Free Royal Holiday Baby by Leanne Banks Page A

afterward.
    The truth was he still hadn’t tried to force her. He’d just stated his case and let the truth sit between them. Terrifying, but in many ways, valid. Too valid.
    This was a big decision. Damn. Since she’d met Zach, everything had been a big decision. She bit the inside of her lip, a technique she’d developed as a child to cover her nerves.
    â€œOkay, your highness, you ready to see my little plot of land?” he asked, his eyes full of sexy humor.
    She smiled. “Your kingdom,” she corrected.
    He chuckled and she allowed him to lead her out the door to his SUV. He ushered her into the car, started it and turned on the AC. “West first. We call it the devil’s land. It’s the worst,” he said. “Nothing grows here,” he said as he turned onto a dirt road.
    She looked out the window and couldn’t deny what he’d said. “Well, it does look a bit dry. No irrigation possibilities, I suppose?”
    â€œMight as well pour water into Death Valley,” he said.
    She couldn’t quite swallow a chuckle. “I love it that you’re not trying to sell me. It’s so rare.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” he asked.
    â€œI mean, everywhere I go people always show me the best stuff first and try to hide the bad. This is hideous.”
    Zach pulled to a stop and put his car into Park. Propping his jaw against his hand, he stared into the distance. “Yeah, in a way. In a way, if you can get through the barren desert, maybe you can make it through anything.”
    She searched his hard face and saw a dozen emotions. Loss, grief, resolve, strength. She wondered where it all came from and she suspected it wasn’t from the scrubby landscape in front of them.
    â€œDo you come here often?” she asked.
    â€œProbably every few months or so,” he said. “This kind of place strips you down to the basics. There’s nowhere to hide. That’s the bad thing. The good thing is maybe you don’t need to hide.”
    She took a moment to absorb his words. What a concept. No need to hide? She tried to remember when she hadn’t felt like she needed to hide. When had she felt like she could be herself? Safe?
    She felt a whoosh of tense air exhale from her lungs.
    â€œI heard that,” he murmured.
    She sucked in a quick breath.
    â€œRelax. That’s what this place is for. It’s base line.”
    She took a deep breath. “When did you first come here and feel this way?”
    He paused a halfbeat. “I was sixteen. Torn between playing football in high school and helping with the ranch. Tough year.”
    She knew without him saying which he had chosen. “You gave up football.”
    He glanced at her. “How’d you know?”
    She shrugged. “Just an instinct.” She met his gaze. “You and I have more in common that most people might think.”
    â€œIn what way?” he asked.
    â€œYou chose family, duty, heritage. So did I,” she said.
    â€œNot entirely,” he said. “When you needed to make a change, you did. That’s courageous.”
    She bit the inside of her lip. “Maybe,” she said. “Maybe just necessary.”
    â€œIt’s still courageous,” he said. “You went against the grain. Against what was expected of you. Don’t underestimate yourself, Tina. I don’t. No one else should either.”
    Feeling a rush of pleasure surge through her, she stared into his eyes and felt herself sinking with each breath. Her gaze slipped to his mouth and she felt a tingling sensation on her lips. It felt like a thousand years ago that he’d kissed her, yet she remembered it as if it had happened yesterday.
    Confused by her strange combination of feelings, she struggled with the dipping sensation in her stomach. She took a quick breath to clear her head and smiled. “I love it that we started here. What’s next?”
    â€œIt