Free The Ranger's Rodeo Rebel by Pamela Britton Page A

realized. At James. Something about that anger stirred feelings in her own heart.
    â€œI’m sorry.”
    â€œDon’t apologize.” He tipped her chin up with his hand. Her breath caught. “This is not your fault. None of this is the result of something you did. He’s a lowlife piece of scum, and if he comes near you, he’ll be sorry.”
    How was it possible to be so afraid of one man and yet so incredibly attracted to another at the same time?
    Crazy.
    â€œHe won’t come here.” The words were more of an affirmation, one she’d been repeating to herself the whole way there.
    â€œIf he does, I’ll take care of it.”
    Chance never looked away, and she took this time to examine his face. He looked more like his sister, Claire, than his brother, with his green eyes and dark hair. But it was the expression on his face that held her attention. She’d never seen such a look of fierce determination—and it was all aimed at protecting her.
    Frankly, it turned her on.
    * * *
    S LEEPING ARRANGEMENTS .
    He’d been thinking about it the whole damn way to the rodeo. It hadn’t been a problem before he’d damn near kissed her. But now he’d be a fool to share a room with her, not when he clearly couldn’t be trusted to keep his distance. No. It’d be better if he found her a hotel room or another place to stay, or a place for him to stay. There was just one problem.
    James.
    What if he showed up in the middle of the night? What if he watched her bunk down in someone else’s trailer? What if he sneaked up on her? Chance couldn’t allow that to happen, which meant sticking to Carolina like glue, which meant sharing the trailer with her.
    Yippee-ki-yay!
    So when she showed up at the trailer after a quick practice session with the girls, he needed to tell her his plan. She wore that skintight bodysuit he was growing to hate, or maybe love, and he tried not to notice the way it showed off her every curve. “Look, I was thinking you might be uncomfortable with me sleeping inside. You know, gossip and all that, so I was going to grab a blanket and set up camp outside.”
    â€œWhat?” She appeared genuinely surprised, the evening sun shining into her blue eyes. “I don’t care what people think.”
    â€œWell, I do. I’ll keep watch out here.”
    â€œNot going to happen.” She crossed her arms over her chest, apparently digging in her heels over the issue. “People can gossip all they want. I already owe you so much. I’m not going to be responsible for booting you from your bed.”
    He didn’t like the images the word bed provoked. “I thought with everything that had happened between you and James, you might be uncomfortable sleeping with a strange man. I mean, sleeping near a man you don’t know all that well.”
    Why did he feel like a bumbling fool all of a sudden? Was it the fact she stood, blue eyes wide, blond hair streaming down her back, her body silhouetted by the sun?
    â€œYou’re my boss’s brother.” She forced a smile. He could tell by the way it didn’t quite wrinkle the corners of her eyes. “It’ll be fine.”
    Somehow he doubted that.
    â€œI promise not to bite,” she added.
    Yeah, but would he be able to keep from biting her? That was the question.
    * * *
    S HE ’ D BEEN LYING . It would not be fine. She recognized that fact within two minutes of stepping inside the trailer.
    â€œI need to take a shower,” she announced.
    He’d followed her inside, but her words made him freeze. “Oh, yeah. Sure. I’ll wait outside while you do that.”
    For a fraction of a second, she wondered what he would do if she invited him into the shower with her, but as quickly as the thought came, she chased it away. She did not need that type of complication in her life, not matter how tempting.
    â€œThanks,” she said instead,