The Cattleman. Angi Morgan
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Название: The Cattleman
Автор: Angi Morgan
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Ужасы и Мистика
Серия: Mills & Boon Intrigue
isbn: 9781474005043
isbn:
“It’s really Cord McCrea’s suggestion. He’s in charge of trying to find the smugglers who keep using your land. Staying here was his idea. You’ll serve as the official guide or tracker...something like that. But you won’t carry a gun or anything.”
“The hell I won’t carry a gun,” he whispered emphatically. “There’s no way you really think we can pull this off. We ha—don’t even like each other.”
He’d almost said hate. Her acting ability would be pushed to the ultimate limit. First pretending not to like him when they were alone. And then making him think she was only pretending to like him when they had an audience—that part wouldn’t be acting. All the while she’d be secretly wanting to repeat everything they’d done on that mountain. It was so very confusing and she wasn’t trying to explain it to anyone but herself.
At the end of the day, she would do what was needed in order to get away from here as fast as possible.
The stubble he’d neglected to shave beckoned to her so she’d use it against him. She reached out and let her nail scrape his cheek down to the corner of his lips. He took it, staying perfectly still, his jaw twitching even more visibly.
“Why, Nick,” she said half closing her eyes and looking only at his lips. “We don’t have to like each other to have fun while stuck in this situation.”
His hand raised and she was prepared for him to push her away. Instead, he wrapped it softly around hers and drew the tip of her finger between his lips. His thumb drew circles on her palm and his breathing changed—or was it hers that hitched in her chest? She tugged her hand back, yet his mouth held on to its prey. She wanted to haul those lips against hers faster than a speeding bullet.
The feeling frightened her more than potentially making a fool of herself did.
Keeping cool and not reacting further was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. She could be proud of herself for not succumbing to his sexiness.
“That’s the only logical thing you’ve said since I met you.” He dropped her hand and strutted away.
The door didn’t exactly slam behind him, but he didn’t bother to hide the cursing as he stomped down the porch steps. Nick’s feet hit the gravel on the drive and he let out a growl loud enough to be heard through the window.
“That’s exactly what I said,” she whispered to his retreating image.
“Did he ask about your cover story?” Juliet popped in from the kitchen and Beth had to pull her gaze away from Nick kicking a rock into the barnyard.
She nodded and faced her hostess, her body feeling the rebuff as much as her mind. “This is never going to work.”
“Oh, yes, it will,” Juliet answered before letting the door swing shut as she retreated into the kitchen. “I’ve left him no choice.”
There was an extra gleam in Juliet’s eyes. And for some strange reason, Beth had the feeling that she’d just been taken to the cleaners by a professional con artist.
“Staying here might well be worse than banishment.”
Back in Chicago, Beth began every day in the gym. No exceptions. Her trainer worked her hard and kept her body humming. But mucking stalls and moving hay bales attacked muscles she’d never known existed.
“How do you do this every day?” she asked Juliet and Alan as she creaked to a halt, leaning on the back of a kitchen chair.
“I cook, dear. The only outside muck I come into contact with is the manure for my garden.”
“Speaking of which, don’t you need some around your corn, honey?” Alan asked.
“Don’t you even suggest this poor thing bring any to my garden. You know we don’t work on it during the winter. Now, out with you, Ronald Alan Burke. Go. Shoo.”
“This will tide me over until lunch.” Alan patted Juliet on the bottom and scooped up a leftover breakfast biscuit with his other hand. “You’ve done a good job, Beth. Thanks for helping out since Nick took off to the mountains yesterday.”
“Not a problem. Like you said, everybody needs to chip in.”
Alan left and Beth should have followed, but she was so tired from yesterday and the couple of hours she’d worked that morning, she didn’t think her feet would actually move.
“You should get cleaned up, Beth. Kate phoned and she wants you to meet her at the café. She’s going to Alpine and thought you might need some things.”
“Shopping? I’m not sure I can stand up long enough.”
“Come on, dear. Nick can’t teach you to ride in designer heels, and you can’t continue to borrow his two sizes too big boots.”
“You want me to buy cowboy boots? What will I ever do with them when I get home?”
“And jeans and a good sturdy coat.” Juliet looked down at the extra-large overalls hanging on Beth’s thin frame. “You never know when the weather’s going to change.”
“I have five coats back home.” Beth sighed at trying to fit another overcoat into her already overstuffed tiny front hall closet.
“We’re expecting the first cold front soon. Do you want to chance it?”
“No, ma’am. I’ll get cleaned up.”
The shower had made her feel human again, along with some serious stretching. She felt even more herself slipping into her Jimmy Choo shoes, then jumping behind the wheel. She loved driving the ranch’s Jeep. The top was off, the seats faded and mud all over the body, but it was the neatest car. The cool air from outside mixed with the blasting heater at her feet. She just felt...free.
Maybe she should get something like this when she got back to Chicago. Carroll and Elizabeth would kill her. It would be impractical and get horrible gas mileage in the city. But she didn’t care.
Then again, sitting in traffic she’d be choking from the other cars’ exhaust. No, she’d just enjoy the fresh air while she could here in Texas.
Parking at the café/gas station, she saw Kate McCrea wave from just inside the window. Her new friend gestured for her to come inside, but didn’t sit at the empty tables near the entrance. Instead, Beth followed her to the back corner booth. Cord McCrea pulled up a chair with one hand and balanced his son with the other. The remaining seat left her with her back to the door.
Exposed.
Knowing she could trust the Texas Ranger to warn her of impending danger, she sat and didn’t ask to move. She couldn’t complain to him or make a suggestion that he not sit with his wife. He was the boss and he’d placed himself against the wall.
In more ways than one. He was depending on her when no one else would.
Beth СКАЧАТЬ