The Rancher Read Free Page B

moments after walking inside
the saloon and that little voice in the back of her mind had
whispered seductively to her that it was her last chance. The last
chance to throw her inhibitions to the wind and just grab onto life
one more time. And she had. She'd invited Holden to her room and
spent hours having the most life altering sex of her life. She'd
never had a man so attentive in her bed. Her body had burned, her
lungs ached with need of air as he took her to heights she never
knew existed again and again until she lay exhausted in his arms,
his fingers and lips playing over her skin until she'd fallen
asleep.
     
    Her body still tingled in
remembrance of his touch and that little voice in her head was
whispering she could have it again. That her desire for him could
be sated night after night. She refused to listen. She couldn’t get
involved with him. Ever. Regardless of how much she wanted to.
     
    She rode under the curved arch
leaving Avery Ranch and she couldn’t stop from turning her head,
peering over her shoulder to where she'd left Holden standing.
     
    He was still watching her.
     
     
    * * * *
     
     
    Laurel was clean out of sight
before Holden turned toward the house. He could see Alex sitting on
the steps, her elbows propped on her knees and knew, regardless of
what he said, she would fight him until she was blue in the
face.
     
    He walked back to the fence,
grabbed his shirt and slipped it on, smiling to himself as he
buttoned it. After four weeks of wondering, in one afternoon he'd
not only found the temptress he couldn't seem to forget but he also
learned her name was Laurel and where she lived. Right here in
Willow Creek of all places. His heart gave a powerful thump with
the newfound knowledge.
     
    Many a night he'd lain awake
thinking of her. Wondering if he'd ever see her again. Wishing he'd
done things a bit different all those weeks ago. He would have
taken his time, for one, forgoing sleep entirely to spend one more
hour looking at her. Touching her. Tasting her kisses and savoring
those little noises she made as they lay skin to skin. He hadn't
even minded she didn't want to know his name and refused to tell
him hers. At the time, he'd been without a woman for so long, he
hadn't cared. Not until later, when he was halfway home and
couldn't stop thinking about her. It's why he'd turned around and
went back. He hadn't wanted to let her go. He'd wanted her to the
point his body ached with it. A shiver raced up his spine again as
he remembered their night together.
     
    He started for the house, his
gaze locked on Alex and wondered what she'd done at school. He knew
she was rowdy but he'd never had any of her previous teachers tell
him she was unruly and the fact Laurel did, left him feeling
uncomfortable.
     
    He hadn't told her he had a
daughter, she hadn't wanted to know anything about him, and now
that she knew, he wondered what she thought about it.
     
    His mind drifted further and
further toward Laurel as he approached the house and he mentally
berated himself for not taking the time to meet the towns new
teacher when she arrived. Four wasted weeks had gone by with Laurel
in town and by the time he made it into the yard he knew, half the
men in the surrounding area had probably seen Laurel. He'd have to
fight them off with a stick to keep them from trying to court
her.
     
    She was the finest looking woman
he'd seen in ages and with women being a scarce thing in this area,
she'd have suitors lined up the length of town asking for her hand
in marriage. The whole idea left a bad taste in his mouth. He
couldn't imagine her with someone else. He wouldn't. As far as he
was concerned, Laurel Montgomery was his. He'd make her want him
like he wanted her, even if he had to tame his hellion of a
daughter to do so.
     
    Alex glared at him when he
stopped at the steps. The frown on her face said it all. She wasn't
going to be cowed by him or anyone. He sighed and readjusted his
hat. "Have you been