Her Rancher Rescuer. DONNA ALWARD
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Название: Her Rancher Rescuer
Автор: DONNA ALWARD
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
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“News flash,” he said in a low voice. “Being with you is a great distraction. There are far worse things than holding a beautiful woman in your arms.”
“That might be nice if I thought you meant it.”
A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows as he frowned. “Amy, we danced twice tonight already. It was fun. There was eye contact and we flirted. Did it occur to you that maybe I didn’t like the thought of someone like you being in that bathroom crying over some guy who’s not worth it?”
“No.”
“No what?”
“No, it didn’t occur to me.”
“Why?”
“Because in my experience most guys don’t give a good damn about my feelings.”
“Then you’ve been hanging around the wrong men.”
“No,” she corrected, suddenly feeling like telling the absolute truth. “It’s me. I’m messed up and guys try to stay away from that kind of crazy.”
She was surprised when he burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” she asked.
He looked down at her warmly. With—she would swear—affection. “Amy, I used to hurl myself down the side of a mountain at over eighty miles an hour. I like crazy. Besides, I don’t think you’re crazy at all. Misunderstood, maybe. But not crazy.”
That he could be so astute momentarily silenced her. The music faded and he moved his hand at her back, letting her go but still holding tightly to her right hand. “Are you ready to go now, or would you like to stay a little longer?”
She looked around. A few faces were staring in their direction, but not all. Some were at the bar, some were in groups talking, others were taking to the dance floor. The truth was she was tired of them all. All the familiar faces, all people who knew—or thought they knew—far too much about her. She couldn’t wait to get out of here. “I’m ready. My coat’s at the check.”
“You get it and I’ll join you in a moment. I’m just going to say goodbye to Callum and Avery.”
Of course. The bride and groom. His brother and new sister-in-law. Ignoring anyone who might want to speak to her, she made straight for the coat check. She was just tying the belt of her coat when Jack came up beside her, holding a bottle of champagne in his hand. “What are you...?”
He got his coat, tipped the coat-check girl and put a hand on her elbow. “I got the impression you liked the champagne.”
She couldn’t lie. “I did.”
“And that you might just happen to like me a little bit.”
“You’re not exactly a troll.”
He chuckled and opened the door to the outside. The frigid wind blasted against her, eating through the thin material of her stockings. He put his free arm around her and bundled her close as he led her across the parking lot to his rented car. “So leaving the dance doesn’t mean having to say good-night. I swiped a bottle from the bar. Come back to the B and B with me.”
Chapter Two
The B and B. Amy wasn’t exactly sure how much privacy they’d have there. And then there was the matter of what Jack expected out of tonight. She was tempted. Oh, so tempted. But she wasn’t the kind to spend a night in a man’s hotel room. Especially one she barely knew. She was more on the fairy-tale end of the spectrum when it came to romance, and not the fast and loose.
He opened her door and helped her inside, then jogged around the hood and got in, turned on the engine and let it warm up. It was better out of the wind but still cold, and she wished the heater would kick in.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said, regretting having to say the words but determined to make a smart decision for once in her life.
“Why not?”
“For exactly the same reason nothing happened in the ladies’ room.”
“You’re not the casual-sex type.”
“You’re a risk taker. I’m not.” Even if at times she rather wished she was.... Maybe she would have let Cadence Creek see the back of her long before now. Some days she worried she was turning out more and more like her mother. Afraid. Stuck in a rut and never strong enough to get out. God, she hoped she wasn’t that person.
Heat began to surround her feet. Jack rubbed his hands together. “No sex,” he said. “I’ll make a solemn promise that this is not a hookup type of proposition.”
She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Then why? I mean...what’s in it for you?”
Their gazes locked for a few seconds and then he looked away. “Honestly? I’m looking forward to taking off this jacket and tie and just hanging out for a while. Not being ‘Jack, the Groom’s Brother,’ who says and does all the right things.”
Surprise rippled through her. Maybe Perfect Jack was just an act? Or at least covering the real Jack.... And boy, oh, boy, could she understand that.
“Look,” he said, “just come back, have a glass of champagne with me. I was on chauffeur duty today and abstained all night. We can just chill and then I’ll walk you home.” He gazed at her sharply. “You do live within walking distance, right?”
“Just off of Main, on Maple.”
“Scout’s honor, Amy. We won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
That was just the problem. She didn’t know what she wanted. And if she had some of that champagne, she wasn’t sure how much willpower she’d have to turn away a man like Jack Shepard. The kiss on the dance floor was still front and center in her mind.
“An hour,” she finally said. “That’s all. An hour and a glass of champagne and then I go home and you go back to...”
Gosh, she didn’t even really know where he called home, did she?
“To my ranch in Montana.”
Montana. One summer she and her mother had taken a trip across the border through Glacier Park and spent a few days in Kalispell. It had been beautiful. They’d driven past this resort-type place that was huge, and she’d wondered what it would be like to stay there, order room service and look out at the mountains. Instead they’d gotten a room at a nationwide discount chain. It had still been fun, but even then, Amy had wanted more.
“I suppose you have a huge place there,” she said, blowing on her fingers as he drove out of the lot.
“It’s a working ranch. I bought it a few years ago with the idea of turning it into a corporate retreat. I spent some time in the area on vacation and really enjoyed the physical challenges, so I flew in my whole management team and we did this week-long team-building thing. It was so much fun I decided to have a go at it myself.” He smiled. “Now I consider it home. I still keep СКАЧАТЬ