Kathie DeNosky - Rich, Rugged Ranchers

He flinched. Her honesty surprised him and she witnessed a debate going on in the depths of his dark eyes. It was as if he were being pulled in two directions—either to take her back into his arms and finish what they’d started or to take his leave.

Moments ticked by.

Sophia watched him carefully, her body immobile. What she’d just admitted to him was ludicrous and yet it was the truth.

“Hell, I need some air,” he said finally. He grabbed his hat, plunked it on his head and took a few steps toward the door. Then he pivoted to face her one last time. “We have to work together, Sophia. Meet me in my office tomorrow afternoon. We’ll go over the plans then.”

She gave him a brisk nod.

And then he was gone.

With morning sunlight at his back, Logan gunned his truck, heading for Carson Memorial Hospital. He turned up the volume on the radio, trying to focus on the words of a Tim McGraw song. But the lyrics didn’t sink in. Instead, an image of Sophia Montrose sprawled across his lap, arching toward him, giving him access to her body, flashed into his mind. He couldn’t drown those memories out with loud music. He couldn’t concentrate on business ventures. No matter how much he’d tried, the recollection of Sophia’s velvet-soft mouth brushing his, her firm flesh under his fingertips, the swell of her full, beautiful breasts in his palms continued to plague his thoughts.

Last night after leaving the cottage, he’d drowned out those images with a bottle of Jack Daniels. But today he’d hoped to hell he could fight the mental battles on his own. He refused to fall victim to Sophia Montrose, beautiful and desirable as she was, because he knew better. He’d seen what his father’s love for a Montrose had done to his family.

When he’d been in high school he wanted to teach Sophia a lesson. He’d wanted to put her in her place. He’d wanted to lash out at her. He’d kissed her, never expecting that he’d be the one to learn a lesson. That kiss had startled him, and he’d been surprised at his own reaction to her. He’d never expected it to be so good. Sophia had made him feel as if he could conquer the world. And damn it, last night, and as much as he’d fought it, that same feeling had returned.

He reached the hospital, and pulled into a parking space, hoping a visit with Luke would clear his mind. He was concerned for his brother. Luke would heal from his injuries, but he’d be a bear to live with during his recovery.

Logan got out of his truck and strode purposefully through the front doors. He walked through the lobby, and took the elevator up. The doors opened to the third floor and, as he marched past a row of rooms, he kept his eyes trained straight ahead. He didn’t like looking in on people in their sickbeds. His brother was too young to be laid up in a hospital. Though Luke had taken his share of tumbles while in the rodeo, he’d usually wound up getting patched up in the emergency room and sent on his way.

Logan reached his brother’s room and stopped by the door to steal a look inside.

Luke had a smile on his weary face, a brighter expression than yesterday. It was a relief to see him looking a little better until Logan noticed that he wasn’t alone. There was a reason for his brother’s good mood.

Sophia was in the room.

She smiled at Luke, her gaze focused only on him as she moved toward his bed with a ribbon-tied bouquet of flowers in her hand. She stopped by the window next to his bed, standing at his shoulder, and gently moved a stray lock of hair from his forehead. Her soft melodic laughter wafted through the room.

Logan winced at the scene they made together. An image of holding Sophia in his arms returned, and in that instant emotions he wouldn’t name streamed into his consciousness.

He cursed aloud and both heads turned his way.

“Logan,” his brother said in a weak voice. He managed a quick smile. “Come in.”

As he walked into the room, Sophia made herself busy putting the flowers in a plastic water pitcher.

“How you doing?” he asked his brother.

“Pretty good today. Considering.”

“You feel dizzy?” Logan asked. “The doc said you might for a few days.”

“Not too much anymore. Wait, are there two of you standing there?”

“You’re not funny,” Logan said, though he was relieved to see Luke hadn’t lost his sense of humor. He hated seeing his strong, good-natured brother reduced to wearing a tie-at-the-back hospital gown, lying on a remote-controlled sickbed. His right arm was in a cast, and three broken ribs didn’t allow him to move much.

“Sophia says I am.”

Logan shot Sophia a quick glance. She made eye contact with him for one second before focusing back on the flowers she was arranging. “Well, then it’s gospel. You are.”

“My brother is in full agreement with me? Doesn’t happen every day.”

“You’re not laid up every day.”

“Don’t remind me. Once the meds wear off, I won’t be smiling much.”

“I hear you.” Logan took a swallow. “You need anything?”

Luke shot him a pointed look. “Can you get me out of here today?”

“I take it your doc already told you no.”

“Flat-out no. Thought you could pull some strings.”

Logan put his hands out, palms up. “I didn’t bring a rope.”

“Now you’re not funny.” Luke closed his eyes then. Clearly, the conversation was a strain on him, which only proved that Luke wasn’t ready to come home. Knowing Luke, he wouldn’t get much rest at the ranch. As much as he hated to admit it, Luke was better off in the hospital right now.

Sophia gave Luke a sympathetic look, her amber eyes forlorn. God, she was gorgeous, and so wrong for any of the Slade men that Logan felt the truth of it deep down in his bones. She was forbidden fruit, sure to poison any man who dared to take a bite. He wasn’t entirely convinced she’d come to the hospital out of friendship and concern for his brother. He didn’t trust her motives and it wasn’t just because of his father’s indiscretion with her mother. Sophia herself had married a rich old codger for his money. That fact couldn’t be disputed.

Carefully, she put her hand on Luke’s arm and he opened his eyes to look at her. “I’d better go now,” she said. “I don’t want to tax your strength.”

He nodded. “I’m glad you stopped by. Thanks for the flowers.”

She smiled warmly and bent to kiss his cheek. “I’ll check on you later.”

She picked up her purse, and gave Logan a cursory glance as she walked out of the room.

With his eyes closed again, Luke murmured, “What’s up with the two of you anyway?”

Logan pulled a chair over to the bed and took a seat. He didn’t pretend not to know what his brother was talking about. “Nothing’s up. Why?”

“I’m injured, not blind.” He snapped his eyes open. “You two looked … guilty about something.”

“I hardly noticed her.”

Luke’s eyes drifted closed again. “Exactly. Sophia is hard not to notice. Did you have another fight?”

Just the opposite, he thought. They had … lust. And it’d been eating at Logan since their encounter last night. If Sophia had wanted retribution, she’d gotten her wish. “No. We didn’t fight.”

Luke took a long labored breath. His ribs must hurt like hell. Logan had broken a rib once as a kid, jumping out of a tree and hitting solid ground hard. He remembered breathing being really difficult for days.

“You working together okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Logan said. “As a matter of fact, we’re gonna work on Ruth’s party later in the day.”

“Just don’t give her a hard time, okay?”

It was a good thing Luke’s eyes were closed. He couldn’t see Logan’s mouth twist with annoyance. “Sure thing. We’ll be right as rain. You just concentrate on getting some rest. I’ll come by later on.”