Tempting the Rancher

by Brenda Jackson

  His eyes didn’t leave hers.

  “I want...” Tessa swallowed hard, her entire body trembling slightly. “Your tongue.”

  He leaned in closer, the smirk deepening. “Where?”

  God, he was really going to make her say it.

  “Here.” She spread her thighs and guided his free hand between her legs, shuddering at his touch. Tess hoped that show-and-tell would do, because she was teetering on the edge, nearly ready to explode. “Please.”

  “That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?” He leaned down and lapped at her slick flesh with his tongue.

  She quivered from the pleasure that rippled through her with each stroke. He gripped her hips, holding her in place to keep her bottom at the edge of the table, so she couldn’t squirm away. Despite the pleasure building to a crescendo.

  Tess slid her fingers in his hair and tugged him closer. Wanting more, even as she felt she couldn’t possibly take another lash of his tongue against her sensitive flesh.

  Ryan sucked on the little bundle of nerves and her body stiffened. She cursed and called his name, her inner walls pulsing.

  Trailing kisses up her body, he kissed her neck. Then he guided her to her feet and turned her around, so her hands were pressed to the table and her bottom was nestled against his length.

  He made another adjustment of the table, then lifted one of her knees on to it. He pressed her back down so her chest was against the table and her bottom was propped in the air.

  He slid inside her with a groan of satisfaction, his hips moving against hers until finally he’d reached his own explosive release. As he gathered his breath, each pant whispered against her skin.

  “Tess, I didn’t mean to...” He sighed heavily. “Are you all right?”

  She gave him a shaky nod, glancing back at him over her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

  He heaved a long sigh and placed a tender kiss on her shoulder. “Don’t give up on this so easily, Tess. Or do something we’ll both regret.”

  Ryan excused himself to find a trash can where he could discreetly discard the condom.

  Tessa still hadn’t moved. Her limbs quivered, and her heart raced. Slowly, she gathered her bra, her jeans and her underwear. Her legs wobbled, as if she were slightly dazed.

  She put on the clothing she’d managed to gather, despite her trembling hands.

  When he returned, Ryan stooped to pick up her discarded shirt. Glaring, he handed it to her.

  She muttered her thanks, slipping the shirt on. “You’re upset. Why? Because I brought up your sex life with Sabrina?”

  “Maybe it never occurred to you that the reason Sabrina and I tended to have rough, angry sex is because we spent so much of our relationship pissed off with each other.

  He put his own shirt on and buttoned it, still staring her down.

  Tessa felt about two inches tall. “I hadn’t considered that.”

  She retrieved the hair tie from the standing desk, that she’d never be able to look at again without blushing. She pulled her hair into a low ponytail, stepped into her boots, and slipped her jacket back on.

  “It can be fun. Maybe even adventurous. But in the moments when you’re not actually having sex, it makes for a pretty fucked-up relationship. That’s not what I want for you, Tess. For us.” He shook his head, his jaw still clenched. “And there’s something else you failed to take into account.”

  “What?”

  “Rough sex is what got Sabrina off. It was her thing, not mine. What gets me off is getting you there. But I guess you were too busy making your little comparisons to notice.” He stalked away, then turned back, pointing a finger at her for emphasis. “I want something more with you, Tess, because we’re good together. We always have been. The sex is only a small component of what makes us fit so well together. I would think that our twenty plus years of friendship should be evidence enough of that.”

  Tessa wished she could take back everything she’d said. That she could turn back time and get a do-over.

  “Rye, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “If you don’t want to be with me, Tess, that’s fine. But just be honest about it. Don’t make up a bunch of bullshit excuses.” He tucked his plaid shirt into his well-worn jeans, then pulled on his boots before heading toward the door. “Enjoy your date with Clem.”

  “It’s not a date,” she yelled after him, her eyes stinging with tears.

  He didn’t respond. Just left her standing there shaking. Feeling like a fool.

  And she deserved it. Every angry stare. Every word uttered in resentment.

  She’d been inventing reasons for them not to be together. Because she was terrified of the truth. That she wanted to be with Ryan more than anything. She honestly did want it all—marriage, a house of her own, kids. And she wanted them with her best friend. But she wouldn’t settle for being in a relationship where she was the only one in love.

  And she was in love with Ryan.

  But as much as she loved him, she was terrified of the deafening silence she’d face if she confessed the truth to him. Because Ryan didn’t believe in messy, emotional commitments.

  He’d never admitted to being in love with a single one of his girlfriends. In fact, he’d never even said that he loved Sabrina. Just that there was a spark with her that kept things exciting between them. Something he hadn’t felt with anyone else.

  Tessa’s sight blurred with tears and she sniffled, angrily swiping a finger beneath each eye. She’d done this, and she could fix it. Because she needed Ryan in her life. And he needed her, too. Even if all they’d ever be was friends.

  Tessa’s phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket.

  Clem.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw clenched. Tess hated to bail on him, but after what had happened between her and Ryan, the thought of going out with someone else made her physically ill.

  She answered the phone, her fingers pressed to her throbbing temple.

  “Hey, Clem, I was just about to call you. Suddenly, I’m not feeling very well.”

  Chapter 18

  Ryan hopped into his truck and pulled out of the Noble Spur like a bat out of hell. He was furious with Tess and even madder that he’d been so turned on by her when she was being completely unreasonable.

  He pulled into the drive of the Bateman Ranch and parked beside an unfamiliar car. A shiny red BMW.

  As Ryan approached the big house, Helene hurried to the door to meet him. By the way she was wringing that dish towel in her hand, he wasn’t going to like what she had to say one bit.

  He glanced at the car again, studying the license plate. Texas plates, but it could be a rental car. And only one person he knew would insist on renting a red BMW.

  Hell.

  This was the last thing he needed.

  “Ryan, I am so sorry. I told her that you weren’t home, but she insisted on waiting for you. No matter how long you were gone.” She folded her arms, frowning.

  “It’s okay, Helene.” Ryan patted the woman’s shoulder and forced a smile.

  “Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come home.” His ex-fiancée, Sabrina Calhoun, sashayed to the front door. “Surprised to see me, baby?”

  The expression on Helene’s face let him know she was fit to be tied. Never a fan of the woman, his house manager would probably sooner quit than be forced to deal with his ex’s condescending attitude again.

  Ryan gave Helene a low hand signal, begging her to be civil and assuring her that everything would be all right.

  Sabrina was the kind of mistake he wouldn’t make twice. No matter how slick and polished she looked. Outrageously expensive clothes and purse. A haircut that cost more than most folks around here made in a week. A heavy French perfume that costed a small mint.

  His former fiancée could be the dictionary illustr
ation for high maintenance. He groaned internally, still kicking himself for ever thinking the two of them could make a life together.

  Sabrina wasn’t a villain. They just weren’t right for each other. A reality that became apparent once she’d moved to Texas and they’d actually lived together.

  Suddenly, her cute little quirks weren’t so cute anymore.

  “What brings you to Royal, Sabrina?” Ryan folded his arms and reared back on his heels. He asked the question as politely as he could manage.

  “I happened to be in Dallas visiting a friend, and I thought it would be rude not to come by and at least say hello.” She slid her expensive sunglasses from her face and batted her eyelashes. “You think we can chat for a minute? Alone?”

  She glanced briefly at Helene who looked as if she was ready to claw the woman’s face off.

  “Do you mind, Helene?” He squeezed her arm and gave her the same smile he’d been using to charm her out of an extra slice of pie since he was a kid.

  She turned and hurried back into the house, her path littered with a string of not-so-complimentary Greek terms for Sabrina.

  Ryan extended an arm toward the front door and followed Sabrina inside.

  Whatever she was here for, it was better that he just let her get it out, so she could be on her merry way.

  They sat down in the living room, a formal space she was well aware that his family rarely used. An indication that he didn’t expect her visit to last long. And that he didn’t consider her visit to be a friendly one.

  “The place looks great.” Sabrina glanced around.

  He crossed his ankle over his knee and waited a beat before responding. “I don’t mean to be rude, Brie, but we both know you’re not the kind of person who’d drop by unannounced without a specific purpose in mind. I’m pressed for time today. So, it’d be great if we could just skip to the part where you ask whatever it is you came to ask.”

  “You know me well. Probably better than anyone.” Sabrina moved from the sofa where she was seated to the opposite end of the sofa where he was situated.

  Ryan watched her movement with the same suspicion with which he’d regard a rattlesnake sidling up to him. Turning slightly in his seat, so that he was facing her, he pressed a finger to his temple and waited.

  He knew from experience that his silence would drive Sabrina nuts. She’d spill her guts just to fill the empty void.

  “I have a little confession to make. I visited my friend in Dallas because she emailed that article about you.”

  He’d nearly forgotten about that article on the bachelor’s auction featuring him and Tess. Helene had picked up a few copies for his parents, but he hadn’t gotten around to reading the piece. Between issues on the ranch and everything that had been going on with Tess, the article hadn’t seemed important.

  “And that prompted you to come to Royal because...?”

  Sabrina stood, walking over to the fireplace, her back to him for a moment. She turned to face him again.

  “It made me think about you. About us. I know we didn’t always get along, but when we did, things were really great between us. I miss that.” She tucked her blond hair behind her ears as she stepped closer. “I miss you. And I wondered if maybe you missed me, too.”

  Ryan sighed heavily. Today obviously wasn’t his day. The woman he wanted insisted they should just be friends, and the woman he didn’t want had traveled halfway across the country hoping to pick up where they’d left off.

  He couldn’t catch a break.

  Ryan leaned forward, both feet firmly on the floor. “Sabrina, we’ve been through all this. You and I, we’re just too different.”

  “You know what they say.” She forced a smile after her initial frown in response to his rejection. “Opposites attract.”

  “True.” He had been intrigued by their differences and because she’d been such a challenge. It had made the chase more exciting. “But in our case, it wasn’t enough to maintain a relationship that made either of us happy. In fact, in the end, we were both miserable. Why would you want to go back to that?”

  “I’m a different person now. More mature.” She joined him on the sofa. “It seems you are, too. The time we’ve spent away from each other has made me realize what we threw away.”

  “Sabrina, you’re a beautiful woman and there are many things about you that I admire.” Ryan sighed. “But you just can’t force a square peg into a round hole. This ranch is my life. Always has been, always will be. That hasn’t changed. And I doubt that you’ve suddenly acquired a taste for country living.”

  “They do build ranches outside of Texas, you know.” She flashed her million-dollar smile. “Like in Upstate New York.”

  “This ranch has been in my family for generations. I have no interest in leaving it behind and starting over in Upstate New York.” He inhaled deeply, released his breath slowly, then turned to face her. “And I’m certainly not looking to get involved.”

  “With me, you mean.” Sabrina pushed to her feet and crossed her arms, the phony smile gone. She peered up at him angrily. “You sure seemed eager to ‘get involved’ with your precious Tess. You went all out for her.”

  “It was a charity thing. Something we did on behalf of the Texas Cattleman’s Club.”

  “And I suppose you two are still just friends?” The question was accusatory, but she didn’t pause long enough for him to respond either way. “Suddenly you’re a romantic who rents her fantasy car, knows exactly which flowers she likes, and which wine she drinks?” She laughed bitterly. “I always suspected you two were an item. She’s the real reason our relationship died. Not because we’re so different or that we want different things.”

  “Wait. What do you mean Tess is the reason we broke up?”

  Sabrina flopped down on the sofa and sighed, shaking her head. “It became painfully obvious that I was the third wheel in the relationship. That I’d never mean as much to you as she does. I deserve better.”

  Ryan frowned, thinking of his time with Sabrina. Especially the year they’d lived together in Royal before their planned wedding.

  He hadn’t considered how his relationship with Tessa might have contributed to Sabrina’s feelings of isolation. At the time, he’d thought her jealousy of Tess was unwarranted. There certainly hadn’t been anything going on between him and Tess back then. Still, in retrospect, he realized the validity of her feelings.

  He sat beside Sabrina again. “Maybe I did allow my relationship with Tess to overshadow ours in some ways. For that, I’m sorry. But regardless of the reason for our breakup, the bottom line is, we’re just not right for each other. In my book, finding that out before we got married is a good thing.”

  “What if I don’t believe it. What if I believe...” She inhaled deeply, her stormy blue eyes rimmed with tears. “What if I think it was the biggest mistake I ever made, walking away from us?”

  “We never could have made each other happy, Brie.” He placed his hand over hers and squeezed it. “You would’ve been miserable living in Royal, even if we had been a perfect match. And God knows I’d be miserable anywhere else. Because this is where my family and friends are. Where my future lies.”

  “Your future with Tessa?” She pulled her hand from beneath his and used the back of her wrist to wipe away tears.

  “My future with Tessa is the same now as it was back then.” Regardless of what he wanted. “We’re friends.”

  Sabrina’s bitter laugh had turned caustic. She stalked across the floor again. “The sad thing is, I think you two actually believe that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been in love with each other for as long as I’ve known you. From what I can tell, probably since the day you two met in diapers. What I don’t understand is why, for the love of God, you two don’t just admit it. If not to everyone else, at least to yourselve
s. Then maybe you’d stop hurting those of us insane enough to think we could ever be enough for either of you.”

  Ryan sat back against the sofa and dragged a hand across his forehead. He’d tried to curtail his feelings for Tess because of his promise to Tripp and because he hadn’t wanted to ruin their friendship. But what lay at the root of his denial was his fear that he couldn’t be the man Tess deserved. A man as strong as he was loving and unafraid to show his affection for the people he loved.

  A man like her father.

  In his family, affection was closely aligned with weakness and neediness. In hers, it was just the opposite. With their opposing philosophies on the matter, it was amazing that their parents had managed to become such good friends.

  He’d been afraid that he could never measure up to her father and be the man she deserved. But what he hadn’t realized was the time he’d spent with Tessa and her family had taught him little by little how to let go of his family’s hang-ups and love a woman like Tess.

  Sabrina was right. He was in love with Tess. Always had been. And he loved her as much more than just a friend. Tessa Noble was the one woman he couldn’t imagine not having in his life. And now, he truly understood the depth of his feelings. He needed her to be his friend, his lover, his confidante. He wanted to make love to her every night and wake up to her gorgeous face every morning.

  He’d asked Tess to give their relationship a chance, but he hadn’t been honest with her or himself about why he wanted a relationship with her.

  He loved and needed her. Without her in his life, he felt incomplete.

  “It wasn’t intentional, but I was unfair to you, Sabrina. Our relationship was doomed from the start, because I do love Tess that way. I’m sorry you’ve come all this way for nothing, but I need to thank you, too. For helping me to realize what I guess I’ve known on some level all along. That I love Tess, and I want to be with her.”

  “As long as one of us is happy, right?” Her bangs fluttered when she blew out an exasperated breath.

  Ryan stood, offering her an apologetic smile. “C’mon, it’s getting late. I’ll walk you to your car.”