You’re pathetic.
What?
Leave the poor woman alone; she made it clear she doesn’t want you.
Oh yeah? How? By sitting on my lap and—
She still said no.
At that point in the silent conversation, Colton decided he must be sleep deprived if his conscience was arguing with his libido.
‘Sleep’deprived? the first voice mocked.
****
Colton woke with a crick in his neck. Surprised to have fallen asleep so soundly, he glanced at his watch—almost six a.m. Kendra had moved during the night, and while she still touched him with her legs, she no longer nestled tight against his side.
His gaze roamed over her relaxed features, bathed in the first light of dawn peeking through the window. Dark lashes rested against high cheekbones. Silky hair caressed lightly tanned skin, then spilled across the pillow and over his arm. His fingers twitched with the desire to run through the length of it even as her parted pink lips snagged his attention.
A sigh escaped those captivating lips as she rolled away, onto her opposite side. He had to fight the impulse to slide over and pull her back against him.
When he realized the urge wasn’t even sexually motivated, only a simple desire to hold her close, he couldn’t get off the bed and out of the room fast enough. It wasn’t until his second cup of coffee that the odd sensation in his chest eased, and his pulse returned to normal.
****
Kendra stretched languorously, feeling rested as she hadn’t felt in months. With one arm above her head, a flash of dream from the night before stilled her entire body.
The nightmare had changed on her. Subtle nuances at the beginning, dramatic at the end. She shuddered at the vivid recall in her mind. But then Colton had come. He’d chased away her demons and held her in his arms. He’d been kind and gentle, making her feel safe and protected.
She sat up, acknowledging she had no doubt it had been Colton in her dream, just as she had no doubt it’d been Robert in the nightmare. It was a bit unsettling; not that she was sure about Robert—she knew he was the danger in her life—but that her subconscious had cast Colton in the role of her protector.
Why not Joel, the brother who’d taken her and Noah into his home during their time of need? Or Michael Kabara, who was helping her legally and seemed to understand the things she couldn’t safely reveal?
What had Colton done except accuse her of trying to scam her own brother? He’d purposely tried to sabotage her job efforts to drive her off the ranch, and he baited her every chance he got.
Then again, she reluctantly admitted, he did kiss her with a combination of gentleness and controlled passion that made her forget the nightmare of her life. He made her want more from a man than she’d ever thought she’d want.
With a sigh, she pushed aside the bedcovers. Forget Colton Lawe. He may be all fine and dandy in her dreams, but as soon as she got dressed and went to work, she’d face the flesh and blood man and wake up. His kisses all had an agenda so far and not a single one had been for her. A hard lesson she’d do well to remember.
Kendra dressed and made her way to the kitchen. Colton sat at the table with a bowl of his disgusting chocolate cereal. The dream rushed forward, reminding her how it felt to be held safe and secure in his arms. She forced back the longing and managed a quiet, “Good morning,” on her way to pour a cup of coffee.
“Mornin’,” he replied. “Did you sleep well?”
Something in his tone tripped her pulse and drew her gaze. She had dreamt everything—hadn’t she? “Um, yeah, I did…why?”
His shoulder lifted, and he stood to go rinse his bowl in the sink. “You seemed upset last night after we talked—I hoped it hadn’t kept you awake.”
She took a drink of her coffee, eyeing him over the rim of her cup. She’d forgotten all about that, forgotten that she was angry with him for being so nosey and perceptive and for sounding as if he’d cared.
Finally, she lifted a shoulder with pretended indifference. “As if I’d let you bother me.” Then she got the heck out of there before she noticed how damned sexy he looked in his gray shirt.
Chapter Fourteen
Colton arrived home from visiting his father Saturday afternoon to find Kendra dumping a bucket of mop water behind the house. Because they seemed to have struck up an unspoken truce—albeit a silent one—over the past few days, he waited for her at the door.
“I could’ve cleaned—it’s my turn.”
“You did the dishes all week,” she reminded, swinging the bucket at her side.
He held the door open with a smile. He rather liked their recent camaraderie, but refused to think about how much he liked it. The quiet inside the house was as noticeable as the pine-fresh, clean smell.
“Where is everyone?”
“Left for their camping trip.” She spoke over her shoulder as she put away the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink.
His pulse kicked into high gear. “You didn’t go.”
She closed the cupboard and stood with a grin. “Can’t put nothing past you, can I?”
Just the two of them. No kids. No Joel watching his every move with his sister.
Her grin faded and he realized he was frowning. With a grunt, he spun around to go change into work clothes. Lucky could use a work out—and given the immediate direction his thoughts took upon hearing he and Kendra were alone on the ranch for the next three days, so could he.
She was nowhere to be seen on his way out to the barn, and didn’t appear until over an hour later, when he turned and spotted her on the top rail of the fence. He’d felt her presence even before turning Lucky.
He tensed with that realization, and the sudden change of leg pressure made the Arabian respond to his unwitting command. Only Colton’s quick reflexes kept him in the saddle as Lucky took off across the pasture at breakneck speed. He let the stallion run since it took his attention off Kendra until he could get his reaction under control. When he felt confident enough to face her, he rode up to the fence.
“A guy named Jordan just called,” she said. “He said he’d call later.”
Colton nodded. “Thanks.”
She looked like she wanted to say more, but remained silent.
“What?” he prompted.
After a brief hesitation, she said, “You were going to teach me to ride.”
“You want to learn?” he asked as Lucky pranced beneath him with excess energy.
“I said I did.”
He scoffed with a reluctant smile. “That whole conversation was so confusing I wasn’t sure what you wanted.” Her annoyed scowl widened his grin. “Okay, so now I know.”
He swung his leg over to sit sidesaddle. “Ready?”
She blanched. “Now? On him?”
“Sure, why not?”
“He’s so…tall, and…wild.”
“He’s fine.”
Colton jumped down and held out a hand to help her off the fence. The moment her slim fingers gripped his he knew he should’ve let her climb down on her own. On the ground, her head tilted up, and he released her before the warmth of her touch could spread any further up his arm. Kendra’s gaze shifted from him to the horse that towered over her.
“You ride him the most,” she commented. “Is he yours?”
He nodded, trying to ignore the fact that she’d noticed. “I bought him as a colt from Britt almost five years ago; planned to start my own place.” He made motions in the air as if putting up a sign. “Purebred Arabians by Lawe.” Then he laughed at his own theatrics.
Kendra smiled, but her expression of inquiry prompted him to admit, “It’s taking longer than I’d hoped.”
“Why is that?”
He hesitated at the genuine curiosity in her tone. The answer was too personal, so he put a hand on her shoulder to turn her toward the saddle, ending the conversation. “Up you go.”
He avoided her probing glance, and thankfully, she turned to the horse. He watched
her stretch to reach the pommel of the saddle to pull herself up. Yeah, no way she’d get her foot high enough to fit into the stirrup. Colton leaned over with his hands laced together.
“Put your foot in here and I’ll boost you up.”
She did, but as she reached for the saddle horn, Lucky shifted.
“Whoa,” Colton commanded.
“Me?”
“No, Lucky.” He began to boost her up, but she’d already started to withdraw.
Thrown off balance, she fell against him and grabbed on as he barely kept them both from sprawling onto the ground. Regaining his footing, he set her back on her feet. She quickly slid her arms from around his neck with a murmured apology.
Chuckling, he said, “Whoa is always to the horse. Let’s try again.”
He got her into the saddle this time and she stared down at him, her entire body rigid. Colton adjusted the stirrups with a reassuring smile before giving her a brief lesson in foot position, posture and neck reining.
With a final once over to confirm she was ready, he lowered his hand from her calf and stepped away.
Kendra breathed a soft sound of dismay. “Where are you going?”
He took hold of the bridle on his second step and the stallion took the next one with him. She made a desperate grab for the saddle horn.
“Relax,” Colton admonished, halting Lucky.
“I’ve never done this before.”
“So? Learn right. Put the reins in one hand and rest the other on your thigh like I just showed you.” She did as he said. “Now relax. I’m not going anywhere, we’ll just walk.”
He waited until she nodded, then began walking again. From the corner of his eye he saw her hand reach for the horn, but she caught the movement and rested it back on her leg. Atta girl.
He gave her a few minutes to get used to Lucky’s easy stride before asking, “How you doing up there?”
She smiled—a little weak—but still a smile. “Not too bad.”
He didn’t say anything else for almost ten minutes, leading Lucky across the lush pasture toward the sparkling creek that wound through the middle of the ranch. All the while, their earlier conversation repeated relentlessly.
“It’s taking longer than I thought.”
“Why is that?”
“My father was in a car accident.” His boot heel caught on a clump of grass. He didn’t know where the hell that came from, but once said, and once he regained his footing, he found he couldn’t stop talking. “It left him a paraplegic, and he’s in a nursing home.”
He heard her soft, indrawn breath. “Colton, I’m sorry.”
“The kid who hit him had rich parents. They twisted everything around, manipulated things to make it appear as if my father was at fault. As if the medical bills weren’t enough, my mother was left with legal bills she couldn’t even begin to pay. I deferred college and got a job, figuring I’d go back in a few years.” He gave a derisive snort. “That rarely happens—no matter what anyone says. And then, after awhile, I realized I want what Joel and Britt have. Not on such a grand scale, but the same quality.”
“So you started with Lucky?”
“Started and stopped. I’ve barely put a dent in the bills and my father still needs twenty-four hour care…so, here I am.” Nearing the pasture gate by the barn, he glanced up and frowned at her expression. “I don’t want your pity, Kendra, that’s not why I told you.”
She regarded him for a moment, her expression curious. “Then why did you?”
Colton realized he wanted to go a step further—he wanted to finally tell someone about the guilt that gnawed at his insides almost every day. Would she understand? Would she think him a terrible person, or would she tell him it wasn’t his fault?
Maybe—
The sound of a car pulling into the ranch yard caught his attention. He groaned silently when he recognized Jordan and Justin, and worse yet, Cassie got out with them. He hadn’t seen her since that night a few weeks ago, the one before the morning when he’d lost his towel on the frosty sidewalk in front of a brunette wallet-thief.
“Hey, Colton,” Justin called out.
Colton nodded, but Justin wasn’t looking at him. And Jordan didn’t even bother with a hello. His full attention was focused on Kendra, too.
“How you doin’?”
Is he kidding? Colton shook his head in disgust at the ridiculous Joey Tribbiani impression from Friends.
Kendra, on the other hand, grinned. “Hi.”
Colton scowled. “Hey, Jordan.” His friend barely spared him a glance before giving Kendra a blatant once-over. “You look familiar, have we met?”
“No,” Colton ground out. “Now back off.” All eyes swung to him. He realized how possessive he sounded, and his heart thumped. “She needs room to dismount.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Jordan said. He stepped forward and reached to lift her off the horse.
Colton’s eyes narrowed when his friend’s hands lingered on Kendra’s waist. Just in the nick of time, she stepped back and Jordan let go.
“Hey, you were at the bar that night.” He shot Colton a glance, then turned his smile back to Kendra. “I’m Jordan.”
“Kendra,” she supplied, accepting the hand he offered.
Instead of a handshake, Jordan raised her palm to his lips.
Color bloomed in Kendra’s cheeks.
Cassie grinned.
Justin rolled his eyes.
And Colton fought the urge to punch one of his best friends.
He quickly stepped between them to finish the introductions. “Kendra, this is Justin, and Cassie.” As an afterthought, he turned to the other woman. “Hi, Cass.”
Friendly greetings were exchanged. Distracted by the frown on Kendra’s face as Cassie stepped up to his side, Colton asked, “What brings you guys by?”
“The college girls all went home for the summer,” Jordan said. “We’re bored.”
Justin punched his shoulder. “Speak for yourself.”
“Yeah,” Cassie said, directing a sultry look through her lashes at Colton as she ran her hand up his arm.
Jordan just laughed. “Are you up for a game tonight?”
Colton shook his head, not wanting the company of any of the three of them for longer than necessary today. Jordan expressed too much interest in Kendra, and Cassie seemed to have forgotten they’d parted ways, permanently.
“Aw, come on—you two already got plans?” Justin asked.
Kendra voiced a quick, “No.”
Colton felt another frown forming. She’d denied that fast enough. Almost as if she didn’t want them to go.
“So…you’re not taking her out?” Justin asked Colton.
“I live here,” Kendra clarified.
“You do?” This unfriendly question came from Cassie. Yeah, her claws were definitely out. Colton fought to retain his dwindling patience.
“I’m Joel’s sister,” Kendra explained. “I’m staying in the guesthouse and working here at the ranch.”
Jordan’s speculative gaze shifted from Kendra to Colton. “Didn’t you just move into the guest house?”
Colton decided to ignore that question. “We still have work to do. Maybe another time, guys, but thanks for stopping by.”
Was that relief on Kendra’s face? Or his wishful thinking? He reached for Lucky’s reins and started for the barn.
“We’ll help with the chores,” Jordan offered. “With the five of us, we’ll be done in no time.”
Colton gave up. Fine. They’d play a few hands and then leave—how bad could it be?
He discovered just how bad well before the cards came out, when Cassie followed him into the hayloft. It became a constant battle to sidestep her advances while pretending to be preoccupied with work. And all the while he listened to Kendra joke with the guys down below. Thankfully, with the five of them, the work was indeed done in no time and they all headed into the house.
Jordan clapped his hands together and rubbed. “Let
’s get this party started.”
“Who wants what to drink?” Colton asked as he opened the refrigerator. Three beers and a Coke later, he turned to Kendra. “What would you like?”
Her startled gaze met his as she slid two pieces of bread into the toaster. “Nothing, thanks, I’m going to watch TV for a little while before going to bed.”
The twins threw up instant protests. Cassie remained silent. Colton fought disappointment as he asked from the table, “You’re not going to play?”
“I don’t even know what you’re playing.”
“Poker,” Jordan supplied.
“Oh, then definitely no.”
“Aw, come on,” Jordan cajoled.
Cassie made a pleased humming noise. “If she doesn’t want to play…”
Kendra lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know how.”
“I’ll teach you,” Colton offered.
Laughter erupted and even Cassie grinned. Kendra smiled with obvious confusion as Colton frowned at his friends.
“Colton sucks at poker,” Justin explained. “We’d never let him teach you.”
“I’m not that bad.”
“Oh, yes you are.” Jordan retrieved cards and a tablecloth from a cupboard near the phone.
Kendra’s toast popped up. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
The barest hint of regret in her tone made Colton try again. “Saturday night TV sucks, you know.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly and he thought he heard a soft sigh before she admitted with quiet dignity, “I don’t have any extra cash to lose playing poker.”
Ah, ha. That made sense. Easily solved. “I’ll give you some.”
She shot Colton a frown. “I’m not going to take your money.”
He elevated his eyebrows in pointed disbelief to remind her of her sprint down the sidewalk with his wallet. She blushed and looked away.
“It’s really no big deal—”
“No,” she stated and picked up her plate.
“Kendra, look.”
His command contained a smile. She turned as he lifted a handful of money. Pink, green, blue, white, orange and yellow Monopoly money.
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