Annabelle jerked the door open, causing Colt to jump back. She stormed past him, ignoring his questioning gaze. The sooner she got to the ranch, the sooner she could work out her frustrations.
“Hold up, sweetheart.”
She whirled around on Colt. “Not today. Do not start with the pet names. I’m not in the mood.”
The black hat shaded half of his face, but those eyes still managed to pierce her. “Care to tell me why you look like you want to kill someone?”
Annabelle closed her eyes and blew out a breath. “Not really. Just...get me out of here.”
Colt opened his mouth to say something, but finally nodded. Annabelle turned and mounted Lightning before Colt got on behind her.
The instant his arms came around to grab the reins, Annabelle leaned back against his chest. She didn’t care if this made her weak.
“Not a word,” she muttered. “I just need this for a second.”
“Lean on me all you want.”
With a flick of his wrists, he set Lightning into a soft trot. Annabelle fought back tears. If her father didn’t get his act together, she didn’t know what they’d do. She couldn’t pay off this house and keep them afloat if he was pilfering money. Annabelle had already hidden her mother’s emerald ring. If her father found that, she hated to admit that he’d probably hock it.
“I was going to drive in a few minutes late,” she told him after a bit.
“When you said emergency, I was afraid something was wrong with one of the girls. You didn’t specify, so I went ahead and came anyway.”
“I’m a mess, Colt. I’m more of a hindrance than help at this point.”
He grasped the reins in one hand and wrapped his free arm around her waist, hugging her into his body. “Why this negativity? That’s not like you.”
“Just a morning dose of reality. And I haven’t even had my coffee, yet.”
She started to ease up when his arm tightened. “You’re fine right here, darlin’.”
“What did I tell you about the names?” she asked, the fight gone from her voice as she settled back against him.
“I think my nicknames are growing on you.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t get too cocky.”
They rode another moment in silence and her heart sank when they approached the barn. She could’ve kept riding, pretended nothing was going on in the world. For just a little bit she wanted to imagine her problems, her father’s problems, weren’t gnawing at her heels as she tried to outrun them.
“Something happen with your father?” Colt asked softly.
Annabelle sat up, mostly because if Josh or Ryan were in the barns, she didn’t want them to see her nestled against their boss. Although she figured they knew something was up. It wasn’t normal for a man to pick up a woman on horseback for work.
Funny how she’d not only gotten used to it, she actually looked forward to their rides.
“I’d rather not get into it,” she stated as she focused on the stone building ahead. “What do you have planned today?”
“Something you’ve never done before,” he promised. “You up for a ride on Genesis?”
“Sure. Anytime I get to ride is great.”
Colt brought Lightning to a stop and dismounted before reaching a hand out to assist Annabelle. She let the touch linger. She’d take all the Colt she could get today.
“I left without grabbing a hat.”
Colt patted Lightning as he looped his reins around the post outside the barn. “You won’t need one today.”
Confused, Annabelle blinked and crossed her arms over her tank. “I won’t?”
“Nope. Go get Genesis ready. I’ll meet you back here. I need to give some final orders to Ryan and Josh before we take off.”
The man was intriguing, and she had a feeling that’s exactly how he wanted to be seen. He wanted to keep her on her toes. Another reason she needed to be ready at all times for whatever he threw her way.
* * *
Colt didn’t recall being nervous about anything in his life. He’d been angry and frustrated when Layla had left, he’d been hurt when his father slipped into a tragic state of mind and he’d been worried each time his brother Hayes was deployed. Even when his twin brother, Beau, had a movie opening in LA, Colt didn’t have a bundle of nerves dancing in his stomach.
But today he was a mess. He was going to take Annabelle to a portion of the property that was rarely seen unless you specifically ventured back there. It was behind Hayes’s house, stretching along the riverbank that ran on the edge of their property.
It was the most peaceful spot on the ranch. After Annabelle opened up emotionally at their dinner last night, he wanted to just relax with her. Forget the fact they were boss and employee. He wanted her to trust him.
Stupid of him really, considering his intentions hadn’t changed one bit. But there was a part of him that wanted her to talk to him, to tell him her fears, her needs...her desires.
When he’d been in the yard feeding Lucy, Colt had been smacked in the face with a dose of reality. He did want a family, that wasn’t news to him, but he wanted it sooner rather than later. Maybe his life didn’t have to be in perfect order before he found someone to settle down with.
And he certainly wasn’t saying he wanted Annabelle and the twins as his family. That would never work even if he’d had those thoughts. But holding Lucy just had him thinking and wondering if he could have it all and throw out the timeline he’d given himself.
Pushing his thoughts aside, he pulled out his phone and shot off a group text to Josh and Ryan. The edging around the landscaping needed trimming and the vet was due this afternoon to check on the steers once again. A fairly simple day, but Colt knew that not every day on the ranch could be predictable. Even if you had plans, sometimes livestock and Mother Nature had other ideas.
Just as he shoved his phone back into his pocket, Annabelle stepped out of the barn. Leading Genesis, she focused that bright green gaze on him. The punch of lust each time she looked at him never lessened. And to know she was untouched only made him ache for her even more.
How had someone so sexy, so damn passionate, gone all this time without giving herself to a man? More important, what type of man had been with her and not been able to pull out that desire? She practically dissolved in a puddle at his feet when he touched her, and he wasn’t too proud to admit the feeling was mutual. She did something to him, something that made him want to possess her in a primal way.
“Where to, boss?”
He loved when she called him that. As if she surrendered to his power and fully accepted that he was in charge.
“Mount up and follow me.”
He hated that he wouldn’t reap the benefits of riding behind her, but she had no idea this little place even existed and he had to be the one to lead the way.
Colt pushed himself back up onto Lightning and set off to the east side of the land.
He called over his shoulder, “It will take us some time to get there, but I promise it will be worth the wait.”
“No problem. I’m enjoying the view.”
Colt sent her a wink. If she was going to flirt so blatantly, he sure as hell was going to return the gesture. He figured she was doing anything to forget what happened this morning with her father. Whatever had gone on, it must have been something major for her to be so angry when he’d picked her up. She seemed to want to stay mum about it so Colt would have to draw his own conclusions.
He just hoped like hell Neil Carter wasn’t gambling again. Not now. Now when Annabelle was literally busting her ass to save his.
After about fifteen minutes, they reached Hayes’s house. It would be good to have his brother home for good. Colt only prayed he managed to adjust to being back and settling into civilian life.
“This is the house your father grew up in?” Annabelle asked.
“My grandfather had it built when he started ranching.” Colt pointed to the old oak tree to the s
ide of the house. “That tire swing has seen many years and every Elliott kid. It’s just a neat location the way it’s tucked between the river and the brook.”
This house could tell stories. Colt figured one day Hayes would tear it down to rebuild, and Colt couldn’t blame him, but he hoped he’d keep it and just put his home on another section of the ranch.
“I love this house.”
Annabelle’s wistful tone had him smiling. She appreciated the finer things, and he didn’t mean expensive. She saw the beauty in everything. His ex, on the other hand, had had a taste for pricey, designer clothing, flashy cars, trips all over. He didn’t mind pampering the woman in his life, but he expected he’d be her top priority...not his bank account.
“We can stop here.” Colt made sure the horses were in the shade beneath one of the large oaks before looping the reins around the hooks. “We’ll walk to the place I want to show you.”
When he looked back, Annabelle was staring down at him, her head tilted in question. Colt crossed the distance between them and extended his hand.
“Trust me.”
The two words were so simple, yet so complex, considering their relationship. She shouldn’t trust him. She should hate him with every ounce of her being. He wished things were different, he wished she’d never come back into the picture because taking things from Neil didn’t bother Colt’s conscience one bit. But knowing he was going to take the land that was the foundation for Annabelle’s dream...that twisted something inside of him that he didn’t want to face.
Part of him couldn’t help but wonder what his father would think. His dad had been determined to make this dude ranch a reality, but he was also a family man first.
Damn it. Colt couldn’t think like that. He and Annabelle couldn’t be more even if that’s what he wanted. Once she discovered the truth, she’d hate him.
Annabelle slid her leg over the side of the horse and Colt gripped her waist to help her down. He stepped closer behind her, aligning their bodies perfectly.
“Is this why you brought me out here alone?” she asked, turning her face just enough for him see her half-grin.
“I’ve never brought a woman to my brother’s house for sex.” That much was completely true. “What I have to show you is in the back.”
Without asking, he took her hand in his and led her around the side of the house.
“Oh, my word,” she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
The river curved around the property as if framing it with crystal clear water. An old stone outbuilding sat right on the riverbank at the edge of the property. The original stone wall ran along the edge of the property line.
“It’s peaceful. I figured you could use some of that in your life.”
Annabelle turned to face him fully, still holding on to his hand. “How do you know when I need anything? Dinner, a nap, a quiet place to relax. I’m going to get fired for not working if you keep this up.”
He’d never fire her. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to let her go at the end of this three-month period, either. She was a hard worker. Granted, she had her home as motivation, but he was going to hate to lose her.
And not just for the business. Cutting her out of his life would hurt and he’d have to learn to cope with the mess he’d made.
As Annabelle glanced back out onto the water, a strand of hair blew across her bottom lip, and before Colt could think better of it, he swiped it away. His fingertip grazed her mouth, sending a jolt of desire through him.
Her eyes swept back around and met his. “You did bring me out here to seduce me,” she murmured.
Colt slipped his hand along her jawline, threading his fingers through her hair. “I didn’t. But you’ve been seducing me since the moment you ran into my fence.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
That whispered admission was the green light he’d been waiting for, the one he hadn’t seen coming. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to give her time to change her mind.
“Listen to your body,” he told her, stepping into her. “What’s your body telling you right now?”
A small smile spread across her lips. “That I want your shirt off again.”
Colt laughed. “I can deal with that.”
He tugged the shirt from his jeans and unbuttoned it, keeping his eyes on hers the entire time. Once he dropped it to the ground, he propped his hands on his hips. The approving once-over she gave him had him ready to rip off the black tank she wore. It was only fair.
“I’ve never known a man to look so hot in just a hat, jeans, and boots.”
He didn’t know what to say to that, so he slid his fingertips up her bare arms. “How slow do we need to take this?” he asked. “Because I don’t want you scared and you deserve to get full enjoyment.”
She shivered beneath his touch. “I’m enjoying this pretty well right now.”
Oh, she was going to be so damn fun. His body trembled with need. He wanted this woman more than anyone he’d ever been with. He didn’t know if it was the thrill of being her first or just the fact that this was Annabelle. Probably both. But he wasn’t going to waste time in his head analyzing his every thought.
He had a woman to strip.
“Just...tell me if I do something wrong. Okay?”
Colt stilled. There was a hesitation to her voice that he didn’t like.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “Because I don’t want you to feel pressured. You have to want this as much as I do or we’re done.”
She reached down, tugged on the hem of her tank, and flung the garment over her head. Standing before him in a plain white bra and jeans with her hair around her shoulders, Colt had never seen a sexier sight.
“I’m nervous, but I know what I want,” she told him. “So do what you want to me and I’ll tell you if it’s too much. Deal?”
Do what he wanted? Oh, hell yes, that was a deal.
Unable to wait another second, Colt slid his hands around the dip in her waist and tugged her until she was flush against his chest. Finally. Skin to skin. She was all curves and all his.
Colt captured her mouth and willed himself to slow down. He had an ache for this woman and he couldn’t go into this like she’d been his every fantasy for days. He had to take his time, to make sure she got as much pleasure as he could possibly give.
Thirteen
Annabelle had never been so nervous and anxious at the same time. Colt’s mouth magically moved over hers. There was an urgency in his kiss, yet she could tell he was restraining himself.
She eased her mouth from his and framed his face. “I’m not fragile. Don’t hold back.”
His eyes held hers for the briefest of moments before he picked her up. She couldn’t help the squeal that escaped her. Instinct had her looping her hands behind his neck and wondering if he was shooting for romance.
This wasn’t romance, though. This was nothing more than her finally giving in to a need she’d had for some time and it had never been stronger than with Colt Elliott.
For once, she was going to take exactly what she wanted, when she wanted it. Consequences be damned.
Colt carried her behind the house, his gait a bit off.
“Put me down,” she told him.
“In a minute.”
“You’re limping.”
He stopped, holding her so securely against him, and turned his focus to her eyes, her lips. “Sweetness, let me do this right.”
Part of her wondered how many times he called other lovers by these names. He’d claimed none, but Colt was a natural charmer. Still, there was something that blossomed inside her at the idea that he only used those terms for her.
Annabelle closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. What was she thinking? This wasn’t the pivotal moment that would lead to a happily-ever-after for them.
Colt made her feel sexy and he wanted her. It was all that simple and that wonderful.
He started off again until he came to the river
bank. When he set her down, he nipped at her lips as if he couldn’t get enough. Her chest rubbed against his and she couldn’t help but arch against him.
“Wait right here,” he muttered against her mouth.
He darted back around the house and Annabelle felt rather foolish standing there with her jeans, boots and bra. She waited a minute, wondering where he went, when he finally came back carrying the blanket that had been beneath her horse’s saddle.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I figure you didn’t plan this or you would’ve had something already set up.”
“I really didn’t plan this,” he laughed. With a swift jerk, he fanned the blanket out over the ground. “But I’m damn sure not going to let this moment go.”
When he turned back and raked his eyes over her, Annabelle had never felt such a jolt in her life. He may as well have touched her with his hands, his mouth. Anticipation curled deep in her stomach.
“Maybe you could help me undress, that would help.” She went for the snap on her jeans. “Or maybe we should just—”
“No.” Colt closed the space between them and eased her hands aside. “This belongs to me.”
“Me, or getting me naked?”
He jerked the snap open, keeping his gaze on hers. “Everything.”
Just as she processed his words, he reached behind her and flicked her bra open. Nerves fell away. Colt’s intense stare, his passion and need, they all combined to make her forget she should be nervous. Ache replaced her anxiety and she wanted more.
Annabelle toed her boots off and watched as Colt reached for his belt buckle.
“Wait,” she told him. “Shouldn’t I get to return the favor?”
He shook his head with a laugh. “Honey, if you touch me right now, this will go faster than either of us wants.”
“Maybe I’m ready for fast.”
Twin Secrets (Mills & Boon Desire) (The Rancher’s Heirs 01) Page 11