Jules Bennett - The Barrington Brothers - When Opposites Attract... / Single Man Meets Single Mom / Carrying the Lost Heir's Child

Damon pulled back on his reins at the edge of the water and glanced over. “Honey, I know I’m an old man, and your father to boot, but anyone can see the way you look at him. And, more importantly, the way he looks at you.”

Tessa groaned. She did not want to be discussing this with her dad. Cassie was about the only person Tessa ever confided her secrets to. Maybe if their mother had lived...

“I miss her, too,” he told her in a low voice. “I know you miss her, especially now. I can tell you’re confused, but if you want advice, I’d be happy to give it.”

Tessa laughed. “I’m not discussing the birds and the bees with you.”

Damon’s own robust laughter rippled through the air. “Please, I don’t plan on getting that in-depth here. I was talking more about your heart, Tessa.”

When she glanced over to him, she saw he was serious. He wanted to offer his thoughts from a parenting standpoint. Considering he was the only parent she had, she valued his opinion and the special bond they had.

“What about it?” she asked, almost afraid of his response.

“Risks have to happen. If you want anything out of life, you have to take a risk. Standing on the sideline, watching as chances go by, will only leave you with regrets.”

She swallowed and looked back out onto the glistening pond.

“You take a risk every time you compete,” he went on. “You take a risk of getting hurt, of hurting someone else or your horse.”

Tessa whipped her head back around. “I never even consider that a possibility.”

His smiled warmed her. “Because you’ve learned to take the risk and lead by faith. You let your heart guide you each time you get on that horse and head toward the finish line. Love is no different.”

“I never said anything about love.” Even to her, the defense sounded weak. “He just...he confuses me.”

“Your mother used to confuse the hell out of me,” Damon said with a soft chuckle. “I started asking her out when she was sixteen, and she didn’t say yes until she was eighteen. I knew she was the one, but I was older than her, and to be honest, I think that scared her. In some crazy way, she worried she wouldn’t measure up to standards I’d set for the woman I wanted.”

Tessa swallowed, unable to admit that was one of her main fears. Was it that easy to just let go?

“What worries you about Grant?”

With a shrug, she pulled on the reins when Don Pedro started to shift. “We’re so different, Dad. He’s not a country boy, but practically drips big city.”

“And?”

“What do you mean, and? I hate the city. That was one of the reasons I broke it off with Aaron.”

Her father’s face turned to stone. “That man isn’t even worthy of mentioning, and he is nothing like Grant. Aaron didn’t care about you. If he’d looked at you even remotely the way Grant does, then things may have been different. But Aaron was using you and trying to steer you away from your career. Has Grant done any of those things?”

Tessa shook her head and sighed. “He’s amazing.”

“Well, you’re an adult and you make your own decisions, but please, don’t get so caught up in racing and this image of a perfect world you’ve built for yourself that you don’t stop to take a risk...and enjoy the benefits.”

Tessa closed her eyes, relishing the soft breeze, wondering what risk she should be taking. Maybe admit to Grant that she had developed feelings for him? Go to his cottage tonight and seduce him?

She nearly laughed. She wouldn’t know the first thing about seducing a man, and certainly not one as sexy as Grant Carter.

But one thing was for sure. She was done waiting and playing his game.

* * *

Grant was completely worn-out. There had been a mix-up with the number of trailers and they were still one short, but after some calls he’d gotten everything straightened out.

He’d sent a text to his coproducers, informing them they were good to go whenever they wanted to come. He figured they’d arrive earlier than stars Max Ford and Lily Beaumont.

The two headliners of the film were going to help him catapult to a whole new level, and Grant could hardly contain himself at the thought of his own production company. Marty had sent an email outlining the prospect, and Grant was glad no one had been around to see him read it, because he’d been smiling like a kid with a new puppy. And he may have read it through twice. Okay, three times.

He had just unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it from his jeans when someone knocked on his door.

Please, don’t let it be another issue with the trailers.

When he jerked open the door, Tessa stood there, her hair flying loose around her shoulders. A fitted tank, with a long-sleeved plaid shirt over top, unbuttoned, showcased her flat stomach. Her jeans hugged her hips, and the punch of lust to his gut nearly made his knees give out.

She’d never looked this...relaxed. Seeing that massive amount of red hair dancing about in the wind, he nearly groaned, because he could practically feel it sliding along his bare body.

Which meant she couldn’t come inside. The emotional impact she kept hitting him with was targeting closer and closer to his heart.

Grant stepped out onto the porch, pulling the door shut behind him.

“I’m sorry,” she told him. “Is this a bad time?”

Her eyes raked over his bare chest and Grant clenched his fists. “No.”

Those bright blue eyes darted around, as if she was suddenly insecure about something...or was reconsidering coming here.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

With a sigh, she shook her head. “Actually, no. I can’t handle this tension between us anymore.”

Damn. She was about to get aggressive, and he wasn’t sure he could turn her down if she started showing signs of power and control. He’d witnessed this only in her schedules, never with attraction. And damn if that wasn’t a whole new level of sexy. He was already turned on as it was, and his zipper was growing exceedingly tighter.

Taking her hand, he led her off the porch.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

He kept walking, heading toward the back of the estate, away from his cottage and the closest bed. Although he was about to his breaking point, so even the grass was looking pretty inviting right about now.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he told her. “Things are about to get crazy around here, and maybe I want to just do nothing. Not work and not talk about us. Maybe I just want to walk and hold your hand.”

Tessa groaned. “It’s going to storm soon,” she told him. “And I need to talk about us. I need to know where I stand with you.”

Grant kept walking, knowing his silence was driving her insane. But honestly, he had no clue what to say to her. He wanted her, plain and simple, but he really didn’t think she was ready, and the last thing he wanted for her was regrets. He wanted so, so much more. But since he couldn’t identify those wants, how could he express them to her? Life had been much simpler when this was only sexual attraction.

Tessa’s delicate hand remained in his as they walked through the pasture. In the near distance, frogs croaked from the pond. Grant was starting to really settle in here, but he knew in his heart he couldn’t get too attached to this place...this woman.

But that didn’t stop him from wanting her, from aching for her and waking every night fantasizing about her.

“If you’ve decided I’m not worth your time, I get that,” she finally said.

Grant smiled. He’d known she wouldn’t be able to just relax and take a walk. He remained silent, because he also knew she wasn’t finished saying whatever was on her mind that had caused her to show up at his cottage.