Buch lesen: «The Wedding Deal»

CHAPTER ONE

PRESSING a hand to her stomach to still the batch of butterflies swarming in her belly, Eden Lowe glanced out her kitchen window toward the bachelor apartment above the garage for the third time in the past five minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired, lean-hipped cowboy she’d recently employed as a hand at the Double L—a man who could be her salvation, if she could just convince him to agree to her daring, and very brazen proposition.

An hour and a half ago she’d been down in her office finishing up paperwork when Luke Bodene had ridden up after spending a full day out in the North pasture mending a split fence. She’d deliberately waited for him, and when he’d walked into the barn, she’d exited her office.

As always, he’d been excruciatingly polite. He’d acknowledged her with a courteous nod of his head, and touched the tips of his long fingers to the brim of his broken-in Stetson that covered pitch-black hair in need of a haircut. The silky-looking strands layered past his ears, and brushed the collar of the dusty, sweat-stained chambray shirt that molded to wide shoulders, a muscular chest, and a lean torso honed by pure physical labor.

“Good evening, Ms. Lowe,” he’d murmured cordially, his voice a low, velvet rumble that matched the flickering warmth in his rich, golden-brown eyes.

Her pulse had leapt, as it seemed to do whenever they made eye contact, or he spoke to her. Outwardly, she’d maintained her professional composure. First and foremost she was his boss, and it was important to her that her hands knew she was the one in control of her ranch and employees.

“Luke, would you mind coming up to the kitchen in the main house when you get the chance? I need to speak with you.”

For a moment, his jaw clenched and his eyes seemed to turn granite hard. Then an odd look of resignation had eased across his expression. “I need to take care of Diablo after the long day he put in,” he said of the gelding he’d brought with him the day he’d drifted onto the Double L and asked if she needed an extra hand. Like most cowboys, his horse seemed to be his best friend, but this man seemed more of a loner than most. “And I’d like to get cleaned up myself, unless you need to speak with me immediately?”

There was the slightest defensive edge to his voice, as if he expected a reprimand of some sort. She’d smiled to alleviate the sudden tension swirling around him. “No, go ahead and see to Diablo and yourself. That’ll give me a chance to shower and change, as well.”

As soon as the words escaped, she’d wished them back, especially when she caught the curious upward quirk to his brow. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she was primping for him—but she couldn’t deny that when she extended her unorthodox offer to Luke she wanted to be dressed in something other than old, faded jeans, a wrinkled blouse, and work boots.

He’d turned, and she’d watched him head toward his horse’s stall, her gaze unerringly drawn to the way his soft worn jeans paid homage to his toned buttocks and hard thighs. He was, undeniably, a breathtakingly attractive man, and much to her dismay she found she wasn’t immune to his good looks, his unconsciously sexy swagger, and those bedroom eyes fringed in thick lashes that seemed to hold an equal dose of temptation, and something far more reserved.

But for all his appeal, he’d never made an improper advance toward her, unlike some of the men she’d hired in the past, inaccurately believing their boss to be a lonely widow in need of male attention. No, despite his remote attitude, Luke Bodene was a gentleman, and that’s exactly why she’d chosen him to help her out of a very delicate predicament.

If he’d ever show up!

Chewing on her bottom lip, she cast a quick glance at the clock on the wall. Down in the barn she’d been filled with confidence, but with every second that ticked by with no sign of Luke, her fortitude wavered. The pot roast dinner she’d painstakingly prepared warmed in the oven, and if she waited much longer the meat would dry out and taste like shoe leather. If he was the kind of man who judged a woman by her cooking skills, in another half hour she wouldn’t stand a chance of impressing him with her culinary talents.

A sudden bout of dread and apprehension filled her, making her question the insane, but viable plan that had taken up residence in her head a few days ago. Uncertainties assailed her, yet she refused to allow any doubts to obstruct her goals, or her chance at an independent future.

She had no choice but to proposition a man she’d known less than a month. A gorgeous, brooding, solitary cowboy who suited her purpose perfectly. Now that she’d finally gathered the nerve to state her arrangement to him, she could only hope Lucas Bodene would appreciate and accept the generous payment she was willing to offer in exchange for his services.

One year was all she was asking. Twelve months of a marriage in name only while he continued to work her small cattle operation, and played the part of her husband in the eyes of Maddox, Texas. Once he fulfilled his end of their wedding deal, he’d collect the handsome parcel of land in Montana that had belonged to her parents, they’d file for divorce, and he’d continue on his way, and out of her life. A desperate plan for an equally desperate need to secure her and her daughter’s future and regain control of her life, and the ranch her brother-in-law held just out of her full reach.

According to a stipulation in her late husband’s will, her brother-in-law Allen Lowe had every right to exert his authority over the ranch that had become Eden’s livelihood, since he’d been granted control over the Double L’s finances until she remarried. For the past two-and-a-half years since her husband Bryce’s death, and the stunning announcement that he hadn’t trusted her with the cattle operation they’d built together, Allen had gloried in holding his power over her head. He never let her forget that he maintained ultimate influence over every decision she made, every penny she spent. More times than not, he thwarted her attempts to expand or buy extra supplies, just to prove that he was, indeed, in control.

The soft thump-thump of the apartment door closing brought Eden’s attention back to the window, where she saw Luke heading up to the main house. He’d left his hat behind, and the setting sun glinted off the raven hair still damp from a shower. The rebel-long strands were combed away from his face, making his features appear sharp and chiseled. His jaw was square, his cheekbones high, and he had the fullest, most sensual mouth she’d ever seen on a man. He wore a clean chambray shirt with the sleeves cuffed to reveal his strong, tanned forearms, a pair of jeans as faded as the ones he’d worn earlier, minus the dirt and grime, and the beige leather cowboy boots he wore when he wasn’t working.

As he neared, anticipation raced through her veins.

Smoothing a hand over the front of her casual dress, and quickly sifting her fingers through her just-washed, unbound hair, she grabbed two pot holders and pulled their dinner out of the oven just in time to save their meal. With her daughter at her sister’s for the night, she had all evening to sway Luke Bodene to her way of thinking.

A savory home-cooked meal for a man used to bland grub and the local diner’s greasy food was a good start.

In Luke’s vast experience over the past eight years, ranch owners summoned him after a long day’s work for one reason only, and that was to relieve him of his job upon discovering the less than sterling history that made him a high-risk employee. Considering his pretty lady-boss lived by herself, she had more reason than most to distrust him. Fear him, even. Especially if certain details of his past had been brought to her attention, which, judging by this after-hours trek he was making up to the main ranch house, he was guessing was the cause.

Resigned to the inevitable, Luke attempted to push aside old resentments, wondering why Eden hadn’t just issued him his walking papers when she’d seen him down in the barn earlier. Why prolong something that was bound to be frustrating for him, and awkward for her? He should have made it simple on the both of them and just packed up his belongings and moved on without putting either one of them through this unpleasant confrontation.

It still wasn’t too late for him to turn around and follow through with that plan. If she were a man, he wouldn’t have hesitated. But, Eden was a woman, and she deserved the courtesy and the security of knowing that he wasn’t leaving the Double L as a disgruntled employee; that he understood her reasons for letting him go, and there were no hard feelings on his part.

Just a weary acceptance of what his life had become.

Releasing a soul-deep sigh for the empty, lonely life he’d lived the past eight years, and for the solitary years to come, he climbed the stairs to the back kitchen entrance to the main house and knocked on the screen door.

“The door’s open, Luke,” Eden said from inside the house. “Come on in.”

Her voice was soft, feminine, and just as welcoming as her invitation for him to step inside her home—a place he’d never ventured before. Oh, there had been a few times over the past month that he’d stood at the screen door to relay a message or wait for her to come outside to take care of a problem on the ranch, but he’d never allowed himself to step past the barrier that was as much a physical obstruction as an emotional one. He found it difficult to breach that boundary even now. Passing over Eden’s threshold felt personal, especially when he found the woman too attractive and tempting for his peace of mind.

And if she planned to lay him off, he’d prefer she did so right where he stood so he could be on his way.

Appearing just on the other side of the screen door, she tilted her head curiously, causing her rich russet hair to flow over her shoulders. The light behind her touched the end of those strands in fiery gold.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me?” she asked lightly.

A startling rumble of awareness broadsided Luke as his gaze took in the transformed woman standing before him. For the most part he was used to seeing Eden in no-nonsense jeans and a blouse, with her hair in an efficient braid or ponytail. She’d showered and changed, and the pretty dress she wore made her look as spring-fresh as the tiny violet flowers printed on the material.

She wasn’t one of those petite, delicate types most men preferred. Luke wasn’t most men, and in his estimation Eden was all woman, as was evident in the way the rounded neckline and snug bodice of her dress displayed her full breasts and nicely rounded hips. She stood only a few inches under his six foot height, and her body was lush and curvy—offering the kind of warmth and softness a man could lose himself in for hours.

He couldn’t deny that she stirred his baser male instincts, though he’d never touch a respectable woman like her. Fantasies were a whole other issue, and his mind often strayed in the darkness of night to thoughts of Eden, and just how fiery and passionate she might be beneath that practical, sensible facade of hers.

“Luke?”

The amicable smile threw him off-kilter. Though he detected a hint of nervousness in her green eyes, it wasn’t the grim look he was accustomed to seeing when an employer discovered his disreputable past and decided to cut him loose.

Her mixed signals confused him, prompting caution. “Ms. Lowe, I don’t think it would be such a good idea if I came inside.” Whatever she needed to discuss with him, they could do it just as easily where they stood.

“I’m inviting you inside,” she insisted, and opened the screen door as if to prove her point. “And it would be rude of you to refuse.” Her voice was light and teasing.

He didn’t understand why she was being so insistent, but rather than argue, he reluctantly brushed past her and entered the kitchen. He caught that familiar floral scent that clung to her skin, and his gut tightened. And then a more savory aroma attacked his senses, nudging the appetite he’d suppressed since the two sandwiches he’d eaten for lunch.

He didn’t advance any farther than a few steps into the modest kitchen, but he could easily see the small oak dining table set for two—for her and her daughter, he assumed. The surface was laden with a virtual feast of fragrant pot roast, peeled and browned potatoes, fresh green beans in a butter sauce, and biscuits and gravy.

Much to his chagrin, his stomach growled at the sight of such a delicious banquet of food. Loudly. Fiercely. And there wasn’t a thing he could do about intercepting the announcement that he was starved.

She laughed, the husky, intimate sound igniting a slow heat in his veins. “I’m glad to hear you’re hungry. I was hoping you hadn’t eaten yet.”

Unable to help the perplexed frown that touched his brows, he watched her move to the counter and pick up a platter of cantaloupe sliced into juicy wedges. “Uh, no, ma’am, I haven’t.”

“Good.” Setting the fruit on the table, she turned to him with a beguiling smile no healthy, red-blooded male could resist. “Will you stay for supper?”

What the heck was going on? Was she offering him his last meal before sending him on his way? He scratched his temple, certain he’d misunderstood the whole scenario. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

“Please, call me Eden,” she insisted, the waver in her voice at odds with the determination in her eyes. “Right now, I’m not your boss, just a woman who invited you to join her for supper. No ‘Ms. Lowe’ or ‘ma’am’ allowed.” She gestured toward the table with a slender hand. “And I made plenty as you can tell. More than enough for just one.”

More than enough for just one? Which meant she was alone. They were alone. His boots remained grounded where he stood. “Where’s your daughter?”

“Phoebe is at my sister’s for the night.” After smoothing a hand down the skirt of her dress, she went to the refrigerator and opened it. “What would you like to drink? I have iced tea, apple juice, or beer.”

She held the latter choice out to him, and he noticed that her hand trembled ever so slightly. Still trying to put all the pieces of this intriguing puzzle together, he took the chilled bottle from her. “Thank you.”

Twisting off the cap, he took a long drink of the malty liquid, quenching his thirst. He watched as she drew a deep breath, then turned to retrieve a glass from the cupboard and pour herself a glass of iced tea. It gave him an extra moment to analyze Eden’s intentions.

In the month that he’d been working for Eden, she’d always been kind to him and they’d worked well together on the ranch. He had no problems taking orders from his lady-boss, unlike most men. He liked and respected her, and she offered him the same. But, at the end of the day they went their separate ways, him to his small apartment over the garage, and her to the main house.

Though there seemed to be an undercurrent of awareness between them, they’d never fraternized beyond business, and their employee/employer relationship had never crossed the boundaries of propriety.

He felt as though they’d just leapt across that line of demarcation and straight into forbidden territory.

Now that his confusion had worn off, the signs were fairly blatant. With a quick sweep of his gaze, he gathered up the evidence and sorted it out in his mind. She’d prepared a sumptuous meal for two, her daughter was gone for the night, she looked pretty and feminine in her dress, and she smelled soft and alluring. Her anxious behavior fit the pattern, as well.

From his own observations over the past month, he had concluded that Eden Lowe was an independent woman, confident and competent in her business decisions, and headstrong in her ideals when it came to the small cattle operation she managed, despite how her brother-in-law tried to thwart her attempts to keep the facilities running efficiently.

From the information he’d gleaned through casual conversation with Jake, the only other hand Eden employed on a part-time basis, he knew she was a widow of two-and-a-half years. But, according to Jake, she rarely dated. Which made Luke guess that she preferred having a brief fling with a man who wasn’t looking for a commitment or emotional entanglements and wouldn’t demand anything more than a good time.

He was certainly that kind of man, and while the thought of having an affair with this woman appealed to him on a masculine level, she posed too much of a threat to his mental well-being. One taste of her whole-some, generous nature, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to walk away.

And sooner or later, he always walked away.

She carried her drink to the table, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Well, let’s sit down and get started before everything gets cold.”

At the moment, he was feeling warmer than usual, and it had nothing to do with the heat in the kitchen, and everything to do with his own internal temperature that had risen at the image of Eden soft and willing in his bed, her lips lush beneath his, her hair spread over his pillow, tangled in his hands…

Abruptly, he banished those sensual thoughts that would never come to fruition. Not with her.

Despite his resolve not to engage in extracurricular activities with his boss, Luke decided there was no sense in refusing a perfectly good meal. Taking the chair next to Eden, he settled in and accepted the platter of succulent pot roast she passed his way. He wasn’t shy about heaping his plate with the array of delicious-smelling foods, and as he started to eat, he kept waiting for Eden to engage him in conversation.

She didn’t. Nor did she eat any of the small portion of supper she’d served herself. Instead, she fiddled with her fork, and pushed her food around on her plate, and absently chewed on her bottom lip, as if uncertain how to broach the subject that was on her mind. Her obvious preoccupation took away from his own enjoyment of the meal.

He sighed, and tried to find the best way to gently prompt her to open up and divulge the real purpose for inviting him to supper. “Ma’am…” She glanced up at him expectantly, making him realize he’d reverted back to a formality that was better used during working hours. “Eden, you’ll have to pardon me for being so forward, but I’d really like to know what all this is leading to. It is leading to something, isn’t it?”

She cringed, and her face flushed a becoming shade of pink. “Um, yes, I suppose it is,” she admitted, unnecessarily smoothing the napkin in her lap. “Am I that transparent?”

She sounded completely disgusted with herself. He found a rare smile kicking up the corner of his mouth, as well as experiencing a profound sense of relief that she didn’t do this sort of thing often. “Well, you did say you wanted to speak with me about something, and a woman doesn’t usually go through all this trouble for a man she hardly knows unless she’s trying to impress him.”

“Are you impressed?” she asked, hope glimmering in her eyes.

“And flattered,” he said, the admission an honest one. At least she’d know that her efforts hadn’t been in vain, that he’d appreciated the meal, and her attempts to seduce him, even if he wouldn’t allow himself to reap the end results.

His response seemed to gratify her, bolster her fortitude, even. Straightening in her chair, she reached over and rested her hand on his arm, her gaze locking on his. “Luke…I have a proposition for you.” Before he could swallow the bite of potato he’d just taken and waylay her request, she forged ahead. “I’d like for you and I to, well…” Her voice faltered as she struggled to find the right words. “I’ve never asked a man to, well…”

He swallowed, hard, and sympathetic to her discomfort, he supplied, “Have an affair?”

She snatched her hand back, shock enveloping her features. “Oh, goodness, no!” Her hand fluttered to the collar of her dress, and then she laughed, as if she found his wrong assumption amusing. “I don’t want us to have an affair, I want us to get married.”

Stunned, Luke’s fork clattered to his plate, and his appetite vanished. “Married?” he repeated incredulously, feeling as though he’d just been prodded with a fiery branding iron. His entire body burned, and he had a strong urge to bolt for wide open spaces. He’d been prepared to divert a seduction, not a marriage proposal!

She pulled in a deep breath, and let it out in a rush. “I know this is all very sudden—”

“Ma’am,” he managed to interrupt with extreme politeness, “I think you’ve roped the wrong cowboy.” Prepared to leave, he scooted his chair back, the scraping sound much like the clawing sensation in his belly.

Abruptly, she stood, too, panic flashing in her eyes. “Luke, wait a minute.”

Another minute, and he’d surely give in to the pleading note in her voice—and she had to be desperate to ask a renegade like him to marry her. He was certain she had her reasons for picking him, a stranger, he just didn’t want to be any part of whatever ploy she had in mind.

And considering what a fiercely independent woman she was, he had no doubt that this marriage proposal was a scheme of some sort. He didn’t believe for a moment that she needed a husband.

He headed toward the back screen door, but she beat him to it, blocking his path. When he stepped even closer to intimidate her into moving out of his way, she held out her hand and pressed her palm against his chest to keep two feet of distance between them. He immediately tensed at her bold move, but she didn’t seem the least bit afraid of him, and she might not know it but she had many reasons to fear him.

He scowled down at her. Stubborn woman!

“Luke, please,” she persisted, ignoring his dark look. “Just give me a chance to explain.”

His jaw clenched tight, until a muscle in his cheek ticked. “There’s nothing to explain,” he said with more calm than he felt. “I think we both should just chalk this up to a big misunderstanding.”

“But it’s not a misunderstanding.” Her chin rose and purpose fired her green eyes to a bright shade of emerald. “I am proposing.”

That heat prickled his skin again, settling in his stomach like a ball of fire. “I’m not interested.” The lie tumbled gruffly from his lips.

Frustration radiated off her, and her fingers flexed against his chest. “I’ll make it worth your while,” she blurted.

Her brazen statement threw provocative images into his mind that he had no defenses against. Oh, he had no doubt the benefits of marrying Eden would far exceed any sacrifice on his part. She was a beautiful woman, and it would be no hardship to share a house and bed with her, to be able to claim his husbandly rights and take their attraction to its logical conclusion. She was an excellent cook, an intelligent, hardworking business woman, and a good mom. She possessed all the qualities a man would pick for a wife, and then some. But whatever her reasons for singling him out, and no matter how appealing he found the idea of marrying Eden, he couldn’t do it.

And then there was his past to consider that would forever haunt him, a past which would only taint Eden’s reputation and the credibility of the Double L if someone discovered what he’d done.

He was a solitary man for a reason, a drifter by necessity—for the sole purpose of being able to pack up and move on when his transgressions nipped at his heels. Far from being poor, he’d been saving his earnings for years now, and he hoped that one day he’d be able to settle down on his own spread, be his own boss, raise his own cattle…alone. Always alone.

Regret twisted within him, and he gently grasped the hand Eden still pressed insistently to his chest. His callused thumb grazed the silky soft skin along her wrist, as much of a touch as he dared when he craved something far more intimate with Eden—warmth, caring, acceptance. The very things he’d sworn he’d learned to live without.

Obviously not.

Her lips parted on a catch of breath, and the pulse at the base of her neck fluttered in reaction to his caress. Her dark, spiky lashes drifted to half-mast, and she made no attempt to pull her arm back. The tension in the room shifted, crackling with those sensual sparks that flared whenever they got too close.

Right now, they were close enough to ignite a wildfire.

His heartbeat drummed in his ears and reverberated heavily through his body, making him intensely aware of Eden, of himself, and the need that had crept up on him without his permission—a dangerous kind of longing he couldn’t seem to shake when it came to this particular woman.

Kissing her would be only a matter of lowering his head and stealing what she unconsciously offered. And there was no denying he ached to taste the sweet heat of her mouth, to draw her body against his and lose himself in her scent and softness.

And though he suspected Eden wouldn’t so much as issue a protest to something they’d both been fighting for the past month, deny himself he did. For her protection as much as for his own sanity.

Releasing her hand, he watched as the smoky desire in her gaze ebbed to confusion. He forced himself to speak, to reestablish those boundaries that had crumbled the moment he touched her.

“As tempting as your offer is, ma’am, I’m not interested,” he said succinctly.

Stepping around her before she regained her composure and countered him yet again, he headed out the back door, mentally justifying his brusque actions—better for her to experience a gentle rejection now than for her to suffer later.