Texas-Sized Temptation Read Free Page A

political opponents. Your family supposedly burned down our barn in the early days, rustled cattle, stole our horses. The list is long.”
    â€œYou’ve left out the most recent episode that touched our lives, at least it affected mine. You may have been young enough to miss it. I’m thirty-four. You must be about twenty-two.”
    Her eyes danced with amusement. “You’re a little off. If that were the case, when you were seventeen in high school, I would have been toddling off to kindergarten. No, I’m twenty-eight now.”
    Smiling, he shrugged. “You were a little kid. You might as well have been five when I was seventeen. I paid no attention to you at that age.”
    â€œMmm, I’ll have to remedy that. I have no intention of letting you continue to ignore me,” she drawled, making his heart skip because she was flirting with him.
    â€œMaybe I’ll have to reassess my attitude toward Santerres,” he said.
    â€œYou might be surprised by what you’d find,” she rejoined, slanting him a coy smile that made his pulse jump.
    â€œYou should make me forget you’re related to Will. As far as our family is concerned, Will caused my sister Brittany’s death.”
    â€œWhen the District Attorney pressed charges and Will was brought to trial, he was found innocent. The car wreck was ruled an accident. Will has been cleared of that charge,” Caitlin stated matter-of-factly.
    â€œI’ll never feel he was innocent,” Jake replied. “Will testified that Brittany tried to run him off the road. But she was in love with him. Will is the one who ran her off the road.”
    â€œThe jury found Will innocent. Will and I barely speak.He’ll probably cease to do so now that our father is gone. Although, my success in my profession has given Will a grudging mellowing toward me. Not enough to inform me of his decision to sell the ranch, much less of the agreement to sell it to you.”
    â€œWill is rotten,” Jake said, thinking more about Caitlin’s silky auburn hair and huge eyes, still amazed to learn her identity.
    â€œPlease think about this. I want to save the house and people’s livelihoods that you’ll take away. I love them and they’re older now. I feel responsible for their well-being because they’ve devoted their lives to my grandmother and to me.”
    â€œNoble, but they also got paid to do so and probably a damned good salary.”
    â€œSure, but it went beyond that. That house holds happy memories. Please rethink my request to buy before you answer hastily.”
    He smiled at her as he sat in silence and studied her. “All right, I’ll think about it, but I doubt if I’ll change my mind.”
    â€œIf so, your decision has to be spite.” Her expression didn’t change. Green eyes observed him coolly. “You have one of the largest ranches in the state as it is and now you’ve bought up neighboring ranches as well as ours. I urge you to have an open mind when you give this thought.”
    â€œIt isn’t spite. At least not toward you. It’s vengeful where Will is concerned. I was delighted to buy him out. Even happier to tear down Will’s home place, turning it into rubble that will be cleared. Eventually, in its place will be mesquite, cactus and bare ground.”
    Lightning crackled and popped while thunder made the windows rattle. Rain began to drum against the house.
    Jake’s mind raced as his gaze roamed over her again. Her beauty pulled on his senses and there was an unmistakablephysical attraction, but he didn’t care to pursue it. She was a Santerre and he wasn’t selling land back to her. She should have talked to Will immediately after their father’s death about her wishes to keep their grandmother’s property. He glanced beyond her through the French doors at the downpour, listening to the loud hiss of rain.
    He glanced at his