“I can do that.” How weak did he think she was? “I’m here to work, Colt. Stop coddling me.”
He slowed Lightning down, so she pulled Genesis to a stop. When he tipped his hat up and flashed those killer baby blues her way, Annabelle’s heart rate skyrocketed.
Is this how it would be each time he looked at her, now that they’d been intimate?
“I’m not coddling you, sweetness.” He reached across and placed his hand high upon her thigh. “I don’t want you worn-out because I have plans for you later.”
Oh. That promise had her heart in her throat, her body responding. Yes, she was slowly falling for him when she had sworn she wouldn’t. Sex clearly had messed with her mind.
“I won’t be worn-out,” she told him. “I’m sure Ryan has plenty to do without babysitting me and doing part of my job. I’ve got it covered.”
A naughty smile crept over him. “If you’re too tired, I guess I’ll just get to do all the touching.”
“Oh, I won’t be that tired, cowboy.”
And apparently sex made her a little saucier, too. Who knew?
Fifteen
Once Colt left Annabelle to take care of their horses and get to work, he sent a text to Ryan and Josh to check in on her throughout the day. She wouldn’t appreciate it, but too damn bad. He couldn’t worry about her and concentrate on this last-minute issue at the same time.
Colt drove a short distance from Pebblebrook and willed himself to calm down. He gripped the wheel, his knuckles turning white. There was too much anger, too much rage and guilt. That last one was on him, but the first two were on another man in Annabelle’s life and Colt refused to sit back and watch her have to deal with more pain.
He glanced at the place that would soon be his and the guilt intensified. No, that was the sex talking. He was just feeling the aftershocks of having Annabelle wrapped all around him. He couldn’t let those sultry eyes and passion-filled kisses deter him from reaching his goal. He would make sure she had a home, something nice and perfect for her business. But this one was perfect for this business he wanted.
Colt’s anger still hadn’t eased by the time he pulled up near the porch, but he would keep his head on straight, because Annabelle and her girls were the victims here. Damn it. There was no way not to hurt Annabelle. But he could make the pain less intense.
He rang the doorbell and took a step back. After a minute, Neil Carter opened the old oak door, with the puppy right at his feet. He didn’t offer to open the screen—as if that thin partition would keep Colt from business he had with the old man.
“We need to talk,” Colt stated.
“Then talk.”
He was going to be difficult. Colt didn’t know why he thought this would be a simple trip. How could someone as sweet as Annabelle come from someone as cold and self-centered as Neil?
And there went that flare-up of guilt once again. Because Colt knew full well that he was self-centered...otherwise he wouldn’t be so dead set on owning this property.
“I’m going to pay off your gambling debts,” Colt announced. “Give me the names and contact information. And if I hear of you gambling anymore after that, I’ll personally make sure Annabelle knows every last detail of how many times you’ve borrowed from my family over the years.”
Neil crossed his arms over his chest, but before he could utter a word, one of the babies’ cries sounded through the house. Neil turned from the door and marched away, the loyal pup on his heels. Colt wasted no time in letting himself inside. With his hand behind him, he caught the screen door before it could slam shut. The anxious puppy turned back around and ran toward Colt, sliding along the hardwood floors and bumping into the toe of his boot.
Colt reached down and petted the little guy and wondered if Annabelle had come up with a name yet. He’d ask her later, but right now, he had some unpleasant business to take care of.
Like any gentleman, Colt removed his hat and hung it on the peg by the door, and then he proceeded to follow the cries into the living room. He walked slowly, careful not to trip or step on the bouncing dog.
Neil picked up one of the girls from some portable pen—Colt believed they were called Pack ’n Plays. They’d both been laying in their side-by-side, chewing on matching pink teethers.
Colt couldn’t tell which twin Neil was holding, but he looked closely and thought it might be Lucy. One of them had thicker hair, but that was the only difference he’d noticed. Both girls were like mini-versions of Annabelle.
Lucy continued to whimper, but when she spotted Colt, she reached her arms toward him.
Okay. That was extremely unexpected. He’d held her the other night and fed her, but he didn’t realize she’d already know who he was. Neil tossed a glance over his shoulder, reluctant to hand the baby over.
Colt stepped forward and took Lucy from Neil’s arms. Her crying ceased as she sniffed and stared at his hair. He figured it was a sweaty mess between his morning activity on the riverbank and riding with his hat on.
“I see you’ve made an impression on my granddaughter, as well,” Neil stated, clearly irritated. “And I don’t need you or anyone else to take care of my debts.”
“No?” Colt retorted, throwing Neil a sidelong glance. “Because as I see it, your daughter is busting her butt to pay off this house because you couldn’t. And when my portion is paid back, she has to continue to work like a dog because she’s still trying to save you and now raise twins on top of that.”
Colt kept his tone somewhat light because he didn’t want to scare the baby. One of her pudgy hands patted the side of his face and Colt couldn’t help but smile at her. Those green eyes were going to bring a man to his knees one day.
“I don’t need an Elliott taking care of my family,” Neil growled. “And whatever you think you’re doing with my daughter, she’s smarter than to fall for your charms.”
Colt wisely kept his opinion on that topic to himself.
“If you would man up, nobody would have to take care of your family.”
Colt patted Lucy’s back when she laid her head on his shoulder. The innocence of this child humbled him. One day he’d have a baby of his own, raise children on his ranch, and have a wife who shared his passion for the farm. A vision of Annabelle sprang to mind but he quickly vanquished it.
“So far, Annabelle is the only one working toward securing a future for all of you.”
Neil’s eyes narrowed. “What did she tell you?”
Oh, he wasn’t throwing her under the bus. Hell, no. He was there to protect her from all angles...well, except his own agenda. That he couldn’t help.
“She didn’t have to tell me anything,” Colt replied. “I can see how exhausted she is when she comes to the ranch. She gives it her all and then comes here to take care of you guys. There’s only so much a person can take before they break and I won’t see that happen to her.”
“Is that so?” Neil crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his stance. “Why the sudden interest in my Belle? I won’t have her hurt.”
Something Neil should’ve thought of before he made the bargain with the Carter ranch and then signed documents he didn’t fully read.
“You ever tell her about the jewelry?” Colt threw out.
“No,” Neil ground out. “And you don’t need to, either. That time has passed. I’m not proud of what I did.”
“Passed?” Colt repeated. “You’re telling me that you have completely stopped gambling? With no help at all?”
“How do you know I haven’t had help?”
Colt merely raised his brows. Lucy’s sweet breath tickled the side of his neck. From the steady rhythm, he’d guess she’d fallen asleep. What was it like to be so trusting and innocent?
Annabelle was exactly the same way. She’d trusted the wrong people: her father, her sister, her fiancé... Colt.
“Did you come here to berate me or just rub it in my face that you’ve gotten close with my daughter and granddaughters?”
“I came here so you’d realize what you have. You lost one daughter and your other one is here, ready to do anything to make her family work. Is that not enough for you to want to be a better man?”
Neil’s lips thinned as he continued to glare at Colt. He didn’t care if Neil was pissed, Colt was pretty much boiling since Annabelle had told him her father took money from her purse. Clearly, Neil had an illness, but Annabelle shouldn’t have to endure the same struggle. She was trying to restore her life, yet she couldn’t even move forward for worry over her father and his ongoing issues.
Damn it. He hadn’t planned on getting personally involved. That plan obviously went to hell. Between that kick-ass attitude layered over vulnerability and her loyalty to her family, how could Colt ignore the tug of emotions Annabelle brought to life? But he couldn’t allow those emotions to cloud his judgment.
His father had big plans, plans that Colt was to carry out. Colt always made good on his promises. With his father in the nursing facility, there was no way in hell Colt would let him down. Still, that niggle of doubt kept creeping up on him lately. Grant Elliott had always prided himself on being a family man first and foremost. Colt wanted that family life, but he couldn’t sacrifice his promise to his father...could he?
If he’d met Annabelle under different circumstances, gotten to know her, date her...but he hadn’t. There was nothing but sex between them and when she found out about the legal documents, that would be gone. Even so, Colt would make sure she was taken care of.
Neil closed the distance between them and eased Lucy from Colt’s arms. Lucy was indeed fast asleep, while Emily remained fully entertained across the room. Neil cradled Lucy against his chest and stared down at her.
“I’m doing what I can,” he murmured. “And after this debt is paid, we won’t need your help anymore.”
Colt wasn’t about to argue. He’d made his point and if Neil didn’t want help, then so be it. But that didn’t mean Colt wouldn’t look out for Annabelle and her babies.
He let himself out the door and climbed back into his truck. He was on borrowed time where Annabelle was concerned. He couldn’t go against his family and decades of wishes. Maybe on some level, she would understand that.
Regardless, he wanted her again. He wanted to see her, to touch her. He had a feeling today’s workday might just be cut short.
* * *
Annabelle swiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm. Ranch life was no joke. No wonder Colt had muscles like that of a calendar model. He’d earned each and every taut bulge.
Finally, the stalls were clean. As if anything in this immaculate barn was ever dirty. Still, she took pride in her position, in the animals. They were such beautiful creatures and deserved to be treated as such.
As she pushed the broom down the stone walkway between the stalls, familiar arms banded around her waist. Instantly she found herself hauled back against a broad chest.
“Sir, I’m working here and there are other employees that could see us.”
“Those employees are nowhere near this side of the property and your boss sent me to find you,” Colt whispered in her ear. “He said it’s time for you to call it a day and meet him at the main house.”
Annabelle dropped the broom and turned in his arms. “It’s only two o’clock.”
Colt shrugged. “Boss’s orders, ma’am.”
He stepped back and winced slightly. Annabelle reached for him, but he held his hands out.
“It’s nothing,” he assured her. “I’ve been riding more than usual and not soaking at the end of the day like I should.”
“And you talk about me taking care of myself?”
“Touché.”
“Seriously, I need to work. I’ve only put in about four hours today.”
Colt shot her that side grin that never failed to curl her toes. Stupid charming man. Why did she have to be so easily swayed by a dashing smile and a sexy body? Hadn’t she learned her lesson the first time a hot guy showed her attention? She’d ended up with his ring on her finger. That incident left her scarred, hollow. But Colt was different. He was loyal to those he cared for.
Never in her life would she have thought that she’d be half in love with an Elliott. Who knows, after this debt was paid off...maybe they could date and see where things went. She wasn’t going anywhere and he obviously wasn’t, either.
“This will count as a full day’s work. You’ve earned it.”
Annabelle reached down to pick up the broom and leaned against it. “Let’s say I come up to your house.”
“Which you will.”
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at his confidence, which made him too damn irresistible for his own good. “Let’s say that I do. What about Winnie and Charlie? Where are they?”
Colt shrugged. “I’m not positive. I imagine Winnie is in the kitchen preparing some feast for the guys. Charlie is actually out at a ranch in Calhoun County because we’re hoping to do some business with them. I sent him because his daughter knows the family there.”
Annabelle weighed her options. If her tingly body would shut up, she’d be able to think a little clearer.
“So what do you tell Winnie when I come up to the house and...”
“To my bedroom?” he asked, quirking a dark brow beneath his black hat. “She’d probably throw a party, but to save your reputation, I can sneak you in the back door. She’ll never know you’re there.”
He made things sound so simple, so perfectly tempting. Colt Elliott’s bedroom was only a “yes” away and she stood here contemplating her move. What woman did that?
A woman who’d been burned and was falling in love.
Just that morning she’d made some grand speech on the riverbank, naked as a jaybird, about how she wasn’t going to fall for him and he had nothing to worry about.
Liar, liar. It had only been a few hours and she’d analyzed their situation to death. He wanted her land, she wanted him. That pretty much summed up their crazy status in a nice, neat, jam-packed package.
“If you have to think that hard, maybe I didn’t do my job earlier today.”
Oh, he’d done his job...if his job was to make her fantasize about him all day and watch the opening of the barn for that familiar silhouette. Every time an animal shifted or she heard something, she’d jerked her gaze to that wide-open bay. It was rather schoolgirlish how quickly she’d become infatuated.
Was it the sex? She truly didn’t think so. She’d been turned on and intrigued by him since day one, when he’d been nothing but a shirtless stranger.
“Maybe you should show me again just as a reminder,” she said, pleased when his bright eyes darkened with arousal.
Good. She wanted to affect him the way he did her. She hoped he thought of her today when they were apart. And, no, she didn’t care if that was naive. She had to be honest with herself, if no one else.
“Where did you go today?” she asked.
Colt lifted one broad shoulder. “My day wasn’t near as important as my afternoon is about to be.”
Sixteen
Colt didn’t bring women back to his home, and he sure as hell didn’t sneak them through the back door and into his bedroom. The entire third floor made up his domain. He had a balcony off the front and back so he could see the acreage which had been handed down to him...which had been entrusted to him.
So the fact that Annabelle now stood staring out through the back double doors had Colt stilling in the middle of his suite. That long, red hair spiraled down her back. She typically kept it up, but sometime between their morning activities and now, she’d let it all down. He preferred it down, preferred it between his fingers and sliding over his skin.
“I don’t know how you ever leave this room in the mornings. I bet the sunrises are amazing.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to invite her to see it sometime, but that would require a commitment he couldn’t make. Still, he could see it. Annabelle in one o
f his T-shirts and nothing else, standing just like she was now after a night of lovemaking. He was certain it was an image he would return to long after he revealed the truth and she cut him out of her life for good. Why was that thought becoming more and more agonizing?
Annabelle spun around, her hair dancing about her bare shoulders. She did amazing things to tank tops.
“I should warn you that I’ve been in horse stalls all day.” She wrinkled her nose and damn if it wasn’t the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. “I’m not sure what you got into, but you still seem fairly clean, like your deodorant is still working.”
Colt laughed. He did that more with her than he had in years. She was unaware of her appeal, she spoke her mind and she was a hard worker. How could a man not find that charming and sexy?
“You’re in luck,” he told her as he crossed the room. “I happen to love the smell of my ranch.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re really a terrible liar.”
Actually, he thought he was a stellar one...which was where that guilt kept creeping in from.
He took her hands in his and squeezed, pulling her against his chest. “You’re also in luck that I have a shower built for twenty with jetted sprays and three rain heads.”
She raised her brows. “A shower? You mean...you’re going to shower in the middle of the day?”
“With you,” he added, with a smile as her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. “You need to clean up and I need the heat on my hip. It’s a win-win.”
“I’ve never... I mean, that just seems so intimate and...” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you laughing?”
Colt pursed his lips and shook his head. “Not at all.”
“Terrible liar,” she muttered.
“Then maybe I should use my mouth for more important things.”
Before he could ease forward, she took a step back and let go of his hands. “Seriously, Colt. I’m not feeling very attractive right now.”
Heat speared him. “You spent the day working on my ranch, tending to my animals. That’s the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
Twin Secrets (Mills & Boon Desire) (The Rancher’s Heirs 01) Page 13