Free Heartbreak Ranch by Kylie Brant

a mass of couples and he could only catch occasional glimpses.
    He picked up the glass the bartender slid in front of him and absently dug in his pocket for a bill to give the man. Taking a long swallow of Scotch, he waited for the fiery explosion in the pit of his stomach. Maybe the liquor would cure the nerves that had started jumping the instanthe’d realized who Julianne was seated by. But he figured the best cure for that was getting the unpredictable little witch away from the man, before the senator was arrested for murder. Cunningham wasn’t known for being long on patience. And Jed had the experience to know that Julianne could try the patience of a saint.
    â€œI’ll have what he’s having.”
    Jed shot a glance at the brunette in a very off-the-shoulder red dress, and straightened slowly. She took the glass from the bartender and brought it to her lips, her eyes meeting Jed’s over the edge of the glass.
    â€œDo you like Scotch?” he asked as she sipped daintily.
    â€œIt’s not my normal drink,” she answered. “But I try to leave myself open for…new experiences.” Her direct look made no secret of her interest, and when her gaze dropped to his left hand her smile took on a slightly predatory look. “I’m going to let myself fantasize that you’re not married.”
    Jed settled against the bar and returned her smile. Aggressive women didn’t usually interest him; he preferred to do his own hunting. Right now, though, he welcomed the distraction. “Nope.”
    A few more people edged up to the bar, and the brunette moved closer to him. Jed could smell the slightly musky aroma of her perfume as she circled the rim of her glass with one damp fingertip. It was nothing like the gut-knotting scent Julianne wore. It trailed in her wake like a sexy signature. He could actually enter a room and be instantly aware of her presence, just by the faint fragrance in the air. Unconsciously, he frowned into his glass. It seemed everything about Julianne was designed to get a response. He counted himself lucky that the predominant one she stirred in him was an overpowering urge to throttle her.
    She cocked her head. “And the blonde you’re with tonight? Are the two of you seriously…involved?”
    Her question had the unfortunate timing of coming just after he’d taken another swallow of Scotch. This time he choked on the liquor, and its burning path threatened to take a wrong turn. Coughing and sputtering, he attempted to bring calm to his system. The havoc in his brain was another matter.
    The brunette was eying him quizzically. “You’re going to have to clarify that answer, I’m afraid.”
    Jed shook his head a little to clear it. “We’re not involved at all. She’s my…she’s just…”
    â€œHis psychiatrist,” a voice put in smoothly. Jed’s head jerked around as Julianne tucked her hand in his arm. She surveyed the other woman gravely. “You see, Jed here has a teensy little problem I’ve been working with him on.”
    â€œJulianne,” he warned. He may as well have saved his breath. She was on a roll.
    She patted his arm. “How many times do I have to reassure you, ‘catlaphobia’ is nothing to be ashamed of?” She shook her head and lowered her voice to the brunette confidingly. “Men. They hate to admit to a weakness.”
    The other woman forced a smile. Her attention was focused on Julianne now; Jed may as well have not been there at all. “Cat…laphobia?”
    â€œFear of cattle,” Julianne fabricated. “It makes roundup a real nightmare.”
    The brunette sent a speculative glance toward Jed. “I’ll bet.”
    â€œHe’s had some success with positive mental visualization, however.” Julianne beamed at Jed, a proud doctor-to-patient smile. “He just pictures all the cows naked.”
    Setting his