Cowboy's Bride (8 page)

"Great.
The Triple T's the most wonderful
place.
I'm so pleased with the way everything is going," she
replied.

"Still planning to stay?" He watched her over
steepled fingers.

She nodded, wondering why every male out here
thought she shouldn't.
Was it some sort of Western macho thing?

"You've got a good offer from the Flying
Cloud Ranch.
Wouldn't you like to at least consider it?
I don't
know how long it will stay open," Richard advised her.

"No.
I've already told Trace my answer.
I'm
not selling.
I'm learning all I can to run the place myself," she
said.

"I see.
Very well, I'll send a formal
refusal."

She signed the necessary papers to complete
the transfer of all titles into her name.
Then Richard personally
walked her over to the bank, introduced her to the bank president
and helped smooth the transition there.

"Glad to have you as a client.
Triple T's
been with us since the beginning.
Though I heard there was an offer
to buy you out by Flying Cloud," the bank president said as they
sat waiting for a handful of new checks to be printed.

"I'm not selling," she said quietly.

Was this the small town grapevine at work?
Somehow she didn't think Richard Strominger would be telling
everyone his clients' business.
And she certainly couldn't picture
Trace doing so.

"I see.
Well, good.
It's our gain." He smiled
genially and asked her about Boston and how she compared the two
places.

Kalli was struck by the friendliness of
everyone she met.
Even at the supermarket, the cashier and clerk
had been welcoming, though they, too, had mentioned Trace's offer.
Kalli shook her head, amazed.
Would everyone in town now be
commiserating with him on the lost sale?
He'd love that.

She forgot about it as she hurried home.
With
any luck she'd have a chance for another soak to ease her aching
muscles before starting dinner.

Conscious of wanting to prove something to
Trace, she prepared veal scallopini.
It was her mother's special
recipe and she hoped he and his daughter liked it.
For a moment she
hesitated.
Would they like Italian food?

Nonsense, everyone did.

While Kalli loved the West and dressing like
a cowboy in jeans and cotton shirts, she decided to dress up a
little for the first dinner guests in her new home.
She donned a
dusky rose skirt with a matching scooped-neck top that buttoned
down the front, then French braided her hair to keep it neat.
She
didn't want to be worried about it while she cooked.
She used a
light touch of makeup and sprayed perfume on sparingly.

When Trace drove into the yard, she was
ready.
A final check of the table revealed everything set
perfectly.
She wished she could have used the dining room, but the
kitchen would have to do.
She didn't want to make too big a deal
over dinner.
And there were still boxes piled everywhere.
She had
dragged them from the living room, in expectation of visiting with
her guests later.
When would she have time to unpack and get
settled?

Trace walked in as if he owned the place.
His
daughter followed, peering around her tall father to stare at
Kalli.

"Hello.
Welcome.
Are you Becky?
I'm Kalli."
She offered her hand to the girl, who was as tall as she.
When
Becky was full grown, she'd probably be almost as tall as her
daddy, and for certain taller than Kalli.
With a silent sigh, Kalli
reflected it didn't take much to be taller than she was.

"Hello." Becky shook her hand then stepped
back, looking boldly around her.
She met Kalli's eyes again and
studied her for a long minute.

"Are you part Indian, too?" the girl asked
asked.

"No, are you?" Kalli replied, surprised by
the girl's question.

Becky nodded and looked at her father.
Trace
had put his hat on the rack and turned to face them.
His eyes
became watchful and his stance wary.

"We're part Shoshone," he said.

"Well, I'm full Italian, though my family has
been over here for three generations.
Not a long time in comparison
to yours, I guess," Kalli said easily, smiling at them both.
She
had wondered if he was part Indian.

"Dinner is just about ready.
Do you want to
eat and then move to the living room?
Do you think it's cool enough
for a fire?"

Trace nodded, motioning to Becky to take a
chair, holding it for her.
He moved behind Kalli's chair as she
brought the platters to the table.
He seated her, then took the
chair he normally used.

Serving the plates, Kalli made sure her
guests had everything they needed.
Becky watched her warily the
entire time.
Kalli wondered if it was because there was no woman at
their place and Becky was curious.
Or was there something more?

Conversation was stilted, awkward, erratic.
Father and daughter ate steadily, apparently unconcerned at the
silence.
Kalli was used to her volatile Italian family, where
everyone talked at the same time, and conversational topics changed
rapidly.
These two were silent.

"So," Kalli said brightly when she could no
longer stand the silence.
"Tell me all about the new mother and
baby.
What are you going to name it?"

Trace nodded to Becky to answer.
"We're
calling her Cloud's Pride.
My dad owns the Flying Cloud Ranch,"
Becky said with arrogant pride.
"And before long he says he'll own
this one, too."

4

Kalli stared at Trace, feeling as if one of
the horses in the corral had kicked her in the stomach.
Was she
never to escape his claim?
Was he bragging about it to his
daughter?
Every chance he had, he told her she'd never make it,
undermining any confidence she felt in her ability to run her
ranch, constantly urging her to accept the buy-out offer.
And why
not?
He coveted her ranch.

Trace remained silent, his dark eyes watching
her, his lips pressed tightly together.
Becky stared wide-eyed
between the two adults, her expression unsure and worried.

"You have some nerve bragging to your
daughter that you're getting this place.
I'm tired of you telling
me I don't belong here—''

"You don't belong here," he interrupted.
"You're some starry-eyed romantic city girl who thinks the wild
west is alive and waiting to fulfill your fantasies.
That living on
a ranch would be the same thing as visiting it

when you were a kid.
Sweetheart, as soon as
the novelty wears off, you'll leave so fast it'll make your head
spin.
I'm just trying to keep you from running the place into the
ground before you take off."

"And the kisses, were they to try to seduce
me out of the ranch?" A tearing pain pierced her.
Had his kisses
only been a way to manipulate her?
Try to get her to agree to sell?
She'd almost relaxed her guard around him.
It had been a
mistake.

He flicked a glance at Becky.
"Go see Josh,"
he ordered.

"I want to stay here." She pouted.

"Go!"

She frowned but slowly shoved back her chair
and pushed away from the table.
With a glare at Kalli, the girl
stomped out of the room, letting the screen door bang shut behind
her.
For a few seconds her footsteps in the gravel could be heard
and then they faded away.

Trace's eyes never left Kalli.
He could see
the hurt and anger reflected in her eyes and didn't like it.
He
hadn't meant to hurt her.
But he knew as sure as he was sitting
here that she'd never make it.
And he'd been up-front with her, he
wanted the ranch.

"I'm sorry," Kalli said.
"I shouldn't have
said that in front of Becky."

"You shouldn't have said it at all."

"Oh, sure, it's fine for you to come in and
throw your weight around, but if I say anything I'm wrong." She
jumped up and began pacing the room.
"You can just get out, Trace.
I don't need help like yours.
I'll find another foreman."

She stopped across the room from him, leaned
against the counter and tilted her head, looking far more confident
than she really felt.

He rose, all six feet of him, and strode
across the wooden floor, the heels of his boots stomping until he
stopped mere inches from her, his nearness causing her to press her
back against the tile edge to gain a smidge more room.
Glaring at
her, he shook his head.

"No.
You're not getting another foreman.
I'll
do it until you decide to sell."

"I'm not going to sell!" Kalli almost
screamed in frustration.
Why wouldn't he listen to her?
If he
thought he could drive her away, he didn't know her very well.

Maybe her family should
clue him in.
They knew how stubborn and tenacious she could be.
They had tried to talk her out of becoming a nurse, citing the
physical strain and arguing that the emotional trauma would unravel
her.
But Kalli had become a nurse.
And yes, it had been hard
sometimes, but the rewards had been well worth it.
As would the
reward of making a go of her ranch.

"You're fired," she said.
"Get out and don't
come back."

He moved even closer, deliberately trying to
intimidate her.
She had to tilt her head back until her neck ached,
the coolness of the tile like a band across her back.
He was so
tall, so strong and so damned male!

"I'm not leaving," he said, his voice low,
threatening.
He raised his hand.

"Don't touch me.
If you think you can seduce
me into agreeing to sell, you're crazy."

He reached out and clasped her waist, tossing
her up on the edge of the counter.
Pressing open her knees, he
stepped between her legs, bunching up her skirt, his hands hard and
hot on her waist, clamping her in place even as she wiggled to
escape.
Lowering his face until his nose almost touched hers, he
spoke softly, almost menacingly.

"Let's get one thing straight here,
sweetheart.
I want you.
I told you that before.
But it doesn't have
a thing in hell to do with getting your ranch.
If I sleep with you
from now to doomsday, I'll still want the ranch.
If you never let
me touch you again, I'll still want the ranch, and I'll get
it."

"I don't want you to touch me." She had meant
to sound assertive, strong.
But her voice came out almost
wistful.

"Liar.
I can see the pulse point in your
throat, your heart's racing, your breath catches.
You want me as
much as I want you."

"That’s mere reaction from fear," she said.
Or excitement, or anticipation or fierce yearning.
She could feel
her- heart pounding, the blood roaring hot through her veins.

"Liar," he repeated softly.
His gaze dropped
to her mouth when she nervously licked her lips.
He stared at the
moisture for a long moment, then slowly pressed his lips against
hers, capturing the wetness on his own.
Slowly his tongue traced
her lips, moistening them, rubbing along the seam.
Not pressing
forth, not trying for anything but a taste of her.

Kalli closed her eyes to better enjoy the
sweet sensation.
His breath fanned across her cheek.
His tongue
slowly, gently rubbed against her lips.
She parted them slightly to
allow him access to her mouth, but he held off.
Shockingly aware of
the intimacy of their position, she leaned into the embrace, her
hands inching up his arms to encircle his neck and hold his head so
he couldn't pull back.

At the feel of her capitulation, Trace's
hands pulled her hard against him, until there was not an inch of
space between their bodies.
He could fed the heat of her inner core
through the straining denim of his jeans.
He could feel the rise
and fall of her breasts as her breath brushed over his cheeks.
Her
pounding heart slammed against his chest as she pressed against
him.
She felt so damned good, so right.

Plunging his tongue into the warm welcome of
her mouth, he tightened his grip even more, moving his arms around
her, one hand cupping the firm globe of her bottom and hauling her
even closer.
The other trailed up until it captured the back of her
head.
Longing to delve his fingers into that dark glossy mane, he
began to impatiently undo the elaborate braid that held it.

Warning bells clamored in her mind, but Kalli
ignored them.
Trace's taste beguiled, lured.
Her tongue mated with
his, danced with it in enchanting fascination.
Every nerve aiding
clamored for more.
Pressing herself into his long body, honed hard
as the granite of the distant mountains, stronger than the men she
was used to and far more dangerous, she reveled in the sensations
flooding her, sweeping through her like the hot prairie wind.

Danger.
That was the allure.
And the
risk.

Trace wanted her.
He wanted her ranch.
When
he got both, he'd move on.
She'd be out on her ear, tossed aside,
discarded.
Danger.
But it was the danger that bewitched, like a
flame for a moth.

Blinking, she pulled away a little.
Knowing
in her mind she needed to stop, to put some distance between
herself and this dangerous cowboy, her body was still reluctant to
end the embrace.
Even though she wrenched her mouth free, her
fingers refused to relinquish their tantalizing foray into the
thickness of his hair.

"Trace, stop, please," she whispered,
breathing hard.
Her breasts ached with desire for more of his
touch.
The liquid heat within her clamored for the quenching plunge
that would first consume her, then release her.
Her body wanted his
as much as his desired hers.
But it was a foolhardy, greedy craving
that would only lead to desolation.
She had to have more than mere
sex.

"You want me, Kalli.
I can feel it," he said
against her mouth, moving to brush sweet kisses across her cheek,
trail down her throat and lick the rapid pulse.

"Sex is not enough," she said regretfully,
her fingers still entangled in his hair, her legs loosely looped
around his hips.
Slowly she pushed him away, tried to scoot back on
the counter, aware of his hand on her hip like a brand, hot and
possessive.

"What are you looking for, protestations of
love?" He allowed her to move away and stood straight, his hands
dropping to loosely rest on her spread thighs.

"You don't even like me." Gazing into his
eyes was like looking into the midnight of a mountain mist, the
gleaming polish of obsidian.

"What’s not to like?
You’re one sexy lady.
But you're going to be here for such a short time.
Let's not waste
it.
You'll play at ranching until you get bored, or the first
setback hits you.
Then you'll be back to the bright city lights as
fast as a plane can take you.
I know your type."

"You don't know me.
I'm not a type!"

"The hell you're not.
I married a woman like
you.
I know exactly your type.
Can't get enough of a romantic
cowboy until the dirt and sweat and monotony of the life disgust
and bore you.
Then you'll take off to find something more
exciting."

She stared at him.
Rampant curiosity rose at
the mention of his wife.
Of the circumstances he'd described.
Had
she told him that when she left?
Or was he just imagining things?
Was he trying to rationalize her leaving?
Or did he know for
certain?

Kalli had a million questions.
"She was a
city girl?"

"From Denver.
Hooked on rodeo cowboys.
Life
was just dandy as long as we followed the circuit, but too dull and
boring when we came back to the ranch to settle down, try to make a
go of things.
Alyssa craved the excitement of the rodeo, and the
cowboy of choice didn't matter much, as long as he was part of the
action."

"Were you hurt when she left?" Kalli asked,
stunned at the bitterness of his tone.
Of course he'd been hurt.
The woman he'd loved had left him.

"I had a year-old baby to take care of.
I
didn't have time to be hurt, only mad as hell." He leaned his hands
against the edge of the counter, leaning over her as if to prevent
her from ever moving.
He no longer touched, yet Kalli felt every
movement, every breath he took.
The tension rose even higher.

"To love someone and then—"

"God, but you view the world from
rose-colored glasses.
There was no love between us.
Alyssa was
great in the sack.
She got pregnant with Becky so I married her to
give my kid a name.
There was no love there.
On either side.
Grow
up, Kalli, people mate for various reasons, and the romantic love
you're talking about is only found in fairy tales."

"You're so cynical.
Love is all around you.
Don't you love Becky?"

"Of course, she's my daughter."

"Well, there's other love, too.
And nothing
is stronger than the love between a man and a woman.
It can last
beyond the grave.
Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't
mean it doesn't exist," she snapped.
Where had all the anger come
from?
He'd been fair with her, telling her exactly what he
wanted—her, the ranch.
The anger couldn't be on his behalf, could
it?

"And you have firsthand knowledge, I
suppose." For a moment he held his breath.
He didn't want to hear
about her great love for some damn wonderful man she knew.
He
didn't want to hear about love at all.
He only wanted to tumble her
in bed.
Feel her move beneath him, satisfy the growing need in him
for her.
Get her out of his system so he could get back to the
important things in life, like buying the Triple T Ranch.