Allison Collins - A Family For The Rancher

But Nash and I aren’t attracted to each other. He’s my client. Period.

“Oh! Excuse us.”

A high-pitched voice barely penetrated the fog in her brain. She started to pull away from Nash, but he tightened his hold, slid his hands around her back. One hand drifted down her spine, and he dipped his fingers beneath her shirt, teasing her bare skin.

“I said, excuse us.”

Kelsey slowly sat up, staring at Nash.

He drifted his thumb over her lower lip, and the tingles raced again down her spine. Tilting his head to look around her, he said, “Guess we got a little tangled up in each other.” His voice was all rough, sexy cowboy now, and it did something to her insides.

He looked up at her again and grinned.

She smiled back, oddly pleased he’d included her in an inside joke about getting tangled up.

This is just fake. It doesn’t mean anything... Rob. Think of Rob.

Yet her body had come alive in Nash’s arms, her blood racing, awakening feelings she hadn’t had since she’d buried her husband. She started to climb off him, but he held her in place, so that her most tender spot was right over the growing bulge in his jeans.

* * *

HE HELD KELSEY so she couldn’t scramble off him just yet. She was the perfect shield to get rid of two people he didn’t want to talk to again. And she felt good against him. Too good. He hadn’t been with a woman in a long time. Too long, if the way he’d hardened almost instantly when she kissed him was any indicator.

She stared down at him, her long dark hair hanging down to brush his chest. God, he wished he didn’t have a shirt on so he could feel it. So far he’d only seen it in a braid and hadn’t noticed how long and silky it was. He wanted to tangle his hands in her hair, draw her down and kiss her over and over.

“Nash,” she hissed, and tried to get up again.

“Stay, babe. They’ll leave if we just ignore ’em.” At least he hoped they would, and before she gave in to the panic starting to bloom on her face.

“Well, how rude,” said Mindy. “But then you never were much of a gentleman.”

Kelsey turned her head toward Mindy and Ben. “Some women don’t want a gentleman all the time.”

He looked up at her, shocked at the sexy words. She actually looked pretty shocked, too.

Glancing around Kelsey, he saw Mindy’s face go red. Ben put an arm around her. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s leave them alone. You still owe me a dance.”

The minute the other couple was out of sight, Kelsey scrambled off him and stood, then extended a hand to him. “Come on, cowboy. I need to get back to my mom and daughter.”

He took her hand, slowly testing his balance. Once he was stable on his feet, he tried to catch her eye. “Thank you.”

She looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why did you?”

“I don’t know. Hunter said something about them, and...” She shrugged. “I knew you wouldn’t want them, or anyone, to see you on the ground.”

“Without a good reason, at least.” He grinned.

Pink suffused her cheeks, and she turned away.

“Seriously. Thanks.” Her earlier words registered, and he frowned. “You said before you have a daughter. I assume you have a husband, too. I don’t want him to hear about this and think I’m moving in on his wife.”

“I’m a widow,” she said, so quietly he had to bend closer to hear the words.

“Ah, geez. I’m sorry. What happened?”

“Accident.”

“How long?”

“Almost three years.”

“That’s rough. Do you—”

“I have to go.” She started off at a fast clip, then swung around. “Just know I normally don’t do that type of thing.”

“What type of thing?”

“Throw myself at men.”

She rushed off before he could say anything else.

A cold shower sounded good right now. He needed to cool off, even if she was only pretending for his sake. His steps slowed even further. She’d done it to save his pride. Rubbing a hand across his stubbled chin, he caught a whiff of something light, feminine. Sniffing his fingertips, he groaned.

Kelsey’s perfume.

Everything had happened so fast he hadn’t really paid attention before. Now it was embedded in his nose, and it brought back the feeling of her sitting across his groin. He hadn’t been that turned on in, well...forever.

His leg ached and he wanted more than anything to sit down. Well, he wanted to take her to bed, but that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.

With anyone.

What woman would be interested in him now?

He didn’t want anyone to see him this way. Kelsey didn’t count; she was a therapist. “That’s all she is, and ever will be,” he told himself.

Maybe if he said it often enough, he’d believe it.

The music from the band grew louder with every step he took. A sudden racket from the drums hit fever pitch, and he flinched. The rat-a-tats wouldn’t stop, and he ducked, searching for cover.

Nowhere to hide...alone.

He looked at his hand. Where’s my weapon?

Searching his pockets turned up nothing.

He needed a gun or a knife.

Something.

Anything to fight back.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder.

He wrenched his body back, out of the enemy’s grip. Pulled his arm back to throw a punch.

His dad stood in front of him. “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear me calling?”

Nash looked around the shadowed yard. Pickup trucks of all sizes lined the driveway; flowers bloomed in the gardens.

No desert. No rocks.

No one trying to kill him.

Nausea gripped his stomach, and he broke out in a clammy sweat. He needed to get back to his cabin. This hadn’t ever happened before. His leg muscles threatened to seize up, and he blew out a breath, tried to lengthen his stride. His right foot hit a gopher hole, and he caught himself before he fell.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

His dad’s voice seemed to come from a tunnel, and he tried to focus on answering. “What do you want?”

“Did you get something to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I didn’t see you up there. Come back and say hello to everyone.”

“No.”

“Why the hell not? They’re our guests, and they all know you. Want to see the returning hero.” His dad clapped him on the back.

A growl erupted from deep within, and he jerked his shoulder away from his dad’s hand, stepped back. “I’m no hero.” Sweat beaded on his forehead, dampened his palms. He needed to get out of there, and now.

“You get yourself back up to the party and play nice.” His dad stepped closer and peered at Nash’s face. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Leave me alone.” He did hurry this time, all the way to his truck. He’d thought earlier he could suck it up and go to the barbecue.

Not now.

He pulled out of the parking area, the headlights flashing across his dad. Nash’s chest tightened. Was that concern on the old man’s face?

Nah. Impossible.

* * *

KELSEY STOOD ON the edge of the dance floor watching Hunter dance with Maddy. He whirled her around, and she hooted with laughter.

She smiled. It was good to see her daughter having fun.

“Maddy sure is taken with Hunter, isn’t she?” her mother remarked.

“She definitely is.”

“Why aren’t you taken with Hunter?”

Suppressing an eye roll, Kelsey said, “Because I don’t want to be taken with any man. I don’t have time for nonsense.”

“But you’re still young and vital—”

“Mother, stop it.”

“I’m just saying, the Sullivans seem to be doing well for themselves. I used the Google earlier to look at their guest ranch, and all the reviews are five star. Wouldn’t hurt to make an effort.”