Pursued by the Rich Rancher

She disconnected the call, the taste of blueberries and the tangy scent of a certain cowboy’s soap still teasing her senses.

God, on the one hand she had an amazing friend she could never sleep with. On the other hand she had a week with the hottest man she’d ever met. Too bad she’d never been the fling sort. But with the memory of Alex’s touch still buzzing through her, she wondered if maybe she could be.

Three (#ulink_fcb640e9-d73b-5bd9-b799-e25e50d65a8f)

Alex propped his boots on the office desk, the morning routine stable noises wrapping around him. Except today he couldn’t get into the groove. Thoughts of Nina Lowery had him tied up into hitch knots.

He’d spent most of the night on the porch in a hammock, staring up at the stars, trying to reconcile his blaring conscience with his shouting libido. By sun-up, he’d reconciled himself to the fact that he couldn’t hide his identity indefinitely. He would tell her who he was today and take it from there. It wasn’t as if he’d actively tried to pry those stocks from her hands, and she had no reason to expect he would.

And he was genuinely interested in her.

What did he intend to do with this relentless attraction? It would be so much simpler if they’d just met somewhere outside the Hidden Gem Ranch. Not that he left this patch of earth often.

He cranked back in his chair, peering out in the open barn area that was more like a stadium, used for parties. The kids had worn themselves out with a morning of nature walks and a wagon ride picnic. Now they were napping in the cool barn on mats, a wide-screen television showing a video for the spare few who hadn’t fallen asleep.

He scanned the familiar walls of home. Like in all their stables and barns, custom saddles lined the corridors, all works of art like everything the McNairs made. Carvings marked the leather with a variety of designs from roses to vines to full-out scenes. Some saddles sported silver or brass studs on horn caps and skirting edges rivaling the tooling of the best old vaqueros. He’d explored every inch of this place, starting when he was younger than those kids sleeping out there.

And speaking of those snoozing kids...

This would be a good time to clear up his identity issues. That much he could do—and should do—before making any other decisions about Nina.

He shoved up from his desk and walked down the hall, angling past a table of drying art projects made of leaves used for papier-mâché. Nina sat beside her son, cross-legged on the floor with a reading tablet in her hand.

Snagging a bottle of water off the snack table, Alex made his way over to her. He sidestepped sleeping children. Every step of the way he enjoyed the opportunity to look at her. Her hair was swept up on top of her head, a couple of red spirals brushed her forehead and one trailed down her neck. His hands itched to test the feel of her hair between his fingers, to tug one of those locks and let it spring back. What was she reading?

He wanted to know that as much as he wanted to touch her hair again, and this time run his fingers through the wavy curls.

Alex squatted down next to her, extending the water. “You need to stay hydrated.”

She glanced up from her tablet, her eyes flickering with surprise, then happiness. She was glad to see him.

“Thank you.” She set aside her book and tugged open her canvas bag to reveal three bottles of spring water. “But I’m set for agua.”

He twisted the top of his bottle for himself. “What are you reading?”

“Madame Bovary.”

“In French?” He thought of her speaking multiple languages.

She tapped her temple. “Keeping my skills sharp.”

Cody stirred on his nap mat.

Alex froze, waited until the boy settled back into sleep with a drowsy sigh. Hesitating for a moment, Nina rose carefully. Alex gestured toward the door, tipping his head to the side in question. She tucked away her tablet and pulled out a bottle of water. Why did he feel as if he’d just won the grand prize? She followed him to the open barn doors, the wind sweeping inside as the low drone of the movie filled the air.

She lifted her drink and tapped his in a toast. “I truly do appreciate the thought even though I brought my own.”

“You’re a planner.” As was he. He liked the regimentation needed to run this place, enjoyed the challenge.

“I wasn’t always, but I have to be now.” She gazed back into the barn at her son with obvious love and protectiveness in her eyes. “My son depends on me.”

There was a strain in the corner of her eyes. He wanted to brush his thumbs along her cheeks until she rested. “I’m sorry you don’t have more family to help out. Family is...everything.”

As if he needed a reminder of the stakes for him here.

An awkward silence settled.

He’d met a woman he wanted to be with and her family posed a threat to his way of life. If she even would have him in the first place. She seemed attracted, but wary as hell—with reason.

An older cowboy brushed past, clapping Alex on the shoulder. “Hey, boss, mind if I take the afternoon off to go to my daughter’s spelling bee?”

Alex waved. “Enjoy. I’ve got this under control.”

“Great. My wife will have my hide if I don’t make this, and I gotta confess, I would have been there anyway.” The older cowboy’s smile spread. “I’ll pull overtime tomorrow.”

“No thanks needed. Just tell the little genius good luck from Uncle Alex.”

“Can do, boss.”

Alex winced at the last word. Boss. So much for telling her on his own terms. He hung his head, wondering how she would react to his identity being revealed. Hell, he should have told her last night. Or even fifteen minutes ago.

Turning slowly, he prepared himself, surprised at the disappointment churning in his gut. He couldn’t blame his grandmother either. This was his own fault... Except he didn’t find anger in Nina’s eyes.

Just curiosity. “You said you wanted to talk?”

Apparently she’d written off the “boss” comment to him being a foreman of some sort. He had to clear this up or it was going to explode in his face. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

Away from people who would tell her too much before he was ready for her to know. He guided her into the warm sunshine.

“Um, sure.” She looked around nervously. “But I need to keep Cody in sight.”

“Of course.” He took her hand and tugged her toward a corral a few yards away, the only spot with a clear line of sight to the barn but also out of the hustle and bustle of ranch workers and guests.

She looked around, leaning back on a split-rail fence. “What’s all the activity outside about? Seems like more than regular work and tourists.”

“We host major events around here, parties, rehearsal dinners and weddings.” The last word made him wince. One wedding in particular.

“Even in the middle of the camp going on?”

“Even then. We have a lot of land, more than just this one space, and we intend to keep it that way.” Which reminded him of his grandmother’s test as well as the Lowerys and their plans to convert the place into some Wild West theme park. “We pride ourselves on people feeling their event is private.”

She angled her head to the side, her high-swept ponytail swishing. “And which event are they working on now?”

“A large-scale rehearsal dinner and wedding, actually.” His cousin’s wedding to Johanna. Alex was over any feelings for her, but he wanted the damn awkwardness to go away. “I bet your city-girl imagination is running wild at the notion of a country wedding.”

The corners of her lips twitched. “Are you accusing me of thinking in clichés?”

“If the square dance fits.” He winked.