Cowboy's Baby. Victoria Pade

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      But she couldn’t be rude and deny a guest his request, so she forced a small smile she hoped looked better than it felt and said, “Sure.”

      Brady poked his chin in the direction of the front door. “My bags are there. Just let me grab ’em, and you can lead the way.”

      Kate saw Matt nudge her other brother Ry with an elbow and knew Matt was feeling pleased with himself, thinking that he was in the midst of a second chance at getting Kate and Brady together.

      If only you knew how much trouble you’ve caused, Kate thought. But she turned and retraced her steps out of the living room rather than saying anything.

      Brady followed behind as Matt called after them. “We thought we’d put ’im in the rooms next to yours, Kate. Junebug got ’em all ready.”

      Terrific. This just gets better and better.

      The house had two wings on either side of the central portion where the living room, dining room and kitchen were lined up. Both wings contained bedroom suites that allowed for privacy no matter how many of the McDermots were in residence.

      The suites all had their own bedroom, bathroom and sitting room, complete with fireplaces, wet bars and French doors that allowed entrance from or exit onto the porch that wrapped around the front and sides of the place.

      There was also a den and a recreation room, but Kate didn’t want to prolong her time with Brady enough to give him the whole tour, so she merely took him down the hall to the right of the entrance. She went past her own door to the one beside it without saying a word, until they’d reached the entrance to the guest room Brady would be using.

      “There you go,” she said simply, opening the door for him but not stepping inside.

      Brady craned his neck just enough to peer through the opening before he tossed in his duffel bag and slid his suitcase after it. Then he turned toward Kate, but his gaze didn’t drop to her face until after he’d glanced over her head, as if to be certain they were alone in the hallway.

      “I wanted to have a minute with you right away to let you know I’ll be discreet about everything,” he said then. “In case you were worried that I might blurt out something.”

      “I wasn’t worried. About that,” she added under her breath.

      A small frown tugged at his dark brows. “Are you okay?”

      “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be okay? Don’t I look okay?” She was too quick to answer and she regretted it.

      “You look great,” he said as if he meant it. “But you don’t look happy to see me.”

      Which wasn’t very hospitable. And he was being more than polite. There was thoughtfulness in his effort to reassure her he’d be keeping their secret.

      Kate took a deep breath and called upon her own manners. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a shrew. This whole thing is just—”

      “Weird. Uncomfortable. Embarrassing. I know. It is for me, too.”

      It was odd, but knowing that, knowing he not only understood how she felt but was feeling the same things—well some of the same things, anyway—helped. It was comforting. Like having a comrade in arms.

      “What do you say we start over?” he suggested then. “Wipe the slate clean of Las Vegas and of everything up to this minute and pretend we’ve just met?”

      Oh, if only it were that easy.

      But nothing was made any easier by her being contrary or nasty so what was the point? Especially when there was so much more they were going to have to deal with than he knew yet.

      She held out her hand to him. “Hi. I’m Kate McDermot. Matt’s sister. Happy to meet you.”

      Brady chuckled a little and accepted her hand to shake.

      Not the best idea in the world.

      Because only when that big callused mitt closed around hers did she recall what truly wonderful hands he had. Strong, adept, powerful, commanding. And with a touch that felt like kid leather. A touch she suddenly remembered feeling on other parts of her body and liking much too much.

      “Friends?” he said then, still holding her hand and apparently having no idea what it was doing to her.

      “Friends,” she confirmed through a constricted throat.

      Then he let go, and Kate told herself to breathe again, to act normal, to ignore the fact that that one touch had made her blood run faster in her veins.

      “You wanted to shower,” she reminded, since he was still just standing there, still giving her the once-over.

      “Right.”

      “There should be towels in the cupboard in your bathroom and fresh soap in the dish. The wet bar is probably stocked—feel free to help yourself. If you need anything else just holler.”

      “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

      “Then I guess I’ll just see you at dinner. With everyone else,” she said, wondering if her cheeriness sounded as false to him as it did to her.

      She finally managed to take a few steps backward, and as she did he said, “It’s good to see you again, Kate.”

      “You, too,” she answered mechanically.

      Then she gave him a little wave and hightailed it back to her own rooms where she again closed herself in and leaned against the door.

      Only this time she needed to wait for everything Brady Brown had put into motion inside her to settle down—her pulse, the blood racing through her veins, the prickles on her skin, the warmth where his hand had held hers….

      This wouldn’t do, she told herself firmly. It just wouldn’t do to be susceptible to the man. She had to keep a level head and view this situation from a practical standpoint. She’d veered off the straight and narrow with Brady once, and look at how much trouble she’d gotten into. She wasn’t going to let it happen again. Regardless of how great looking he was or how charming or how nice or how sexy.

      No sir. Not her. Never again.

      Not if it was the last thing she ever did.

      But as she pushed away from the door with the strength of her determination not to let Brady have any effect on her, she realized that even if it wasn’t the last thing she ever did, it just might be the most difficult.

      Brady unpacked a few things, shucked the clothes he’d been wearing too long now and headed for the shower.

      Matt had a nice place here, he thought as he went from the bedroom that was as big as a studio apartment into a bathroom luxurious enough to have been in a four-star hotel.

      Yep, a nice place all right. A nice place filled with nice people.

      So far it seemed as though his friend’s idea that he check out Elk Creek for some property to invest in was a good one. Which was part of why he СКАЧАТЬ