Michelle Celmer - Honeymoon with the Rancher / Nanny Next Door - Honeymoon with the Rancher / Nanny Next Door

“Are you sure?”

Tomas swiped his bread across his plate. “Yes, I’m sure. You helped this morning. It is your vacation after all. If Maria were here, she would take you on a day trip to town. In her absence, it’s my job.”

Sophia felt her excitement deflate. This was nothing more than Tomas living up to his responsibilities once again. Making up for yesterday, too, she supposed. It had nothing to do with actually wanting to spend time with her. It was his duty. His job.

Still, a day in town sounded fun. She didn’t want to spend her whole trip on the estancia. She wanted to see new things. And perhaps she could purchase some comfortable clothes. But first she’d have to have a shower to get rid of the barn smell.

“Just give me twenty minutes to clean up.”

Back in Canada, it would have taken her three times that long to be ready for a day out. Sophia smiled as she took her plate to the sink.

In Argentina, nothing was the same.

“Me, too,” Tomas replied. As Sophia went back to her room to gather fresh clothing, she told herself she would not think about Tomas’s dark, lean body beneath the shower spray.

Sophia’s feet were beginning to ache from all the walking, but it had been worth it. She wiped her lips with a paper napkin and then crumpled it, tossing it into a nearby garbage bin. They’d stopped at a sausage cart for lunch, grabbing a snack to tide them over before heading back to the estancia for the afternoon. The chorizo had been suitably spicy and the bread chewy and fresh. Beside her, Tomas gave a satisfied sigh and she smiled.

“That was delicious.”

“Not fancy, but one of my favourites.” He too wiped his mouth and disposed of the napkin.

The afternoon was hot and Sophia soaked in the heat, enjoying the feel of it on her skin. Tomas had proven a better tour guide than she’d expected. They’d spent the morning visiting the Gaucho Museum and browsing the silver shops, admiring the craftsmanship. She’d bought two casual outfits and a pair of silver earrings for her mother as a gift. Meanwhile, Tomas had taken her to a local bodega where he’d picked up several bottles of Malbec, claiming it was Maria’s particular favourite. Once they’d stowed their packages in the estancia’s SUV, he’d suggested a quick lunch of grilled sausage wrapped in a bun. It had been perfect. They had munched while walking along the river. Now, with the shops closing for the afternoon, they ambled along the pathway.

A group of boys were playing soccer ahead, their shouts a happy sound in the peaceful quiet. “This is such a lovely town,” Sophia said. “Honestly, Tomas, the more I see you here the more I understand. I’m a city girl, where things are vibrant and rush, rush, rush. But here, it’s …” She broke off, confused. “It’s hard to explain.”

But Tomas nodded. “That’s what staying at the Vista del Cielo is all about, remember? Maybe sometimes I take the quiet and slower pace for granted.”

He paused and faced her, taking her hands in his. “Sophia …”

He stopped and his jaw tightened. His fingers clasped hers tightly as she looked up into his face, falling under the spell of his dark gaze as her heart began to pound. Did he possibly know how attractive he was, how magnetic? They didn’t even have to be close to one another for her to feel the pull. It had been there yesterday, too, even as they’d shouted at each other.

But now, as he held her hands in his, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to throw caution to the wind and take things a step further. A holiday romance had been the very last thing on her mind when she’d left Canada. But faced with Tomas. The trouble was that he wasn’t just a sexy, enigmatic gaucho anymore. She knew what it was like to see him smile. Her heart still caught when she remembered the look in his eyes as he’d cradled her head in his hand yesterday, asking if she was all right.

And her body practically sang at the memory of feeling his lips on hers. She couldn’t deny the possibility of a brief romance held a certain allure. But as soon as she thought it, she dismissed it. What if she flirted? Tried to get him to kiss her again? Then what? What would he expect? Maybe nothing. But maybe a whole lot more than she was comfortable with. In some ways, she’d already bitten off more than she could chew with this trip. Tempting Tomas might definitely turn into more than she could handle, and if she were honest with herself, she just wasn’t ready.

“Is there something you want to say?” She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze.

For a long moment his gaze plumbed hers, but then he released her hands. “Just … it seems strange to be saying this, but seeing your view of the town, the pampas.” He paused, then offered a small smile, just a faint curving of his lips that reached out and held her in its grasp. “I had forgotten how to appreciate it,” he said. “Thank you.”

“Me? I’ve done nothing. I know I came across as a bit of a princess, Tomas …”

His warm chuckle sent tingles down her arms.

“I’m really not. Not deep down.”

He looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead merely inclined his head towards the path. “Let’s walk.”

And there he went again, poking his head out of his shell just a little bit before turtling in again. It frustrated her even though she knew it was probably for the best.

They resumed walking along the path. “I’m afraid I haven’t been very good company. I hope Carlos and Maria don’t plan on using me as a tour guide very often.”

“Don’t be silly. I arrived unexpectedly and threw a monkey wrench into your week.”

“You’re our guest, Sophia.”

He’d said our and not my and Sophia felt the difference. She watched the boys kick the ball around, one rushing in to score a victorious goal. Another boy, smaller, scuffed his toe on the ground in frustration. Sophia knew how that felt. It was like trying to gain Tomas’s approval. It was a rare commodity, and somehow she felt it was worth striving for. A romance was out of the question. There was so much potential for things to go wrong. But she somehow wanted to think that they were friends of a sort. Someone who was a friend to the new and improved Sophia.

“I … I’d like to think maybe we’re friends,” she said quietly.

“Friends?” he asked, and she heard the surprise in his voice. Didn’t he have friends? Was it so incomprehensible?

“Sure,” she smiled as their steps slowed even further. “Amigos. I mean, you know more about me than you normally would about a guest, right? Far more than ‘where are you from, what do you do?’”

“I suppose.”

But did friends get that twirling of anticipation from simply knowing they were going to be together? She knew they didn’t. There was more between them. The question was, were they going to ignore it or explore it? Which did she really want? This was supposed to be a simple trip, uncomplicated. And Tomas was one big sexy complication.

They kept on until they reached the Puente Viejo, a gorgeous salmon-pink bridge spanning the river. They stood at the crest of it and rested their arms on the ledge, looking down at the smooth water.

“Sophia,” Tomas began, and she looked up at him, surprised to see his brows pulled together in a pensive frown when they were in one of the most beautiful, relaxing places she could remember.

“What is it?”

“As friends, I feel I should apologize for kissing you yesterday.”

“It has bothered you,” she acknowledged. Was this why he’d spent hours in the barn rather than coming to the house? Was it why he’d brought her to town today? Guilt?

“I was very out of line yesterday, Sophia. You gave me such a scare. I fear my actions made you uncomfortable.”