Free Not My 1st Rodeo by Donna Alward Page B

on a soft bed with the whole night ahead of them. He gentled the kiss even though his body was raging. “Do you have to go to Great Falls?” he asked hoarsely. “Stay here. Spend the weekend with me.”
    â€œWith your parents? Really?” She laughed, a breathy, sexy sound that went straight to his groin.
    â€œWe’ll take off for the night. Get a hotel room. Take a bath with bubbles, make love all night long. It was so good the first time, Mel. I want to try again.”
    â€œAs enticing as that is, I need to go.” She stayed in the circle of his arms though, which he took as a good sign. “It’s a shower for a good friend. I can’t miss it.”
    â€œWell, damn.” He trailed his lips down her cheek. “Are you sure?”
    â€œIt’s tempting, Brett.” She turned her head a little and her lips touched his again. This time, the kiss was less heated but no less devastating. Long, deep, lingering.
    Melly pulled away, but he got the sense she was doing so reluctantly as she nibbled on her lower lip and looked up at him, her eyes dazed. “There’s no denying we do that well, is there?”
    â€œNone.”
    â€œI wish we didn’t. How can I want to be with you so much and be angry with you at the same time?” Her eyes were clouded with confusion. “You’re still the man who’s going to take away the one thing that means the world to my family.”
    â€œAnd you feel like a traitor?” He kept a firm grip on his irritation. He didn’t want to lose his cool like he had back at her apartment. But he did want her to understand that he wasn’t trying to destroy anything.
    â€œI feel like a hypocrite, that’s for sure.” She turned away and reached for Charley’s reins. “I can’t get past it, Brett. If you’d just leave things be, Dustin could buy it and it’d stay in the family.”
    â€œAnd could the Almighty Dustin manage it was well as I can? Will he build on what’s there? How do you know it’ll be in better hands than mine?”
    She scowled at his cocky words. Damn, he’d spoken without completely thinking it through again, and sounded so arrogant in the process. Still, he wasn’t doing a thing wrong, and he was sorry he’d told her his plans. All she’d done was ride his ass about it. Maybe this wasn’t worth it after all. He’d enjoyed himself with her, but it was just like he’d told Manda. Women were not worth the headache, no matter how sweet and alluring.
    â€œHow do I know?” she asked, her words clipped. “Because he’s family.”
    â€œAnd that is a loyal but naïve answer,” he replied.
    â€œYou know, a few minutes ago, I was hoping we could work something out, but I guess not.” She put her hand on the saddle horn and swung herself into the saddle. “I’ve already been with someone whose arrogance and pride came before our relationship. I won’t do that again.”
    â€œYou think this is arrogance and pride? Which one of us is being arrogant here?” He snatched the reins left trailing on the ground and mounted his horse with a creak of saddle leather. “You’ve insulted me, judged me, asked me to give up, and the only thing I’ve expected is, well, some understanding of my position. Newsflash, Mel. You can’t stop change from happening. If you’re that attached to the place, maybe you should have stuck around and worked it yourself.”
    He dug his heels into the horse and shot forward, cantering back down the path they’d come. She could find her own way behind him for all he cared. Charley would get her home. His teeth were clenched together and posture ram-rod straight as the benevolent sun warmed his back. They had chemistry. He was in no doubt of that. And they had some things in common too. But Brett was starting to realize that there were things missing. Like