Free A Real Cowboy Never Says No by Stephanie Rowe

with." The older man winked. "Sunday dinner? The little lady would love to meet the woman who finally got Chase's attention."
    Dinner? Mira started to panic. How could she go to dinner and keep up a façade with such a nice man. "Oh, I don't—"
    "You bet," Chase said. "I'll bring the pie."
    "Excellent." Gary winked at Mira again. "I invite Chase only because he makes the best apple pie in the county. It's the only reason anyone invites him anywhere." He tipped his hat, his affection for Chase evident. He was so warm and engaging that Mira knew he was the real deal, a genuinely nice cowboy who lived by the code of loyalty. "Welcome again, Mira. If you're good for Chase, then you have my vote. See you guys on Sunday."
    Sunday? As she watched him walk away, the enormity of what she'd just stepped into suddenly seemed to loom up. This wasn't a simple façade between the two of them. This was an intention to deceive an entire world, one by one, laying the seeds for a deception that had to be strong enough to last the lifetime of her child.
    Good God, what had she done?

Chapter 6
    Chase leaned moodily on his kitchen counter, watching Mira inspect his kitchen. He'd spent a lot of time refinishing the cabinets and installing the granite countertops. He was proud of how the kitchen had come out, but right now, he didn't even care what she thought of it. All he could do was focus on her. Her hair was loose, tumbling around her shoulders. She was wearing old jeans that fit her with enough sensual perfection to make his gut clench every time she turned around. He'd noticed her bright pink toenail polish, and her bare ankles made it clear she was still wearing the anklet she'd had on when he'd first met her.
    At the funeral, she'd been gorgeous, all fancied up in her dress, but now that she was casual and walking through his house, it was different. It was real now. She was real, and accessible.
    He hadn't meant to kiss her when she'd arrived, but when he'd seen her standing there looking both terrified and brave as hell, kissing her had made sense. He'd wanted to claim her, right there, in front of everyone. Kissing her had set her up as being under his protection, and he'd wanted to do that.
    Ah, hell, who was he trying to kid? It hadn't been a conscious, strategic decision. It had been a raw, visceral need to imprint himself on her before anyone else could do the same.
    The kiss had been incredible. Amazing. Best moment of his life...and then Gary had interfered. After Gary had left, Mira had withdrawn. She'd been careful not to even brush against him as they walked, and her smile had been taut and distant.
    The warm, open woman he'd met at the funeral was gone, and he didn't like it.
    He wanted the Mira he knew back, but as he watched her walk through his house, he had no idea what to do to make it happen. "I'm not used to having a woman in my house," he said finally, hoping that she might take pity on him and help him figure out what to say.
    She glanced over at him, and for the first time since the kiss, he saw a small smile curve her mouth. "I'm not used to being in a man's house, so we're even." She turned to face him, her eyes finally meeting his. "I'm not comfortable going to Gary's, Chase. I feel like we're spiraling too fast into a situation that's out of my control."
    Ah...so that was it. He considered her concerns for a moment, but it took him less than a split second to dismiss them. He didn't know what it was, but something was burning in him that he hadn't expected. Going to Gary's would cement their connection in the public eye, and he wanted that to happen. Yeah, it wasn't real, and it was, as he'd said, a business partnership only, but he wasn't going to leave her high and dry. His need to protect her and the baby was growing stronger every minute he was with her. "You don't turn down an invite from Gary," he said simply.
    She blinked. "Why not?"
    He shrugged. "He's a good guy." He didn't want to explain any more than