by Sky Corgan
“That was . . . wow,” he stuttered. When he ran his tongue across his bottom lip to indulge in her lingering flavor, she couldn’t resist kissing him a second time.
The heat between them was searing; she felt the desperation with which he held her. If they weren’t in her mother’s living room, she might have stripped him down right then and there. Her want was too much to control, and so when he gently pushed her away, though she was dumbstruck, she was also thankful.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Ryan let out a short laugh, rubbing the nape of his neck with one hand and taking a step back. Ana groaned internally at the absence of his touch. Her heart was still racing, her body on overdrive, but she knew this was for the best. While she didn’t regret the kiss, she wasn’t sure if she wouldn’t regret anything else they might do tonight while she was still so fueled by the romance of Celia’s wedding.
“You opened the door.” She blushed, embarrassed that she had come on to him so suddenly.
“I’m glad I did.” He smiled warmly at her. “Please don’t slam it in my face later.”
He showed himself out, turning briefly to tell her, “Good night,” taking her breath away with another charming smile.
When she whispered the words back and closed the door behind him, she stood there for several moments, listening to his footsteps crunch against the gravel as he walked toward the barn. Everything in her wished he would come back, draw her into his arms, and spirit her away for a night of passion she’d never forget. As it was, the night was already unforgettable, filled with fun and dancing and romance and memories.
It took Ana a while to pull herself together. The distance between them brought her back down to reality, but it was a different reality than the one she’d believed in before. In this new reality, she thought that there was a possibility that she could be with Ryan. Perhaps his words were true. Maybe he didn’t have any intention of hurting her. All she could do was trust him.
CHAPTER FIVE
The bad thing about working on farms and ranches for the past six months was that even when Ryan had a day off, he still woke up early. It felt strange beating the sun. Ryan was a nine-to-five guy, always had been, so switching to early mornings had been hard for him.
No doubt Molly was already awake, cooking breakfast and preparing to fill the duties that Ryan was supposed to leave unattended this morning. A little extra work never hurt anyone, though, especially when Ana probably wouldn’t be up for several more hours. So instead of going inside and having his share of breakfast, he did his regular early-morning rounds, making sure that all the water troughs were full and that there were no weaknesses in the fence line. It was the least he could do for Molly in exchange for all of her generosity, including not chasing him off with a pitchfork when he began to show interest in her elder daughter.
As Ryan worked away the hours before dawn, he thought about the kiss he had shared with Ana last night. He’d known she was a passionate woman, that just below that timid facade was someone dying to express her sensuality, but he had never expected her to make the first move.
A smile crossed his face as he remembered the heat of her lips against his and the way she had held him so desperately in her arms. And he had held her just as desperately, pouring all of his desire into the kiss and never wanting to let her go. It had been hard to rein himself in. In the end, his heart had won out. If he wanted her to trust him, he’d have to take things slow.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Ryan began to wonder how he would be able to have her. It was obvious Ana had no qualms about leaving Texas, but New York struck at her heart. He doubted she’d want to go back, and she still had no idea that New York was where he was actually from. And there again was something else he had to worry about—the lies. How could he expect her to want to be with him when he was hiding so much of himself from her? Would Ana and Molly really care that he was some big-shot billionaire CEO? He wasn’t living in his brother’s shadow. It was the other way around.
Ryan sighed. The more he thought about it, the more the lies piled up: where he was from, his name—even his hair and eyes weren’t real. Contacts and bleach and hair dye. He had just wanted to blend in for a while, to be normal—like everyone else. It had been an escape, traveling around the country, living a simple life, helping people with the hard labor that he had long ago traded in for a desk job and a business suit. He had never anticipated that he would fall in love.
And now everything was a mess. The longer he kept the truth from her, the deeper a hole he was digging himself into. But he didn’t want it to end just yet. He liked that she didn’t seem to care about money or fancy cars or houses. She just cared about him.
Molly was standing next to the barn with her hands on her hips when Ryan finally rolled back up the driveway.
“It’s your day off,” she complained as he killed the engine and opened up the door to step out of his truck.
“I know, but you were up so late last night, I figured I’d help you out a little.” He smiled at her.
“You’ve helped me out a lot.” She caressed his cheek, giving him a look he had seen in his own mother’s eyes hundreds of times before. “Come inside and have some breakfast. It’s cold, but that’s nothing the microwave won’t fix.”
They walked inside arm in arm, and Molly sat Ryan down at the dining-room table and fixed him a plate of food, ever the good hostess. It amazed him how much she reminded him of his own mother, though she was more spunky.
“So, Sunshine, what’s on your agenda today?” she asked as she sat down on the opposite side of the table from him with a cup of coffee.
“Ana is going to show me around town today.”
“A little sightseeing, huh?”
“Yeah. I think I’m going to have her show me that dance hall she was telling me about.”
“The Cabaret?” The words came out with a lilt of nostalgia. “Well, I hate to disappoint you, but they’re in the process of tearing it down and rebuilding it right now.”
“I’d still like to see it. Like to see where Ana learned how to dance so well.” He grinned at his eggs.
When Molly didn’t make a snarky comment back, he looked up to find concern in her eyes. Her smile was still there, but it was a lot softer than before. “I know you like my little girl, and I think you’re a fine young man. Nothing would make me happier than to see the two of you be together. You work hard and are always polite. You’re a gentleman through and through . . .”
“But?”
“But Ana has been through a lot. She fell in love with some guy in New York who shattered her completely. And I suppose she’s told you already that she’s pregnant with his kid.”
“She has.” He could understand Molly’s concern. If he was Ana’s father, he wouldn’t trust some man who just blew into town with the intention of leaving again. It would be hard to put Molly’s mind at ease, but he would try.
“She’s trying to get her life together right now, and I think the best thing for that is stability. If this is just a fling to you, let her know that. Don’t lead her on, making her think this is something more, if you’re just going to disappear from her life. I don’t think she could handle that right now.” Molly slid her hand across the table, placing it on top of his.
He flipped his hand over, giving hers a gentle squeeze. “If you enjoy having your mornings off, I can see no reason why I shouldn’t stay around longer.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a brat. I’m serious.”
“So am I.” He leaned back in his chair. “I have nowhere to be. I can stick around as long as I want, or as long as you’ll have me.” It felt a bit like he was imposing, but he knew that Molly enjoyed his company, and he was certain she didn’t mind letting him sleep out in the barn for a while longer.
“I would like that. And I think Ana would too.” She beamed at him, her eyes glistening with wetness.
“Hey, what’s this all about?” He moved around the table to give
her a hug.
It took her a moment to pull herself together, but when she did, she turned away in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. It’s just so different not having Celia here. Everything is changing so quickly: Celia getting married, Ana ending up pregnant. I’m really grateful that you’re here. Really grateful.”
“It’s a pleasure, Molly.” He rubbed her back.
“You know, all you ever hope for your daughter is that she’ll meet a good man who will take care of her and they’ll get married. But I never realized how difficult it would be being alone.”
“You’re not alone. You have me and Ana. We’ll take care of you.”
Molly wiped her eyes. “It will be a while still before Ana adjusts to life on the ranch. When she last lived here, it was a farm. Things were different. Besides, I don’t want to push her too much with her being pregnant. I wish I could keep you until that business was all over with.” Molly patted his cheek, forcing a smile. “Not that I’m not happy I’m about to be a grandmother. A child is a blessing. It’s just going to be hard adjusting to things.”
“I’m sure you’ll be all right. You’re a strong woman. Change is always scary, but you’ll adapt.” His heart broke for her. It must be so difficult losing her husband and having to adjust to running the farm with just her and Celia. Then switching over to a ranch and learning how to make that work instead. Now she had lost Celia, who was off starting a life of her own. Ryan was certain that Ana would step up and fill her shoes, but it certainly wouldn’t be easy with a baby on the way. They needed help, and Ryan wished he could give it to them, but he couldn’t really stay forever, despite what he had said.
“Thank you, Ryan. You really are a godsend.” Molly pushed herself up and took his plate to the sink to do the dishes. Ryan thought about cleaning the kitchen for her, but he knew she needed this time to compose herself, so he headed out to the barn instead.
Molly breaking down like that made Ryan think of his brother, Matt, who was currently in charge of Demars Holdings, Inc. It must have been hard for him, picking up all of Ryan’s duties and stepping into responsibilities that had never been expected of him before. Matt was quick to learn, though, always had been. Ryan never would have gone on this journey if he hadn’t thought that Matt could rise to the occasion.
It had been a while since he’d spoken to his brother. The whole point of this trip was to pretend he was someone else, but he couldn’t forget about his life completely. And now was as good a time as any to call Matt, when he had found the love of his life and was thinking about marriage.
Matt would be floored when Ryan told him. Ryan had always been a ladies’ man, wooing models and starlets. But now he wanted to settle down with someone sweet and genuine, someone he would never have to worry was after his money, because as far as Ana knew, he didn’t have any.
Ryan sat down on his sleeping bag, feeling the hard ground just beneath, and pulled his cell phone from his duffle bag. This was miles away from the cushy beds he was used to, but it reminded him of camping when he was little, and camping had never killed him. He dialed Matt’s number and took a deep breath. Confessing his feelings to Matt would solidify the seriousness of his intentions. Ryan had told Matt about many of the women he had been with, but not like he was about to describe Ana.
“Finally decided to check in?” Matt said with a sigh on the other end of the line.
“I figured I let you sweat long enough.” Ryan grinned. “You haven’t bankrupted me yet, have you?”
“Everything’s going smoothly. It’s like you never even left. Well, the paparazzi are still having a field day. Many of them speculate that you’ve died and I’ve stepped into your shoes.”
“I’m sure there’s one that said I mutated into some hideous monster and Area 51 had to come whisk me away too.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.” Matt let out a short laugh. “So how are things going living like a poor man?”
“Richer than I felt living like a rich man.” It was true. There was a quality to the life Ryan was living now that made him feel far more fulfilled than sitting behind a desk had.
“You are a rich man, though, with a rich man’s responsibilities, which I regret to tell you, you’ll have to return to sooner than you’d like.”
“All good things must come to an end.” Ryan sighed. He had known since the beginning that he wouldn’t be able to live out this fantasy for an entire year. His business required his personal attention. Until now, he’d been able to handle it with his laptop and cell phone. But some events required him to be physically present, and Ryan knew what Matt was talking about.
“The Nan Duskin acquisition happens next Monday. You have to be here. George Richter already made it clear that he won’t hand the keys over to me, even though I’m your brother and the vice president of this company. The pretentious prick,” Matt huffed.
“It’s a big merger.” Ryan understood the way Richter felt. He had grown Nan Duskin from the ground up. If Ryan was ever forced to sell Demars Holdings, Inc., he would want the buyer to be there for it as well. “I’ll be there.”
“Good. Leave your new country charm at home,” Matt teased.
“Speaking of things recently acquired . . .” Ryan couldn’t help but smile. “I met someone.”
“You . . . met someone?” Confusion was plain in Matt’s voice. He had heard those words from Ryan a hundred times.
“I’m going to get married.”
“What?” The disbelief melted into joy. “Congratulations. This is rather sudden.”
“It is.”
“How long have you known her?”
“A few days.”
Silence on the end of the line again. Usually, Ryan didn’t jump the gun like this. He had always been a planner, taking his time to study before he committed to anything. It was strange that he was willing to go all-in with a girl he had just met.
“So, you’re bringing her back here?” Matt asked.
“If she accepts.” Ryan’s grin grew even broader.
“If she accepts? What, you haven’t proposed yet?”
“No. She doesn’t even know I want to marry her yet.”
Ana woke with a smile on her face. She had spent the night dreaming of romance with Ryan Black: a long courtship, a picture-perfect wedding, settling down with him somewhere nearby and raising her child together. The lingering happiness followed her until she opened her eyes.
She rolled over onto her side and curled up into a ball, wondering if she had made a mistake last night. Sure, his words had spurred her on, but she was the one who couldn’t stand not knowing the taste of his lips any longer.
And the kiss . . . What a kiss it had been. Ana couldn’t remember the last time she had felt such passion and sensuality flowing through her. It made her smile to know a man wanted her, especially a man as handsome as Ryan Black. But the smile dipped into a frown when she realized what a mess she had gotten herself into. Now he would expect more from her. Men always did.
She had opened Pandora’s box with that kiss, and though she had enjoyed it immensely, she couldn’t allow things to proceed any further. While she wanted to believe that he had no intentions of hurting her, he would eventually leave. Even now, it was going to be painful to watch him go. He had to understand that the kiss had been a mistake—a moment of weakness. Ana had been love-drunk from the romance of the wedding, the sweet flirting, the dancing. Being alone with Ryan made her feel vulnerable—made her feel . . . A blush crept over Ana’s cheeks. The thoughts came back to her in a rush as she remembered the heat of Ryan’s lips pressed against hers.
It would be hard to suppress her urges in his presence. The day’s planned outing probably wasn’t the best idea, but he had said they would go as friends. Could that still be true after the kiss they’d shared? She wasn’t sure, but if it wasn’t true, she needed to set him straight, for the sake of her own sanity.
CHAPTER SIX
Ryan had been around enough people to know that An
a had closed herself off again. Whatever guard she had let down last night in the wake of the passionate kiss they had shared was up stronger than ever. She barely looked at him as they walked down Main Street together, and every time he got close to her, she put distance between them.
He tried not to be hurt. She was only guarding her heart against a man who would soon disappear. It killed him that he would have to bring her fears to reality, leaving for New York the following week, but he would promise her that he’d come back, and he could only hope she’d believe him.
“And there’s the Cabaret.” Ana pointed to a building on the corner of one of the streets, or rather, what was left of one of Texas’s oldest dance halls.
“I bet that brings back memories.” He smiled at her, trying to imagine Ana all dolled up in western wear, sweeping across a wooden dance floor.
She looked at the remnants of the old building fondly. “There was a place inside where the wood was warped. Whenever you danced over it, people called it dusting the hump. Apparently, the boards were so rotted that they’re going to have to be removed and replaced. It’s a bit sad.”
“No more hump?” He let out a laugh.
“No more hump.” She frowned.
The thought of Ana’s favorite dance hall being remodeled was starting to make her emotional, so Ryan decided that it was time to move on. “Hey, let’s grab something to eat.” He hooked his arm around hers and pulled her in the opposite direction, away from her memories.
Her body tensed when he touched her, but she followed nonetheless, pulling out of his grasp. She seemed to be in her own little world, and he wasn’t able to penetrate it until they were seated in one of the restaurants and waiting to be served.
“Want to dutch it?” she asked.
“I’ve got this.” He winked at her.
“But Mom hasn’t been paying you. I know you don’t have much money. I don’t mind paying for myself.”
