The Ransomes: Matt, Nick and Katherine. Sara Orwig

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СКАЧАТЬ he said, turning to talk to Matt. Olivia listened while they discussed cattle and a world she didn’t know. Matt was quick and decisive and more relaxed than when he was dealing with her. As soon as Sandy told them goodbye and left, she and Matt headed for the house.

      She was aware of Matt walking close beside her. Her jittery nerves kept her on edge, and she wondered what she was getting herself into.

      Once again Matt took her arm and she drew a deep breath. She hadn’t known him twenty-four hours, yet his slightest touch set her ablaze. She couldn’t fathom the chemistry. She had known other handsome, decisive males and she had had no trouble dealing with them and no difficulty ignoring them. Until now. Even Jeff with all his charm had never carried the electricity of a bolt of lightning the way Matt did.

      She wondered again what she was getting into if she accepted Matt’s offer that was a windfall in her circumstances. She was heartily glad to be out of the bar and away from lustful men. At the same time, she wanted this bargain to be partially on her terms. Her queasy nerves jangled when she thought about her plan and her requests. She had no idea how Matt would react. The knowledge was constantly with her that she was taking a risk by making her own demands because if she accepted his offer and he did what he said and kept his bargain, her life would improve beyond her wildest dreams.

      He held the door, following her inside an enormous kitchen with oversize windows. Sunlight streamed into the room that held maple cabinetry, granite countertops, a marble floor and maple furniture. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a patio and a pool with sparkling blue water.

      “This is beautiful,” she said, unable to keep a breathless tone of awe out of her voice. “It doesn’t look like what I imagined.”

      “Jeff and I must have created the wrong impression.”

      Her gaze flew to him and heat flooded her cheeks. Embarrassed by her reaction, she bit her lip.

      “You probably thought we lived in a cabin with mounted heads and gun racks and the sort.”

      “No,” she denied halfheartedly and then shrugged. “Maybe something like that,” she admitted.

      “C’mon. Let me show you this wing of the house.” He took her arm lightly, yet the contact sizzled, and as they crossed the kitchen, her surroundings paled in comparison to the man beside her.

      From the hall he led her into a family room and her awe returned at the sight of a twenty-foot-high cathedral ceiling, a massive stone fireplace, luxurious tan leather furniture and pictures of landscapes.

      “This is a dream!” she gasped and her face flushed. “You can tell I’ve never lived in a house like this,” she said.

      “Well, now you do,” he said. “It’s comfortable. Across the hall are the living and dining rooms,” he said, taking her arm again as they returned to the hall. “On the other side of the kitchen is a utility room, exercise room and my office. The bedrooms are in the opposite wing. Other than my bedroom, in the southeast end of the house, you can have whichever bedroom you want.”

      As he led her through a workout room, a media room and his office, the elegant furnishings overwhelmed Olivia. It was a dream-come-true moment to think she would live in this palace. She realized Jeff and Matt weren’t the ordinary cowboys she had imagined they were. The house reeked of money and power and she wondered whether she could hold her own and govern her baby’s future against the Ransomes’ wishes.

      “We’ll have a decorator help you with the nursery.” Matt’s words jolted her back into awareness of the moment.

      “I won’t be here forever.” Olivia gave him a startled, wide-eyed look.

      “That’s all right. You’ll return to visit and bring the baby.”

      “You’re so certain!” she exclaimed, yet now she realized part of the source of his arrogance and assurance. Growing up in a home like this, how could he be anything except confident?

      “Shouldn’t I be?” he asked, looking blandly at her.

      Olivia stopped to face him, a frown creasing her brow. “Our lives are so different.”

      “It doesn’t matter, Olivia,” he replied easily. “We’ll be related to the baby and we’ll want to see him or her through the years. It’ll save you money to live here until you finish your education.”

      She merely nodded and returned to thinking about her future while she looked at more rooms in a house that dazzled her.

      “How’s this for you?” he asked later, leading the way into a bedroom that took her breath and she could not imagine living in it.

      She stood in the room large enough to contain the house she rented. The room was plush beyond her wildest dreams. It was ample for a king-size bed with a bronze headboard, a massive mahogany chest, bookshelves, a wide-screen television, a maroon sofa, a rocking chair and assorted tables. The decor was maroon with accents of white and beige and an oriental rug partially covering the gleaming plank floor.

      She knew she wasn’t hiding her amazement. She reminded herself that it was premature to celebrate her newfound fortune, her future prospects or this house that could possibly become her home. In the next few minutes, she knew, it could all disappear from her life as swiftly as it had entered.

      The time had come to present her conditions.

      “This is beyond anything I had imagined,” she said softly, turning to face him. Her pulse drummed. She wanted to learn how earnest he really was about this whole proposition. “Shall we discuss our future and terms of a contract?” she asked, the words our future causing her insides to clench.

      “Sure,” he replied, giving her a long, speculative look that made her feel he knew her every thought. “Let’s get a drink and sit in the family room.”

      They walked in silence back to the kitchen and she watched, barely aware of what he was doing while her pulse beat faster and her nervousness increased. At the last minute she vacillated between an overwhelming desire to accept his offer unconditionally and reap the fortune, or risk her demands that would either cause him to send her packing or solidify her prospects and fortune.

      Finally, they were seated in the family room at a polished oak game table with tall, frosted glasses of ice and lemonade and a plate of cookies in front of them. She couldn’t eat or drink anything. Aware that her entire prospects hung in the balance, she inhaled deeply to calm down.

      “You’ve had time to think it over. You’re here on the ranch. Does this mean you’ll accept my offer?” he asked.

      His blue eyes cut into her like shards of a glacier. He was formidable and determined, but she clung to her course. It was time to see how much he would commit to what he wanted. She took a deep breath and raised her chin while she locked her hands together.

      “You’re being very generous,” she said, still awed by his offer and filled with trepidation over what she was about to demand from him for her part. “I have a counteroffer to make to you.”

      Fire flashed in the depths of his eyes and a muscle worked in his jaw. She suspected he was bracing for her to ask for more money.

      “All right. Name your conditions and price,” he said, grinding out the words. “How much Ransome money do you want?”

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