Sara Orwig - The Ransomes - Matt, Nick and Katherine

“I thought we both agreed we weren’t going to do this,” she said, as much to herself as to him. She closed her eyes and turned away.

He slipped onto the seat facing her. Even while hot desire still burned in the depths of his blue eyes, the tight clamp of his jaw reflected a tense, angry look in his expression.

“You’re right. We’ll eat and then get the hell back to the ranch,” he said, looking out a window.

“Regrets for bringing me here?”

His head swung around and she braced against the force of his gaze. He shook his head. “Not at all. You should have this. Before long, one way or another, you get a tidy sum of money to buy whatever clothes or car you want. You might as well get some things now.”

She bit back her reply when the limo stopped at the front door of a restaurant.

Even though the sun was still above the horizon, tiny lights twinkled in the bushes while large lights shone on tall pines. As she emerged from the limo, Matt took her arm.

They were led through the restaurant past a dance floor where couples already circled to piano music. The waiter seated Matt and Olivia at a table on the patio near a splashing fountain. Brightly colored lanterns were glowing overhead and red roses filled crystal vases on each linen-covered table. In the festive ambience with Matt at her side, Olivia bubbled with excitement.

Their waiter appeared, placing thick black folders with the menu in front of them. Olivia opened hers. She glanced at Matt who was reading his menu and then she looked down at her own. The dishes sounded exotic and the prices astounded her.

“I can’t believe we’re eating anything as expensive as these dinners,” she said.

“The food here is very good,” he said. “Do you like lobster?”

She shrugged. “Actually, I’ve never eaten lobster so I have no idea whether I’d like it or not.”

“I suggest you try it and then you’ll know.”

“The daredevil Ransomes who will always try the unknown,” she said quietly, thinking about Matt and Jeff.

“Life is exciting.”

“Maybe from your perspective. From mine, life is survival.”

“It doesn’t have to be from now on,” he said smoothly waving his hand to include their surroundings and she was aware again of the clash of wills between them. “My offer will open all the doors for you,” he added.

“Marriage wouldn’t be real and it wouldn’t be permanent,” she reminded him and they paused when the waiter appeared.

After they had ordered, she gazed across the table at Matt. “The clothes are beautiful, the jewelry breathtaking and my first flight was thrilling. My first limo ride was unforgettable. But you’re not going to hold me with the life you’re dangling in front of me now,” she said softly. Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. Otherwise there was no reaction from him except an arch of his eyebrow.

“Don’t lose sight of the fact that if you turn down my offer, you’ll be taking all sorts of opportunities away from your baby. Do you want to raise a child in a neighborhood like you grew up in, instead of the Ransome ranch or a house you can afford in a prosperous neighborhood with a suitable school? You’ve got to think for two. It’s not only you,” he reminded her quietly, and her anger soared.

“Dammit, I’m taking that into consideration, but I’m not selling short of what I know my baby should have,” she said, hurting because Matt was right. Pain was tight in her chest, and she fought back tears that startled her since she rarely ever cried. His accusation had been on target and hurt badly. But she wanted the Ransome heritage locked in for her baby. “You’ll commit to a point and then it stops.”

“It’s a damn generous commitment, I’d say,” he retorted.

“I’ll do something to stay out of bad neighborhoods. There are some acceptable jobs out there that I can do and I’ll find one. I’ve gotten farther now than all the odds indicated I would.”

“That you have. But don’t sell the baby short to try to get me to marry you. Jeff wouldn’t, and I’m not going to either.”

His words stabbed into her, deepening her hurt. “That’s your answer?” she asked, wondering if he would abandon her on the spot. She held her breath while fear chilled her.

“No, it’s not my answer. I believe you’ll walk so I’m still contemplating the future. I’m not deciding something that important without giving it a lot of thought. Now, on that note, try to enjoy the evening.”

“Oh, right,” she answered, yet his reply rekindled her hope.

“I mean it,” he said in a softer voice. “Had we met under other circumstances, we both could probably enjoy the next few hours. Neither of us will take decisive action tonight, so relax.”

“That’s a tall order,” she remarked.

“It’s simple.” He stood and came around the table to take her hand. “We’ll get away from our problems. Let’s dance.”

“I can’t dance,” she said.

He shook his head. “You’ve got two feet and you can move, so you can dance. I’ll show you,” he said, ignoring her protest and leading her inside to the dance floor. Her heart drummed as she looked at couples moving so easily together.

“I really can’t dance. I never did get around to learning and most of my life has been spent studying and working and trying to survive.”

“That’s going to change,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Just move with me,” he said, holding her lightly. Their proximity was volatile, and every nerve in her body quivered with awareness. As his thighs brushed hers, her desire flamed. His hand held hers against his chest.

She stepped lightly on his toe and almost stumbled, but his arm tightened around her and he held her. “Sorry. I told you—” she said.

“Don’t worry. You’re a feather and it doesn’t matter,” he said, interrupting her. “I’m holding you so you’re not going to fall,” he added in a husky voice.

In minutes it became easier to follow his lead. Even so, when the music stopped she stepped back. “End of first lesson. Let’s sit the next one out.”

“Fine,” he said, taking her arm to lead her back to their table.

When they were seated, over glasses of water and tossed green salads, she paused to study him. “You know a lot about me, but I know very little about you. Jeff was a party boy—he seldom mentioned his family or background.”

“He probably talked about himself and his wild exploits. My kid brother and I weren’t much alike. At least, I’ve always hoped we weren’t because Jeff was damned irresponsible. What do you want to know about me?”

“Start with telling me about your family,” she asked, curious about him because whenever she had approached the subject of family with Jeff Ransome, he had talked about himself.

“There’s my dad who has heart trouble and isn’t in good health, but he still wants to be in charge and that’s why I have my own house. The big house is down the road a ways.”

“The big house!” she exclaimed. “I can’t imagine one much larger than yours.”

“Oh, yes. Bigger, fancier. All it needs is a moat around it and we’d have a castle. I’ll take you to see it and meet Dad soon.”

“So where do the other family members live? Tell me about Nick and Katherine.”

“We’re all close in age. I’m thirty-two, Nick is thirty-one and Katherine is twenty-eight. Business is Nick’s first love. He’s CEO of Ransome Energy and under Nick’s control the family oil business has tripled in size, gone public and continues to grow. Nick thrives on making deals.”

“Is he married?”

“No. Nick isn’t the marrying kind. He’s almost as wild as Jeff was, but not quite. Nick is reliable—there’s the big difference.”