Free Not My 1st Rodeo by Donna Alward Page A

Helpless.
    â€œMel?”
    She turned her head to look at him. Their steps had grown lazy, and he fought the urge to simply pull her into a hug. There was something in her expression that bothered him. She looked like she appreciated this place, but there was sadness, or maybe resignation too, that dulled her eyes and kept her lips from curving up as he liked.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he said quietly.
    â€œFor what?” She raised one eyebrow, then broke eye contact and dropped her gaze to the path at her feet.
    He reached out and put his hand on her arm. “For circumstances. That your dad isn’t up to running the ranch. That you feel like you’re going to lose the special places close to your heart.”
    â€œI wouldn’t if you’d let my cousin buy it instead. It would stay in the family.”
    He sighed. “Mel, it’s not that simple. This is something I’ve wanted for a long time. I’ve dreamed of having my own place for as long as I can remember. I know why you’re asking it, but you have to realize that for me…you’re asking me to give up my dream. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
    â€œParticularly because we’ve only been on a couple of dates?” She moved her arm away from his hand. “If you’d never met me…”
    â€œI’d be pretty focused on closing the deal.” He let out a breath of frustration. “It’s business.”
    â€œIt’s never just business. Not to people like you and me, Brett.” Her voice was sharp. “There’s a connection that goes from your boots to the earth. You know that.”
    It burned that she was right. And the one thing he really, really liked about her—that understanding of his way of life—was the one thing that made this whole mess worse.
    â€œAfter my divorce, I swore if I ever got involved with a woman, it would be with someone who was Sherry’s opposite. And now here you are and it’s more complicated than ever.”
    â€œWould you call us involved?”
    â€œHell, yes.” The question irritated, and he reached out and grabbed Charley’s reins, tucking them into his palm alongside the other set. Melly faced him and he saw the defiant set to her mouth, recognized it. Even though he’d known her such a short time, he knew it was the I-must-stand-my-ground expression—but it also meant that she needed to remind herself to hold steady. And he did like a challenge. “Wouldn’t you say sleeping together constitutes involved?”
    She blushed.
    â€œMel,” he said, his voice slightly lower. He let go of the reins, let them drop to the ground. The horses wouldn’t go anywhere, and he wanted both his hands free. He took a step closer to her, saw her pupils widen and her lips drop open just the tiniest bit in surprise, in invitation.
    He reached out and gripped her upper arms in his hands. “Doesn’t making love mean we’re involved?”
    Her lips closed. She swallowed, met his gaze and lifted her chin. “Only if it meant something.”
    Minx. “If it meant nothing, you wouldn’t have been so upset afterwards,” he replied. And he pulled her closer and kissed her.
    She was as sweet as he remembered, sweet and sultry as her mouth opened beneath his. There was no denying the chemistry between them as he let go of one of her arms and moved his hand to her neck, losing it in the thick mass of her soft hair.
    She wrapped her arms around his ribs, holding him close, and she made a soft sound in her throat as the kiss took on a life of its own, as wild and free as the waves of grass around them.
    He thought briefly about laying her down and making love to her then and there, with the sun warming their skin and the verdant scent of grass and earth surrounding them, but he wasn’t prepared. Neither did he want it to be rushed. He wanted to take his time, let them savor each other, maybe