Twins for the Rancher

by Trish Milburn

  He told himself he was being paranoid, that he was just thinking that way because he wasn’t sure how invested Lauren was in their relationship. Sure, she seemed to enjoy their time together. Really enjoy it when they were in each other’s arms. But she hadn’t even hinted she wanted more, and he was concerned if he pushed for it he’d lose her altogether. And she’d come to mean too much to him for her to not be in his life anymore.

  He was getting ready to meet her for dinner at the Wildflower Inn when she texted that she’d moved to a cabin at the Vista Hills Guest Ranch and to meet her there and they’d figure out what to do for the evening.

  She and Violet had talked about making the move as the twins got crankier with their teething, so maybe Lauren had finally decided to exchange the convenience of being in town for the privacy of being in a cabin, where the girls crying in the middle of the night wouldn’t bother any other guests.

  He waved at Ryan Teague as he passed him on the drive into the Teagues’ guest ranch half an hour later. The family had done what he and his siblings hoped to—diversified their ranch’s income to ensure its future survival.

  When he reached the cabin Lauren had indicated, he noticed that only her car was parked next to it. Violet’s and Ed’s weren’t anywhere in sight. The idea of actually being alone with Lauren sent a rush of heat through him.

  As he walked up to the front door, he noticed the miniature Christmas tree that had been in their hotel room now sat on a table in the front window. He supposed he should start thinking about a Christmas present for Lauren. And something for the twins.

  He raised his hand to knock on the door, but Lauren opened it before he could. She greeted him with a smile he had the sudden need to see every day for the rest of his life. Best not to say that out loud and risk freaking her out.

  “You look beautiful,” he said instead as he glanced at the bright blue dress that made her eyes look even bluer.

  “Thanks.” She ran her hand down the side of the dress, looking as if she was nervous.

  That’s when he noticed the candles and place settings on the dining table. Two place settings. His heart rate sped up. Then the delicious smells coming from the kitchen hit him and his stomach growled in response.

  Lauren chuckled. “I hope that means you’re hungry.”

  “You cooked?” Maybe that was why she’d moved to the cabin, so she’d have a kitchen again. Perhaps she had to do some cooking for her magazine pieces, or she was trying out new recipes for the restaurant.

  “Yeah, I hope you don’t mind that instead of going out.”

  Or maybe this was exactly what it looked like, a romantic dinner for two.

  “Based on the smell, I doubt any place could beat it.” Adam stepped inside and shut the door against the December chill. He took Lauren’s hand and gently pulled her close. “But I’d be happy eating gas-station food if it was with you.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers and indulged in a kiss that stoked the flames that had been smoldering within him since that night in the Wildflower Inn parking lot.

  A ding from the kitchen caused Lauren to startle, thus ending the kiss.

  “Sorry, I have to get that,” she said before hurrying off toward the small kitchen area.

  He watched as she bent to pull what looked and smelled like barbecued chicken from the oven.

  “I know it’s not beef, but this is one of my favorite dishes.”

  “I live on a cattle ranch. I can have beef anytime I want it.”

  A flash of something that almost looked like a wince crossed her face before she turned back to moving the casserole dish from the oven to the spot reserved for it on the table.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, fine.”

  But as they ate and talked about other things, he could tell something was still weighing on her mind. “Out with it,” he said as he took her hand in his and ran his thumb across her knuckles.

  “Nothing, just more annoyances at the restaurant this week. A variety of little things, but combined with the new roof and the unexpected wiring issues, I just sometimes wonder if I bit off more than I can chew.”

  “Nope. You’re going to make this a big success, no doubt about it.”

  She stared at him as if looking for something more, then glanced down at where their hands were joined. “I need to tell you something.”

  Her tone concerned him, but the fact she’d made this delicious dinner just for the two of them indicated she wasn’t going to toss him out of her life, right?

  “Okay.”

  She looked up and it seemed she had a conflicting mix of determination and sorrow in her expression.

  “I know you’ve been hoping to get a deal with the restaurant for your ranch’s beef, but I promised myself that I would never again mix business with personal relationships. The last time I let the two coexist, it nearly destroyed my life.”

  Maybe he was wrong and she was about to dump him.

  “I’ve loved all this time we’ve been spending together,” she said. “I care about you, a lot, but if we continue to see each other, you have to know that I won’t be able to use the Rocking Horse’s beef.”

  He didn’t realize until that moment how much he’d grown convinced that the deal was as good as signed, and a shot of anger went through him, as if he’d been strung along. But when he took a breath and considered everything she’d shared with him about what Phil had done, he had to admit he understood where she was coming from. A wave of concern about the viability of the branded-beef operation hit him, but he did his best to hide it. He’d figure out some way to make it profitable. He had to have faith something would present itself. The business had taken hits before and he always found some way to scrape by. But in that moment, the woman sitting across the table meant so much more to him than selling beef. He was pretty damn sure he loved her.

  “If you think I’d walk away from you because of losing business, you’re wrong.” He lifted her hand and planted a soft kiss on her fingers without breaking eye contact.

  She blinked eyes that looked brighter on the heels of his words. “How would you feel about skipping dessert?”

  It took a moment for it to register what she meant. When it did, his entire body seemed to vibrate in anticipation. Instead of answering, he stood without releasing her hand and urged her to her feet. He pulled her close and caressed her cheek.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I won’t lie and say I’m not nervous, but I’ve been fantasizing about this for a while.”

  He grinned. “That right?”

  She ran her hand slowly up his chest. “Yes.”

  He glanced toward the clock on the mantel above the fireplace. “How long do we have?”

  “All night.”

  Those flames within him exploded into a wildfire as he wrapped his arms around Lauren and captured her mouth with his.

  * * *

  LAUREN’S NERVOUSNESS ABOUT taking the next, huge step with Adam got shoved way into the background as he kissed her as if he was a hero in some great love story. She’d swear she heard a swell of romantic music wrap around them as she gave in to her desire. She kissed Adam back with the full force of all the feelings she’d been holding back for fear he’d crush her even more than Phil had.

  Adam’s hands on her bare arms made her want to rid them both of anything standing between more skin-on-skin contact. When had she ever felt so much potent desire? Ever?

  She had loved Phil once, but she was certain the very idea of sex with him had never felt like what was consuming her now.

  Not willing to wait any longer, she clasped Adam’s hand and led him toward the bedroom. Once they were standing next to the bed, she slowly started to unbutton his shirt. He let her. His watching her without saying a word or making a move was the sexiest thing she’d ever experienced.

&nbs
p; When she shoved his shirt from his arms and he simply let it drop to the floor, she had difficulty catching her breath. Unable to stop herself, she let her fingertips travel lightly over his exposed chest. His sharp intake of breath sent a thrill of power and excitement through her.

  In the next moment he lowered his lips to hers again, and it seemed his hands were everywhere. So many places it was hard to focus. All her senses jumped from the taste of his lips and the feel of his tongue dueling with hers to the length of his body pressed against her to the slide of the zipper along the back of her dress.

  Lauren wasn’t a novice in the bedroom, but she’d never experienced anything like being undressed by Adam. He took his time even though she suspected there was a part of him that just wanted to rip off every stitch of their clothing and get to business. Or maybe that was just her.

  Instead, he paused and ran his fingertips across the swell of her breasts, kissed the curve of her shoulder, let his breath linger next to her ear, making her tingle from her scalp to the tips of her toes.

  Needing to feel more of him, she ran her hands up his arms then pressed her lips against his chest. Feeling more daring than she ever had before, she ran her tongue along his warm flesh as her fingers began the work of freeing him from his jeans. The sharp intake of his breath was like a fresh supply of fuel to her desire.

  Adam stepped out of his jeans and grabbed her at the back of her thighs, lifting her so that her legs were on either side of his hips as he crossed the rest of the distance to the bed. The strength it took for him to lower her slowly to the bed caused her pulse to accelerate.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said as he ran his fingertips along the edge of her face. The way he said those simple words made it apparent he believed what he said but that her physical attributes were not the only things that attracted him.

  She wanted to tell him how handsome she thought he was, how being near him made her feel more alive than she ever had, but before she could speak he lowered his mouth to hers and she was lost.

  What little was left of their clothing was tossed aside, leaving absolutely nothing between them. When Adam took care of the protection without her even having to ask, she fell for him even more. Not that she hated the idea of more children, especially with the right man, but at this stage she had all she could handle without losing her mind.

  All of which she could tackle later. Now she wanted to focus on nothing but the man in her arms. And the feeling seemed to be mutual, judging by the way Adam was making every inch of her come alive beneath his touch.

  The moment she’d been literally dreaming about arrived and she answered the question in his eyes with a smile. Everything else in her life disappeared as they made love. It wasn’t just sex. And he wasn’t only making love to her. It was the most beautiful give-and-take, like a ride on the world’s most sensual roller coaster. When she felt herself approaching climax, she dug her fingers into Adam’s strong shoulders, deriving even more pleasure from the feel of his muscles moving beneath his warm, taut skin.

  She closed her eyes and pressed her head back into her pillow as she climaxed, followed in the next breath by Adam.

  Her mind was still spinning when Adam curled around her body and pulled a quilt over them.

  “Well, I don’t need anything else for Christmas,” he said.

  She playfully swatted against his shoulder, causing him to laugh. Although she could safely echo his words and mean every one. So many things were flying through her mind, but she found herself drifting. Wasn’t it the man who usually fell asleep approximately five seconds after finishing? Of course, between the various aspects of work and caring for two teething babies, sleep was a rare commodity. So feeling more relaxed than she had in ages, she snuggled close to Adam’s warmth, smiling as he wrapped his wonderful arms around her, and allowed herself to drift toward blissful sleep.

  * * *

  IN THE DAYS following his night with Lauren, Adam alternated between whistling and grinning like a fool. At least that’s how he felt. He’d never had a more wonderful night in his life, and the days since hadn’t been half-bad either. He’d helped Lauren at the restaurant, and they were making decent progress despite minor annoyances continuing to crop up or how many times they got distracted by kissing and, well, other things.

  Even business for the branded-beef operation was looking up. He’d signed a deal with a small restaurant in Fredericksburg, agreed to provide the steaks for a large society wedding in Austin, and was moments away from inking another contract to provide a variety of beef products for a newer winery bed-and-breakfast about an hour away from Blue Falls.

  Jamie Barrett looked up before signing her portion of the agreement. “I know our customers are going to love your products.”

  “I appreciate your business.”

  “It’s so exciting to think we’ll have the same supplier as the Brazos Baker’s new restaurant.”

  What? Where had she heard that?

  “Maybe you can convince her to come out and do a demonstration for our guests sometime. And I’d love for her shop to carry some of our wine.” The way she said it implied she knew that he and Lauren were dating and that he’d use his influence to give his customers special access.

  Before he could correct her assumption, she signed her name on the contract with an excited flourish. Damn it. He’d have to tell Lauren about this and hope she didn’t assume he’d used her the same way Phil had.

  He could tell Jamie she was mistaken, but would that do more harm than good now? Though he’d not even mentioned Lauren, would Jamie feel misled into a business deal that wouldn’t provide all the benefits she’d hoped? What if she decided to sue? Of course, she didn’t have a case, but neither had Phil when he’d taken Lauren to court. Lauren had won but her business had taken a hit—the kind of hit his wouldn’t survive. He’d just explain the situation to Lauren and ask her how she’d prefer he handle it. Maybe she’d even like the idea of working with the winery, despite how the connection had come about.

  When he left a few minutes later, he sat in his truck staring at his phone. He didn’t want to have this conversation with Lauren over the phone. He needed her to see his eyes when he told her, hear his voice in person. But that wouldn’t be able to happen until later that night at the earliest. He had three more appointments, one of them all the way in Seguin, east of San Antonio. He’d been happy that his widening the area he was canvassing had yielded some results, but now he wondered if somehow word had gotten out that if someone did business with him they’d have an in with the famous Brazos Baker.

  A sick pit formed in his stomach, not only at the potential mistake on everyone else’s part, but also that his recent successes might have nothing to do with his hard work, or the quality of the Rocking Horse’s beef.

  Movement outside drew his attention and he looked up from where he’d been staring at his phone. Jamie gave him a big smile and a wave before she got into her car. Realizing he was going to be late to his next appointment if he didn’t leave, he started the truck’s engine and pulled out onto the road. But the sick, tight ball in his stomach didn’t ease, not even when no one mentioned Lauren at his next meeting. Instead, it grew larger, and he remembered the feeling he’d had that something was going to derail his relationship with her.

  Telling himself that he was simply blowing a misunderstanding out of proportion and promising himself he’d address it with Lauren as soon as he got back to Blue Falls, he drove toward his last appointment in Seguin even though he wanted nothing more than to race back home to Lauren. But he needed to keep building his business, to succeed on his own so that no one, not even Lauren, could say he’d only succeeded because of his association with her. To prove to her that he didn’t need or want part of her company. He only wanted her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lauren paused outside of the Blue Falls Tourist Bureau and Chamber
of Commerce’s combined office when she got a text. She smiled when she saw it was from Adam. Just the thought of him made her happier than she’d ever been. The time they spent together was the most awesome reward for her allowing herself to believe she might find love again, and with someone who wouldn’t betray her.

  Can I see you when I get back to town later?

  Of course the answer was yes, no matter how tired she was at the end of a long day. She typed her response.

  Yes. What time will you be back?

  In two or three hours. Last meeting got delayed.

  Okay, heading into the business holiday mixer.

  Have a good time.

  She’d have a better time with him, but she needed to push those sexy thoughts aside so that no one could read them on her face like a headline in two-hundred-point bold type. When she stepped inside, she spotted her sister. Papa Ed was on babysitting duty tonight along with Verona, who had finally warmed up to him after they’d had several long talks about the past and the intervening years over coffee and pastries.

  “From the grin on your face, you must have just talked to a certain hunky cowboy,” Violet said.

  “Possibly.”

  Lauren glanced around the room filled with people who owned businesses in Blue Falls and the surrounding Hill Country. This was a social event for the holidays, but she was hoping to make more connections now that the time to actually start planning for the restaurant’s opening was near. Earlier that day, she’d met with some food vendors, and a couple of days before, she and Adam had driven the arts-and-crafts trail so she could meet local artisans. She came away with plans to carry some of their items in her gift shop.

  Though he didn’t say anything, she suspected that Adam wished there was a way for them to be together and still have the Rocking Horse’s beef served in her restaurant. Honestly, she’d been thinking about caving. After all, Adam was nothing like Phil. And what were the odds that two men in a row would use her success to advance their own? Could she mix business with pleasure again?