Twin Secrets (Mills & Boon Desire) (The Rancher’s Heirs 01)

by Jules Bennett

  Colt grunted as he poured two fingers of amber liquid. “I started this for him, but now it’s also for me. I want that dude ranch. I want people from all over the world to know Pebblebrook is the greatest ranch, the best getaway money can buy. I want to share all of this work our family has done and if I happen to have a little fun along the way, then so be it.”

  Colt held out a glass and Nolan shook his head. “I’m on call.” He took a seat on the bar stool, lacing his hands together. “This is the first girl you’ve mentioned at all since Layla.”

  Colt took a hearty sip. “I’m not looking to settle down. And Layla has nothing to do with now. There’s only one thing I’m focused on and that’s making the dude ranch happen. Annabelle is working here to pay off the debt. If she misses one payment or can’t come up with the entire sum at the end of the time frame, then it’s completely mine. But it’s mine in the end anyway. They just have to pay off their original debt. Neil paid no attention to the paperwork he signed.”

  Nolan stared for a minute before shaking his head. “You can handle this how you want, but I’m telling you it’s a moral mistake.”

  With a shrug, Colt finished his glass and recapped the bottle. “I’ve made mistakes before. And, if Annabelle is a mistake, then she’ll be the sexiest one I’ve ever made.”

  Layla had been his one and only serious relationship. He should’ve known it was too good to be true when she’d wanted to marry so soon after they’d started dating. Colt had thought she was interested in him and shared a passion for the farm. She’d shared a passion all right...for his bank account. She didn’t care about the land, the animals, his vision. She cared about how she could keep up with the latest trends in clothes, vacations, cars. Colt had been completely blind and eager to give her anything she wanted.

  When he’d had an accident and been laid up with broken bones post-surgery, he found out all too quickly just how little she cared about him. She’d told him she needed a break from their lifestyle and then jetted off to his vacation home in Aruba...with another guy. If Colt’s cleaning service hadn’t told him, the joke would still be on him.

  While recovering from surgery, Colt broke off the relationship, kicked Layla and her stud out of his house and sold the place, deciding he didn’t like the beach anyway. He needed nothing but his home in Texas. He loved to travel, but what did he need a second home for? His jet and his pilot would take him anywhere he wanted to go.

  He was finished with romantic entanglements and refused to get sidetracked by such emotions as love. Hell, he hadn’t even been in love with Layla. He’d wanted a family one day and he figured he and Layla were the best match. He still carried that goal of having a wife and children. There was nothing he wanted more than to raise another generation of Elliotts and keep the ranching tradition going. Family and loyalty were everything to him.

  He’d let his libido guide him once before, but now he knew exactly what he was feeling. Everything inside him that flared to life around Annabelle was pure lust. He wanted her, he’d have her. End of story.

  * * *

  “Is this necessary?” Annabelle asked.

  Colt held tight to the reins, his body aligning perfectly with hers. She hadn’t just dreamed of his strength. When she’d woken in the middle of the night after a vivid, detailed dream regarding her new employer, she’d thought her imagination had just gotten the best of her.

  But now she knew better. She’d tried to avoid his touch yesterday, but being on horseback with him made that impossible. Maybe it was time Annabelle renegotiated this whole pickup routine.

  “It’s a perfect day for a ride,” he replied.

  His low, soft tone was in direct contrast to the chaos she felt inside. She wanted to continue hating him, and she would, but why did she have to be attracted to him at the same time? It truly made for some mixed up hormones and she couldn’t keep eating her weight in doughnuts like she wanted to. Her favorite jeans were already snug as it was.

  “I’d be fine to drive myself,” she retorted, keeping her eyes on the bright horizon, as opposed to focusing on the proximity of his hands to her inner thighs. “Or Josh or Ryan can take over delivery duties.”

  “I’m a hands-on employer,” he murmured against her ear. “You’ll get used to it.”

  That was the problem. This was day two in her duties and she could honestly say she didn’t hate this part. She wanted to hate it. She wanted to stomp her foot like a toddler and declare her independence by not getting on that horse with him.

  But she was still a woman. Despite her jaded view on men and their loyalties, and ignoring the fact Colt had her in a tough position, she was a woman with basic desires. And her body felt exactly the way it should when a sexy man entered the scene: tingly, hot, achy.

  “You’re thinking awfully hard about something,” he stated. “You tensed up on me.”

  “Just counting down the days until we’re free of each other and I can go about my life with my house.”

  “You’ve still got quite a while. I wouldn’t be making those plans just yet.”

  Annabelle shrugged. “I’m optimistic. I know I won’t miss a payment and I have every reason to keep going, even if I want to give up.”

  She felt her hair shift aside seconds before his fingertips trailed across the back of her neck. Annabelle jerked to glance over her shoulder.

  “What are you doing?”

  His mouth was only inches from hers and completely tempting, so she focused back on the fence line dividing the properties. It had to be a sign, a symbol of exactly how different they were and how she needed to compartmentalize their arrangement.

  “Your hair tickled my face. Why didn’t you put it in a ponytail?”

  She held up her wrist. “I have my band here. I didn’t get time before you arrived because Emily was sick last night and I was trying to get her sheets washed and put back on the crib so Dad could lay her down for a nap later.”

  Why had she told him all of that? He had no place in her personal life.

  “You could’ve texted me to give you an extra five minutes.”

  “That would’ve made me late. You’re not going to win that easily, Colt. Just forget I said anything,” she quickly added. “I’m not looking for sympathy or special treatment. After this debt is paid, I’m going to pursue my dream.”

  “Care to share what that dream is?”

  Annabelle bit the inside of her cheek and thought for a half second, but shook her head. “Nope. You’ve stolen enough from me. I won’t give you my hopes, too.”

  “It’s not your secrets I’m after, Anna.”

  Every part of her stilled. He wanted her, that was obvious. He wasn’t even trying to pretend otherwise. But she wasn’t about to comment on that.

  “Don’t call me Anna.”

  His soft chuckle had his entire body vibrating against hers. “I’m willing to call you anything, but you don’t like any name I’ve chosen.”

  “Like I said before, maybe it would be best if you didn’t address me at all, except for work purposes, and then you can call me Ms. Carter.”

  Colt pulled back on the reins, bringing Lightning to a stop at the edge of the property line. “And what about now, when we’re alone and not working. What should I call you?”

  Slowly, Annabelle turned her head slightly, knowing full well he’d eased forward and his face would be right there. And it was. Those lips mocked her, the edge of his hat bumped the top of her head, bright eyes stared back, daring her to answer the question.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t talk.”

  The instant his eyes flared, darting to her lips, she realized he took her comment as a challenge. He eased forward, his eyes locked on hers the entire time. Her mind told her to stop, but his eyes mocked her as if he knew she would. So she didn’t.

  His lips grazed hers and everything in her stilled. The slow caress of that mouth had her closing her eyes and forgetting who they were. For once, she was going to just take this moment of
pleasure and ignore all the warning bells inside her head.

  Colt eased her mouth open beneath his and Annabelle responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She wanted Colt’s mouth on hers, she wanted him to...

  No. This wasn’t right. Annabelle pulled away, instantly feeling a chill from the loss of his touch.

  “You can’t possibly believe you’re going to get anywhere with me,” she stated, needing to get control back in her grasp. That kiss had only temporarily caught her off guard. Still, his body rubbed against hers, making her want things she’d never had.

  “I tend to get what I want,” he whispered. “And from the way you responded, I’d say we want the same thing.”

  She was out of her league with this one. He was charming, smart and devious. But she was determined not to succumb to his attempt at seduction. And that was exactly what he was doing, no doubt so she would lose focus and hand over her property. Not in this lifetime.

  “Then I’d look elsewhere because this will never be yours.”

  “And you?” he asked, quirking a brow and smiling.

  Anna reached around and palmed the side of his face. His jaw muscle ticked beneath her hand as she looked into his eyes.

  “You won’t get that lucky,” she said sweetly, then patted his face before letting go. “Now get me to work.”

  When he didn’t reach for the reins again, she lifted them, lightly tapping Lightning into motion again. Which she instantly discovered to be a mistake.

  Colt’s hands flattened against the tops of her denim-clad thighs. She refused to tense, refused to even comment on his actions. They’d already crossed a professional boundary, but it wasn’t like this was a typical boss-employee relationship. Nothing here was normal. She had no idea how to react, what to say. All she knew was that Colt challenged her minute by minute and she had to stay on her toes and never let her guard down again.

  She could still taste him, though, knew exactly how he felt, how gentle he’d been. She’d expected someone like Colt to go in full attack mode when trying to seduce a woman. It was like he knew her situation and catered specifically to her needs...her desires.

  Surprisingly, he let her guide them straight to the barn. Annabelle figured his cockiness, as shown by him keeping his hands on her, overrode the need to be in control for now. But she wasn’t under the illusion that he was relinquishing his power.

  “What’s on the agenda today?” she asked as she stopped in front of the barn.

  Barn was such a generic, ridiculous term for such a structure. The interior of the barn alone rendered her speechless, she couldn’t imagine what the other barns and homes on the property looked like inside.

  He slid his hands over hers on the reins. “You and I will be going out and checking the fence lines around the property. I tend to have Josh and Ryan do that, but I’m giving your hands a break after yesterday.”

  The warmth from his touch, the way he literally enveloped her would be so easy to get caught up in if this were any other type of situation. But he was the main obstacle standing between her and her bed-and-breakfast, and the life she wanted for Emily and Lucy.

  Annabelle worried Colt had something up his sleeve...something she wouldn’t see coming until it was too late.

  “I don’t want special treatment. My hand is just fine.” Sore, but she’d put some antibiotic ointment and a bandage on it. “Treat me like you would any other stable hand.”

  Colt grunted. “That’s not going to happen.”

  He eased off the horse, then extended a hand to assist her. “I can get down myself.”

  As she slid off the side, firm hands gripped her waist. “A gentleman always helps a lady.”

  Annabelle turned in his arms and placed her hands on his chest. A very firm, solid, muscular chest. She pulled in a deep breath and forced herself to focus.

  “If you’re trying to seduce me, it won’t work.” But it could if she didn’t keep giving herself mental pep talks. He had to keep those lips to himself, though. “And if you’re trying to make this process more difficult, then don’t waste your time. I’m not backing down and I’m not quitting. So, tell me where I’m working today and knock off the shenanigans.”

  He pursed his lips and she knew from that naughty twinkle in his bright eyes that he was holding back a laugh. With a tip of his hat, he took a step back.

  “Then that goes both ways.”

  Shocked, Annabelle held a hand to her chest. “Excuse me?”

  “No seducing me. I know, it will be tough to control yourself around me, but try. I’m not just here for my looks.”

  When he let go and offered a full smile, she smacked his shoulder. “Get out of my way, you arrogant jerk. I will not seduce you. I’m sure a number of women find you charming, but I am certainly not one of them.”

  Annabelle started to move, but he snaked an arm around her waist. Bringing his lips next to her cheek, he whispered, “You will be.”

  Before she could reply, he turned and headed into the barn. As if she weren’t irritated enough, the man had the gall to start whistling. Annabelle gritted her teeth and fisted her hands at her sides.

  Colt Elliott was not going to get under her skin. She would not find that arrogance attractive, nor would she allow herself to feel any more attraction to the sexy cowboy. She’d been burned too many times and if she didn’t keep her guard up, she’d find herself hurt more than ever before.

  Maybe it was time to give Colt a little dose of his own medicine.

  Six

  “I think Genesis will be the perfect mare for you to use while you’re here.”

  Annabelle slid her hand down her new friend’s velvety nose. Josh had pulled this mare from her stall when Annabelle came in to find Colt and give him a piece of her mind. But he was nowhere to be found. Probably off in some corner plotting on new ways to drive her out of her mind—and off her land—with that killer body of his. If he strutted in there with no shirt, she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to resist.

  Mercy, when had she gotten so pathetic and weak? An impressive collection of muscles only went so far...and she had too much in her life to get distracted.

  “She’s beautiful.” Annabelle looked into the mare’s deep brown eyes. “I miss riding.”

  When she’d been younger, she and her sister both had horses. Their father would take them riding nearly every day, especially during the time when their mother was ill. But then her mom had passed and soon her dad’s gambling began, the debts piled up and the horses were sold. Their lives had crumbled so quickly, there wasn’t even time to adjust.

  She wanted to hate her father, she truly did. She hated the decisions he’d made, she hated his addiction, but she loved him and she wasn’t about to give up.

  “I believe you and Colt will be riding the perimeter today,” Josh went on. “Looks like your face got a little pink from working outside yesterday.”

  Instinctively, Annabelle tapped a fingertip to her cheek. “Yeah, a little. I thought I had used enough sunscreen.”

  “I can get you a hat,” Josh told her as he looped the reins around the horn. “We have plenty in the office.”

  “I’ve got one right here.”

  Annabelle turned at the sound of Colt’s voice. He came sauntering up the stone walkway, hat in hand. That flutter in her chest had her cursing. How could she be strong when he made her want so much? She’d never been this drawn to a man physically. Even her fiancé hadn’t given her that nervous flutter in her stomach.

  Why did it have to be the one man she wanted to hate? And why did he have to do little things to make it seem as if he actually had redeeming qualities?

  “Ryan is in the steer barn,” Colt said to Josh. “There’s a calf that isn’t looking good. I called the vet, but I’d like if both of you were there. Take the radio with you and keep me informed.”

  “Sure thing.” Josh glanced at Annabelle and nodded. “See you later.”

  She waited until they were alon
e before she turned her attention back to Colt. “Do you ever ask anyone politely or do you just enjoy ordering people around?”

  “I have a busy schedule and those guys don’t need coddling.” Colt slapped the hat on her head. “If you have a problem with how I run my ranch, you’re free to go at any time.”

  Annabelle adjusted the hat, narrowing her eyes. “You know I can’t.”

  “Then stop trying to school me on manners. My guys and I get along just fine and run this place quite successfully.”

  Annabelle’s phone vibrated inside her pocket. She pulled it out, glanced at the screen, then looked at Colt. “I have to take this.”

  She didn’t wait for his reply as she swiped her finger over the screen. “Dad, this isn’t a great time. Can I call you back in a bit?”

  “I think Emily has a fever.”

  Annabelle pinched the bridge of her nose and willed herself to remain calm. She had no experience with sick babies. She was still getting used to being a guardian, but she would always put them first. Before the farm and before her father’s addiction. She adored those babies, hated when she was away from them. They were a balm on her battered heart.

  Annabelle could tell by the concern in her father’s tone that she had to keep a level head, even if worry flooded her. Between the two of them, they were still figuring out their new normal.

  “When I fed her around four this morning she was fine. Did you take her temperature?”

  Boots shifted over stone behind her and Annabelle tried to block out the fact that Colt was no doubt clinging to her every word. Again, she didn’t want him involved in her personal business any further.

  Cooing in the background brought her back to reality. If Emily was getting sick, Annabelle didn’t want the girls close together. The last thing anyone needed was two sick infants.

  “I can’t find a thermometer.”

  “Go into my room and look in the top nightstand drawer. I have one in there as well as some infant pain reliever. Take her temperature and call me right back.”