Free The Reluctant Virgin [Ride 'em Hard 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Stacey Espino Page B

comforters. Her mother sewed the herbs into her linens for aromatherapy. It always reminded her of home and security.
    There was a knock on her door.
    “Yes?”
    When the door opened and Chance’s masculine frame filled the doorway, she bolted up in bed. He closed the door behind him and stepped in.
    “My mother let you in here?”
    “She’s worried about you.”
    “What on earth for?”
    He shrugged. “Did you forget our dinner date?”
    Cindy sighed, feeling a trickle of guilt for standing him up without warning. “I got busy with work and couldn’t get back in time. I’m sorry, I should have called you.”
    “After no word today, I was worried. I stopped by an hour ago to see if you were okay, and that’s when your mother insisted I stay.”
    She took a cleansing breath, forcing herself to behave more humanly. It wasn’t Chance’s fault. What kind of farmhand wouldn’t welcome her mother’s home-cooking? And she knew her mother was probably excited about a potential suitor, one who brought the promise of grandchildren. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. My mind’s in a muddle right now, and I shouldn’t take that out on you.”
    He came and sat on the edge of her bed, his weight dipping the mattress. Her walls were painted a soft blue, a reminder of the morning sky. The pale, feminine color was a stark contrast to Chance and his fitted black T-shirt and unkempt dirty-blond hair. He was gorgeous and sitting on her private bed. She remembered the wicked things Matthew did to her body, and she realized Chance was capable of the same feats. The fleeting thought made her pussy weep.
    “Will you give me another chance to take you out to dinner? Lord knows it took me five years to get you to agree to the first date. I don’t want to lose my chance now.”
    She smiled, recalling all the times he’d called her to the ranch for unnecessary service calls. As much as she tried to deny the fact, she’d always had a deep-seated crush on the cowboy drifter. But he wasn’t a God-fearing farm boy with classic values. He was a playboy, the type of man women radiated to. If he knew about her disability he’d disappear faster than butter on hot toast.
    “Sure, Chance. I said I’d have dinner with you, and I will.”
    “Twilight’s approaching. Will you take a walk with me before I leave?”
    Cindy agreed, so they set out through the back door of the kitchen, the whiny screen door slapping shut behind them. The crickets were already chirping as the world grew dimmer. She already felt the tug of sleep embracing her.
    “The hay’s ripe for harvesting,” he said as they walked along the edge of the barley field.
    “It’s not ours. My father rents the acreage to neighboring farmers. His farming days are over—have been ever since we moved here for a fresh start.”
    “Sorry, part of me cringes when I see a field so desperate to be plowed.”
    “That’s because you’re a hard worker, Chance. You’ll make a good husband and provider one day.” As soon as she said the words, she clammed up.
    “Will I now?” He sounded amused. “I think I best get my own piece of land first. I don’t have much to offer a woman of worth as is.”
    Cindy began to wonder about Chance. He only showed up to work the busy season. Where did he go when he wasn’t working the neighboring ranches as a laborer? “Where do you usually stay?”
    He dragged a hand through his hair, staring out towards the darkening horizon. The sun was crimson red, a magical sphere which highlighted the surrounding clouds in various shades of red, orange, and pink. “Here and there. A lot of ranchers rent rooms to men like me. Can’t say I really belong in any one place.”
    “Doesn’t that get lonely, always moving? Don’t you ever think about setting down roots?”
    Chance stopped her, holding her arm until she came to a standstill. “I think about those things every time I see you.” His voice had changed, going from casual to intense.
    She