Jill Shalvis - The Rancher's Surrender

He just couldn't do it. Couldn't live with himself if he pushed them until they gave up.

"So you're upset that this life is too tough for us?" She laughed at him. Laughed . "And who appointed you our keeper?" She put her hands on her hips and faced him, eyes flashing, hair wild, looking stunningly primal. "I'm a big girl, Ty Jackson, and I've been through lots of crap. This is nothing."

He wondered just how bad that "crap" had been. No use mentioning he agonized over that, too, because she wouldn't believe him. "I know-"

"No," she interrupted flatly. "You don't. I'm stronger than most, though, so if you really think you're responsible for me and that you have to take care of me, think again, buster. No one but me takes care of me."

How to explain that what he felt for her wasn't "responsibility." Hell, it wasn't even close to brotherly, hadn't been since the beginning and had only escalated since their brief embrace in the barn, just before she'd clobbered him with a surprisingly effective right hook. But he couldn't put those feelings to words because he didn't have the words for something he didn't want to face. "I just-"

Her finger poked into his chest, her head barely meeting his shoulder as she continued to rant with the sun beating down on them. "I make my own decisions, one of which was to come here. It's a mess, I agree on that. But a mess my sisters and I will deal with together. And together, alone , we'll fix it."

"How can you fix it without money?"

"I can hammer just as well as you, that doesn't take cash. And-"

"And you have no idea what you need here. This was a horse ranch, but you have no horses. No money to buy them. And no idea how to work the land to raise crops instead, not to mention no money for that, either."

"I have a little money." Very little. "Delia does, too, though not much because she can't keep cash to save her life. Maddie doesn't have anything, but-"

"It's not enough," he said firmly.

She put her hands on her hips and faced him. "So I ought to just sell it to you, I suppose."

"Sounds good to me."

They were standing toe to toe, nose to nose in the dirt by the truck. "No go. Never. No way," she clarified.

He growled in pure frustration. "You're just being stubborn."

"We'll be fine."

"A loan won't give you the know-how."

She swiped at her forehead, streaking more dirt. She looked stubborn, full of determination and beautiful. "I know. But I have a manager. Unless… you're done here."

"Do you want me to be done?"

"No. We… need you."

He gaped at her surprising admission, while she sighed, clearly not happy about having to admit it.

"Do you?" he asked quietly.

"Yes." She drew a deep breath. "So… will you help?"

"Good question." He could smell the light, tantalizing scent of her. He could feel the heat from her body seeping into his. Their thighs almost brushed, and at his sides his hands curled into fists to keep from grasping her hips and bringing them to his.

"Know what I think?" she whispered.

"What?" His voice wasn't quite steady, and he cleared his throat at the awareness shooting like electricity between them.

"I think you need us, too. You just don't even know it." God, he wanted to put his hands on her again, his mouth on hers. And he didn't want to see that flash of fear in her eyes when it happened. He didn't want to feel this way about her, but he did.

"Isn't that true?" she pressed.

Why couldn't she back off? She didn't want to show him the real Zoe hidden beneath her tough facade; she should just leave him and his feelings the hell alone. He took back his sunglasses and placed them on his nose.

"Chicken," she taunted. "Too chicken to talk to me."

"I want to do a whole hell of a lot more than talk," he assured her, watching her flush with little satisfaction.

"There you go, being a bully again."

That did it. Really did it. She gasped when he stalked toward her, backing her to the side of the truck.

"Ty. What-"

He did what his body demanded. And maybe he was being a bully, but he didn't care.

He swallowed her startled breath with his mouth.

Zoe's body reacted first, with a delicious shudder as Ty's mouth ravaged hers. Her bones dissolved, but instead of falling she found herself plastered against him. She let the kiss take her, and oh, what a kiss.

The small part of her mind still functioning reminded her that she didn't do such things no matter how wonderful this mindless, floating feeling was. Reminded her she wanted a new life for herself and her sisters, and that didn't include sleeping with anyone, much less a man who wanted her land for his own.

But the sun felt good on her face, and Ty's mouth felt even better against her, so it was a long, hot moment before she found the strength to resist.

Ty tensed when she pushed at his chest. He lifted his head and stared at her warily. "You going to hit me again?"

She sighed and pushed harder. "No. Go away."

"What's the matter?"

He was too tempting, that was the matter. "I don't feel like it, that's all."

His mouth, still wet from hers, curved, but he dropped his hands from her. "You felt like it a moment ago."

"Changed my mind."

He looked as though he might have argued, but the sound of a motor revving on the dirt road stopped him. He cocked his head. "That's one of your sisters."

"How can you tell?"

"Listen to it. The engine sounds like it's on its last legs."

She listened, and he was right. The engine coughed and stuttered. Then it came into sight, and it was indeed the second of Constance's two trucks.

Zoe hadn't been able to believe the run-down condition of the vehicles. It was a silent and gut-wrenching testament to how desperate Constance must have been in the past years of her life. Too old to make a success out of the ranch without a family, and with not enough money to pay someone else, Constance had been stuck.

It was enough to break even Zoe's stoic heart, and while she waited for the truck to come closer, she stole a glance at Ty.

He remained a mystery. Tough, independent. He dodged all personal questions about himself, not to mention how his staff seemed to go out of their way to avoid him. He most definitely was a loner.

Yet he hadn't let Constance down. He might have been unable to get her trucks fixed for her, but he hadn't left her alone. He'd been there for her, until the very end.

Which gave her a funny warm feeling to think about. The ancient, beat-up old truck stopped, and Delia, Maddie and Cade McKnight stepped out into the bright sunshine.

Cade saw Zoe and waved. Even now, after Constance's death, Cade was determined to figure exactly which of them was the true heir-not because he wanted to kick two of them off the land, but because he loved a good mystery.

He was sharp, tenacious and very good at what he did. He was also tall, dark and handsome enough that Maddie's cheeks were red.

So was Delia's whole face, which made Zoe want to laugh, because for some reason Zoe didn't quite understand, Cade seemed to get under Delia's skin.

Oblivious, Cade shook hands with Ty, then smiled at Zoe. "I see you met your neighbor."

Zoe bit back her grimace. Met him and was just kissing him senseless, thank you . "Ah… yes."

Ty lifted a brow, daring her to speak her mind.

Zoe looked away. "We were just… um… fixing fences," she said lamely. "Working really hard, too." Sweat trickled between her breasts. "Hot today, don't you think?"

No one but Ty seemed to notice her discomfort. His smile spread, and with no one watching him, he winked at her conspiratorially.

If they'd been alone, she thought she might have slugged him again.