Tessa's Pride

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Tessa’s Pride By Olivia Brynn Two years after leaving home to make his own fortune, Joshua Bradley has finally returned to the Bradley Equine Ranch—and to Tessa McCade, the sexy ranch manager with whom he shared a single steamy tryst. Tessa now owns the ranch like she’s always dreamed—but it’s in trouble. Dozens of horses have been lost and she’s on the brink of bankruptcy. To save his family’s business, Josh offers to buy it from her…and share the ranch house with her once again. Tessa chafes at needing Josh’s help, but she’s never forgotten the taste of pleasure Josh gave her so long ago. Soon, neither of them can resist the desire mounting between them, and unleash a passion that is even more powerful than Tessa’s pride…

Dear Reader, A new year always brings with it a sense of expectation and promise (and maybe a vague sense of guilt). Expectation because we don’t know what the year will bring exactly, but promise because we always hope it will be good things. The guilt is due to all of the New Year’s resolutions we make with such good intentions. This year, Carina Press is making a New Year’s resolution we know we won’t have any reason to feel guilty about: we’re going to bring our readers a year of fantastic editorial and diverse genre content. So far, our plans for 2011 include staff and author appearances at reader-focused conferences such as the RT Booklovers Convention in April, where we’ll be offering up goodies, appearing on panels, giving workshops and hosting a few fun activities for readers. We’re also cooking up several genre-specific release weeks, during which we’ll highlight individual genres. So far we have plans for steampunk week and unusual fantasy week. Readers will have access to free reads, discounts, contests and more as part of our week-long promotions! But even when we’re not doing special promotions, we’re still offering something special to our readers in the form of the stories authors are delivering to Carina Press that we’re passing on to you. From sweet romance to sexy, and military science fiction to fairytale fantasy, from mysteries to romantic suspense, we’re proud to be offering a wide variety of genres and

tales of escapism to our customers in this new year. Every week is a new adventure, and we want to bring our readers along on the journey. Be daring, be brave and try something new with Carina Press in 2011! We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page. Happy reading! ~Angela James Executive Editor, Carina Press www.carinapress.com www.twitter.com/carinapress www.facebook.com/carinapress

Dedication To every horse euthanized after an equine infectious anemia diagnosis, and the owners who mourn them.

Acknowledgment A big thank-you to Don Blazer (www.donblazer.com) for his patient correspondence detailing the very real tragedy of “Coggins Slaughter.”

Chapter One “Is that the last one?” Tessa McCade stumbled to a halt on the driveway; her boots gouged the gravel. She gripped the lead rope until the rough fibers dug into her hand. Yes, this was the last one, but she couldn’t say it out loud. The very last one of the sick horses she had to hand over to Dr. Robert Staley for euthanasia. It might have been easier if they actually had symptoms. If they were in pain or dying slowly, this wouldn’t hurt so badly. She’d saved her favorite horse for last—Sugar Cookie, the one she’d crawled out of bed every three hours to bottle raise—as if the mare would have a miraculous recovery or the vet would forget about her. No such luck. He stood by the open end of the white trailer, one hand in his front pocket and the other poking a toothpick around in his mouth. He looked so damned comfortable with the situation that Tessa wanted to scream. Maybe scratch some lines into his perfectly chiseled features. Instead she froze. Unable to take the last few steps. Sugar Cookie stopped beside her, waiting obediently. Ignorant of the fate that awaited her. “Well?” Dr. Staley pushed away from the trailer. “Is that it?” Tessa looked from the vet to the trailer. With the ramp down, it looked more like the gaping mouth of a monster than a simple aluminum compartment on wheels.

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“Yes,” she answered. “She’s the last one.” Pain—unadulterated and searing—sliced through her chest with icy blades, just as a cloud obscured the October sun, giving the atmosphere an ominous feel. Tessa stood frozen in place, with stars dancing in her vision, blurring Dr. Staley’s form. She forced herself to breathe; Sugar Cookie would sense her anxiety, and Tessa had to stay calm enough to lead the mare into the trailer. To her death. Staley reached for the lead, but Tessa pulled away. “I’ll do it.” She didn’t even recognize her voice. She lifted her chin and looked directly into Dr. Staley’s eyes. “I need to be the one.” He shrugged. “You’re taking it awful hard.” Those bloody lines on his face were becoming more and more likely. “Are you kidding me? This is the fortieth horse I’ve led into your trailers today. Each time you bring another empty trailer, it means more death. How do you expect me to take it?” Her tirade ended in a harsh whisper rather than the scream of rage she ached to let loose. She’d scream later. When her employees weren’t gathered around, watching every move she made. When Dr. Staley was gone. Tessa could hold it together until then. “You’ve got insurance, right?” He pulled out the toothpick and studied the gnawed tip for a moment before clamping it back between his molars. “It’s gonna be a wash.” She blinked. “A…a wash? How can you say that? These horses mean—meant the world to me. I’ve spent God only knows how many man-hours on them, training, breeding, caring for them. They’re not just stock, Dr. Staley. These horses are the life force of this

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ranch.” He rolled his eyes, then gave her a pat on the shoulder. “You’re such a girl.” Tessa clenched her teeth until she thought they might chip from the force. Before she could teach him a lesson in sexism, he continued, “It’s cute that you got attached to your stock, but you need to remember this ranch-owning thing is a business. Profits and losses. This—” he waved toward the trailer, “—is a loss. You write it off, and you move on.” He reached for Sugar Cookie again. “No,” she snarled. “I told you I’d do it.” She glared until he backed away with his hands raised. With a deep breath, Tessa took a step toward the trailer. Sugar Cookie was at her side, a silent conductor for her grief. Gravel crunched beneath her hooves, the steady rhythm of a death march. Tessa wished she could cover her ears, and she had to resist looking into her beloved horse’s eyes. “Wait!” Tessa spun around, pulse pounding against her eardrums. Gus Carlson, her stable manager and the senior employee on Bradley Equine Ranch, scurried across the property, his leathery face set with determination. With each bowlegged step, his chest puffed out. “She’s not ready.” He pulled a brush from his waist pack and groomed the mare’s golden mane. His hand shook with each stroke through the coarse hair, and Tessa bit the inside of her cheek until she drew blood. She would not cry. Not in front of Sugar Cookie. Certainly not in front of her employees or the county

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veterinarian. She managed to watch stoically as Gus groomed the mare one last time, with a loving touch, uncharacteristic of such a gruff man. He spoke soothing words, and Sugar Cookie nudged him with her nose. Even though each swipe of the brush took another layer off the wall of protection around Tessa’s breaking heart, she was able to remain outwardly composed. When he finished, he ran one gnarled hand down the horse’s nose and looked directly into her black eyes. A silent goodbye. Tessa focused on the BER brand tooled into Sugar Cookie’s harness, wishing she’d had the balls to do what Gus had done. Or the ability to disconnect like Dr. Staley. “You’re such a girl.” Thomas Bradley wouldn’t have cried. And he wouldn’t have given her the job of ranch manager if he had thought she was a wuss. She wasn’t a wuss. Tessa cleared her throat. “Come on, Sugar. Time to go.” Pleased her voice was steady, Tessa led the horse onto the sterile trailer and removed the bridle. She tried not to look. If she was going to have any chance of getting off this trailer with dry eyes, she couldn’t look. But on her way past Sugar Cookie’s front quarters, the horse turned and made eye contact. Tessa inhaled sharply. The mare’s expressive black eyes shone. If she didn’t know better, Tessa would have sworn there was forgiveness in those intelligent orbs. “You’re a good girl, Sugar. You’ve made me proud.” The horse tossed her head back, and Tessa forced one foot in front of the other until she stepped off the

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trailer. She would have turned to watch Dr. Staley close the trailer and drive away, but she caught sight of Gus and two ranch hands with their hats pressed against their chests, so she just kept walking. She made it to the stable without falling to her knees or screaming in outrage, and even managed to saddle one of the few remaining horses in record time. What she needed was solitude. Without her employees around to see her lose it, she could get the girlie sentimentality out of her system, then return to the ranch—her ranch—and pick up the pieces of her failing business. She gave the mare, Jessup, a pat on the nose, then swung into the saddle and galloped through the double doors, in front of the group that had gathered around Gus, consoling him while he mopped his face with a faded red bandanna. He’d been wandering around the ranch like a zombie since Staley had relayed the death sentence handed down from the government. As much as she wanted to join him in mourning and tell him she didn’t blame him, she couldn’t. All signs pointed to the disease having been spread through dirty vaccination needles, and Gus was the only employee trained to inoculate the herd. She knew he was devastated and racked with grief, but she shoved her sympathetic thoughts aside. It would take a while before she could forgive him, but for now, she had a job to do. “Gus,” she barked, “I want the remaining horses moved to the little barn.” Damn it, Gus’s eyes were filled with pain. Tessa focused on the horseshoe tack stuck in the band of his curled Stetson. “Then I want the stables scrubbed top to bottom. Use bleach.

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Martha—” she turned to the plump woman who was wringing a dishcloth, “—call Wes Fisher. I want an appointment with him at his earliest convenience.” She didn’t wait for a response, but nudged her mare and headed for the prairie. Wes had been withholding his stallions’ stud services. Perhaps if she hadn’t been so focused on his horses’ sperm, she would have been aware of what was going on right under her nose. But everything happened so fast, and before she knew it, she was slapped in the face with the diagnosis. Equine infectious anemia. Swamp fever. Tessa was well aware of the severity of the disease, but her horses had shown no symptoms. They likely never would have, but a positive test meant an immediate death sentence. Forty seemingly healthy show horses would be euthanized in accordance with federal law. It didn’t seem fair. Urging Jessup into a full run, Tessa could use the brisk autumn wind as a reason for her tears. She had never dreamed the annual Coggins test would have such disastrous results. One horse showing positive for EIA would have been devastating enough, but it wasn’t just one. She’d scoured the internet, looking for an alternative to euthanizing all forty animals, but the government’s rules didn’t bend. Quarantine or euthanasia. Since her ranch wasn’t equipped to quarantine that many infected horses for the rest of their natural lives, she’d had no choice. Tears flowed freely now, drying down her face in cold ribbons. Dr. Staley had promised each horse would be comfortable and would simply drift to sleep. Euthanasia wasn’t a violent procedure. But it was final. And Sugar Cookie would be the last to meet her

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end. Tessa stopped Jessup beneath a cottonwood tree, far enough from the ranch that no one could hear if she decided to let loose with a shrieking tirade. She left the mare untethered to chew on the long grass and sat with her back against one white tree trunk. She hugged her knees to her chest and finally cried. The years with Sugar Cookie, Sherlock and every other stud and mare that had been carted off replayed through her mind, and Tessa wailed in outrage. It wasn’t fair. Forty horses. Destroyed. Each with a distinct personality; she’d miss every one for different reasons. Like Sherlock’s habit of taking the lead rope in his teeth when he’d grown tired of his daily exercises. Or the way Firecracker could rear up at the click of a tongue, which was always a fun way to initiate the seasonal workers. Now they were all gone. Tessa wept until her shirtsleeve was wet from her tears. She’d let down Thomas Bradley and every Bradley who had come before him. And Josh. She didn’t really think anything could make her feel worse, but one reminder she’d kept shoving to the back of her mind reemerged. Josh Bradley, Thomas’s son. Her tears stopped, but her stomach seized. Not that Josh had had anything to do with operations of BER since he drove his truck off the property over two years ago, but he was the last in a long line of Bradleys. Tessa closed her eyes as the memory of that day and the days leading up to Josh’s departure two years ago returned. Again. That warm June day in this very meadow. Under this very tree. She took a shaky breath.

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His lips had been gentle but demanding. His hands had pulled strings of desire with each caress on her breasts… No. She refused to remember that day. Not now. Reminiscences starring Josh Bradley were reserved for late nights, alone in her bed. Right now, the only thing that mattered was the future of BER. She surveyed the land around her. Her land. With Josh’s departure, Thomas had begun grooming Tessa for the job. He’d promoted her less than a week after Josh left, and she’d managed the place for a year under Thomas’s tutelage, trying desperately to prove herself to the man who’d taken her under his wing despite the fact that she was a woman. And not a Bradley. To this day her heart ached in grief at the loss of her mentor and father figure. When Thomas died, Tessa had fully expected Josh to return to Montana and take his place at the helm, but when Thomas’s attorney read the will, shocking everyone present that he’d left the ranch to Tessa instead, Josh had simply packed up and returned to Seattle. The day she’d signed on as a hay slinger at Carl Johnson’s ranch, it became her dream to run her own ranch. Even at fifteen she knew what she wanted, and nothing would deter her from her goal, but she had never expected to manage a generations-old ranch like BER. Especially when there was a Bradley to take over. Surely now Thomas was regretting the decision, and if Josh ever found out she’d let Bradley Equine Ranch fail, he’d regret not contesting the will. She sniffed. Maybe Josh would never know.

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Judging from his lack of contact since he left two years ago, he must have other things to worry about. If Tessa could figure out a way to recover her losses, she would be able to save face before BER’s reputation was permanently ruined, but it didn’t look good. Six of the animals she’d loaded onto Dr. Staley’s trailers had been promised to buyers weeks ago. She’d already refunded their money, and she’d have to remove the other horses’ pictures and descriptions from the website, so the secret would be out. The town gossips would have a field day with this kind of scandal. If she paid Wes Fisher’s exorbitant fees, she’d have foals next fall, but she’d need more than her three remaining mares to carry them. That meant more money. Tessa rubbed her temples, numbers running through her head. With the loss of forty horses, cash flow would soon be a serious problem. She’d have to call the insurance agency right away. Tessa brushed the dirt from her jeans and mounted Jessup. The pity party was over. Time to get to work.

Chapter Two Tessa closed the heavy door behind her and stomped the snow from her boots. Although being sheltered from the wind made the building warmer than it was outside, she could still see her breath. The chill inside, along with the dim glow of the emergency lighting, only emphasized the barrenness. The heaters hadn’t been on for weeks. Not since Dr. Staley drove that final white trailer away. As soon as this stable had been sanitized, she’d locked the doors. Rather than spending her dwindling resources heating this monstrous building, she’d left the few remaining horses in the smaller barn. Tessa stood in the alley and looked around the dark space. She’d worked on one ranch or another since she was fifteen, yet she’d never taken the time to notice bales of hay had a distinctive smell when they sat too long. Yet another way the emptiness of the building hit her hard. It should have been filled with the scents of horseflesh and manure. She pulled off her gloves, shoved them in the back pocket of her jeans and blew into her cupped hands. She tried to ignore the feeling of failure, but she still wanted to throw up each time she stepped inside this once-lively building. She wouldn’t be here now if she didn’t have to prepare for the real estate agent’s visit. Maybe once she turned on the heat, the place wouldn’t feel like a tomb. She wandered down the alley, trying not to focus on the ghosts.

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Saddles lined the tack-room wall, grooming equipment sat on a handy shelf, as if they’d been laid there moments ago rather than weeks. Tessa pinched her eyes closed and swallowed the familiar lump in her throat. It wasn’t getting any easier. Martha, her last employee—her last supporter, had left yesterday. Now she was alone on the floundering Bradley Equine Ranch. All because Tessa couldn’t do her job. “Fuck.” She kicked the doorjamb of one stall with her boot heel. “Goddamn you, Carlson.” It was a useless curse. Sure, it was Gus Carlson who’d vaccinated the herd with dirty needles, but she was in charge. Maybe considering him a friend had blinded her to his faults. Even though he treated each animal like one of his children, she should have been doublechecking his sterilization procedures. A good owner would have. Tessa sank onto the wooden bench outside the tack room. The silence of the big building deafened her. Mocked her. There were some in the horse-breeding community who’d laughed when she took over BER. As forward thinking as the men in Montana were, horse breeding and training were stuck in the nineteenth century. Women didn’t run stock farms. In fact, she was the only female owner in the state. When she took over management of the ranch two years ago, she had been determined to prove them all wrong. Now, she couldn’t even get Wes Fisher to return her calls, let alone sell her vials of horse semen to rebuild her stock. You let your employees, Thomas Bradley and your entire gender down. Tessa covered her face with her

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hands. Her fingers were cold, but they felt good on her cheeks, even with tears streaming through. She’d lost more than just sleep and her appetite when Dr. Staley took her horses away. She’d lost her livelihood. She had two studs and three mares left, and just enough money to pay the utilities on the spread through the winter. Already she had to put Thomas’s airplane up for sale. She hated to do it, it had meant so much to him, but it was just gathering dust in the hangar on the other end of the spread. That would earn her a year’s worth of living expenses, but so far, not a nibble. If she couldn’t sell the property in the next three months, she would have to start selling the remaining horses. Then the saddles and other equipment would have to go, just for her to avoid filing bankruptcy. Within a year, this place would be a shell. Just like me. A shell. Empty inside, hollow. Cold. Defeated. She sobbed, finally releasing all her pent-up depression. Who cared anyway? No one was around to hear; she was completely, utterly alone. She rocked in her seat, wiped her runny nose on her sleeve and continued to cry. Thomas was probably rolling over in his grave. Her career was over, and her five-year plan for expanding BER into the best show-horse ranch in the country had blown up in her face. Tessa didn’t know where she’d be living next month, let alone in five years. The biggest loss: her pride. Not only would she have to face her peers with this failure looming over her, she’d have to move back to her hometown, Miles City, on the other side of Montana. She’d wind up eating humble pie and living in her mother’s basement,

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listening to all the I told you sos until she’d want to scream. She’d drown her sorrows in the local bar, where she’d pick up a one-night stand. Then another. Her new five-year plan would include a job at the diner on Willow Street, where she’d meet a trucker, pop out six or seven kids… “You about done?” Tessa jerked upright at the deep voice, so close she had to stifle a scream. She opened her eyes to see a white handkerchief had been thrust in her line of sight. She scrambled to her feet and backed against the wall. It took a few seconds for her to blink away the remaining tears and focus on the man. Well, his suit-clad chest. She had to look up, way up, to see his face. “Josh?” Great. Joshua Bradley. The only man who made her knees weak with a simple glance. The one man she’d never be able to have, and the last person she wanted to witness her bawling like a baby. He hadn’t changed much. During his absence, she’d bitterly imagined his body falling apart. She’d pictured his hairline receding and his stomach protruding. She was wrong. He hadn’t changed for the worse in the year since Thomas’s funeral. He still dressed like a European tycoon: designer suit, tailorcut overcoat, pampered skin—everything was the same as in her vivid memory. His expression was a bit stonier, his stature might be a little more imposing, but his eyes were the same. She’d never forget those caramel-macchiato eyes. The same pair that had haunted her dreams since her first look at them were now studying her as he waited patiently for her to

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speak. “Mr. Bradley—” she wrung her hands, “—what are you doing here?” She swiped the tears from her cheeks, painfully aware of her appearance. Her eyes were burning, her nose was running, probably red and blotchy, and she was faced with the prodigal son of Bradley Equine Ranch. Perfect. He stepped closer, and she stiffened. “Here. Take this.” Grateful for a reason to look away, Tessa accepted the handkerchief but stared at it. Who carried a handkerchief in this day and age? Was she supposed to dab at her eyes? Fan herself? What was the etiquette? “Use it. We need to talk.” She wiped her cheeks dry and sniffled. She for damn sure wasn’t going to blow her nose in his hankie. Now that the shock of his presence had receded, Tessa was able to take a calming breath. “What are you doing here?” “Don’t tell me you’re surprised to see me.” She dropped her gaze to his polished shoes. “I… Actually I am surprised. Thomas—I mean, your father told me you didn’t want anything to do with the ranch.” “I didn’t.” His voice was gravelly, like he wasn’t used to speaking quietly. “Things change.” She glanced up at him before turning away. She couldn’t bear to see his disappointment. “My father is gone,” he continued, “and from the looks of it, so is the ranch.” Tessa wanted to disappear. She wished the floor would open up and swallow her. She blinked back the

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new tears that threatened. “Yes. It’s gone.” She took another deep breath before leveling her gaze at him. “I’m putting the property on the market today.” With that reminder of what had brought her into the abandoned barn in the first place, Tessa pushed away from the wall and past him. She needed to turn on the overhead lights before Mr. Pendergras came to take pictures for the real estate listing. He’d be here any minute, and she’d wasted who knew how much time feeling sorry for herself. She’d opened the casing to the lighting controls before his words rang clear in the emptiness. “No, you’re not.” She spun around to face him. “Excuse me?” “I spoke to Pendergras. He isn’t coming.” Her body swayed, and she white-knuckled his handkerchief. “Why?” Josh didn’t answer; he just looked at her. Tessa narrowed her eyes, giving herself a swift kick in the pants for feeling the slightest bit of guilt for putting his legacy up for sale. As if Josh Bradley would have any sentiment attached to BER. This man had left the family business to make his fortune in corporate real estate, and now he wanted to cash in on her defeat? She folded her arms. “From what I understand, it’s up to the property owner to retain a real estate agent’s services, Mr. Bradley. I want Mr. Pendergras to list the property, not you. I’ve already talked to—” “The ranch isn’t for sale, Tessa.” She lifted her chin. “I don’t have a choice. Bad news travels fast. Six of the horses Dr. Staley euthanized were already sold. I’ve had to turn down

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two inquiries just this week, and another ranch canceled stud services with one of my remaining stallions.” She took a shaky breath and continued, “The insurance company is dragging its heels with the settlement. I’m sure they think I was in on some sordid plan to kill my herd for the money. Half the town thinks I told Gus to use dirty needles to save—” “I know.” He knew? Tessa dropped her head, feeling even more defeated than before. Not that it was a secret. Either Josh had spoken to some of the locals, or he still read the trade magazines and websites where her failure was plastered. “I’ve already offered Thomas’s airplane to a consignment dealer, hoping for enough cash to get through the winter. If I don’t sell the ranch, my financial stability and credit will be gone, just like my reputation.” She faced him again and willed her voice to remain steady. “I’ll never have another career in this industry. It’s over. I need to cut my losses.” “And BER? What about the ranch?” He lifted his hands to indicate the empty barn. “It’s been in the Bradley family for generations. You can’t just sell it.” She resisted rolling her eyes. “Mr. Bradley, BER hasn’t been in the Bradley family since I took over. I’m not a Bradley.” His lips thinned to a taut line, and his eyes widened, just long enough for her to reconsider her words, but then his expression hardened, and he walked toward her. “It seems my father thought differently.” The implication that Thomas considered her a daughter should have filled her with joy. Instead his glare suggested she had somehow weaseled her way

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into his father’s will. “Thomas was the closest thing to a father I ever had. He chose me to run his ranch because I spent six years on his payroll, working my ass off to prove my worth to him.” She welcomed her shift from desolation to determination. “Who else was he supposed to leave it to?” She gave him a pointed stare. Josh worked his angular jaw, almost as if he was gnawing on his tongue behind those hard lips. “I was given a choice the day I left. I stick by my decision, even now. Dad had already made up his mind about where the ranch was headed, long before he died.” Tessa’s stomach dropped. Apparently Josh hadn’t been surprised when Thomas’s will was read. During the year she spent as ranch manager under his guidance, Thomas and Tessa had discussed business on a daily basis. They’d spent long hours closed up in his office as he not only showed her the books, but regaled her with stories of his father and grandfather, the founder of BER. Never did he even hint she would be solely responsible for the generations-old horse ranch after his death. Of course, no one could have known his time would be cut short. At sixty-two, he’d been as spry and active as a fortyyear-old. “But you’re his son. Why did he leave you out of his will?” “We came to a mutual agreement. I wasn’t willing to meet his terms, so he bought me out, and I left. I didn’t expect anything else.” Josh raised one eyebrow, then dropped it just as quickly. “Can we talk inside the house?” Tessa brought out her gloves and zipped her down

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jacket up to her chin before making her way back to the house. His footsteps crunched in the snow behind her, but she didn’t wait for him to catch up, or move to the side of the thin path to allow him to walk beside her. She pulled off her boots at the front door and gestured toward the seating area. “I’m going to wash up. Make yourself at home.” As soon as the words left her tongue, she would have cut it off to will them unsaid. He’d grown up in this house. It was more his home than hers, yet she was treating him as a guest? She only had to glance at him to see that he found her words amusing. Her face flamed with heat, and she spun away to rush down the hallway. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. He had walked away from this house. This was her home now. She occupied the same room she had when he and Thomas lived here just two years ago. Right next door to where the housekeeper, Martha, had slept and across the hallway from old man Peter, the blacksmith. Tessa splashed cold water on her face and covered her blotchy nose with foundation. By the time she left her bathroom, she felt considerably better equipped to deal with Josh. He wasn’t in the living area where she’d left him. Tessa bit her lip, half hoping he had called a cab and returned to Seattle. “Josh?” She checked the kitchen, then the den, then peeked outside to find an unfamiliar sedan parked out front. “Hello? Josh?” Every door down the main hallway was shut, just as she’d left them, so she climbed the staircase. The second floor housed the family’s rooms.

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No one had lived up there since Thomas’s death, even though Martha had tried to get Tessa to move into the more spacious apartments. Tessa had her reasons for leaving things as they were, and Martha had given up eventually and closed the second floor off to keep heating costs down. Now that door at the top of the staircase was open. “Josh?” “In here,” he called. Tessa followed his voice into his former bedroom. It was a room she sneaked into when she was sure no one would notice. She would lie on the king-size bed and daydream about Joshua Bradley. The pillows had long since lost his scent, but the room still held enough of his aura to fuel her fantasies. She stopped in the doorway, a bit nervous to interrupt him and not sure she trusted herself alone with him. In his room. She had to tear her eyes away from the bed and shake the vision of herself wallowing on the comforter from her mind. His suit jacket and tie were tossed over the wingback chair, and his cuff links lay on the bedside table; two black suitcases sat on the bed. He unzipped one and pulled out a stack of blue jeans. He glanced at her before filling the cherry bureau, one armload at a time. Tessa stood dumbfounded, and it wasn’t until he’d unzipped the second suitcase that she found her voice. “What are you doing?” “Unpacking,” he answered without hesitation. He’d kept his back to her, but she heard him clearly enough. “Well, yes, but…why?” Josh straightened, then turned his head to pin her with a level look. “You told me to make myself at

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Chapter Three Tessa’s heart seized. When it resumed beating, the pounding was deafening. “You’re staying here?” He shook out a pair of silky-looking boxers, then folded them carefully. He probably did that to fluster her, and she resisted staring at them. Disregarding her avoidance, he gestured with the underwear. “You don’t expect me to stay in a hotel, do you? When this three-thousand-square-foot house— that has belonged to my family for generations—sits all but empty?” Yes. “Well, no…but I didn’t…I guess I didn’t realize you’d planned on staying in the area.” For having folded them so carefully, he tossed the underwear into the drawer without a thought before walking toward her. No, he didn’t walk; he prowled like a hungry lion. “You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Yes. She swallowed. “Afraid?” “To stay here alone with me.” He moved into her space, and it took all her willpower to remain where she was. Although part of her wanted to run downstairs, a bigger part wanted to step into the heat that always surrounded him like an invisible cloak. The clean scent of amber aftershave and the coffee on his breath made her mouth water with the need to taste him. She focused on his Adam’s apple, and as he stepped closer, she took a step back, until her spine hit

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the wall. “I’m not afraid.” Her voice wasn’t as strong as she would have liked. She swallowed again and looked up at him. As soon as she did, she regretted the move. His gaze pierced her, immobilizing her. She desperately wanted to cover her breasts so he wouldn’t see the way her nipples had tightened. “You don’t sound sure.” His dark brows lowered, and he studied her mouth. “I think you’re scared.” His breath washed over her face with each word, and Tessa clenched her hands to refrain from reaching for him. She wanted to rub herself against him and transfer his scent to her clothes. “I think you’re afraid I’ll ravage you like I did that day in the meadow. You remember that day, don’t you?” Yes, she remembered—often. Daily. Nightly. Hourly. It was only two years ago, the day he’d left BER for good. She still didn’t know if he had been waiting for her or if she had just happened upon him. “I remember it too, Tessa.” Her name coming off his lips caressed her ears. Her lids slid closed as she soaked in the words, lost in reminiscence. “I’ve pulled the memory of that afternoon out more times than I can count. I’ll never forget the way you looked with your Stetson tilted over your brow. Your bare legs, so smooth…and your mouth… God, your mouth.” He stepped closer, until their clothes brushed and that familiar heat surrounded her as surely as if he’d reached out with his arms. “Your lips that day,” he went on, even though she hadn’t responded or even opened her eyes. “The way they caught the sunlight after I kissed you. I’ll never

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forget the way your tongue swiped my moisture from them. I don’t think you had any idea what that little move did to me.” Oh, she knew. That was right after he’d come all over her hand. Then he made that sexy grumbling sound and covered her body with his. Tessa clenched her thighs together to resist the urge to re-create that morning. “Yes, I remember,” she whispered, lifting heavy lids to look at him. Her desire was reflected in the depth of his eyes. Josh softly stroked a line from her earlobe to her chin. He shook his head, never releasing her from his stare. “It was beautiful. If my father hadn’t interrupted us…” He trailed off, leaving Tessa to fill in what could have been. It wasn’t hard; she’d been imagining that scene for two years. She dropped her focus to the third button on his white shirt. She lifted her hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her fingertips. He tilted her chin until she was forced to look at him again. To drown in the eyes of the man she had sworn she’d never fall for again. “I wanted you that day.” She watched his mouth move toward hers with each word. He leaned an inch closer, until her hand was trapped between their bodies. “I still want you.” Tessa fisted his shirt before she melted into the hardwood floor. Just as she remembered; one touch of his lips on hers, and she was lost. She’d been thrown back in time to when the world was at her feet, when the man she’d admired from afar had brought her fantasies to life on a wool blanket in the sunshine. She clawed at his chest and then grasped at the

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muscles of his back, trying to assure herself this wasn’t just another dream she’d awaken from, alone in her bed. But she could taste him. The same spicy, dark taste from long ago sent her tongue searching for his. He pressed her against the wall, flattening her breasts against the solid heat of his muscled chest, and tilted his head for a better angle. He kissed her desperately, as if he’d wanted the kiss as much as she did. He licked along her lower teeth, then returned to her lips. “And this time no one’s here to interrupt us.” His nostrils flared with every breath, and the fire behind his eyes made her heart squeeze almost painfully. He toyed with her oval belt buckle, and her libido sprang to life with his proximity. She wanted to feel his hands on her. It would be so easy to help him undo her belt. Then the zipper on her jeans. Instead she stared up at him, expecting him to disappear into a fine mist if she so much as moved a muscle. Only when he pulled her shirt from her waistband and slid his cool hand up her warm abdomen did she suck in a sharp breath. “Stop me, Tessa. If you’re going to stop me, do it now, because I’m about to lose myself in you.” Stop him. Should she? She opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to figure out what to say. She swallowed. “We shouldn’t…” “Probably not,” he agreed, “but I want to.” She had two handfuls of his crisp shirt, but she wasn’t sure if she was pushing him away or pulling him closer. Her mind spun. All the reasons why sex with Josh Bradley wasn’t a good idea swam together with all the reasons it was. Did she want to let this

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chance go by again? If he left tomorrow, she’d certainly regret not taking advantage. With that thought, her head cleared. She might spend tomorrow regretting it, but if she did succumb to her desires and he ran like he had before, she’d regret that a hundred times more. She’d been young and stupid then. Now she was the owner and operator of Bradley Equine Ranch. She put the slightest pressure on his chest, and he moved back without a fight. “We shouldn’t,” she repeated, this time with enough conviction that she actually believed her words. She edged away from his grasp and into the doorway. “I’ll turn up the thermostat on this floor.” She took a step back and then another, until she had the strength to turn away completely. She gripped the banister to keep from stumbling down the stairs, and in the kitchen she braced herself against the counter and took several deep breaths. This was the last thing she needed. *** Great going, Bradley. Josh pulled on his boot and tugged the cuff of his jeans into place. He never should have kissed her, at least not right away. And not like that. Not with all that naked lust. He’d probably scared her away, and it would take twice as long to reenter her circle of trust. He was surprised to find his flannel-lined vest in the closet and shook out the dust. Why had she kept all this stuff? The room was almost the same as the day he left. Even his old boots looked like they had just been

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kicked in the closet. As soon as he put on his black cowboy hat, he relaxed. He was home. Sure, the house didn’t belong to him, but this was home. Now, standing in front of the mirror wearing shitkickers, a denim shirt and a bandanna around his neck, Josh felt comfortable. Since his dad would have tweaked his ear for leaving his hat on indoors, Josh took it off and left his room. He hated seeing the once-thriving Bradley Equine Ranch sitting idle. His family had taken such pride in the operation. Their work ethic had passed from one Bradley to the next, along with the honest, straightforward business sense. Everyone knew a promise from a Bradley was as good as done. It made him sick to think his family name and ancestral ranch were in trouble, and he had a hard time not finding Tessa at fault. He’d gotten a rundown on the local gossip from Pendergras, and although she hadn’t been the one vaccinating the horses, being in charge ultimately meant the responsibility lay with her. He stopped midway down the staircase. That kind of thinking wouldn’t do. In order to save BER and the Bradley name, he’d have to help her, which meant believing in her and fighting prejudice from the town and her peers in the industry. Why had Gus Carlson cut corners? The old man had always been meticulous, to the point of annoying the hands assigned to help him. Even Josh’s father had steered clear of the man during vaccination week. Either Gus had grown lazy in the last few years, or the horses had contracted the disease some other way.

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Josh grunted and continued down the stairs. He’d have to have a talk with old Gus. Who knows? Maybe the guy was losing it. Even though Josh had given up any right to the ranch, he couldn’t let it go down in history like this. His family pride was at stake. The scent of chicken filled the air, and Josh followed it to the kitchen, where Tessa had perched on a bar stool with a bowl in front of her and her nose buried in the newspaper. She didn’t even glance at him when his shadow fell over her. “Soup’s on the stove if you’re hungry.” He walked over to peer into the pan. Canned chicken-noodle soup. She never had been much of a cook; she’d probably live on this stuff now that Martha was gone. He said nothing as he served himself a bowl. Not that he was hungry. He’d grabbed a burger from the drive-through in town, but the soup gave him an excuse to sit beside her. Maybe touch her. He stirred his, and she ate hers. She never acknowledged his presence, and he didn’t say a word. Finally, with a sigh, she lowered the paper and faced him. “What are you doing here?” When she actually looked at him, her jaw dropped. Josh hid a smile. So she liked his cowboy side. Josh wasn’t a shy man. He was okay in the looks department, and he’d never lacked a bed partner. He’d also never been devoured by a woman’s gaze the way he was right now. Her gaze worked slowly down his body until she took in his boots before repeating the process, working back up to his eyes. If he thought she’d forgotten the passion they

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shared, he was convinced now that she hadn’t. She had to recognize the vest as one of the many he’d worn every day to work on the ranch, including their final day together. He followed the path of her tongue as it darted out to wet her lips, and swallowed hard before he could speak. “I’ll be telecommuting for a week or so. Call it a vacation.” “Oh.” Her attention again moved to his lap, and he held his breath until she returned to the newspaper. “And you thought a good start to your vacation—” she raised an eyebrow but didn’t look up, “—would be to interfere with my plans to sell BER?” Josh shrugged. “I guess you could say that.” “I suppose you’re hoping to buy the property for a fraction of what it’s worth.” She picked up a pencil and circled something in the newspaper. “I could have saved you some trouble. I’ll sell you the ranch. Cheap.” Her dry tone proved she really had given up. As easy as it would be to take her up on the offer, he couldn’t bring himself to do it and effectively send her away defeated and shamed. Had his father willed BER to anyone else, he would have no qualms swooping in like a vulture, but Tessa had always brought out his protective instincts. If they worked together, the end result would benefit them both. He’d have his family legacy, and she’d have her pride. The first step would be for him to stir some up. “Why would I want a ranch that’s not producing?” She put the pencil back down with a snap and glared at him. “I called Pendergras. He refuses to put the property on the market without your say-so. I

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shouldn’t be surprised. This is just another example of the good ol’ boys’ network I’ve had to fight since I took over. No one will do a damn thing around here without a man’s approval.” She sneered. “I should have known you were their leader. You probably called every real estate agent in the county.” Josh clamped his teeth together. He hadn’t called the agent; Pendergras had called him, but Tessa didn’t need to know that. She turned back to her newspaper and picked up the pencil. “For someone who doesn’t want to buy BER, you sure are putting a lot of effort into making sure no one else does.” “I never said I didn’t want to buy BER. I said I don’t want a ranch that isn’t producing.” She gave him a look that said they weren’t even speaking the same language. “What do you mean?” He took his time taking a bite of the now-cool soup. “I mean—” he took another bite, just to make her squirm, “—if you get the ranch back on track, I’ll buy it from you.” He took one more bite in the silence that followed. When he laid his spoon down and looked at her, he wasn’t surprised to see her gaping. His lips twitched with the need to smile. “Are you crazy?” she whispered. He shrugged. “No, but you must be crazy if you think I’m going to buy some has-been ranch. Show me what it can do, and I’ll take it off your hands.” “How dare you? How can you say that about BER? Your family ranch? Your father’s pride and joy?” “Not anymore. Now it’s just a plot of land with a for-sale sign.” It killed him to be so blunt, but judging

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by her reaction, Tessa still took pride in the ranch. Her face turned an alarming shade of red, and she pressed her lips into a white line. He could practically see the numbers ticking across her forehead as she counted to ten. “I’ll have you know that before the EIA outbreak, I had BER running like a well-oiled machine. Income last quarter was up four percent over the same quarter last year, and nine percent over the year before. Even without a Bradley on site.” She narrowed her eyes. “Since I brought BER into the twenty-first century with a website and online bidding, I’ve had more inquiries than ever and record sales last fiscal year. If you can’t see the potential in the property, maybe you aren’t the right person to take charge. She moved to stand, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll buy it for its appraised value, but you need to show me a month’s profit-and-loss statement that isn’t in the red first.” “You’ve got to be kidding me—” “I’m not kidding. One P and L. Even one dollar in the black. That’s all it’ll take.” The newspaper shook in her hand. She narrowed her eyes, her color still high. “What are you trying to pull?” “Nothing.” He smiled. “I want BER back, but I’m not going to let you tuck tail and run. Before I sign my name on the line, you’d better believe this place will be making money. I’m not a fixer-upper kind of guy.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “You know I can’t do that. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but it isn’t funny.” Without thinking, he reached over and used a

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knuckle to lift her chin. She met his gaze then, and he saw the defeat in hers. Devastation, loss. She looked like a frightened child, and it just about took Josh to his knees. Pain sliced through his chest. Her hurt was displayed for a split second before she masked it, blinking it away. Tessa had always been an honest person. Wore her heart on her sleeve. Now she’d covered her emotions, hiding them from him. Another stab wound, so close to the first. Josh forced his tight mouth open to speak. “What happened to the Tessa I used to know? The stubborn woman who never took no for an answer? The Tessa who would do anything to prove her critics wrong? The woman who ignored anyone who said she’d never be able to run a successful ranch? Where is—” “They were right!” Tessa’s face reddened. She jumped off the stool and gathered her newspaper. “That’s what happened to her. All those people were right.” She stormed toward the door, but he stopped her by clamping his hand around her wrist. The newspaper fell to the floor. She tried to pull free, but he held tight. “They weren’t right,” he growled. “The only thing you did wrong was trust in someone who worked for you.” She stopped trying to flee and dropped her head. Dark curls fell forward and exposed her nape, the spot he once nibbled until she moaned. “I should have been paying attention.” Josh shook his head to clear it, then loosened his grip but kept her ensnared. “Yes, you should have.” She shuddered, and Josh braced himself for tears. He hated speaking so bluntly, but she didn’t need to be

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tiptoed around right now. She needed to get her head on straight. “Maybe you trusted too much. Lesson learned. That doesn’t make them right.” He took a deep breath to calm himself. All it accomplished was filling his lungs with her sage-and-baby-powder scent. “The only way they’ll be right is if you give up now. You do that, and you’ve failed. You give up…and you lose.” He tugged her around to face him. “I came here to give you a swift kick in the ass before you did something you’d regret for the rest of your life.” He gave her a gentle shake. “Bring BER back. Then if you want to, you can leave with your head held high.” She glared at him but didn’t back away. “What’s the point? You want it, just hire a manager who knows what they’re doing. Why should I even try?” “Pride.” He was too close to her. He clenched his teeth to curb the desire to kiss her succulent mouth. Again. “Pride and a glowing reference on your résumé.” She jerked her arm, but he didn’t budge. He wanted to watch her thought process as it played out over her face. Her eyes shifted, and it was all Josh could do to hide his satisfaction. “Why would you do this? Why not buy it now and rebuild it yourself? Save some money.” “I’ve got my reasons. One of them being the fact that I don’t know what changes have been made around here since I left. I need someone to work with me to get me back up to speed. Someone who knows the ins and outs of BER. Do this for yourself, not for me. Get BER back on its feet, and I’ll take it off your hands. You can move on after that, but with the satisfaction of knowing you’re leaving behind a

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profitable ranch, not a disaster.” He gave her a pointed look. “My father knew what he was doing when he put you in charge. He wanted you to take BER to the next level. He believed in you, Tessa.” He slid his hand down until he had her fingers twined with his. “You need to believe in yourself.” “It’s too late. It’s over.” He resisted the urge to hold her close and tell her everything would be okay. Despite his instincts telling him otherwise, she didn’t need protecting. He’d watched her work on the ranch, slinging bales of hay around like they weighed only a few pounds rather than a few hundred. She was stronger than she looked, but it was her inner strength that intrigued him. Seeing her so defeated was like claws tearing his gut apart. “It’s not over. You lost most of the horses, yes—” “And the employees. I had to let them go.” “They’ll come back.” “To what?” Her voice cracked, and Josh’s heart cracked with it. “No one will buy from BER again. The spotless reputation your father fought so hard for is gone. Even after all the progress since I took over, BER will still be known as the ranch that killed a thousand horses.” He gave up trying to keep his distance and pulled her into his arms. Damn it. He’d hoped she hadn’t heard that horrible label. Pendergras had spilled everything to him on the phone, but Josh had been holding out hope she was at least partially in the dark about what the little Montana town had to say about BER since she’d sent her horses to slaughter. When Tessa’s body softened and molded to his, the tension in his shoulders and neck disappeared. But as soon as

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she wrapped her arms around him, it reappeared below his belt. “He took them…took almost all of them. Lined them up…loaded them onto a stream of big white trailers…” Her voice cracked, and Josh’s stomach churned. Any horse owner would have had a problem watching such a scene, but Tessa had a special link with just about every horse on the ranch. Ranch hands always gave her a hard time, calling her Little Miss Whisperer. She’d loved each one, which would make her guilt at losing them even harder to bear. “One by one.” She sniffed. “I swear they knew. Sugar Cookie gave me a look…” She shuddered, and he tightened his hold. “They didn’t feel a thing, Tessa. No pain.” “That’s what Dr. Staley said. He promised to be gentle. He asked if I wanted to be there…” At the mention of Robert Staley, Josh scowled into her hair. Staley was a bastard. The only horse vet in the area, he took advantage of his monopoly to charge nearly twice the going rate for every service and used his slimy line of giving an owner “a break” by charging something closer to fair. Josh had argued with his father over Staley’s services more times than he’d like to remember. Josh could even imagine Staley somehow enjoying the slaughter of seemingly healthy horses, but the thought was absurd. What human could feel anything but pain when forced to perform such a chore? “I couldn’t watch,” she continued. “I couldn’t even go with them. And I feel terrible about not holding each one of them through their last breath. I knew after that day I wasn’t fit to run this ranch.”

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“It’s a disease, Tessa. Something you couldn’t have helped.” “Except supervise my employees. If only I’d made sure Gus was following procedures, none of this would have happened.” No wonder she felt like shit. So would he, in her shoes. He ran his hand down her spine, only stopping at her waistband. “Did you talk to Gus?” “Yes.” She pulled away and wiped a solitary tear from her cheek, then onto her jeans. “He feels horrible about the whole thing, but he swears he used sterile equipment.” “And you don’t believe him?” “How can I?” She shook her head. “Dr. Staley said the only other way EIA could be contracted is from an insect bite, but the chances of an infected horsefly biting each one of them were one in six million. What else should I believe?” She sighed. “I should have let Dr. Staley vaccinate them rather than trying to save money by letting Gus do it.” When her red-rimmed blue eyes met his, he wanted to gather her onto his lap and never let anything hurt her again. She looked so vulnerable with thick black lashes stuck together and spiked with tears, flawless skin that made a man want to spend every free moment touching it and full pink lips that were never sullied by lipstick. She didn’t look like a stubborn-as-hell businesswoman; she could model for artists. “Josh?” Her voice pulled him out of his musings. “Come on. Show me the books.” He didn’t wait for her to argue; he just stomped into the office.

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*** Josh looked up from the computer screen to find Tessa leaning against the windowpane, looking out across the now-empty pasture. They’d spent the last two hours in the office. He had looked through her financial documents as she moped around the space, touching each knickknack and hardcover book. Now she had her arms wrapped around her waist in a selfprotective gesture that broke his heart. He’d give anything to put the fire behind those eyes again. It had flared when he kissed her in his old room, so he knew it was still there. She was an even-tempered woman, but he loved when she lost it and blew up, usually at someone dumb enough to hurt an animal in her presence. Tessa had deep facets to her personality, and each one intrigued him. Maybe someday he’d figure her out. The thought brought a smile to his lips. “Well?” Her breath left a damp spot on the window. He rubbed his eyes. “You should have been an accountant. Your files are in great shape.” The sun had dipped low in the sky, leaving a warm orange glow on the snowy yard. Tessa’s eyes glistened, the sunset’s reflection in their depths. “I’ll add that to my résumé.” Josh ignored her dry tone. “Come here, I need to show you something.” He waited for her to lean over the keyboard before he opened the documents one at a time. “Here is an order for sterile syringes. Check the date.” Her eyes swept the screen for a moment. “March twelfth.”

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“Uh-huh. And you received that gross on the eighteenth.” “Okay. So?” He clicked open the next window, revealing another order confirmation. Watching her take in the screen was a lesson in patience, but he wanted her to see for herself. “Another hundred and forty-four on July seventh?” He nodded. “How many horses do you have?” Tessa stood straight, still looking at the screen in amazement. “Forty-five. Forty-eight in March, but we sold…” Wheels were turning. She scanned the monitor again, narrowed her eyes and reread it a third time. She dragged her fingers along her scalp, pulling her hair back. “I checked over the past year,” he continued. “Every three or four months, Gus ordered another gross. Have you checked your supply room? Is there a case of syringes in there?” “No. I mean…yes. I was in there this morning, and…there are a handful left. We only do vaccinations once every six months, and then we…we had one gelding that needed the…vitamins…” Her voice faded, and she met his gaze. “Taking into consideration the annual vaccinations you would have given each horse, the boosters, vitamins.” He nodded. “It sounds like you’re going through a lot of needles.” “So…Gus—” “Was going through a lot of syringes. It’s pretty unlikely he used the same needle more than once to save money if he ordered them by the gross.”

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“I just assumed he had more stored somewhere else. I didn’t think to look in his office after he cleaned it out.” She chewed her lip for a moment. “So how did the herd contract EIA without dirty needles? Dr. Staley said the disease is only transmitted through blood. I haven’t seen any swarms of biting insects.” Josh shrugged. “That’s a good question. Do you have Staley’s Coggins test results?” She furrowed her brow and pulled open a filecabinet drawer. Within seconds she tossed a manila folder on the desk in front of him. “Dr. Staley has the originals to file with the government. Those are my copies.” Josh looked through the reports. He’d seen hundreds of Coggins tests in his time. These weren’t any different, other than the Euthanasia Enforced comment scrawled at the bottom of each one. Unfortunately the Coggins tests didn’t do a lot of explaining, just reporting. “And the horses that are left, I’m assuming they were tested as well?” “Yes.” She paced the length of the office twice, then stopped to look out the window again. “They were the only ones that tested negative. He said he’d test them again in a month just to make sure.” The likelihood of finding a swarm of infected horseflies in this weather was pretty slim. He rubbed his tingling nape. Something was wrong. If Tessa was going to get BER back in the game, they needed to learn more about EIA and how to prevent it. Tessa crossed the carpet again, then fiddled with her collar, a habit he remembered from years ago, a clear indication she had something on her mind. Then

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more lip chewing. He knew her lips had the texture of rose petals, and he wished those were his teeth denting the flesh. He chided himself for noticing the way the sun shone through her shirt, highlighting the curves beneath. Now wasn’t the time to remember how her breasts had looked in the dappled shade of aspen trees. He dropped his gaze lower, to the swell of her hips, enhanced by her snug jeans. The ass was faded from hours in the saddle, but no hundred-dollar pair of jeans would look better on her than these Western work denims. Knowing she had enough strength in those thighs to pin down a yearling for tagging only made him want them wrapped around his hips. He moved his focus back to the computer screen, then pulled the manila folder onto his lap. “At least you know Gus wasn’t at fault.” “That’s true. But it doesn’t explain how forty horses could contract the disease.” “I’ve got a call in to my dad’s old friend Greyson Wallace. He worked for the state department of agriculture for a few years. Maybe he can help us figure it out.” The smile she gave him was sad, but it was still a smile, so Josh returned it. “Thanks for your help, Josh. I’ll be sure to pass this information along to the insurance agency. Maybe it will help with their investigation.” With another glance out the window and a sigh, Tessa made her way toward the door. “Where are you going?” “I still have evening chores to do before it gets too dark.” “Need some help?”

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She didn’t turn to face him; she merely turned her head and looked over her shoulder. The smile behind those half-closed eyes went right through his skin and sank into his gut. “I don’t think so. You’re on vacation.” Josh leaned over the arm of his chair as far as he could to watch her leave. Her ass was high and round, with tight curves that would fit nicely in his palms. Every woman should have a pair of Western-cut jeans. He scoffed. Not every woman could wear a pair like Tessa McCade. Fewer yet could fill them out as perfectly. A moment later the front door closed, and Josh watched her walking toward the barn. He swore she wiggled her ass like that because she knew he had a great view from the window. There was something very sexy about the way a woman walked in boots. He almost fell out of his chair when she disappeared around the corner. Staying here was a bad idea. He still had a reservation at the local hotel. He should pack his bags and check in there rather than put his libido through this torture, but her “make yourself at home” comment had pushed him to bring his luggage inside. He reached down to adjust his cock. He’d been half-hard since he pulled into the driveway. The raging hard-on from the kiss in his bedroom—so fucking close to his bed—wasn’t going anywhere. With a groan, he tried to press it down. Damn it, that didn’t help. His cock only throbbed with the attention. Should he? He flicked open his belt, which released a little of the pressure, but unhooking the button and zipper of

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his jeans made him sigh in relief. His erection grew with the added freedom. Yeah, he should. It wouldn’t take much. From the time he’d made up his mind to come out here, he’d been ready. Before he could censor his actions, he’d pulled his cock from the waistband of his boxers. Tessa. He gripped his prick and pulled. God, that feels good. Tessa’s eyes. Beautiful blue eyes that reminded him of the mountain lake not far from the ranch. Black curls brushing the flawless skin on her cheeks. He pinched his eyes shut and imagined her. Those eyes filled with lust as she looked up at him from where she hovered over his swollen prick. Now it was Tessa’s hands on him, stroking from balls to tip. His toes curled in his boots. Tessa’s fist tightened around his cockhead, and he pumped his hips into her hand until it popped through the other side. “Harder,” he begged. Tessa complied; her drags tightened, and her pace quickened. “Fuck yeah, just like that.” Warmth spread through him, and he sucked in a lungful of air and held it. He didn’t think he could get any harder, but when Tessa licked her luscious lips, every drop of blood in his body rushed to his dick. He arched over the back of the chair, his mouth dry from panting. So fucking good. Tessa always could make him come with a dozen strokes or less. His balls tightened, and a tingle traveled down his spine. Tessa. He barely had enough time to cover his slit with his hanky before he came. Ejaculate dribbled onto his

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cock, only to become lube for his last few milking strokes. He shuddered and sighed in relief. When his heart rate returned to some semblance of normalcy, Josh opened his eyes, half expecting to find Tessa on her knees in front of him. It took another few swipes of his handkerchief before he could stuff himself back into his jeans and another few minutes of steady breathing before he could stand upright to follow her outside.

Chapter Four “You’re still getting feed from Old Smokey’s place?” Josh asked as he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard. Tessa stalled with her fork halfway to her mouth. He was wearing a sleeveless white T-shirt tucked into his jeans. For the past three days he’d made a habit of walking around the house in his T-shirt, claiming it was just too warm for long sleeves indoors, though she’d already set the thermostat lower than she preferred. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the breadth of his shoulders. His muscles rippled and flexed as he scooped spoonfuls of stir-fry on top of rice. She lowered her fork before she dropped it. His back tapered to slim hips, and she could imagine the tight globes of his ass beneath his blue jeans. Her gaze continued down, and for some reason the fact he was barefoot made her stomach flip-flop. He turned toward her, and she snapped her eyes back to her bowl of rice and vegetables, but not before heat flooded her face. “Tess?” She wished he wouldn’t shorten her name like that. It lent an intimate tone to their relationship that she didn’t want to think about. Not without being alone, and a lot of squirming and moaning. She adopted a blank expression and resumed forcing forkfuls into her mouth. “Hm?” “Still getting feed from Old Smokey?” He sat on

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the stool beside her, and she fought the instinct to run. She’d managed to do so since his first day back. He’d enter a room, and she’d leave. It was the best way to keep her head on straight where he was concerned, and so far it was working. Now she was stuck. With his knee almost touching hers and the magnetic draw of his body, she couldn’t move. “Yes, Smokey still delivers feed. Of course, now he’s only coming once a month.” She took another bite, big enough to hurry the meal along, but small enough not to drop food all over herself. “He’s really hiked his prices.” Josh had been spending a lot of time in the office going through her files. While initially she’d wanted to order him out of her space, she had to remind herself she’d have to turn it all over to him soon anyway, so she bit her tongue and went about her business outside while he spent his time on either his computer or the phone. She’d overheard one conversation regarding Seattle office property, but apparently he was multitasking. “I called him last week. I’ll be picking up the feed from now on. That will save on the delivery fee.” Josh nodded thoughtfully. “Earlier you said the consignment dealer left a message. What did he have to say?” Grateful for the impersonal direction of the conversation, Tessa relaxed. Maybe she could last a few minutes in the same room as Josh. “We’re playing phone tag. He was out of the office, so I’ll try again later. I hope it’s good news about the plane, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.” She continued answering his questions and only

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faltered once when he reached for the napkin on his lap and grazed her thigh with his fingertips. After a deep breath she was able to push the flare of desire aside and explain Catalina Sky’s bloodline. “She was sired by Jameson Rag? World champion? I heard they retired him in South America.” He pointed at her with his fork. “Good purchase. She’ll drop some nice foals.” Tessa basked in the compliment, and he went on to detail Jameson Rag’s trophies. She loved the fact that he never forgot even the smallest details. He was the man to have as the head of any organization. Including BER. She should be glad she had a buyer lined up. Not just any buyer—Josh Bradley, the man who should have been running BER for years. The owner behind Thomas’s beautiful mahogany desk would again be a Bradley. The photos on the mantel would have meaning again. Eventually Josh would get married. Have kids. Continue the Bradley ranching tradition for generations to come. She stabbed another snap pea and swirled it in the sauce. She needed to let go. Tessa tried to ignore him as he took a long drink of beer and bumped her leg with his when he shifted on the stool. The only reason she didn’t move away was to show him his touch didn’t affect her. That was all. It wasn’t like she was hoping for another brush against him. She had to get out of the kitchen. It was already late; she could claim exhaustion… “I talked to Greyson Wallace today,” Josh went on, as if she was actually focused on the conversation and not his overpowering presence. “He’d like to see

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Staley’s records. Forty horses infected with EIA is unheard-of.” “Lucky me.” She scowled. “He was surprised the government didn’t send someone in to investigate.” “Dr. Staley said he’d call them first and head them off with a little proactive information sharing.” A few more bites and she could escape to her room. “The insurance company already called for proof of euthanasia, and he took care of that too.” “And?” “And I wait. The last claim I made took four months. They’re thorough but slow.” “Are you going to show them the syringe shipment invoices?” He turned to face her, which pressed his knee right up against hers. She left her leg where it was and stared at the tines of her fork, hoping her pleasure at the simple touch didn’t show. “I’ll show them if they start digging for more information, but I’m hoping they’ll settle without me bringing them up.” Josh grunted. The universal male sound that could either mean great idea or I don’t agree. She looked up, prepared to ask for a translation, but lost her train of thought when he reached across to lift a strand of hair from her cheek. Her eyes met his, and in that instant she forgot all the reasons why she was avoiding him. Her heart pounded, drowning out every other noise, blurring her vision and even sending her erotic zones into an excited frenzy. There was no way to hide the lust behind her eyes; she could practically feel it oozing from every pore, and it was reflected in his

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deep brown irises. Her libido fed off his reaction, and of its own accord, her body gravitated toward his. She stared. She didn’t even blink. When she felt his breath against her face, she licked her lips. Thank God she did; he’d dropped his focus to her mouth, releasing her from his power and allowing her to think rationally for a split second. “I need to call the consignment dealer.” She hopped off her stool but left her bowl where it was. She didn’t think she could carry it to the sink without dropping it. “I left a message that said I’d call back, and I don’t want to call too late.” Shut up, Tessa. You’re babbling. “Good night.” She avoided his eyes and—like a coward— stumbled from the kitchen, leaving Josh to clean up. From the safety of her bedroom, she heard the television come on. Football. Of course. She smothered a smile as she remembered the Mondaynight frenzies with Josh and Billy Templeton, a cowboy whose favorite team rivaled Josh’s. Some things never changed. She stared out the window into the black night sky for several minutes, until her heart rate slowed enough that she could call the consignment dealer without sounding like she’d just run a marathon. By the time she hung up with him, she was encouraged. He was bringing a potential buyer to take a look at the plane tomorrow. It would be hard to see the Cessna go; Thomas had taken such pride in it. He even had his flight-school graduation certificate framed and posted it prominently in his office. Tessa lay back on her bed. He’d flown her to Miles City for Christmas one year, surprising her mother with a kitten

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from the BER’s barn cat. He even returned four days later to fly her back to the ranch. She sighed. It was for the best. No one else on-site could fly it, and it had been in storage since Thomas’s last flight to Jackson Hole for a custom saddle. Time to let it go. Along with so many other things at BER. She rubbed her eyes. Even BER itself. The dealer having a nibble was, depressingly enough, the first good news Tessa had heard in weeks. As soon as the plane sold, she’d be able to afford Wes Fisher’s stud services. She was tempted to run to the other room and share the news with Josh, but before she could talk herself into it, he switched off the television. She tracked his movements through the house, up the stairs and into his bedroom. Only then did she have the nerve to brush her teeth and change into her sleep shirt. Tessa flipped onto her stomach and punched the pillow into a more comfortable shape. Sleep had been elusive for the past few weeks, but lately it had less to do with the fate of the Bradley Equine Ranch and more to do with Josh Bradley. Alone. In her house. In his bed. In the room right above hers. Probably half-naked. Maybe even completely naked. Damn her imagination. It was keeping her awake. It didn’t matter what Josh wore to bed. She shouldn’t care if he slept on the right or left side of the bed. Imagining his arms around her wasn’t helping her get to sleep. With a groan she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling and the ever-changing patterns made by the moonlight shining through the trees.

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Ever since he arrived, he’d been helping her with chores, and although having a fraction of the stock meant considerably less work than normal, she was still happy to have an extra pair of hands. He looked at home on the ranch, which wasn’t surprising. He wasn’t likely to forget how to walk a horse, but the way he’d put them out to pasture yesterday and closed the tricky gate with a bump of his hip was like he’d never left. And then there was that kiss. In his bedroom. Tessa licked her lips. Again. Her damn imagination let her taste him there. Even days later. She squirmed on the bed, her pussy throbbing and wet. It was just a kiss. No it wasn’t. It was a full-body caress. The mere memory of that kiss his first day back still affected her like a muscle relaxant. She shifted her legs against the sheets. He’d said he wanted her. She wanted him. She should go up those stairs and get him. She grinned. What would he do if she walked into his bedroom wearing nothing but a smile? He’d take her. No doubt about it. She would be welcomed into his bedroom and his bed. But there was tomorrow to consider. No, she had been right to run from the room after dinner, and she’d be smart to stay locked in her room the entire time the man was under her—his…no, her— roof. Later. When her future has been decided. After she sold the ranch and her departure was imminent, then she could make her move. Tessa grinned in the dark. A onetime fling before parting ways. A wild night in that big bed upstairs. Limbs tangling, sweat mingling…sleeping in his arms.

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Her smile faded when she pictured the sunrise. Waking up with a man was a lot harder than sleeping with one. As much as she thought herself a free spirit, there wasn’t any way she could have sex with Josh and forget about him afterward. Maybe some women could, and maybe even she could with some other man. Not Joshua Bradley. She punched the pillow again. No point in trying to forget he was upstairs. Instead she’d use her imagination to kick-start some sexy dreams. Tessa’s smile returned. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her side. She’d start by crawling in bed behind him while he slept. He’d be warm, relaxed…naked of course. She’d wake him by coaxing his cock to life. The floorboards above her head creaked, and Tessa’s eyes snapped open. He’s awake. Her heart pounded, and she had to remind herself she hadn’t actually been caught sneaking into his room. Regardless, her cheeks bloomed with heat. His footsteps led out of his bedroom, but rather than turning right down the hallway to the restroom, he made his way down the stairs. But he didn’t turn toward the kitchen for a glass of water. The floorboard squeaked right outside her bedroom, the one she always skipped over when she made nocturnal bathroom visits. His shadow showed through the tiny gap underneath the door. She couldn’t even blink as she stared at that dark shadow and thought about everything it promised. Maybe he just needed a spare blanket. Maybe he was sleepwalking. Maybe he was fantasizing about her while lying in his bed, just as she’d been doing about him. Before she could contemplate that, the doorknob

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turned, and she followed her instinct; she closed her eyes and feigned sleep. Pathetic. Still, like a little kid, she kept her eyes shut as he crossed the floor. He got close enough for her to smell the outdoorsy amber scent that emanated off his body and to hear each breath he took. He didn’t attempt to rouse her. He won’t fall for it. That thought sent heat to her cheeks, but she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. So much for boldly presenting her naked self to him. He stood by her bed for several long moments, not saying a word. Tessa was eaten up with curiosity. She’d love to know what was on his mind. Was he hoping to find her awake, or was his plan to come in just to watch her sleep? Then she felt a featherlight stroke on her forehead, so gentle, so caring she had to steel herself against leaning into his hand as it trailed down, dipping behind her ear, then along her jaw. Warmth spread from his touch. Before she could gather the courage to open her eyes, he walked back through the door and closed it with a click. Tessa sighed. Her chest burned. Had she forgotten to breathe that whole time? Good Lord, if she couldn’t even face the man when he entered her room, how could she possibly crawl beneath his comforter? Yep, pathetic. To stop her heart from leaping from behind her ribs, she pressed both hands against her chest until her heartbeat returned to normal. Punching her pillow again, she cursed her

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childishness and resigned herself to a sleepless night. *** Josh stood in the hallway. He could always try again, make more noise this time. He shook his head. Let the woman sleep. Just because you’re too horny to roll over in bed doesn’t mean she shares the affliction. He ran his fingers down the door, then made his way upstairs. After a hot shower, he was able to lie in bed without tenting the sheet. Maybe it was the bedroom. Months before he left BER two years ago, he’d spent hours staring at this ceiling with Tessa on his mind. Until that spring day he’d decided to make his move. She’d packed Jessup, just like she did every Wednesday, and he’d waited for her to leave the yard before saddling his horse and galloping after her. He’d gambled on her being receptive. He’d hoped to be able to touch her. Wished for a taste of her mouth. What he’d ended up with had knocked him on his ass. Josh closed his eyes. The warmth of her mouth and the cool pressure of her hands on his cock had worked together to send him over the edge faster than he’d ever come before. He should have stopped her. At the time he’d thought they had all the time in the world. It was her day off, and he’d given the crew enough directions to keep them busy for hours. He’d been sure that by the time he’d taken care of her needs, he’d be ready for more. The mere memory of her lying naked on the wool blanket—the sunlight flickering through the aspen leaves across her skin—was enough to make

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him hard. He could still taste her. He’d relived the way her orgasm had pulsed against his fingers and lips countless times over the past two years. That day, he would have given anything to get inside her. He never got the chance. His father had made an unwelcome appearance and cut their tryst short. Frustratingly short. Thank God they’d had enough warning to make themselves presentable before he rode onto their makeshift picnic site. Josh groaned and rolled onto his side. The shower had been a waste of time. The tension was back tenfold. He wrapped his hand around his dick. Remembering that day always affected him this way, but the problem was worse knowing that she was asleep in the room below. If not for his father’s interruption, he would know what it was like to be buried deep inside Tessa’s heat. Instead he’d spent the ride back to the ranch alone with his father’s disapproving glare. His old man wasn’t an idiot. He knew what he’d broken up. Josh was surprised he’d waited until they sat down for lunch to bring it up. “Hope you’re not messing with Tessa McCade.” Josh had expected his father’s blunt words. His old man had always been straightforward with him. Rather than rise indignantly like he would have as a teen, Josh swallowed the last bite of fried chicken and took his sweet time washing it down with lemonade. “I won’t mess with her, but we will be seeing a lot more of each other from now on.” He pictured Tessa, naked in his bed, tangled in his sheets. In his arms…

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“Perfect—” his dad took a huge drink from his iced tea, “—’bout time you got married.” That shook Josh out of his fantasy. “Married? Hell, it’s not like I got her pregnant.” He laughed. The blue eyes that bore into him from across the table should have been enough to show his dad wasn’t joking. Then he spoke in that no-nonsensebusinessman tone. “You will not carry on with that girl. Not only are you the coowner of BER, Tessa McCade is one of our best and brightest.” “Dad, come on. I’ve dated women who worked here before. You didn’t expect me to marry any of those—” “Exactly. And what happened when things soured? I lost them.” Thomas shrugged. “Can’t blame ’em either. What woman in her right mind would want to work for a man who’d just dumped her?” “It wasn’t always me who did the leaving, but you’re changing the subject.” “The subject is closed.” He threw his napkin on the table and stood. Josh stared after him for a moment before tossing his napkin as well and shoving his chair back with a noisy scrape along the hardwood floor. “I wasn’t asking your permission.” He followed him through the living area. “That’s good—” his father walked into his office and sat behind his beloved desk before continuing, “— because I wasn’t giving it.” “You’ve got to be shitting me.” Josh snorted. “You can’t tell me who I can see.” Thomas had only grinned. A wide smile that never reached his eyes.

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Josh sighed, his desire now dissipated. The resulting two-hour argument with his father had culminated in Josh’s buyout and subsequent packing. In the end it wasn’t about Tessa, but the bullheadedness of two strong personalities. Even as a teen Josh knew he wouldn’t be able to work for his father. Their disagreements were legendary, and neither was willing to give in. By the time he’d packed his bags, Josh finally felt like a man making his way in the world. Within hours he’d contacted a few friends and had a nice condo in Seattle. He hadn’t stopped to consider what Tessa had to think about him skipping town hours after their tryst in the meadow. About a month into his new life, thoughts of Tessa crept back. He blamed it on guilt over his sudden departure and tried to put her out of his mind, but she continued to pop into his head when he least expected. A cowgirl on television, someone with the same black curls walking down the street, and the perfume in the elevator. That one hit him hard and had him calling his father for the first time in months for an update on BER. He’d called every week since then, reaching a silent truce with the old man. His dad wasn’t an idiot, though. During his visits to Seattle, he always had plenty to say about Tessa, taunting Josh with what might have been or what could be. Josh had laughed it off, sure the man was trying to use whatever necessary to get him back home, but Josh was secretly hungry for every tidbit of information his dad would give. Maybe. Maybe Dad was on to something with his crazy ideas. Even if they were centuries old.

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*** He joined her in the small horse barn for morning chores. She acknowledged him with a jerk of her head and a grateful smile. If she took too much time to regard him, she’d notice how damn good he looked in a cowboy hat and how he filled out the duck jacket. She’d remember the way his chest felt pressed against her breasts and how his thighs worked their way between hers. She’d remember last night’s fitful dreams about what could have happened if she’d opened her eyes and lifted the sheet. No, it would be easier if she didn’t look his way at all. He picked up a pitchfork and started in to work. His jeans had faded in all the right places; one would think he worked out here every day. Not that she noticed. She focused on the tasks at hand, but soon the horses would be fed, watered and exercised, and she would have to think of another way to avoid Joshua Bradley. Hopefully her makeup concealed the dark circles under her eyes that would give away her sleepless night. He didn’t mention his visit, and she for damn sure wasn’t going to bring it up. Still, the tension between them was palpable. When he moved near her, she edged away before she could get lured into his seductive web. Tessa had a hard time meeting his gaze without her face flaring with heat, even when he spoke. “Greyson Wallace called this morning. He’s left

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messages at Staley’s office a few times, but he’s not getting any response.” “He must be busy.” She tossed a few more forkfuls of feed into the trough. He didn’t reply for so long that she finally faced him. His lips had tightened, but he continued, “I also got ahold of Wes Fisher, who owes me a favor. He’s got harvested semen from Storm Rider and Saddle Sore. He’ll be out to discuss it tomorrow.” Her mouth dropped open. “Saddle Sore?” she choked out. He flashed a grin that pissed her off. Everyone wanted Saddle Sore. Wes Fisher was selective with where his champions’ seed was planted, and only rarely sold semen, embryos or stud services. The fact Fisher hadn’t even offered her Saddle Sore when she’d discussed purchasing stud services was another thing. “I’ve been talking to him for weeks. He never said anything about Saddle Sore.” “That’s what I hear. Like I said, we’ve been friends a while, and he owed me one.” She whipped back around, giving him her back. She couldn’t bring herself to berate him, and she was too proud to thank him. If it had been anyone else, she would have squealed with joy and jumped into his arms. Instead she stabbed her pitchfork into the haystack and threw a load into the trough. Saddle Sore. She could just imagine the foal he could sire out of Jessup. Tessa bit her lower lip. Maybe she’d use Catalina Sky. With her bloodline, any foal born from that union would be a champion. Once news of a Saddle Sore or even a Storm Rider offspring spread, buyers would

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line up. BER would be back in business. She stopped tossing hay, blood draining from her face so quickly her ears rang. Josh didn’t trust her to find a way out of this mess on her own. So he’d called in a favor from an old friend, behind her back, stepping on her toes in a big way. Oh my God. That bastard! She spun toward him again and threw the pitchfork into an empty stall. It hit the wall with a satisfying clatter, making the horses dance and whinny in fright, but he stood like a statue, apparently expecting her show of temper. In fact, the cocky glint in his eye proved he enjoyed it. She stomped over to him. “Why?” She curled her hands into fists; her fingernails dug into her palms. It was either that or pull his hair out in clumps. He leaned on the handle of his pitchfork. “Why what?” His shit-eating grin infuriated her. He was damn lucky she’d tossed her weapon. “Why would you sneak around and go over my head like that, knowing I’m selling the ranch to you? Is this your way of taunting me? Why didn’t you wait until I was gone?” “I’m not taunting you, Tess, and I didn’t go over your head. The offer is there. It’s up to you whether you take it. I’m helping you.” “I don’t want your help.” “Maybe not, but you need it.” “Not if you can do it yourself. You knew I wanted that sperm. Now I’ll have to watch that little dream come true and then leave BER. I can’t do it. I want out.”

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His grin widened, and her arms shook with restraint. “Show me the P and L. Then I’ll buy.” “Save your money. You’ve proved you don’t need me here. Buy BER for market value. I just want out.” “Nope.” His eyes twinkled. “I don’t want to buy a market-value ranch. I want a top-of-the-line operation.” “Why, so you can throw it away like everything else Daddy gave you?” As soon as the words left her tongue, she wanted to bite them back, but it did wipe that grin off his face. She looked away as quickly as she could and took a step back to storm out the door. His pitchfork fell to the ground a second before he grabbed her shoulders. “Is that what you think? That I left here because I’m a spoiled little rich boy?” He yanked her against him, and she held on to his coat for stability. “I…I don’t know.” Why hadn’t she kept her mouth shut? “You seemed pretty sure of yourself a second ago. Didn’t you ever wonder why I left that day? Hours after I touched you, tasted you?” His breath washed across her cold cheeks. “No,” she lied. “First insults and now lies. I can think of better uses for that mouth.” She parted her lips to protest, but she barely had time to inhale before his mouth came down on hers with a punishing force. Tessa whimpered, but she couldn’t fault him for the brutality. He wasn’t restraining her. Instead she melted in his arms. What was it about this man that defused her anger with a

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simple touch? His lips were cool, but his tongue was warm as it toured her mouth, exploring every crevice. Her traitorous body responding to his. She reached up to his neck, gripped his scalp and secured his lips against hers, sending his hat tumbling into the straw at their feet. Eventually she’d recall this moment in the solitude of her bedroom, and she’d probably regret it. For now she wanted to enjoy everything he had to give. She latched on to his tongue like a hungry newborn kitten to a teat. “I love it,” he murmured, moving away from her mouth only to nibble a trail along her jaw. “You taste amazing. Even when you’re pissing me off.” Tessa should have been paying attention to his words. She should be even angrier he would take advantage of their obvious desire for each other in order to distract her from her tirade. Later. The barn was heated for the horses, but it was still chilly, which only emphasized the rising heat in her body. He walked her backward against the stable wall and secured her against the wood before freeing his hands to unzip her down coat and slipping inside to cup her breasts. Surely he could feel her heart pounding. She felt as if she had just sprinted across the yard; even her legs seemed too weak to support her. He kneaded her breasts, reshaping and fondling them until her nipples tightened, and even through the fabric of her shirt and bra, he traced the peaked outlines with his thumbs.

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She whimpered, a completely helpless sound, but she couldn’t help it. The electric sensation that traveled from her erect nipples to her needy pussy sent her surging against his solid frame. He tormented her for such a long time, Tessa thought she might have an orgasm just from his hands on her. Need pulsed through her veins. Nerve endings she didn’t know she had flared to life, making his every movement a shock straight to her center. She couldn’t concentrate on any one point where he touched her—from his mouth seducing hers, his thigh between hers, the hard proof of his arousal against her hip, to the movements of his hands when he reached up to the top button of her shirt. She sighed against his mouth when he came up for air. He released the first button and fiddled with the next. “What do you think?” She licked his lips, hoping to entice him to kiss her again. “I don’t want to.” “Okay.” His frustration was apparent in his harsh intake of breath, and he dropped his hand from her collar. “Josh?” “Yeah?” “I mean I don’t want to think. We’ll think later.” He released a hiss, along with the next two buttons on her shirt. “God yes.” He kissed her again. Their hands bumped against one another as they both scrambled to undo seemingly endless buttons without the benefit of sight. Finally his hands were on her ribs, and as she pulled the shirttails out of his jeans, he looked for a front clasp to her bra. She smiled

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at his “damn it” when he realized it closed in the back. She was just as frustrated with his undershirt. She pushed it up to his armpits, and he followed suit with her flimsy bra. They moaned in unison when their chests met. Hot skin in the cold air. Tessa wouldn’t have been surprised to see clouds of steam billowing off their bodies. Her fingers learned each ripple in his abdomen, caressing and rubbing alternately, until he took both her nipples between his fingers and pinched. She pulled away from his mouth to take in a deep breath, only to hit the wall. He brought his forehead to touch hers, and she shared his breath. “Too rough?” He soothed her sensitive areolas by pressing his palms onto the peaks and grinding them in small circles. She dug her blunt fingernails into his back to bring him closer, until his cock pressed against the seam of her jeans. “No. Don’t stop.” She rode his ridge as much as she could from her position against the wall. “You’re so fucking beautiful. I see you, and I get hard. I think about you, and I get hard. Jesus, I caught a whiff of some woman wearing your perfume last year, and I almost embarrassed myself in an elevator.” He thought about me. She shoved the knowledge aside, not willing to admit how much it pleased her. If she stopped to consider that, she’d end up thinking too much. Instead she gave him a wicked grin and trailed a hand down his rumpled shirt. “I think I like you hard.” “I’m sorry.” He went to work on her belt. “I should take you to bed, or inside the house at least.” She had his pants hanging off his hips before he could do more than unhook her buckle. “Later.” She

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reached around to squeeze his ass, then dragged her nails around his hips to gently grip his cock. She glanced down to see how his thick member looked with her hand wrapped around it. Memories came flooding back. The heat beneath her hand, the soft skin stretched tight around his hardness, even the brush of dark pubic hair against her knuckles. He was as sexy as she remembered, and finally she’d get to feel him inside her. At her touch, Josh went still. He let go of her hips and steadied himself by stiff-arming the wall behind her, his breath hot against her neck. “God yes. Touch me.” Josh pinched his eyes closed, threw his head back and bared his teeth. She silenced the last warning bell in the back of her mind. Whether this was a good idea or not, she was going to fulfill her fantasy. She threaded her fingers through the coarse strands of his pubic hair before stroking his length with both hands, one after the other. “I remember this,” she whispered, then leaned in to press her lips against his collarbone. Clean and salty. She dabbed her tongue against his skin and dragged her mouth to the curve where his neck met his shoulder. The growl vibrating through his abdomen gave her the courage to continue nibbling on his Adam’s apple. His cock jerked in her hands. A bead of milky liquid appeared, and she spread it along his mushroom head with her thumb. “If you’re not careful, I’m going to lose it. God, Tess, I just want to fuck you against this wall.” She pulled one hand free from his erection to draw

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his face to hers. She took his earlobe between her teeth before whispering, “Show me.” He grunted, then slid his hands beneath her jeans and cupped her ass. “Always pushing my buttons.” He peeled her jeans over her hips. He gazed down at her sex, then reverently touched the black curls for a moment. “I remember this.” He dipped his fingers lower to stroke the moist folds of her pussy. “I’ve thought about it a thousand times. I swear you look even better than I remembered.” Her eyes fluttered closed, and she held on to his cock; her explorations halted when he began his own. Her juices chilled in the mountain air, which sent a shiver up her spine. He took her clit between two cool fingers and pulled gently before sending those digits inside her. Oh God. She tilted her hips into his caress. The contrast in temperature gave her a quick jolt. When he pulled out to paint moisture onto her clit, she almost lost her balance. He dug in his pocket with his free hand, and through a haze of lust, Tessa watched him start rolling on a condom before she took over. He slid his palm against her hip and stroked a line down the back of her thigh, then shoved her pants lower. “This would be easier if you were wearing a skirt.” The shit-eating grin was back. This time Tessa returned it. “You know damn well I don’t own a skirt.” He squeezed her knee against his body with his elbow and pulled off one of her boots, then dropped it, forgotten, into the hay. She helped him pull that leg free of her pants, leaving her jeans dangling from the

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other. “I’ll buy you one.” He gripped her thighs in his strong hands and lifted her until his cock teased her opening. She locked her ankles—jeans, one boot and all— behind his back. “I can’t work if I’m wearing… Oh…” He slid into her. Slowly, millimeters at a time, lowering her until she was fully settled on him. “Jesus,” she gasped. Josh stretched her open, filling her completely. “God, Tessa. You’re so tight. Am I hurting you?” Josh’s steady voice faltered, and she smoothed the wrinkle of worry from his brow. She dropped her head onto his broad shoulder. “No. Feels…God…feels good.” She bucked her hips, sending his cock against her clit and a low moan through her chest. With that, he started moving. Short strokes guided by his hands on her hips, then longer, more intense thrusts that brought him almost to the brink of her opening before he slammed back inside. Tessa held on to his neck and rocked against him, using the angle to feel his steely strength against her clitoris. Each fleeting brush against his pubic bone sent a shiver to her toes. He kissed her neck, laving the skin with a hot lash of his tongue. When he moved to a new patch, the first cooled, and her nerves flew into a confused frenzy. She was afraid to let go, so she just gathered handfuls of his shirt and enjoyed the feeling of his driving into her. He whispered words she couldn’t decipher, but they warmed her blood nonetheless. She turned her

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head to nuzzle his throat and leave her own wet patches on his skin. He wrapped his arms around her back, which cushioned her spine from the wall. Just as her orgasm threatened to wash over her, Josh slowed his movements, taking her in a new way, a seductive heartbeat rhythm. Tessa whimpered, reaching for completion. She matched each thrust with a flick of her hips and gripped his cock, reveling in the sensation of having him inside her. “You feel so damn good, Tessa.” He moved his hands back down to her rear, and the heat of his palms branded her chilled skin. Her extremities tingled, and her sex pulsed. Her release flooded her like thick cream. Josh cursed, and her orgasm spurred him to let go with a long groan that rumbled through his chest and into hers. They pulsed together, each feeding off the other’s aftershocks. Tessa’s heart slammed against his, and their breathing echoed in the stillness. He held her until she regained her senses and his softened cock slid free. “Jesus,” he panted, lifting her away. She unhooked her ankles, but before her feet could touch the ground, he lost his balance and tripped over her discarded boot, taking her down with him. With a shriek, she landed on his chest, her pant legs still tangled behind him. She took a second to take an inventory of her bones and joints. Once she realized Josh had taken the brunt of the fall, she looked into his eyes. “Are you okay?” Mixed with his postorgasmic sexiness, his grin was infectious. She couldn’t help but giggle, and when he joined her, she laughed harder.

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He rolled her beneath him and kissed her between chuckles. “I think I got a splinter in my ass.” “That’s what you get.” He rolled away to take care of the condom, then helped her stand. “I’ve wanted to do that for years.” “So have I. Not necessarily here, like this, but similar versions.” “No regrets?” He hiked his jeans back over his hips but left his shirt untucked. Now that she didn’t have the heat of his body against hers and the adrenaline running through her system, the barn seemed even colder. If it wasn’t for the heat that rushed to her cheeks, she might have shivered. She re-dressed with shaky hands. “Not yet. Maybe later.” “Why?” Looking into his eyes, she almost forgot her reasons, but a glance around the barn reminded her. She was selling. He was buying. And then she’d leave. She’d never slept with a man without at least the promise of a future together. She wasn’t sure she was emotionally equipped for the clean break her departure would require. “Nothing can come of this.” He pushed her back against the wall, his forehead against hers. “Not even round two in my bed?” Tessa knew her eyes were as wide as saucers. She waited for regret to kick in, but all she felt was the rush of excitement. “But then what?” “Doesn’t matter to me. Round three can be wherever you want.” He winked. “But—” He interrupted her with one long finger against her lips. “It’s okay. We’re two rational adults. This should

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have happened long ago. Think of this as closure.” That made a lot of sense. She pulled her lip between her teeth. She buckled her belt and tried to remember why she shouldn’t follow him to his bedroom. What was the harm in enjoying him while he was here? Could she partake of the physical pleasure he promised without endangering her heart? Closure. Yeah. In his big bed. She smiled, but before she could agree to anything, a diesel truck pulled into the drive. “That was close.” Josh winked, then gave his zipper a final check. *** Tessa’s teeth chattered as she stood in the wind while two men crouched under the wing of Thomas’s Cessna, each gesturing from one end of the machine to the other. The buyer was a plump businessman covered from head to toe in down and fleece and inspecting each rivet and gauge; the salesman was a scrawny guy, hopping from one foot to the other like a puppy dog with a bone in sight. “The salesman can handle this, you know. You don’t have to be here.” Josh moved behind her and wrapped her in his arms. She closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth and disregarding the conflicting desire to push him away. Closure. That was all. She shoved aside the regrets. They could wait until they parted ways. She snuggled against him. “Neither do you.” “Someone needs to be your windbreak.” He watched the scene over her shoulder. “It bothers you to

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see the plane go, doesn’t it?” He knew her well. Tessa pulled her hands from the protection of her pockets to cover his. “Your dad loved that plane. I swear he washed that windshield every day, whether he’d flown or not.” Josh laughed. “You’re right. I remember when he brought it home. I don’t think he slept for a week.” Tessa could just picture Thomas’s round face shining with excitement. Those smile lines radiating from his eyes proved the man had taken a lot of enjoyment out of life. “He always wanted me to learn how to fly.” His voice in her ear dropped an octave, and Tessa couldn’t misread Josh’s grief. “I guess I disappointed him in a lot of ways.” “No.” She turned in his arms to face him. “Your father was never disappointed. After you left, he only spoke of you with pride in his eyes. He told me once that all he ever wanted was for you to be happy.” Josh tucked her head beneath his chin and held her tight. Tessa listened to the muted thump of his heart against her ear and the chatter of the men as they discussed fuel efficiency. “Thanks, Tess.” She smiled into his coat. “He also mentioned something about grandchildren.” He laughed. “That’s no secret. I think he started in on me when I took Casey Evans to the senior prom.” “Casey Evans?” “Yeah. You know her?” He tried to pull away enough to look at her, but she giggled against his chest. “She’s my hairdresser. Had her sixth child last

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month.” Josh groaned. “My poor dad.” By the time the men were finished looking at the airplane, Tessa was shivering uncontrollably, but when Josh suggested a hot bath, she shivered for a different reason. *** “Okay, you were right. This is a great idea.” Tessa settled against Josh’s chest. The bathwater was perfect, hot enough to steam up the bathroom and high enough to reach her armpits. Josh insisted he was comfortable, but she couldn’t imagine how. She’d given up arguing after he climbed in first and pulled her between his legs. His big frame was crammed into the tub behind hers, with their knees sticking out. “If you hadn’t drained the hot tub outside, we could have used that instead.” He had one hand wrapped around her waist; the other teased her submerged nipples. “I didn’t think I’d have reason to use it.” He grunted and bent over her ear. “I’ll refill it as soon as I can leave the house.” “I hope you’re not in any hurry.” Tessa closed her eyes and grinned. She scooped handfuls of water over their bent knees. “Not at all.” His tongue sipped at the water droplets gathering on her neck. “I did have other plans for today, but they’ll have to wait.” The water soothed her tired muscles, and the undulating movement erased her stress. When was the

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last time she’d indulged in a long, hot bath? And never with company. Certainly not company like this. With his arms wrapped around her, she could relax. She released a long sigh. “Comfy?” “Mm-hmm.” She could have fallen asleep if not for his hand cupping her breast, keeping her libido awake. “Good. I want you nice and loose.” His lips were busy, nipping and kissing as far as he could reach. She smiled sleepily. “I’m about to slip into a coma. Why?” “Because—” his hand slipped down to her navel, “—those are the best orgasms.” “Oohh,” she moaned. She stilled her hands on his knees, and when his fingers skimmed her clit, she held on tight. “Uh-uh,” he murmured. “Relax, Tess. Don’t tense up on me. Not one muscle.” He didn’t move again until she did as she was told. “That’s right. Just close your eyes and stay loose. I’ve got ya.” He did too. She’d never felt so safe and cherished as she did then, surrounded by warmth that seeped into her bones, obliterating the chill of the Montana wind. He rubbed small, hypnotizing circles onto her slick clit. Around and around he went, taking his time, exploring her body. When he dipped lower into her labia, she jerked against his hand. “Huh-uh.” Again he waited for her to relax before resuming his seduction. “Neck and shoulders too. You need to let go. Trust me. I’ll take care of you.” Tessa didn’t realize she had tightened her shoulders, but she consciously relaxed against him once more and sighed with relief when his fingers

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continued their quest. The arm around her chest kept her from slipping beneath the water, but he also used that hand to tease her nipple. “You’re making it hard…” She gasped when he slid two fingers inside her and curled them to stroke her walls. “I know.” He lifted her breast out of the water and blew a hot breath over her nipple. It tightened almost painfully, sending tendrils of heat to her core. “Hard to… Oh God…” He flicked his thumb on her nub, and her bones seemed to turn to mush. “Hard to what, Tessa?” “Hard to relax.” “Tighten one muscle, and I stop. Relax, and you can come for me.” Her arms floated unrestrained, and it took an unbelievable amount of discipline to remain flaccid. He encouraged her with whispered praise and long kisses. The peak didn’t rush upon her like it had in the barn. This time it crept, soaking in like the heat from the water. Beginning with her toes and fingers and sizzling along her skin to sink into muscle and organ, until her entire body buzzed. His stroking fingers drew out the most languid orgasm she’d ever experienced. Slow buildup to each seizing contraction, and they seemed to go on and on, with Josh’s breath harsh in her ear and his heartbeat physically moving her body. The realization he was affected so strongly by her orgasm gave her a heady sense of power. “Jesus, you’re still pulsing. That was fucking amazing.” His voice had dropped an octave and taken

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on a raspy, sexy timbre. She blinked a few times to take in her surroundings. “Yeah,” was all she could manage. He pulled his hand free and went to work on lathering her with body wash on a pouf. Tessa had never been bathed by a man. She could get used to this. They languished in the tub until the water cooled, and then dressed. Josh made them omelets. Tessa continued to push any thoughts of tomorrow to the back of her mind. There’d be time for regrets later. She was going to enjoy what time she had with him. As long as she remembered this was temporary, she wouldn’t let any feelings get in the way of great no-strings-attached sex. Keeping that in mind was difficult when he was constantly touching her. Innocent brushes with his thigh against hers, even a dab of a napkin against her lips put her sex drive in high gear. After lunch she took off his shirt so she could rest her cheek on his bare chest as he stretched out on the sofa. A movie played in the background, but they weren’t watching. “It’s nice to be able to relax like this.” He stroked her hair, and Tessa snuggled closer. “Hmm, I guess there is a silver lining to every gray cloud.” He chuckled, adjusted beneath her and pulled a wool blanket over them. “Fisher will be here tomorrow morning.” Tessa blanched. She’d forgotten about her predicament over the past few hours. Now it was back. And in her face. What was she going to do with

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Fisher’s horse sperm? She only had Jessup and Catalina Sky to choose from. Ideally she should flush both mares and impregnate them with embryos, stretching the champion seed as far as possible, but that would cost her. Dr. Staley was the only one in the area with the facility setup to perform such a procedure. If only she could come up with enough money to buy another mare or two, but she still needed to figure out how to pay Fisher for his services. She sure as hell wasn’t going to use Josh’s called-in favor. She bit her lip. With so few horses left, it might kill her to see another horse go, but maybe she should sell the gelding, Hero, for some cash to work with. Assuming anyone would buy any horse from BER after the outbreak. She hoped a Saddle Sore offspring would be enough to lure buyers back. “Tess?” Tessa sighed, a noisy, pouty sound. “I don’t want to talk about that. I’m still mad at you.” “Why?” He sounded surprised. Good question. Was it because he’d used his connections to find a way to bring BER’s future out of nightmare status and into fairy tale? Or that she’d never get to watch the spawn of Wes Fisher’s champions grow into award winners themselves? Was she jealous of the ease with which he was able to find a way out of financial ruin? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he’d done it without consulting her. That was stupid. She’d already divorced herself from BER operations. She was fighting his whole “P and L in the black” idea anyway, right? Maybe not. Somehow it seemed more like she was

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fighting to preserve her place at BER rather than just to sell it to Josh and move along. Would she have to move along? Could she continue working here once Josh bought the ranch? The thought of facing her peers as a demoted failure was too difficult. No, once BER was back in the black, she’d sell to Josh. But what if she didn’t cut and run? What if she stuck around to prove herself? Her mind spun with the possibilities. Could she do this? If she could pull out of this one, she’d not only salvage the respect she’d worked so hard to attain, she’d make a new name for herself. And BER. It was possible. With Josh’s help she’d get that champion bloodline at BER. She could decide then whether to move on, with a sparkling dossier. On top of her game… “Well?” He nudged her. “Why are you mad at me?” “I don’t want your help.” “Ah, now that sounds more like the Tessa I know.” She heard the smile in his voice. “Are you calling me stubborn?” “Um…let’s just say you’re tenacious.” She snorted, glad he couldn’t see her smile twitching. “So…stubborn.” He kissed her crown. “Remember when Johnny bet you fifty dollars you couldn’t train Angel’s Strife to slam-dunk that basketball? I would have given up after a few hours, but not you.” “I needed the money,” she mumbled. The image of Angel’s Strife walking onto a white trailer rose unbidden to her mind. She pinched her eyes shut to block it. “And that deal with Smith and Kale,” he went

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on. “Dad was ready to give in to their sixty-forty deal, and you somehow talked them into seventy-thirty.” Tessa’s face heated. She didn’t think he knew about that. It was her first negotiation with the owners of high-demand studs, and Thomas had stepped back to watch how she’d handle it. Once the deal with Smith and Kale got around, the rest of BER’s employees treated her with a new respect. “I had a backup plan,” she admitted. “If they’d refused, it wouldn’t have hurt us.” “Smart too. Back then you’d have done anything to make the ranch successful. You’ve got more pride than most women I know.” Tessa stared at the television, but she couldn’t say what was on. Josh was right. Two years ago she would have fought to the death for this ranch. And she was ready to give that up? At the first tribulation? But this was big. This wasn’t a deal over profit percentages. This was a doozy. She’d lost forty head, insurance had yet to cover her losses, she might be under investigation for fraud…and her life’s work was gone. What she’d worked toward since she was a teen. The embodiment of her dream. Josh’s heart beat like a thumping metronome, like the Jeopardy theme, timing her decision. She bit her lip. Of course, everyone would know she’d needed Joshua Bradley’s help. That would only make her look weak and needy. She needed to find a way to buy those vials without Josh’s assistance. That would show everyone she was still in charge of Bradley Equine Ranch. She couldn’t refuse those vials. She was proud, not

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stupid. Maybe there was a way around— He laughed, a rumbling sound that interrupted her thoughts. “I can practically hear your brain grinding. Did you decide?” She didn’t even pretend to misunderstand. She took a deep breath. “Yes.” He tucked her hair behind her ear, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. “You’ll take my help?” If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn there was apprehension behind that question. “I’ve been trying to deal with Fisher for weeks. If I pay full price for those vials, it’s not really your help.” He chuckled and stroked her cheek with a thumb. His chest rose, lifting her, then dropped. “And then? Where will you go?” Another good question. She’d have to start seriously looking for a job. And not in Miles City at the diner. She was going to clean up this mess she made, and there had to be plenty of ranches out there that would appreciate her expertise, and even her experience with EIA could be an asset. It would be hard to leave BER, her home for the past eight years. “Tess?” “Shh, I’m napping.” She tried not to smile. “Ah, that sounds good.” He picked up the remote from the coffee table and turned the volume down. “I didn’t sleep much last night.” This time she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. “Oh? Something wrong with your room?” “No.” He didn’t elaborate, but she was desperate to know what had driven him to her bedroom. “Weren’t you

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feeling well?” “I felt—” he shifted beneath her, “—fine.” “So your room was okay, you felt fine—why didn’t you sleep well?” “You’re nosy.” “I just want to know. If there was something I could have done, you could have asked.” He didn’t respond right away. The mental images of what she could have done for him made her grin naughtily. “Well?” She poked his nipple. “I told you, you’re stubborn.” “No, you said I was tenacious.” He groaned. “Shh, I’m napping.” His deep breathing was white noise, and while he slept, she thought.

Chapter Five Tessa woke almost an hour later, still wrapped in his arms. Although it had been a comfortable position then, she was probably crushing him now. She folded her hands on his breastbone and propped her chin there to look up at him. She’d never seen him asleep. The chiseled planes of his face had softened, and his lips no longer looked hard. In fact, they looked completely kissable. She traced the lower one, careful not to wake him. It must have tickled, because he smacked his lips and his tongue darted out to moisten them before he shifted beneath her. She smiled, thinking about all the things she could do to him while he was at her mercy. Just how many lashes of her tongue could he take before waking up? Could she coax him to orgasm in his sleep? Her mouth watered at the thought, but she shook the fantasy away. Not now. She had things to do. She slipped off his chest, then carefully replaced the blanket and watched him sleep for a few more moments. After creeping from the room, she made her way to the office and turned on the computer. If she was going to accept the semen, she was going to do it on her terms. The last time Wes Fisher had sold champion seed, it went for a staggering amount. She’d have to sell just about everything that wasn’t nailed down to afford that fee.

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She looked through some old contracts, even some Thomas had drawn up with Fisher. One could learn a lot about a businessman by the contracts he signed. Perhaps he’d be willing to take his payment in installments. She was still elbows deep in fine print twenty minutes later, when Josh cleared his throat. Tessa looked up to find him leaning against the doorjamb, shirtless and barefoot, tight jeans dipping below his navel and both hands shoved in his front pockets. Jesus, he’s hot. She chewed on the tip of her index finger and indulged in the view, feeling a sugar rush almost as if she really had devoured him. The sparse line of hair that whorled in his navel and blazed a trail beneath his jeans intrigued her. She hadn’t had the opportunity to study his naked body. Yet. “Well, boss lady, you sure work awful hard,” he drawled. His playful tone increased her desire to a pleasant buzz. “I certainly do.” She finally met his eyes, and she could feel the heat of his stare. “And most of my employees knew better than to interrupt me while I’m busy.” She looked down her nose and leaned back. “Since you’re new here, I’m willing to let it slide this time.” He lowered his chin and took a deep breath. His gaze still blazed a straight path to hers. She didn’t think he even blinked. “I’m sorry, Miss.” His voice was husky, and Tessa crossed her legs to cover her squirming. He didn’t look sorry. He looked like a starving man before a feast. “I wasn’t aware of the rules—”

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“And another thing. I don’t appreciate my ranch hands walking into my office half dressed.” She studied him from head to toe, hoping her expression remained neutral even though she wanted to run across the room and throw herself into his arms. “I left my shirt in the other room. I can go—” “I’m an all-or-nothing kind of woman. Just take off your pants.” She loved the powerful rush that came from dominating this masculine man. Very slowly, he pulled his hands from his pockets and released the button and zipper. Tessa watched every movement, and when he shoved his jeans to the ground, she had to cover a moan behind a cough. “Very nice, Mr. Bradley.” She ogled the outline of his cock as it tented his boxers. “Of course, I like my employees to go above and beyond what I ask of them. A good ranch hand might have—” She couldn’t finish the sentence, because he’d yanked his shorts to pool at his feet, and she had to catch her breath. His cock stood tall, waving in the air with each beat of his heart, cradled by a thatch of dark, curly hair. She folded her arms and clenched her hands. “I see you didn’t list all your attributes on your application, Mr. Bradley. Is there anything else I need to know about you?” “Not sure if you can see how eager I am…to please my employer.” “I see.” She swallowed, then met his eyes again. She couldn’t hide her rapid breathing, but she adjusted her arms to cover her erect nipples. “Why don’t you come in? I think I have a few minutes to discuss whatever is on your mind.”

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He didn’t take the direct path to her desk. He circled the room, walking deliberately along the wall. Tessa tried to keep her focus above his navel and her expression devoid of the desire sizzling beneath her skin. She turned her chair to keep him in sight as he approached. “Don’t tell me.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Don’t tell me you’re already looking for a raise. I haven’t even had time to evaluate your…skills.” “I’d love to show you some of my hidden talents.” Not so hidden. She smirked. Josh dropped to his knees and wheeled her chair back against the bookcase. He wedged his body between her legs. Before she knew it, he had her jeans unfastened. “In order to show you everything I have to offer, I’ll need to take these off.” She lifted her hips to assist him. As soon as the air hit her moist pussy, her mouth dropped open. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the owner of BER happy.” In one smooth move, he pulled her hips to the edge of her seat and buried his mouth in her lap. Tessa gripped the arms of the chair. His tongue pressed her clit while his thumbs spread her lips. “Jesus…that feels so good, Josh.” Their game had ended. She couldn’t form a coherent thought. She clamped her thighs around his head. He moaned, and she pulled away from the dark pleasure the vibration promised. He followed her, moved his hands from her pulsing flesh and pushed her thighs apart. He sat back on his heels, tracing her opening with two fingers. “You’re so wet. Hot and juicy. You taste like honey.” He glanced up at her, then returned his focus

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to her sex. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.” Before she could assimilate his words, he dropped his head and ate. There was no other way to describe it. He didn’t gently lick her to oblivion, no teasing or tickling. He used his tongue and his lips to taste each dip and fold. Dipping into her channel, then up to tease her clit. As he sucked and nibbled on that sensitive flesh, his thumbs slid down, rotating erotic swirls inside her, pulling electric tingles out of every nerve ending. Tessa panted. She threw her head back on the chair and stared at the ceiling. No way was she sitting in her office getting cunnilingus from Joshua Bradley. A powerful real estate giant, son of the famous Thomas Bradley. On his knees eating her pussy. She looked back down at his dark head moving between her thighs. He delivered warm French kisses and finger-fucked her, proving it wasn’t a dream. She released her death grip and cupped his scalp. She tugged just enough to make him lift his eyes. He pulled away with a slurp, sending a shiver to her toes. “Okay?” Tessa nodded and licked her lips. He looked so damn good. Her excitement hitched again. He smiled that naughty grin she’d come to recognize, and went right back to what he was doing. He slid those two fingers inside her and lapped at her slit with his swirling tongue. “Yes…just like that…” She pumped her hips into his face. She felt like she was lit up from inside. Blood rushed to her core, causing her head to spin. “Yes.” He twisted his fingers and plunged them deep.

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When he wiggled his tongue against her clit, she cried out, and the sound echoed off the walls. She shuddered, digging her fingers into his scalp. Pleasure rippled through her, releasing in undulating waves that seized her body. Josh drew out each contraction, prolonging her orgasm until she couldn’t take another touch on her sensitive clit. “Stop…stop…please.” He sat back, wiping his chin with a grin. “I have other skills.” Her pounding heartbeat almost drowned out his words, but from where she sat, his need was clear. “On the desk, cowboy. On your back.” Josh rose to his feet and studied the mahogany desk, contracts spread near her laptop. He touched the smooth wood, then looked at her. “On my father’s desk?” Tessa crossed her naked legs and wagged a foot. She took her time answering, trying her best to maintain her superiority. “It’s my desk now, Bradley. You have a problem with that?” Apparently he didn’t, because in seconds he was on his back, knees bent over the edge of the antique desk. She took her time standing. “I don’t suppose you came to this meeting prepared?” “My back pocket. In my jeans.” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. She even took the long way just so she could see his beautiful body, displayed for her pleasure, from every angle. The condom was the only thing in his back pocket, but she took her time fishing it out. “You’re proving yourself to be a very valuable

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employee.” She dropped his pants with a thump. “Maybe I should explain some of the benefits of working for me.” “Oh fuck,” Josh groaned and pulled on his dick. He hissed as she rolled the condom over him, his skin stretched tight and flushed. “For example.” She climbed on the desk and straddled his hips. “Since I was raised on a ranch—” she paused to pull her shirt over her head and toss it away, “—I know how to ride.” She lowered herself over him, taking him in completely. She sat still for a moment, enjoying the fullness and his squirming impatience. And then she moved. She tilted her hips and rocked while rising to her knees. With her hands on her thighs, she didn’t touch him anywhere but where they were connected. He knifed up into each movement with an answering thrust. She gave him her naughtiest smile and continued her steady rhythm. She clasped him on each upward draw and flicked her hips on the way down. He held on to her hips and tried to increase her pace. Clearly his control was close to the edge. “What do you need, Josh?” she whispered. “You. Fuck…I need you. Fast and hard. Please, Tess.” Tessa took pity. She dropped onto her hands, and his came up to cup her hanging breasts. She rode him, reveling in each jerk of his hips and squeezing him with each withdrawal. He filled her completely, so she was left feeling empty each time the tip of his cock brushed her opening. He stared at where they were joined, and she

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looked down as well. The sight of his body disappearing and emerging with her glistening moisture made her heart kick up a beat. He moved his hands back to her hips and held on tight to piston into her. Tessa slid lower over him, widening her knees and resting on her elbows. His thrusts sent her breasts swinging, her nipples brushing his chest with every movement. She latched on to his shoulder with a soft bite. “Tess…” he grunted. Then his movements became choppier until he pulled her down and surged inside her as deeply as possible and gave in to his release with a long, sexy groan. She collapsed on his chest, and his arms went around her. “If you treated all your cowboys like this, I doubt you’d have any turnover.” She smiled. “Do you think I should start a new orientation program?” “No,” he growled and brought her face to his. He kissed her lazily. She tasted herself on his tongue, and it sent a thrill of possession through her. They kissed until her tongue started to cramp, and he adjusted uncomfortably beneath her. The musical alert from her computer was a subtle reminder of their surroundings, and Tessa groaned against his lips. “Break time’s over, huh?” “It’s probably my mother.” She rolled off him and slid off the desk. Grabbing her pants, she glanced at her computer screen. When she saw the incoming email, she dropped them and sat down. “Oh my God.” “What is it?” Josh stepped into his jeans, then returned to her side.

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“The plane sold.” She scanned the message again to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood. The buyer had even paid for the craft through the consignment dealer, and the money was in her account. She tapped a quick thank-you. “That’s a big chunk of change.” “It couldn’t have happened at a better time. Looks like my luck’s changing. I hope it’s enough.” He pulled her hair aside to plant a kiss below her ear. “Enough for what?” “I was working on something before I was interrupted.” She shot him a mock-disgusted look. “I hope you learned your lesson, cowboy.” He chuckled and gave her a smacking kiss on the head before buttoning his jeans. “I’ll go exercise the horses while you work your magic.” Tessa shoved her arms back into her shirt and flashed him a smile. She admired his ass as he swaggered to the door. “Josh?” He looked over his shoulder. She couldn’t believe how sexy this man was, with his hair unruly from his nap and then their tryst on her desk. “Yeah?” Tessa chewed on her lip, debating the wisdom of her next words. “Do you… I mean, have you ever…uh…” She tore her eyes away from his and tried to arrange her thoughts. Did she even want an answer to her question? She swallowed. “Did it bother you?” She glanced up at him. “You know…watching someone else run your family business. Didn’t that…? I don’t know. I just wondered…” “I made a decision that day, but it wasn’t a rash one.” His voice was steady, and there was no doubt in her mind he spoke the truth. “Dad and I had our

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differences. You know that.” She did. Thomas was resistant to change, even new medical advances that could have helped his livestock in the long run; he stuck to the tried-and-true practices taught to him by his father and grandfather. Although Tessa could understand Thomas’s sentimental side and his “if it ain’t broke, it don’t need fixin’” responses, she tended to side with Josh when they’d fought about modernization. Of course, she hadn’t felt comfortable saying anything at the time. “Yes, I know.” “Our differences were bound to come to a head sooner or later. I couldn’t stay. But I’ll tell you this: since Dad couldn’t leave BER to his flesh and blood, he did the next best thing. I’ve been watching you, Tess. You’ve made me proud, just like I know Dad would be.” Before his words sank in, Josh winked on his way out the door. Tessa leaned back and a few minutes later closed her mouth. “You’ve made me proud.” She didn’t realize until he said them how much she’d wanted to hear those words. She pressed a hand to her heart to keep the sensation inside, just a moment more. Although earning someone’s pride filled her with joy, it also spurred her to succeed. She picked up the pile of contracts that had scattered like shrapnel and hoped none smelled like sex. She’d be ready for Wes Fisher. *** “We’ll have to go to the store tomorrow.” Josh took his empty bowl to the sink. “I’m sick of soup.”

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We? Each time he even vaguely referenced a sense of permanency, Tessa’s throat tightened, and she had to remind herself their relationship was just sex. Tessa paused long enough to nod and resumed eating. “You can’t afford to lose any weight either,” he continued. “Didn’t you plan on eating anything while you were here alone?” Tessa didn’t look up at him as she squirmed on her stool. It was silly to take his words as a compliment, but she couldn’t help the flush that rose to her face. “I don’t need much. I wasn’t planning on company.” She stuck her tongue out. He walked behind her and cupped her shoulders. “Well, you got some, boss lady.” I certainly did. That damn blush wouldn’t go away. After all she’d shared with him yesterday—and last night…and this morning—one would think she’d have no shame left. “I need to go into town later anyway. I have some final paperwork to sign on the airplane.” “We can head in after Wes leaves. Or did you decide you don’t want the vials?” His hands worked magic. She leaned into the caress without thinking. “You know I can’t refuse a shot at Saddle Sore’s DNA. And Storm Rider? He’s eighteen hands and a beautiful chestnut.” “So you’ll take it? Even though it was my idea?” “I’d be stupid to refuse, but I’ll only accept on my terms.” He chuckled. “Of course you will. What are your terms?” “I’m going to pay for them. What they’re worth.” She spun around and looked up at him. “And the surrogate?” He reached down to hold her

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hands. Tessa shook her head. “I’ll have to keep thinking about that. If I do this, I want to do it right. I’ll use Catalina Sky for sure, but I need to find a few more good dams, then ask Dr. Staley how much he charges to flush.” “Staley charges an arm and a leg. You don’t even have to ask,” he growled. “You could hire Gus to flush them.” Tessa tilted her head. “You don’t like Dr. Staley, do you?” He grunted and rubbed her arms. “I wouldn’t say that.” His mouth twisted. She could practically see him censoring his words before he spoke them aloud. “Maybe hate is more accurate.” She laughed. “What did he ever do to you?” “He’s an ass. Has been since high school. I never trusted him.” “You’ve had him do work for BER before—” “I didn’t have a choice. Just like you don’t. That’s why Dad and I sent Gus to those veterinary technician classes. Otherwise we’d have had to rely on Staley even more.” Tessa wrapped her arms around his waist, scooting to the edge of her stool. “I can’t trust a tech with the insemination. This is too important.” He stepped closer, until she could bury her nose in his chest and breathe in his scent. “I know, but I’m not sure you should trust Staley. Greyson has been trying to get him on the phone. He’d like to get his hands on the lab results.” “That makes him busy, not untrustworthy.” Josh grunted. This time Tessa didn’t need a

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translation. *** Josh checked the time. Wes Fisher and his wife, Maggie, had entered the house almost half an hour ago. He itched to go in after them, but this was Tessa’s show. He’d left the barn door open just enough so he could keep an eye on the silver Lincoln in the driveway. There wasn’t much to do in the little barn, so he’d spent the last fifteen minutes pacing between the stalls. She could handle this negotiation. She didn’t need him. Hell, she hadn’t needed him since she took over. What made him think she’d start now? Because you didn’t feel useless until now. Josh picked up a brush and groomed one of the stallions. Again. Maggie’s presence was a stroke of luck. The woman was not only the biggest gossip in the county, she was also the secretary-treasurer of the local American Quarter Horse Association chapter. By the time Maggie Fisher left BER, she’d have a head full of news to share. Tessa’s insistence in paying for the semen would be juicy enough, but add the fact that they’d found Joshua Bradley working shit jobs for Tessa, and BER would be a pretty hot topic in town. Josh grinned. Growing up a Bradley had afforded him plenty of perks: girls chasing after him in school, better tables in restaurants. He never thought he’d use his name to help Tessa prove her position as the owner of his family ranch. Hell, he had to stop thinking of BER as the family

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ranch. He’d given up all rights to the place. He’d taken his father’s buyout, started a new career and never looked back. He’d do it again in a heartbeat. He knew Tessa was capable of running the ranch, maybe even more capable than he would have been, because she had the desire. What the hell is taking so long? He looked at his watch again. Shit, it had only been ten minutes since he last checked. He grabbed the hoof pick—even though Tessa had performed the chore yesterday—and scraped compacted mud from the horse’s hooves. That occupied him for a few minutes; then he heard the unmistakable boom of Wes Stanton’s voice. One car door shut, then another, and an engine purred. Now. Josh carried a load of saddle blankets through the door as the car rolled by. Wes put on the brakes and waved Josh over. Just as he’d expected. “Well, lookie here. If it ain’t Josh Bradley, back from the big city.” Wes’s big voice fit the big man who drove a big car and wore a ten-gallon hat. The only time Josh saw his friend without his Stetson was when he was driving Maggie around. Josh always assumed the man slept with his hat and boots on. Josh squatted next to the driver’s window. “Just taking some time off from my strenuous career to relax.” He tipped his hat. “Hello, Maggie.” “Hello, Joshua, hon. How are ya?” One would think, with Maggie’s drawl, she had been born and raised in Texas. In fact, she was a local girl, and the drawn-out speech was an act, emphasized by her big blonde hair and sparkly clothes. Before Josh could answer, Wes socked him in the

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shoulder, almost knocking him off his feet. “’Bout time you got out from behind that desk and back to some real work, ya pussy.” “I might have worked behind a desk, but I made it to the gym. I can still kick your ass.” “Oh fer fuck’s sake.” Wes rolled his eyes. “A gym?” He cringed, as if Josh were contagious. “I suppose you’re wearing lacy panties now too.” “Wes!” Maggie’s jeweled hand fluttered at her breast, as though she’d never heard Wes’s foul mouth. “It’s okay, Mag. Josh needs to hear it from a friend.” Maggie leaned over the center console. “Pay him no mind, Joshua, but really—” she waved toward the barn, “—couldn’t you hire someone to do this for you?” Josh shrugged, biting back a smile. “It’s not my ranch. I can’t hire anyone.” He glanced toward the house. “Thought you were buyin’ the place?” Wes lowered his voice. Josh appreciated the gesture, even though no one was around to hear. “If she’ll sell to me. With what you just gave her, she might’ve changed her mind.” “Well, yeah, I just sold her a million dollars’ worth of horseflesh in a tube, if she uses it right.” Wes scratched his belly. “It’s waiting for you at the storage facility in Billings. Maybe you can find someone there who can create embryos. That might stretch this one vial into six or seven foals. Staley can flush your mares and make plenty, but he charges a pretty penny for the service.” “Staley charges a pretty penny for everything,”

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Josh grumbled. “You got that right,” Wes agreed. “You know he took old man Swanson to court last year?” “I hadn’t heard that. Why?” Wes gestured west, where the Swanson ranch had been since the middle of the nineteenth century. “Staley claimed Swanson owed him eight thousand dollars for a colic surgery he’d performed on a new gelding.” Wes snorted. “Swanson swears he paid the man cash the day he’d done the procedure, but of course he didn’t get a receipt.” Henry Swanson lived by the belief that every man was honest and good at his word. Everyone in the area knew he ran a lot of his operation on notebook paper and cash. Leave it to Staley to exploit the guy. “So what happened?” Josh could tell by the distaste on his friend’s face that it wasn’t good. “Swanson had to pay. And court costs, plus interest. Had to sell his new tractor so he wouldn’t have to take out a loan when it was all said and done.” Wes slammed his hand on the steering wheel. “The colic surgery that should’ve been five thou ended up costin’ the poor guy almost twenty. A week later Dr. Staley’s driving a new Ducati down Main Street.” “Bastard.” “No shit.” The men stared at the horizon in silence for a few minutes. Josh digested the information, not really surprised, but appalled. He relayed details of the earlier phone conversation with Greyson, carefully adding the fact that Gus hadn’t been using dirty needles. Support from these two would certainly help put BER back on the industry’s good side.

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“And Staley won’t cough up the blood samples?” Wes tugged on his earlobe. Josh snorted. “He won’t even answer the damn phone. Greyson’s name might be enough to make him piss his pants, though.” “You could bring a vet out from Billings, but it might cost just as much in the end,” Maggie said. “It’s up to Tessa, anyway.” Josh adjusted the blankets on his knee to take off his hat and wipe the sweat from his brow with his forearm. “I’m sure she has a plan.” Wes grunted. “I guess she does. She paid for the vials, you know that? She had a check ready.” He glared at Josh. “Didn’t you tell her I owed you one?” “I did, but I guess she didn’t want to owe me one.” Josh grinned. “And that means you still do owe me one. And it’s gonna be a big one.” “See?” Maggie broke in. “This is why we women make better business decisions. None of this I’llscratch-your-back, you-scratch-mine nonsense. That Tessa’s a smart cookie, I tell ya.” “Yeah, she is.” Josh couldn’t keep the sappy grin off his face. Wes noticed. “So you’re staying in the house with her, eh?” He wagged his bushy eyebrows. “Sleeping in my own bed,” Josh stressed. He didn’t need to tell them Tessa had spent the night there with him. He amended the sleeping part. They’d need another nap this afternoon. “Alone?” Wes winked. “Wes!” Maggie slapped his shoulder, and her husband cringed playfully. “Even if it were any of your business, I’m sure Joshua is too much of a

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gentleman to kiss and tell.” Wes squinted and studied him. “Well, it don’t take much to figure it out. Josh is blushing like a little girl. He’s up to something in there. Maybe he’s hoping to talk the price down from across the pillow.” “I’m sure he doesn’t know what you mean.” Maggie lifted her chin. “Let me take you home, and I’ll show you what I mean, woman.” Wes wagged those furry brows again. “I’ll get it outa you later, Josh.” After a jerk of his chin, he drove away. Josh chuckled. He waited until the car was out of sight before taking the blankets back inside the barn, not having a real reason for having brought them out in the first place. The conversation went as planned, though; they knew who was running things. He chuckled. Yeah, he’d been smiling a lot, but he wouldn’t admit to blushing. After tossing the blankets in the vicinity of the blanket rack, he made his way back to the house. She’d be happy. She’d just negotiated to buy vials of semen from two of the most sought-after stallions in the area. Hopefully she’d be in the mood to celebrate. He sneaked through the back door and closed it as quietly as he could. He could hear her in the office, speaking to someone on the phone in a crisp, administrative voice. The devil on his shoulder urged him to tiptoe to the hallway, which was difficult with his boots. Once there, he silently stripped. He’d show her how well he learned his lesson.

Chapter Six “I’ll call you as soon as I have the flushes.” Tessa had her back to the door. She had her hair pulled into a bun thing. The whole time she’d taken to twist it up like that this morning, he could only imagine unraveling it, the silky strands spilling through his fingers. Even now her floral scent reached him from ten feet away, and he indulged in a quick fantasy of tearing her hairdo apart and burying his face in her hair. “I’d appreciate that,” she continued her phone conversation, oblivious to his naked presence. “I’m making some phone calls this afternoon, and I should have more information for you tomorrow.” She leaned over the desk toward the telephone base, with one hand braced on the smooth surface. Her black slacks stretched tight over her ass, sending his thoughts back to the last time they were in this office together. He’d never forget the way she rode him right on that very desk. She caressed the desktop as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Two slender fingers traced the veins of the dark wood, and he watched every move, feeling it as if she were running those fingers down his dick. Was she remembering yesterday? Hell, he’d never look at that desk the same way, but it was worth it. His cock stiffened, but Josh refused to move from his casual stance in the doorway, not even to touch himself. “Not a problem.” Tessa bent one leg, thrusting a

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hip out. She had a pair of lacy red panties on beneath those pants. He’d watched her put them on as he reclined on the pillows, stroking himself like a horny bastard. She’d moved across the room and out of his reach, but the mirror over his bureau reflected everything. As she’d talked about her plans for the day, he wallowed in sheets that smelled like her. Like them. “Okay, thanks again for your help.” As she said her goodbyes, Josh folded his arms to wait for her to notice him. Finally she turned toward the door. A brilliant smile lit up her face, her eyes bright and her face glowing. Josh’s heart leaped to his throat. Jesus, she was beautiful. That unguarded and natural smile warmed his already primed body. When she saw him, she froze in place, and the excited smile turned devilish. Josh raised an eyebrow. “Told you I’m a fast learner.” She looked him over, lazily scanning his body, setting his skin on fire, and she sauntered toward him, kicking up his heart rate with each saucy step. “I see.” The same two fingers that had trailed along the desktop were now dancing up his cock. He sucked air through his teeth. “Now you’re trying for that employee-of-the-month award, aren’t you?” Josh straightened, locking his knees so he wouldn’t stumble like an idiot. “Yes, ma’am.” Before he could say another word, Tessa was on her knees, and the only words he could form were, “Oh…shit…” She had half his cock in her mouth before he could draw a full breath. “Jesus Christ, Tess.”

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She hummed, and the vibration went right to his balls. Every one of his internal organs seemed to seize, and he grasped her scalp, destroying her fancy hairdo. He stared down at her pretty mouth, wrapped around him like he was her favorite lollipop. She looked up and met his gaze, and he almost lost it right there. There was pure enjoyment behind those baby blues. Just watching her cheeks hollow and expand was enough to make his balls tingle with the need to release. She sucked his cock, one hand wrapped around the base, jerking him off in time with each drag. She worked magic with her tongue from behind her lips, tickling his ridge and slit with each kiss. Josh had to consciously breathe to keep from passing out at the intense sensations she delivered. He’d been hoping for something like this, but he still wasn’t prepared. He let go of her head, braced himself against the doorjamb with one hand and brought his other up to trace her lips with a finger. She used just the right amount of suction to drive him crazy with each slurping drag and just the right amount of friction where she corkscrewed her hand. He was going to come, and fast. The tingling buzz rushed down his spine, filling his body with the joy of an upcoming release. With the last shred of rational thought left to him, he opened his mouth but was interrupted by a low voice. “Tessa? Are you here?” The voice came from the foyer, just a few steps away. Through Josh’s cloudy mind, he was vaguely aware of Tessa pulling him farther into the office and shutting the door behind her, leaving him teetering like a drunken fool, his cock wet from her mouth and

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chilling in the air. Tessa greeted her visitor, and Josh took two deep breaths. From the brink of an orgasm to standing in the middle of the room buck naked and frustrated. Josh grumbled a string of curses. She led the man into another room, and their voices faded. “Fuck.” His erection had dwindled, leaving his balls aching with frustration. He waited until he could no longer hear them before opening the door just enough to drag his clothes in. He took a few deep, cleansing breaths and stepped into his jeans. Now that his thoughts returned to his big head, he had to wonder who the hell would walk into her house unannounced. Granted, no one locked their doors out here, especially in the middle of nowhere like BER, but that wasn’t an open invitation to walk into someone’s home. And it was a man, which further pissed him off. He stomped to the door to settle the cuffs of his jeans around his boots. With his hand on the doorknob, he paused. Who was he? His jaw ached from grinding his molars together. Was she involved with someone? Goddamn it, if she was, she sure as hell should have said something. He spun around and stared at the desk. He hadn’t exactly asked. Shit. The jealousy beneath his thoughts would have to wait until another time. He whipped back toward the door and flung it open. Relax, Bradley. Storming in like a thwarted lover would be a good way to announce to this guy what he and Tessa had been up

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to. He sucked another lungful of air and held it until he calmed down. Admittedly the source of his frustration lay below his belt. By the time he made it to the living room, his extremities had stopped tingling, and he was able to walk normally. As soon as he saw Tessa’s visitor, his blood froze in his veins. Staley. The vet stood way too close to her. Josh’s vision sharpened, focusing on the man. “Staley,” Josh said. He hadn’t meant for it to come out with such a growl underneath, but it was enough to make the bastard face him. “Josh.” Staley’s eyes widened. “I’d heard you were back in town.” Robert Staley had to be the only man in the county who used hairstyling products. His angelic facade hid his inner ugliness. “They said you were holed up here. I thought they were kidding.” Staley’s gaze bounced between Tessa and Josh. Josh shrugged, masking the tension in his shoulders. “I needed a place to stay for a week or so, and Tessa needed an extra pair of hands. It worked out well.” Staley’s lips parted in a cardboard smile. “I see.” He glanced over at Tessa. “I was just telling Miss McCade I have a contact in Texas who’s looking to sell some horses. Thought I’d see if she was interested in building her herd again, but now that you’re here, maybe you’d like to take a look at some pictures—” “It’s not my ranch, Staley. Tessa makes the decisions for BER, just like she’s been doing.” Jesus, had Tessa had to deal with crap like this ever since she took over?

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Staley fiddled with his collar. “I just heard she was considering selling. Then you showed up, so I assumed that meant you were interested in taking over.” “You sure hear a lot of shit. What do you do, hang out in beauty parlors for the town gossip?” “Josh!” Tessa chided, but Josh didn’t take his attention away from Staley. His smile returned, an evil twist of his lips. Josh almost expected to see horns popping out from under his perfectly coiffed hair. “It’s okay, I know he’s joking. Josh and I go way back, don’t we?” Josh grunted. “I didn’t like you then either.” Tessa’s second admonishment was smothered by Staley’s laugh. The guy was too smooth. “You never did pull any punches.” After what Wes had told him, the urge to rearrange this guy’s face made his arm shake. Maybe he could provoke the bastard to swing first. “I’m glad you stopped by, Staley, since you won’t answer messages left at your clinic.” Josh paused, just to see if he would try to make up an excuse for not returning Greyson’s calls. Staley’s eyes shifted, reminding Josh of a cornered rabbit. He stuck his hands into his front pockets and shrugged. “I’ve been pretty busy.” Josh refrained from rolling his eyes. “I’ve got Greyson Wallace wanting to take a look at the blood samples from those horses. I’m sure you don’t mind another opinion.” “Oh, is that all?” His face relaxed into a smile. What did he think Greyson wanted? “Well, let your friend know I’ll look for any blood or tissue samples, but they might have been destroyed along with the

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animals.” From the corner of his eye, Josh saw Tessa cover her mouth. The vet’s crass words only proved what an unfeeling jerk he was. Josh didn’t know how this man ever worked with family pets without a beating heart. Josh ground his teeth. “With the insurance company still investigating?” He took a step toward the bastard. “I’m not equipped to store vials of blood from infected horses. If there was a massive outbreak of EIA, I’d be held liable.” Staley bristled. “I thought you said EIA couldn’t be transmitted accidentally.” Staley’s face turned pink. “Now, you and I both know that, but I don’t feel like explaining it to a bunch of suits.” “Some say EIA isn’t even lethal. Or contagious. Some say horses with EIA could live long and productive lives without ever showing a symptom.” “That’s not the point, Josh. And you know it. The Animal Health Association has certain measures to follow.” “I know. I’ve done some research, and I’ve contacted some experts in the field. Did the AHA take samples when they were here? Surely they investigated an outbreak that took out forty horses.” Staley inched toward the door. In Josh’s mind, that proclaimed his guilt loud and clear. He used the same tell when he was bluffing in cards or when he had been caught cheating in high school. Josh would bet money the AHA had never made it to Staley’s lab. They probably hadn’t even been given accurate Coggins results. Josh filed that question away to research later.

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It could be easily answered by email. Josh folded his arms and waited for Staley to meet his eye. “From what I’m told, if the horse isn’t showing symptoms, it should be branded, not euthanized.” The vet shook his head and laughed quietly. “Carriers are branded.” He spoke to Josh and Tessa as though they were in kindergarten, and it only pissed Josh off more. “Unfortunately Tessa’s horses were verified acute cases and not just carriers.” “Without symptoms?” Yeah, his voice was raised. It was either that or his fists. “It was only a matter of time. I don’t like to see animals suffer.” “But you don’t mind murdering them?” “Mr. Bradley!” Tessa used the same domineering tone she’d used when she ordered him to strip in the office yesterday. He tore his eyes away from Staley to face her, and his anger was defused with one raised eyebrow. She was right to stop him, and though he still ached to slug Staley, it wouldn’t help anything. Josh would end up in jail with a restraining order and a lawsuit. “My herd is gone. Nothing will bring them back now. I can learn from it and move on.” She held up the folder. “I do need to replace the horses. Assuming I have an interested buyer who would like to see a profitable working ranch prior to making a commitment.” Josh took a breath to respond, but she continued, “Did you finish up in the office?” Tessa focused on the pages in the folder as she flipped through the pictures. Her face gave nothing away, but he knew exactly what she meant. He’d like nothing more than to drag her back into

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that office and finish up. Smothering a sly grin, he spoke evenly. “No, I didn’t get a chance. I can wait for your help.” “That’s good.” Her eyes sparkled at their inside joke, but her face remained passive. “I’d like to be involved in every aspect of BER.” Josh couldn’t take his eyes off her. The slight tint to her cheeks and her full and slightly parted lips could have been chalked up to her heated words, and her hairdo could have been intentionally messy, only Josh knew what caused those strands to fall out and frame her face…caressing her neck. As far as those lips… “Well—” Staley picked up a briefcase and gave Josh a hearty slap on the shoulder, “—I just wanted to drop these off.” “Thank you, Dr. Staley.” Tessa closed the folder and gave it a little pat. “I’ll look these over and let your friend know if—” “No, no…just call me. I’m…uh…kind of the middleman here. He’s real busy, you know. I told him I’d give him a hand.” The man’s smile looked way too practiced to be genuine. Even the sparkle on his perfect teeth looked fake. Josh folded his arms across his chest and sat on the back of the sofa. The vet was probably taking a cut of the sale for his generosity. Such a good friend. Asshole. Tessa walked him to the door, as Josh’s knuckles popped under the pressure. She returned, her fists planted on her hips, making her look like an angry mother who’d just caught her kid raiding the cookie jar. “What was that about? I know you don’t like him,

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but—” “I told you.” Josh spoke through his teeth. “I hate that bastard.” Tessa looked him up and down, her lips pursed. “Know what I think?” “What?” She got right in his space and even cupped his balls through his jeans, all while challenging him with her eyes. “I think you’re just mad he has horrible timing.” She lifted her mouth to his as she eased down his fly, and suddenly hurting Robert Staley meant very little to him. *** Josh glanced up from his laptop screen to see Tessa chewing on her lower lip as she worked on her computer. The empty bucket of chicken and the remains of their takeout meal sat between them, along with two empty beer bottles. Her bare foot wagged back and forth on the coffee table, and her laptop was propped on her thighs. He’d had each one of those toes against his lips last night. Or maybe it was early this morning. She’d writhed when he worried the arch of her foot with his teeth. Josh shifted and moved the laptop to give his swelling cock more room. Jesus, he was a grown man. Would he ever be able to control himself again? One look at those white teeth nipping her full lip made him doubt it. They’d made a trip into town. First to the notary to sign over ownership of the Cessna; then Josh followed Tessa around the supermarket. Oddly enough, the

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domesticity of the errand wasn’t lost on him, nor were the knowing looks from the other shoppers. On the drive home they argued over the radio station, original or extra-crispy chicken and even national politics. Josh smiled. Tessa had a good head on her shoulders. He hadn’t expected her to know the state representative’s views on abortion, but she’d surprised him. They’d eaten their fried chicken on the coffee table, and although he’d never say so, Josh was again impressed, this time by the amount of food she put away. He never could stand a woman who nibbled on lettuce three meals a day. The pictures Staley had brought her were stacked in two piles: yeses and nos. The yes pile was even sorted by gender, then by desirability. When he opened his laptop to check email, she opened hers to shop for even more stock, determined to find the perfect mare to carry Saddle Sore’s offspring. Every once in a while she’d turn the computer around to show him a picture of a mare for sale by some random outfit in God knows what part of the country. Her habit of twirling one black curl in time with her mouse clicks made Josh’s lips twitch with the need to smile. “Quit staring.” Tessa didn’t even look up, but she did stop chewing on that lip. Josh grinned. “Why should I?” “You make me nervous. I’m not used to people staring at me.” “I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.” She blushed. Damn, that was sexy. Even her eyelashes fluttered. He set his laptop aside and moved

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onto the couch beside her. “Is this better?” “Are you still staring?” The last word raised in pitch when he nipped her shoulder. “I’ll close my eyes.” Her laugh washed over him like a warm summer breeze. He peeled her collar down and nibbled on her collarbone. “Don’t mind me,” he murmured against the top curve of her breast. “I can’t see with your big head in the way.” She shoved him, but not hard enough to make him stop. “You weren’t complaining about the size of my head earlier.” “That’s because I—Oh!” Josh jerked back, thinking he’d hurt her, but her eyes were on her laptop screen. “That looks just like Sugar Cookie!” Josh blinked a few times and focused on the website photograph. Sure enough, the horse looked a lot like Sugar Cookie. Down to the streak of cinnamon in her mane. “Wow, you’re right.” Tessa scrolled down to read the stats. “Same age too. If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was Sugar Cookie’s twin.” She took another look at the photograph. “That’s amazing.” “She’s not for rent, though. Are you going to buy her? The price isn’t bad. Of course, she’s in New Mexico and would have to be transported.” Tessa gaped. “I…I don’t know.” She touched the picture reverently. “I don’t think I could see this horse every day and not think of Sugar Cookie.” Josh kissed her cheek. This woman was a softie. She might be able to shoe a horse in five minutes flat, but deep down…she was a softie. All woman. “Let’s

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see what else they’ve got.” He settled in beside her and watched as she clicked to the next page. “Jaycee’s Boy!” Josh narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t as familiar with Jaycee’s Boy. The horse must have been acquired after he’d left Montana. “Are you sure?” “Well, I mean it looks just like him.” She highlighted the statistics. “Same age too.” The back of his neck started to tingle. “Are you sure?” “Yeah, it’s like this rancher…Daniels was cloning my horses.” She laughed. “What a coincidence.” The tingle traveled up Josh’s scalp. “Keep looking.” Tessa moved from page to page. By the time she’d named seven out of the eight horses pictured, Josh was off the couch and pacing. “It can’t be them, Josh. Sugar Cookie is gone.” Tessa shook her head. “I don’t understand. How did this guy—are these old pictures? No, that’s not BER in the background. It’s got to be… I don’t understand. Oh my God! That’s Sherlock!” Josh stopped pacing, and Tessa stopped clicking. Their eyes met, and as she blanched, he felt his color rise. The only explanation was almost too outlandish to believe. Staley. It had to be. “You didn’t watch them die—” “It can’t be—” They spoke at the same time. Josh clenched his fists and ground his teeth until they squeaked. “Give me the phone number. I’m calling Mr. Daniels.”

Chapter Seven Tessa gripped her scalp with both hands and propped her elbows on her knees. The room had been taken over by the sheriff and then his deputies, talking on their phones or to one another. They’d questioned her, then Josh, who’d spoken to the New Mexico ranch owner. They had her files spread on her desk, and they were on their fourth pot of coffee. To get some peace, she’d retreated to the ottoman by the window. She’d been had. Taken. Scammed. Duped. Just like a trusting little kid, she’d helped Robert Staley load forty of her horses onto the trailers. Then she’d paid him a fortune to euthanize and cremate each one. Hell, she’d even paid him for the Coggins tests. After discovering her herd in New Mexico at what amounted to a boarding stable, Josh had called around to other horse owners in the area and found that Dr. Staley had loaded up as many as ten horses each from local ranches in the past year, proclaiming them infected with EIA. Each rancher had received a follow-up visit from the vet, with pictures of other horses for sale. Just like he’d done with Tessa. Josh thought Dr. Staley was in cahoots with someone else. Stealing horses, transporting them across state lines and then reselling them to other victims. The more the deputies discussed it, the more they salivated at the scope of the case before them. I just want my horses to come home. “Don’t beat yourself up for this.” Josh’s strong

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hands clamped her shoulders. He straddled the ottoman behind her, cradling her in his thighs. He pressed his cheek to hers and spoke softly. “You couldn’t have known what Staley was up to.” No one could have. Dr. Staley had performed Coggins tests on dozens of area horses and submitted the actual results to the government, then passed off false results to the horse owners. Each time the owner asked the vet to euthanize their animals, he actually drove them across state lines, removing any microchips, often ones he had originally placed, and effectively erasing the horse’s identity. He’d sold them and pocketed the profits. It was a pretty smart plan. No one would be looking for horses that were presumed to be dead and cremated, and Dr. Staley had access to the microchips and the government documents needed to create the illusion of infected animals. It would have worked for a long time, but Daniels’s posting those pictures had been a stroke of luck. Bad luck for Robert Staley. The bright side to the whole episode lay in the fact Tessa hadn’t had the stomach to euthanize the horses herself. Other owners had made that mistake. Those who felt strong enough to give their horses the lethal injection had murdered completely healthy animals. Since Dr. Staley couldn’t admit to the lie, he’d just sat back and allowed it. He’d probably even profited by providing cremation services afterward. How he slept at night was beyond her. Tessa swallowed to control the shakiness in her voice. “I could have asked for a second opinion.” “From who? Staley’s the only vet in the county who does Coggins tests. I probably would have done

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the same thing, in your shoes. Anybody would have. Remember, you weren’t the only one who was taken.” That was true. Maybe if he’d taken the majority of Swanson’s herd, the old man would have made out to be a failure just like she had been. “Why did he take forty from me and only a handful from others?” “Daniels said there was a buyer lined up, but that fell through, which is why he posted them online for quick sale. He’d only agreed to board them for thirty days. I think Staley had a tall order and thought he could pull it off here with…a…uh…” Josh’s words faded. “With a woman in charge,” she supplied. Josh sighed. “We don’t know that.” “Jesus.” Tessa shoved off the ottoman and faced him. Rage colored the world an angry shade of red, and her voice rose in volume. “Am I going to have to bust my ass for the rest of my life defending what I’ve got between my legs?” The room grew suddenly quiet, and Tessa shot a glare at the four wide-eyed deputies. She planted her fists on her hips. “Yeah, that’s right. I don’t have a dick. You got a problem with that?” One of the men turned away, and another opened and closed his mouth like a guppy. Tessa snorted and faced the patio doors to watch the fresh snowfall blanketing the ranch with a clean white coat. “Yeah, all you tough guys like to put pussies down until you can’t get any,” she mumbled. Josh chuckled from behind her and whispered, “I have no problem with what’s between your legs.” Tessa scowled. “Only because of what’s in between

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yours.” He cupped her shoulders and pulled her back against his chest. “Rather than beat yourself up over what went wrong, why don’t you focus on what this means.” His hands spread warmth deep into her tense muscles. “You’re going to get your horses back. You’ve helped put a stop to what might be a farreaching horse-theft ring. Your employees can come back to work. You can trust Carlson at his word.” Tessa leaned against him, willing to lose herself in his strength for just a moment. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it all. Over the course of a week her entire world had been turned upside down and shaken. She pinched her eyes closed and took a deep breath. His expensive cologne mingled with the scent of his sweat, the outdoors, the horse hair and the dust from the barn. It was an intriguing blend that could only belong to Josh. Both white and blue collar. One thing was clear in her mind, and he needed to know. For the first time in months Tessa knew what she wanted and how to get it. She turned and lifted her chin to face him. “Josh, I—” “Sorry, Miss McCade, I hate to interrupt ya.” A sheriff’s deputy, the beefiest of the four, rolled a toothpick into the corner of his mouth as he spoke, apparently hiding a smile at the intimacy she and Josh were sharing. “Staley’s in custody. He’s got a lawyer, and he’s talking. The sheriff wants us to head out to the other ranches in the area.” Tessa gripped Josh’s hand. “When can I bring my horses home?” “We’ll know more after Daniels makes his

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statement to New Mexico authorities.” He shrugged, the movement hindered by the Kevlar vest under his shirt. “They’re your horses. No reason you can’t go get ’em. Staley admitted to everything. We’re talkin’ felony here. He ain’t just gettin’ a slap on the wrist. He crossed state lines. The Feds are involved now.” She tried not to smile as she pictured Robert Staley behind bars. He should make extra-special friends in a federal prison. All that disappeared when she thought about Sugar Cookie backing out of a trailer, returning to BER. He jerked his chin toward her laptop, which had switched to a screen saver. “Damn lucky you found ’em like you did. Who knows how long this coulda gone on?” The stocky cop barked orders to the others, and within minutes, the house was quiet. Tessa snuggled back into Josh’s arms. Things were changing…again. She’d sell BER, and she’d have to leave. There wasn’t a way around it, but she could enjoy having him here now. “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” as the adage went. Swaying with his body, Tessa searched her mind for a way to get the icing. *** Six hours later she still hadn’t found it. His heart pounded against her ear, and she’d just pulled the comforter over them. He was massaging her scalp and playing with her hair. Their lovemaking had been fierce and wordless, with grunts and groans echoing off the walls. There didn’t seem to be anything left to say.

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They’d sat at the kitchen table like two adults and spent hours discussing the immediate future before making a decision. Everything made sense. From tomorrow’s amicable break to the way her pride would be salvaged by leaving with BER back on track. It all was completely rational. In theory. Josh was leaving in the morning. This would be her last night with him. In his bed. Even though it made perfect sense on paper, it was still hard to swallow. Now was the time when all her laters came up to bite her in the ass. Maybe another day or two with Josh wouldn’t hurt. She opened her mouth to ask him to stay but closed it without a sound. “Tess?” His voice was muffled by her hair, but not enough to cover his serious tone. Tessa swallowed. “Yeah?” “I know we agreed to split, and I’m not changing my mind. I just…” He sighed. She caressed his chest. Their rational decision to break clean didn’t make as much sense when they were basking in the afterglow. Her chest constricted. “I just want you to know that this…between us…meant something to me. I don’t want to leave with you thinking I used you, or—” “No. I don’t think that, Josh. This was…” She searched for the right words, but there weren’t any that encompassed what she felt about the past few weeks. She settled on, “Beautiful. If you used me, then I used you in the same way.” She kissed his breastbone. “I needed it. After that morning two years ago.”

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He chuckled, shaking her head with the movement. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I could have throttled my dad for showing up right then.” She smiled. That morning would always live in her memories. He pulled her tighter against him. He hadn’t released her since he tossed the condom into the wastebasket. Now, he threaded one hand through her hair, while the other held on to her shoulders. Long minutes passed, and just as Tessa thought he might have fallen asleep, he spoke again. “About that day, Tess. I’m sorry I left the way I did. Without a word to you…or a note.” Tessa bit her lower lip. She’d felt sorry for herself for about twelve hours. The next morning she got the whole story from Martha, who must have been hiding behind the curtains in Thomas’s office to get such detailed information. After that Tessa knew Josh had had to go, for his pride and sanity. “I understood, Josh.” “You did?” “Mm-hm.” She kissed a path from his chest to his neck. “But I still missed you.” She crawled on top of him and licked a line to his ear. Josh groaned. “You did?” “I sure did. I kinda liked seeing you baling hay without your shirt on. Or brushing your teeth with the door open, dressed in only pajama bottoms. Then there were those summer nights when you sat in the hot tub—” Josh stopped her words with a kiss. His tongue snaked into her mouth until she sighed contentedly and collapsed on his chest. He rolled them over until he covered her and the sheets tangled in their legs. “You

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were spying on me?” Tessa grinned. “Just a little bit.” “I watched you too.” Tessa grew warm under his gaze. “Did you like what you saw?” Josh nodded, then let his gaze rove over her nakedness to prove it. “Especially what I saw in the meadow under the cottonwood.” “We’ll always have the memories.” She reached down to test his readiness and groaned in appreciation when she found his cock hard and poised at her entrance. “Let’s make some more.” He kissed her while he fumbled on the nightstand for another condom, then handed it to her to roll on before he slid into her with one long stroke. “Oh…Josh, you feel so good inside me.” “Remember.” He moved in fluid strokes, no longer in a hurry, no longer madly rushing to the ultimate pleasure. Each rub of his cock inside her was a caress in a sweet lovemaking rhythm. “I’ll never forget,” she whispered against his lips. Tears welled in her eyes at the loveliness of the act. His long, measured slides into her walls filled her with a sense of completion, and each retreat left her empty and alone. He slowly brought her to orgasm. It rippled through her, heating her blood and pulsing through her channel. Just as patiently, he brought her down from the high and followed with his. With his painful moan, Tessa realized this was goodbye. ***

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Josh rubbed his temples. Five o’clock couldn’t come fast enough. The sooner he could kick off the loafers and change into some jeans, the better. He really needed to get back in the groove of this career. It had been over three months since he’d returned to Seattle. It had taken two for him to be able to sleep without her beside him, and even longer before he stopped turning to Tessa with some comment and not finding her beside him. He missed her. It wasn’t just her body, though fuck, he missed that too. It was her sense of humor. Her volatile temper. He grinned, remembering the way she had thrown her pitchfork into the empty stall. Then there was her unpredictability; the woman kept him on his toes, that was for sure. Her burnt scrambled eggs, her voice when she spoke his name and, yeah, even her pride. He missed Tessa. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine her. In fact, he often indulged in his fantasies. His dreams were filled with her. Although many of them involved her naked body twined with his, it was the more mundane dreams that woke him with an ache in his chest. A horseback ride in the springtime, when the wildflowers just began to bloom. Sharing a bowl of cereal before the sunrise, with the scent of coffee heavy in the air. Another dream about that day in the meadow. Damn, he needed to stop doing this to himself. He eyed the telephone. He couldn’t call her. She hadn’t called him. A clean break was always best. Everyone knew that. That was the agreement, and he never broke an agreement. He mapped out the sequence of numbers that would connect them.

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“Fuck.” He dug the heels of his hands into his eye sockets, hard enough to hurt. He had to snap out of it. Eighty-two days. He should move on, for Christ’s sake. It was obvious she was happy with the arrangement. Carlson had said she was back to her old self and had practically peed her pants when her horses were unloaded. He would have loved to be there. To hear her laughter. Take her in his arms and spin her around just to hear it again. He’d kiss her; she’d send her tongue into his mouth in that sweet, tentative way he’d come to know. His assistant’s voice came through the intercom. “Mr. Bradley, someone is here to see you. Are you free?” Josh pulled up his sleeve to check his watch. He had a client to call after four, but it was only ten after one. “Yes, send them in.” Some of the papers on his desk had sensitive information, so he gathered them and turned them over. Just as he dimmed his computer screen, his office door opened. He had enough time to straighten his tie before his visitor walked in. The welcome died on his tongue when he saw her. “Tessa.” She was wearing a skirt. Josh had to tear his eyes away from her slender ankles to see it, but it was a plain, black, old-fashioned–looking thing that poofed out at the knee, which only made her hips look more voluptuous. Her feminine, lacy top hugged her curves, which she’d hidden with a blue folder clutched to her chest. When he made it to her eyes, he almost fell to his knees. She gave him a shy smile, as if she was

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unsure of her welcome. Josh did the only thing his brain was capable of signaling. Luckily he made it around his desk without injuring a knee. “Hello, Josh.” He didn’t answer. He didn’t trust his voice to do anything but make caveman grunting sounds. He tried not to scare her with his advance, but he almost crushed that folder between them. God, she felt so good in his arms. He tucked her head beneath his chin, and when she wrapped her arms around his back, he pinched his eyes shut at the intensity. “Tess…” He kissed the top of her head, loving the way her body molded to fit his, inhaling her sweet scent. Only when his heart slowed to a somewhat normal level was he able to speak. “I can’t believe you’re here.” “I wanted to surprise you.” “It worked.” He was afraid to open his eyes and find it was all a hallucination. Running his hands over her back, he finally convinced himself she was real. He cradled her face in his palms and tilted it back. Her blue eyes were shining, her pupils huge. He took in every inch of her face, then started over, starving for the sight of her. Why was she here? Had she flown in today? Was there a problem back in Montana? None of it was as important as kissing her right then. So he did. And she tasted even better than he remembered. He groaned, then angled his mouth over hers for a deeper connection. Now he could breathe. He hadn’t felt like himself since leaving Montana, but now…he was home. Tessa was here. “You’re here,”

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he mumbled into her mouth. “I was just thinking about you, and then…” He pulled back and looked down at her. “What are you doing here?” Holding her like this wasn’t good for the breakup they’d decided on. Tessa twisted her mouth as she considered his question. “I’m here in an official capacity.” That didn’t sound good. Josh let his hands slide away. So she hadn’t come to see him because she missed him. Or to surprise him with a booty call. He gave himself a kick in the ass and took a deep breath. “Is everything okay at BER?” “Everything is great.” Her smile made his heart race. “The horses came back the first of last month, and it’s like they were never gone.” She took a step away and started pacing, before reaching up to fiddle with her collar. Josh smirked at her habit and stifled the urge to follow her and hump her leg. “Almost every one of the employees came back except for a part-timer who got a full-time job with Swanson, so I couldn’t blame him. For weeks Gus ran everything by me—I mean everything. He wanted me to watch him shoe Sherlock.” She laughed and glanced toward him, then back away. She was nervous, which made Josh nervous. “I finally told him if he couldn’t do anything with me watching over his shoulder, he wasn’t much use to me.” Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. She had her back to him. She’d stopped in front of his bookcase, where he had a few photos. One of his father on a fishing trip in Alaska, one of his mother in front of a campfire and another of the BER crew that Martha had sent for Christmas cards last year. “How did Gus take that?” Josh could picture the old man turning red in the face and blubbering in

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indignation. “He told me to get the hell out of his way. He had work to do.” Josh smiled. Just as he’d thought. Some things never changed, but the familiar pang of homesickness had become sharper with her in the room. “Good ol’ Gus.” “Yeah. I have a bunch of good people.” She turned to face him. She was close enough for him to reach out and touch her, and he had to stop himself from doing just that. The reason she’d traveled all this way must lie in that blue folder, which was still clamped in her white-knuckled grip. Her gaze darted around the room before landing on him, and her cheeks blossomed with color. So she needed some help to spill whatever it was she’d come to say. “Why are you here, Tessa?” “I…brought you something.” Whatever it was, she didn’t look willing to part with it. “It’s not bad news, is it?” She looked down at the folder. “No. It’s not bad news. It’s…” She opened the folder, then shut it quickly. “I guess it’s…” She made a move to hand it to him, pulled it back against her chest and laughed quietly. With a deep breath, she lifted her chin and met his eye. “I brought you something,” she said again, this time holding out the folder to him. Josh took the necessary step to take the folder. She edged around the chair and gripped the leather, almost as if she couldn’t be too close to him. He scowled at the move. He opened the folder, a glossy two-pocket folder that could have belonged to an elementary school

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student. Inside was one piece of paper. He pulled it out and scanned it, then propped against his desk. “BER’s financial summary?” “Well, last month’s profit-and-loss statement.” Josh’s chest tightened. He couldn’t breathe, and his heart knocked against his rib cage. He could barely see enough to read the bottom line. No brackets. “In the black,” he breathed. “What—” “If you still want it—” she held on to the back of the chair like she might collapse if she let go, “—I’m ready to sell.” As if choreographed, the sun came from behind a cloud and streamed through the window, filling his office with light. Now he had her pretty well figured out. Her nervousness made sense, and it was endearing. Still, he wasn’t about to let her off the hook. She’d had the balls to fly out here and confront him, she could damn well finish what she started. He set the folder and P and L aside and crossed his ankles. “Why?” “Why? Well, that was the deal. It took a couple of months, but I did it. The ranch is making money, and well…you looked like you liked being back at BER when we…I mean…when you were home…or…in Montana, I mean.” She resumed her pacing. Josh stayed where he was, even though he would rather have taken her to the floor. He folded his arms across his chest and listened. “And I…I don’t know. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that all this time, I thought having a ranch of my own was my dream. It’s what I’ve worked toward since I can remember.” She made her way back toward the desk and this time used the second chair as

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a shield. Josh tried his damnedest not to smile. “You’ve done a great job at it. Reports from town say you’ve earned a new respect. They all think you’re some kind of a super-sleuth.” “I’ve tried explaining it was just dumb luck. They just don’t listen.” She shook her head. “But what I mean is, I grew up watching families like the Swansons make their ranch into a legacy. That’s what I wanted. A legacy. Roots.” She shot a glance at the pictures on the bookshelf again, then focused on her hands. “You know I moved around a lot growing up. Until I got my first job on a cattle ranch. That’s when I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Now I know what I fell in love with all those years ago wasn’t the ranch work itself, but the lifestyle. The close-knit group of workers. The family.” He let her chew on her lip in silence for a few moments. “Why would you sell BER to me, Tessa?” He prodded gently. “Tell me the truth.” She gave him a direct look, which never failed to excite him. “It’s always been yours, Josh. I worked my ass off to try and impress you. From the day I took over, I waited for you to come back. Without that possibility, it means nothing to me. I want you back at BER.” “Is that so?” He itched to drag her into his arms. Her blue eyes flashed, and he knew he was getting to her. “Yes.” “And you? What will you do? If I buy BER and come back to Montana…move back into my old bedroom in that house. What will you do then, Tess?” “I’ve been thinking about that. I planned on a new start somewhere, where no one knows me, where my

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failure isn’t part of my work history, but over the past few months I’ve been working with the BER crew, and I think…I would like to stay on.” “Doing what? You’d set aside your ego and go back to slinging hay?” Color rose on her cheeks. “I was hoping we could work out an arrangement. A partnership.” “A partnership…” Josh brought his fist to his chin and considered her words. He even dropped his gaze to her chest for effect. Right on cue Tessa’s pride kicked in; her chin went up a notch, and she narrowed her eyes. “Look.” She stormed around the chair and got right in his face. “I’m asking you to come back to BER as my partner. I’m not going to be your gofer or low man. You come back, and I’m your equal, or you don’t come back at all.” She poked him in the chest, making his tie tack jab into his sternum. He sucked in a breath and filled his lungs with her floral scent. “I’ve missed you, goddamn it. I’ve missed rolling over in the middle of the night and bumping into you. I’ve missed listening to your prog rock in the truck.” She pursed her lips, and her breath came through flared nostrils. “I even missed your superior, cocky, know-it-all, condescending, chauvinistic—” He’d heard enough. To stop her tirade, he smothered it with his mouth and couldn’t help chuckling when her angry words turned into a long, mumbling moan. Her tongue joined his, tasting everything between them. God, he’d never forget her kisses; they set his blood on fire. He pulled at her lower lip with his and left light kisses all along the upper one.

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Feeling her hands grasp at his clothing in that hungry way he’d come to love sent blood straight to his cock, causing him to stiffen almost immediately. He devoured her mouth, kissing her until his mouth got tired. “God, I missed you.” “I brought you the P and L,” she said dreamily. “You did.” “I wore a skirt.” “I love it.” He sucked her earlobe between his lips. She sighed against his cheek. “Come home, Josh.” “I love you too, Tess.”

Epilogue Tessa squealed, then turned her face into the mattress to muffle her cries. She hadn’t expected him to bite her, but the shock along with the lash of his tongue along the sting was exciting as hell. It was pitch-black, and with her face down and her knees folded under her armpits, she couldn’t see what he was doing, but God, could she feel it. She held on tight to the sheet and moved back into each of Josh’s thrusts. With one arm curled under her stomach, he held her steady with his weight on her back. Even though they’d just made love a few hours ago, she’d awakened him with fellatio as the rest of the house slept. Josh had promised to do everything in his power to get her pregnant, and he made it a point to never let her down. They’d even brought in the new year by christening every surface in their room at the nicest local hotel. The memory made her pussy clench around him, and he growled in her ear. “You feel so fucking good, Tess. Like you were made for me.” His chest brushed against her back, slick with sweat, with skin so hot she wouldn’t have been surprised to find his brand burned into her flesh. Tessa squeezed again, enjoying the additional friction the movement created. “I only feel this good with you inside me, husband.” “Goddamn it.” Tessa grinned and milked him once more. He loved it when she spoke in her throaty sex voice, and she

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only called him husband when they made love. It drove him wild. His movements grew choppier, and his breath came hard against her shoulder. She could feel his excitement peaking. She reached behind her to grab the back of his thigh. “Shit,” he hissed. He buried his nose and mouth in the crook of her neck. He brushed his lips across her skin and slowed from a pistoning to a gentle glide. “Josh…” “I know, baby.” He rolled onto his side, using his arm to bring her along with him. She squeezed around him with the movement, eliciting another groan. “Oh yeah.” Tessa whimpered. Josh knew this was her favorite position, especially when he used his fingers—oh God, just like that—to tease her sex as it stretched around his cock. He rested inside her, only using his hips to withdraw and slide back in a languorous caress every four or five rotations over her clit. She loved the fact he was never in a hurry. Even when she just wanted fast and hard, he’d work his way up to it, ensuring her completion at least once before he gave in to his own. With him plastered to her back, she wasn’t able to do her share of touching and seeing, so she held on to his ass, loving the tightening of the firm muscle with each slow thrust. Tessa’s ears started to tingle and then burn. The wave began washing through her body, and she went limp in his arms, having learned her lesson in the bathtub. Orgasms really were best when she was completely relaxed. Four quick thrusts with his pelvis put her over the

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brink. He surged into her just as an explosion of pleasure rushed through her, flaring to life at every point where they touched. She massaged his cock, letting each spasm ripple down his length as he petted her pearl. The last pulse curled her toes. “Oh…hmm…” Without moving, he swelled and spurted against her walls, sending his seed deep inside. “Ah, Tessa.” She released her grip on his butt to grasp his hand, threading her fingers in between his and holding on tight, enjoying each of her tiny aftershocks. He grew softer, and even that was an erotic feeling against her sensitive walls. Her heartbeat slowed, and Josh’s breathing evened out. He loved to linger inside almost as much as she wanted him to. The sky was still dark, but the ranch wouldn’t be this peaceful for long. Gus never slept past sunrise, and Martha was always there to make the first pot of coffee. As bad as things were when Staley stole her herd, Tessa didn’t think life could get much better than it was now, sleeping in the big bed with Josh. Tessa sighed. “It’s good to have a Bradley back at BER.” Josh outlined the shell of her ear with his tongue. “Two Bradleys now.” “Hopefully three soon.” He nibbled her earlobe. “I’ll do my best.” “Seems someone takes his job as a breeder pretty seriously.” Josh grunted, but he said nothing more as he rubbed circles on her navel. She breathed in his sleepy amber scent and wallowed in his warm embrace for a while until his legs shifted restlessly. She didn’t have

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to ask what was on his mind. “She’s going to be fine, you know.” “Who?” “Sugar Cookie. She’s carrying well. No complications.” She hooked her ankle behind his knee, knowing he was thinking about rushing back to the foaling stall to check on the very pregnant mare, and she wanted five more minutes alone with him. Having four pregnant mares carrying such valuable offspring had turned Josh into a worried, overprotective expectant father. Catalina Sky had dropped their newest addition four days ago. Sugar Cookie would be the last to foal, and for Josh’s sake, Tessa hoped it would be soon. She could only imagine how he’d react during his own son or daughter’s impending birth. Tessa smiled at the thought and covered his hand on her abdomen. “It’s almost February. I’m just worried she’s going too long,” he continued. “She was the last to take. Gus says she’s right on track.” She reached back and fondled his balls, enjoying the sticky evidence of their act. “She’s carrying a colt. You know they take longer to cook with the extra parts.” He chuckled. “Aren’t you glad I’m here with your favorite parts?” “Very. I love you, Josh.” “I love you too, baby,” he whispered. “So goddamned much.” “Don’t make me move.” She snuggled against him. “You stay. I’m going to check on Sugar Cookie.” He kissed her cheek, then rolled out of bed to get

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dressed. Tessa pouted, but nothing she could say would sway him when he had something on his mind. “You should hurry back. I could ovulate any second.” She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, then let it drop close to her nipple. Josh groaned and almost stumbled over his pants as he tried to get them on and reach the bed at the same time. “You’re insatiable, you know that?” He covered her mouth with his but fastened his jeans despite her efforts. “I’m sure if anything was going on, Gus would have called you.” “I know.” He gave her one more light kiss on the end of her nose before shoving his bare feet into a pair of boots. “I’ll be right back.” He closed the door behind him, and she listened to his progress through the house and out the back door. She snuggled back under the comforter and thought about names for the new colt, and then a few for her future child. She fell asleep smiling. An hour later she woke up alone. The sky had lightened to signal dawn, but Josh hadn’t returned. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and dressed quickly, trying not to imagine the worst. “Tess!” She almost ran into him on the stairs, and the fact that he wasted no time dragging her through the house scared her. “What’s going on, Josh? Is Sugar Cookie all right?” “Yes, she’s been in position for about half an hour. She should deliver soon. I thought you’d want to be

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there.” Excitement shone through his eyes, and even in the dim light, his teeth flashed in a grin. Inside the small barn, where they’d set up the foaling stall, Gus knelt in the alley, holding a lantern. “Just in time. I can see the feet.” Stifling a squeal, Tessa threw her arms around Josh’s neck. “How did you know?” she whispered. “You were restless all day yesterday.” Josh shrugged and held her for the next twenty minutes as they watched the miracle of birth. Sugar Cookie came through like the champion she was, and delivered the male without a fuss. Tessa, Josh and Gus stood by proudly as the dam cleaned her newborn. “He’s beautiful. Oh, Josh…look at the mark on his nose. It looks like an exclamation point.” She couldn’t wait to give the colt a big hug around his neck, but she knew better than approach a new mother. “He’s a beaut. Has Saddle Sore’s coloring for sure.” Gus prepared his implements to care for the foal’s umbilical cord and soothed Sugar Cookie with reassuring words. “Well, Mrs. Bradley—” Josh spun her around, “— what’s next on your list of things to do at BER?” Tessa’s face was cramping from excessive smiling, but she couldn’t stop. “First we need to name Sugar Cookie’s colt.” “No, I’ve already picked a name. The exclamation point sealed it. He’s going to be a handful.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Besides, figuratively speaking, more than a colt was born today.” “Oh really? So what’s this perfect name you came up with?” “Tessa’s Pride.”

About the Author Olivia Brynn is the very saucy alter ego of romance author Alanna Coca. Olivia was the one who lured Alanna into trouble as a child. She also would have been the one to get her mouth washed out with soap. Since controlling Olivia wasn’t as easy as she thought, Alanna decided to set her alter ego free with Olivia’s first book, For a Price, a story about one woman’s journey to sell her virginity. Other books followed, earning five-star reviews and bestselling status. Alanna realized what fun Olivia had writing sexy romances without censor. Olivia writes contemporary erotic romance near a window where the view of the Rocky Mountains beckons her to run naked through the tall foothill grasses. Except when it snows.

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ISBN: 978-1-4268-9122-9 Copyright © 2011 by Olivia Brynn All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9. All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A. ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries. www.CarinaPress.com