Twin Secrets

Colt jerked his attention toward her once again. “What?”

“When I walked by earlier, she was wiping her hand on her pants and I saw blood. She’d torn her work gloves.”

Damn stubborn woman wouldn’t ask for help no matter what.

“I got her another pair,” Ryan went on. “But I have a gut feeling she’d fall over before she came to one of us for help.”

That she would. Colt raked a hand over the back of his neck and nodded. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“That land is going to be yours regardless,” Ryan added in a low whisper. “Why don’t you just let her go?”

Reasons he couldn’t even explain. When she’d shown up yesterday morning and literally busted through his ranch, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. He’d always gone after what he wanted—livestock, business deals, employees...women.

Annabelle Carter was a total game changer.

Colt kept his eyes on Annabelle as she stacked her last box. Guilt slammed into him when she pulled off her glove and examined her hand.

Without glancing at Ryan, Colt said, “See you in the morning.”

His trusted worker wisely walked away. Colt moved across the cobblestone walkway, closing the distance between him and Annabelle.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

She spun around, clearly startled. “I’m fine.”

With a hand to her chest, she tipped that defiant chin. Damn if he didn’t want to kiss her. That fire in her eyes dared him to come closer, so Colt took a step forward until they were toe to toe. He’d never backed down from a challenge and Annabelle was one fight he was enjoying...except for her injury.

Colt gently curled his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand out so he could examine it. She had a nasty blister that had been worked too hard.

“I have a first aid kit in the office.”

When he met her eyes, he was surprised anger didn’t look back at him. If anything, he saw desire. Interesting...and useful. Passion left people weak and he’d definitely home in on that.

Annabelle blinked, as if she realized she’d been caught staring at him. Pulling her hand back, she held it against her chest once again.

“I’ll take care of it when I get home. I need to start dinner.”

“The hell you say?” He hadn’t meant to shout, but was she kidding? “You’ve worked all day.”

Annabelle let out a humorless laugh. “Well, Colt, in the real world people work, make their own meals and tend to their families. We all can’t live the life of luxury and sit back, living the dream.”

Is that how she saw him? He’d worked his ass off taking over this ranch when his father had fallen ill. He’d poured more blood, sweat and tears into this land than any male in the Elliott family. Being the youngest, he always felt the need to prove himself, especially against his brothers. How the hell could he compete with a surgeon, a war hero and a Hollywood star? He was a damn rancher. A billionaire, but still a man who wore dusty boots, a worn hat that had been his father’s, and holey jeans.

“You can take two minutes and let me clean that wound up.”

When she stifled a yawn with her good hand, he muttered a curse and stomped off to get the first aid kit. Why did she have to be so stubborn and why did he have to find her even more attractive because of it?

By the time he came back, she’d taken a seat on one of the heavy wooden benches between the stone stalls. Her lids were lower and she seemed to have finally run out of steam. Perfect. Then she wouldn’t be able to argue with him.

“You work harder than nearly any man I know,” he told her, opening the kit.

“Does that mean I get a raise?” she asked, leaning her head against the wall behind her.

Colt laughed as he placed her hand in his palm. He swiped around the perimeter of the cut with an alcohol pad, careful not to get near the wound. He blew on her hand to dry the moisture. When she trembled, he glanced up to find her eyes on his. That shade of green never failed to kick him in the gut. She could pierce a man with that stare and have him wound in her web so fast, he’d have no idea he was caught until it was too late.

“I know you hate me, but you really shouldn’t be fighting your father’s battles.”

A sad smile crossed her face. “Isn’t that what family is all about? When one is weak, others stand up and take the lead. We’re all we have left. My mother passed when Trish and I were younger. Now that Trish is gone...”

She shook her head and he wanted to know so much more. When he’d wanted a woman in the past, he’d never asked personal information. Backstory had no place in the bedroom. He had to remember that here because he could so easily let this niggle of guilt guide his emotions.

He had a goal. He had a vision he would see to the end, to honor his father, to prove to his brothers he wasn’t just playing cowboy and to prove to himself he could do it. The dude ranch was only one more business deal away...he just had to get past this fiery vixen to make that vision a reality.

Five (#u772d19fa-6018-5aaa-bbbb-500eeadf27da)

“What the hell, Colt?”

Nolan slammed the office door, jerking Colt’s attention from his empty tumbler. He was going to need another round because he’d been waiting on his oldest brother to show up and let him know exactly what his thoughts were on Annabelle.

Gripping the glass, Colt met his brother’s angry gaze. “All right, get it out of your system.”

“Did you think to ask my opinion—”

“Not once.”

Nolan crossed the room and flattened his palms on the glossy desk. “You have Neil Carter’s daughter working here for what purpose?”

“He owes me money. She confronted me and said she was taking over the payments.”

“So you put her to work like some pack mule?” Nolan shouted. “Do you think Dad would want this?”

Slowly, Colt came to his feet. He refused to sit there and let his brother talk down to him. “Dad left the control of this ranch to me because I understand his vision and I’m the one who’s busted my ass my entire life to stay true to it.”

“Don’t throw that in my face,” Nolan countered.

Colt shrugged. “Simply stating a fact. I don’t tell you how to do surgeries.”

The muscles in Nolan’s jaw ticked. Colt wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but he wasn’t going to be reprimanded or have his decisions second-guessed. He’d done enough doubting of his own actions...something he never did with business.

“You want this dude ranch so damn bad, but you’re going about this the wrong way.”

Colt grabbed his glass and headed to the bar in the corner. His hip irritated him a bit more today, but that was expected on days he worked harder. It was just one more area where he refused to give in and let life get him down.

“We need that property and Neil was about to lose it to the bank. If I hadn’t stepped in, someone else would’ve. Besides, it’s all over now and perfectly legal.”

Nolan turned, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “I agree that someone else would’ve gone after that land. It’s your actions afterward that I don’t understand.”

Colt had gone over this in his own head, as well. “At first I wanted Neil to learn a lesson and actually work for something. Then when Annabelle showed up, hell... I couldn’t resist.”