them spoke; Melanie watched him, admiring him. The strong, lean lines of his body rippled beneath his clothes. She swallowed repeatedly as he stood, turned, and looked at her. His hair was disheveled and there wasn’t a smile on his face. His face was stamped with the unmistakable look of desire, need. For her. She saw it in the glint in his brown eyes when they roamed over her appreciatively, possessively. She saw it in every long, purposeful stride, and she shook with her own need for him, waiting.

  And then he was there, his mouth on hers and she leaned back up against the door. “God, what I’ve wanted all day was this, you,” he said harshly, unbuttoning her jacket, the brush of his fingers against her breasts making her flinch with the need for his hands on her bare skin.

  “You, Mel,” he said, his stubble tickling her as his lips brushed against her neck, his hands guiding her jacket off. It fell to the floor in a soft thump. The cold wood of the door was at her back, but she didn’t mind; the heat Cole offered more than made up for it. His hands and mouth feasted on every inch of skin he exposed, igniting every sense in her body, until nothing lay dormant.

  “Your turn,” she whispered, lifting her hands to his shirt.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.” The smile he gave didn’t quite reach his eyes, their depths still filled with an intensity she was beginning to recognize. She understood the need in him, because she felt it herself. She ran her hands over his warm, naked skin with a sense of wonder. Cole’s voice sounded husky, and she closed her eyes with a sigh as his hands reached out to touch her face. She opened her eyes and looked into the brown, glittering depths of his, lost somewhere between wanting him and wanting to run. This was the man she admired, pitied, and loved. He was the man she thought would be emotionally unavailable for the rest of his life, and now he was here. And it wasn’t just sex he had in his eyes; it was something else. She felt the emotion; she knew the man. He raised his hands to frame her face, his thumb grazing her cheekbone. She stood close to him; his scent filled her with a need that filled her core and made her inch closer to him. His hands were tender, the calluses under them a reminder of his strength, his discipline.

  “Mel,” he repeated in that voice, before he lowered his head. She met his lips halfway, desperate to have his mouth on hers. She tasted, accepted, and molded herself into the man she’d been waiting for. He was the faceless, nameless hero she dreamed up as a teenager.

  He crushed her against him, until her body melded with his and all she could feel were the hard plains of his body pressing against hers. His hands were in her hair and then suddenly roaming the length of her, tracing the sides of her body. His mouth left hers, and her gasp of disappointment was replaced by pleasure as he captured her earlobe between his teeth, nipping softly. He caught her against his body as her knees buckled. His lips traveled the length of her neck, his hand moving her hair aside. She let her neck fall back, wanting to give him as much access as he needed to continue his exploration.

  “God, you’re sweet,” he rasped as he drew her sweater over her head. He bent his head, stubble pricking against her sensitive skin as he grazed her collarbone. “I gotta tell you something,” he said, moving his mouth up to hers again. “You know that night at the ranch, when I said you were short?”

  She frowned. “That’s not really the type of thing a woman wants to hear when—”

  “I was thinking how beautiful you were. You caught me off guard.” His eyes darkened and he reached out to capture her mouth against his. “And I was thinking how I wanted to do this.”

  He moaned deep in his throat, the sound so raw and real that it intensified the desire pulsing through every nerve ending of her body. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. She could feel it in the way he kissed her, treasured her. She could feel the emotion in each kiss.

  His eyes sparked with desire and one of his hands cupped her face. This time the kiss was harder, filled with a building passion she knew would not end until they’d both found their release together.

  “You make me want to spend every day with you,” he said, his body pressing into hers. He stood between her legs, his hands moving behind her to unclasp her bra. He captured the gasp that escaped her throat when their bare skin made contact. “Why does it feel like I will never get enough?” he murmured, the weight of his body pinning her against the door. His lips moved from her mouth, to her collarbone, his hands moving up and down her sides. Her knees gave out when he kneeled in front of her, his head at her stomach. He braced her hips with his hands. “I’ve got you, sweetheart,” he sa
id against her flesh and then tugged her jeans and underwear down over her hips in one strong, fluid motion.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and forced out the words that needed to be said before it was too late. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “I haven’t done anything yet,” he rasped against her flesh.

  Somehow she managed to smile even though she was teetering precariously between crying with the depth of her feelings for him and whimpering from the need to be with him.

  “Thank you for proving men like you exist. Before I knew anything about men or love or desire, I dreamed of you.” Her eyes shut and Cole was still, his breath warm on her navel. She held her breath, hoping she hadn’t said too much.

  But then Cole moaned low in his throat, the sound raw and primitive, ripping through every inch of her body and leaving her without any walls. She surrendered herself, trusting him completely.

  “This bed is too damn small,” Cole said, his voice muffled as he spoke against her neck. Early morning sunlight filtered through the cabin window. She smiled at the sound of his voice, at the lazy movement of his hand against her bare arm. A shiver ran through her when he placed a small kiss against her neck.

  He gave her a delicious, slow smile. Cole in the morning was possibly even more gorgeous than Cole last night. His firm jaw was covered in dark stubble, and he was perfectly naked. This was a man she could wake up to for the rest of her life. This was the man she’d dreamed up.

  He groaned out loud when his iPhone buzzed on the nightstand. He gave her a quick kiss and then reached out to grab the phone.

  “Do you think it’s Cori?” she asked, sitting up beside him.

  He was grinning at the display. “It’s not Cori, but it’s good news. I just received confirmation that a business deal is going through.”

  She leaned back down on the bed, resting her head against the pillow. She shut her eyes, needing to block the image of the man behind the business deal. After the most incredible night with Cole, after he’d fallen asleep, she’d stayed awake torturing herself with the knowledge that she’d been lying to him. But her only other alternative was telling him the truth and risking everything he’d worked so hard to achieve and she knew how much this meant to him because of Sarah. She was gone, and Melanie was here, with Cole; the least she could do was step aside and let them have that last dream.

  Melanie forced her eyes open and forced her lips upward. “That’s great. Sounds like something big.”

  He nodded, smiling at her and lying down beside her. She tried to concentrate on how sexy he looked, all disheveled and naked in bed, and not on the details about her father. “I was going to tell you the night at The Loft that I ran into the owner and his future son-in-law and daughter. They’re in town for a few days. Really nice people. I think with the distribution agreement we made, I’ll be able to take the business to a whole new level,” he said, settling his arm under his head.

  “That’s great,” she said, trying to sound thrilled. It took every ounce of self-control to maintain a normal expression.

  “Yeah. Apparently, they are really a family business at heart. Phillip kept emphasizing family was the most important thing.”

  Melanie couldn’t blink. She was afraid if she made one move, she’d give everything away. Family business. Family is the most important thing. Her father would say anything to score a dime. Family was so important to him if he was able to control them. If he couldn’t control them, he’d just pretend they didn’t exist. Not once since she left their home had either her father or mother attempted contact with her. Not once. And as much as she wanted nothing to do with her father, it did hurt. To think that her mother could allow him to remove every piece of her existence from the house made her ache.

  She studied the perfectly chiseled lines, the strong plains of Cole’s face, remembering the warmth in his voice when he spoke of Sarah. Or of Cori. She couldn’t imagine him ever being able to turn someone out of his life so coldly.

  “It’ll be a good way to secure steady, long-term business. And it was one of Sarah’s dreams,” he said, his voice dipping. Melanie wrapped the covers around herself, feeling cold.

  “Sarah loved the ranch, didn’t she?”

  He nodded once. “Sarah was involved in the business every step of the way; and she believed that if we could get our quality organic beef into chain restaurants not only would we be supplying the public with nutritious food and raising awareness for ethical, sustainable farming, we’d also be securing our company a place in a competitive industry.”

  Melanie nodded, still unable to form a sentence. She tried to smile. Cole went on, clearly passionate about the subject, clearly very proud of Sarah.

  “Anyway, I don’t know if this is interesting or if it’s really boring…” His voice trailed and Melanie looked up at him. Guilt hit her. He looked almost looked boyish for a moment as he waited for her to reply.

  She shook her head. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she wasn’t interested in his livelihood, that she couldn’t care less about his business. She did care. But it was probably just about the worst possible situation. Of all the companies out there, it had to be tied to her family’s? It had to be tied to Sarah’s dreams?

  She searched his brown eyes, and her stomach fluttered at the pride she read in them. This man was loyal, hardworking, and passionate, and the love he had for his late wife was written all over his face, and she heard it in every syllable he spoke. But she couldn’t keep lying. Cole mattered to her and if she really wanted to face all of her fears, she needed to tell him.

  “It’s not boring at all. But you were right the other night when you said I was hiding something.” She sat up, gently tugging the sheet along with her and looked at Cole. He reached out to grab her hand and she smiled at him.

  “You can tell me anything, Mel.”

  She nodded, trying to force the words from her throat. “Phillip Anderson is my father.”

  Cole sat up, the sheet falling and resting on his lap as he leaned against the headboard. His eyes held hers, as they sat in silence. “I use my mother’s maiden name.”

  He squeezed her hand gently. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  She shrugged slightly. This was more difficult than she’d imagined. She knew she had to tell him, but she didn’t know how much. She didn’t know if she could face whatever would happen, how he would look at her when he knew everything. “I didn’t know what to say; I didn’t think I needed to say anything except now, we’re…together and I can’t keep hiding. I don’t want to lie to you.”

  “So Phillip is your father. Maybe this is a way for you to be able to work things out with your family?”

  Melanie’s stomach rolled uncomfortably at the suggestion. “No, no that’s not going to happen. You don’t understand, Cole. I never want to see my father again. Ever. And if I’m being completely honest, the thought of you going into business with him makes me sick.” She held her breath as Cole’s mouth dropped, his hand slipping from hers. She shouldn’t have blurted that out, but if she hadn’t, she never would have had the courage to do it again. Meredith’s words about being a coward echoed over and over again as she waited for Cole to answer her.

  “I know what you’ve told me about him isn’t good. Sometimes people like that, the power gets to their head. Just because I’m doing business with him doesn’t mean you have to reconcile with him. I’d never force you or pressure you. This is my deal; you don’t have to be involved.”

  She bit her lip until it was too painful to be silent. “That’s not good enough for me.”

  “Sweetheart, you’ve got to give me more than that. I can’t just drop a deal like this for a family quarrel.”

  “It’s not just a quarrel,” she whispered. Tell him. All of it.

  “Then what? You gotta give me something more. That deal we worked out basically gives me security in an industry where there is none. I have people who depend on me, on the salary that comes from this ran
ch being profitable.”

  She clutched her stomach and nodded. “I know, I just. Maybe there’s another way.”

  “Tall Pines has been in my family for generations, and now I’m the only one left and it’s me on my own. I can’t afford to gamble with that. And this isn’t just a mediocre deal. It’s something Sarah and I envisioned. I’d be responsible for making one of her dreams come true.”

  She looked down at her lap, hating herself and her weakness, hating her family and her father. Hating that Meredith was right about her. But more than anything, she hated herself for ever giving in to her childhood dreams. “Of course. I understand,” she said. Her voice scraped painfully against the tears in her throat. She reached for the quilt, aware Cole just sat there, not saying anything. She wrapped the quilt around her cold body and stood, needing physical space from him. “Go ahead, do the deal. Fulfill your obligations. Do it for Sarah.”

  He reached over to grab her hand, but she pulled it from him slowly. “Hey, Mel, we can find a way to work around this.”

  “There is no middle ground. I cannot be with a man who does business with my father,” she choked, inching away from him. Her sister was right; her principles didn’t keep her warm at night, but they were all she had.

  Cole raked his hands through his hair and let out a rough sigh. “What?”

  She stood, slowly forcing herself to move away from him, from the illusion of security. There would never be security with Cole if her father was part of their lives. “I have spent years trying to get that man out of my head, and I can’t go back. I can’t.”

  He leaned forward and held out his hand, tension etched in every hard line of his frame. “You’re going to end our relationship because of an old family—”

  Melanie shook her head and backed up another step, knowing she was so close to breaking. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t give in, or she’d be like Meredith and her mother. This was all her fault. She never should have gotten this close to Cole. “You don’t know what you’re talking about…it’s not, I told you. It’s so much more.”