Free Having the Rancher's Baby by Cathy McDavid Page A

moment?”
    â€œSeizing the moment is what got me pregnant.”
    He chuckled. Before she quite knew it, he’d wrapped a strong arm around her waist and lifted her flush against him. She was forced to hold on to his shoulders or risk losing her balance.
    He waited till she met his gaze. “Last chance.”
    No, no, no.
    Her silent protest was useless. The next instant, his lips covered hers and parted them. His tongue met no resistance and slid into her mouth, tangling with hers.
    Yes, yes, yes , she thought and willingly took the lead.
    This was much better than in the parking lot. Better than when they’d arrived at her house and he’d walked her to the door. Better than when she’d invited him inside, then into her bedroom, where he’d made incredible, delicious love to her. Better than her imagination, and she’d been imagining all sorts of scenarios recently, each of them involving her and Cole and endless expanses of naked skin.
    She was a terrible person. To let him do this to her. To be doing this to him. To be wanting more.
    Her arms went around his neck and she hung on, needing him to keep her anchored lest she float away. Sounds filled her ears. Her breathing. His heart pounding. Her name on his lips right before he took the kiss to the next level. Then, neither of them were making a sound as she gave herself over to him completely.
    When she would have gone on indefinitely, let him take any and every advantage, he suddenly stopped.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?”
    Had she really just asked that? Of course they should stop. They were crazy to have started in the first place. At least he’d come to his senses. She’d been ready to jump once again off the deep end.
    This time, she did pull away, and he let her go.
    â€œVi. Please.” He paused. “I was thinking of you. A kiss is one thing, but this isn’t the right time or place to...”
    He was right, of course. She, as much as him, had gotten carried away.
    Acutely embarrassed, she averted her head. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”
    â€œHey, come on, now. Let’s not have any of that.”
    â€œAny of what?”
    He bent his head close to her. “Feeling bad. Regrets. We kissed because there’s something undeniable between us.”
    â€œYeah, a baby.”
    â€œFeelings, Vi. Strong ones.”
    He was right, and that was what scared her. She could have this baby with him, walk the delicate line between personal and business, as long as they kept their relationship casual.
    Violet wanted to believe in the institution of marriage and that happy families weren’t a myth or the basis of a TV sitcom. But she’d grown up in a dysfunctional household and become the unwilling collateral damage of two parents determined to foist their misery on everyone else. She honestly didn’t know if she was capable of sustaining a healthy relationship with a man. Hadn’t her and Denny’s marriage gone down in flames?
    Even scarier, what if she let Cole into her heart, made a commitment to him, only to lose the baby? What then? Would guilt cause him to stay with her despite his desire to return to the rodeo circuit? And if he did stay, he might very well grow to resent her.
    Arm’s length. That was where she needed to keep him. For both their sakes.
    â€œCome on,” she said. “Let’s look at the map.”
    * * *
    â€œI’ LL TAKE A couple of those.”
    Cole returned the serving spoon to the bowl of refried beans and stared pointedly at Gabe. “Your hand broken?”
    Gabe dropped into a chair at the kitchen table. “Figured if you were already making yourself lunch, you could fix me some, too. Not like it’s work.”
    Bean burritos. Raquel, not Cole, had prepared the fixings earlier in the day before taking Josh’s two kids with her to visit her friend in Mesa. They’d be gone until late afternoon. While the