The Rival

He broke away suddenly. For a moment, she was utterly disoriented, blinking back at him in the glow of the barn light overhead. Her breath came hard, and she noticed his did, too. His hands lingered on her back, while hers still clutched the shoulders of his gray flannel shirt. With an effort, she unclenched her fingers, letting go of him.

“The chemistry is real enough.” He didn’t seem in any hurry to release her, his fingers skimming around to her waist. Stroking up her arms. “But is your story?”

His icy words jerked her back to reality.

He let go of her then, pacing away from her. For a moment she didn’t even remember what he was talking about. She’d been that caught up in the kiss.

Panic lodged in her throat.

“What do you mean?” She stalled for time, not sure how to fix this.

How could she have let him catch her snooping? And why hadn’t she used the time when they’d been kissing to work out a plan B? Absurdly, her lips still tingled from that damned kiss, and it was all she could do not to brush her fingers over her mouth to still the quivery feeling.

“I mean I’m not convinced about your motives.” He turned to study her, and she wondered how he could flip the switch from passion to interrogation so fast. “You could be using the attraction as a smoke screen. A very hot, very effective smoke screen, from whatever it is you’re up to.”

Her throat dried up.

She was on the verge of blurting the truth—that she didn’t trust him, either, and she wanted to know what his father had done with all the profits from her misery. But then, Devon took a step closer to her again, his head tilting to one side as if he was considering a new idea.

“Maybe the best solution is for me to keep you close so I can have my eyes on you all the time.” His wolfish smile shouldn’t have been a turn-on, but she’d be lying if she denied a flare of heat inside her.

“I don’t understand,” she told him flatly, folding her arms across her chest to quiet all the ridiculous reactions of her body.

“We’ll act on the attraction, Regina,” he announced, like it was already decided. “Explore this chemistry for as long as we have together.” He lowered his voice, the silky tone stroking over her senses like a caress. “Starting now.”

Checkmate.

He’d effectively cornered her, and he wondered if she’d give up the game. No more pretense.

Because while there was attraction at work here—without question—he felt like she’d been searching his jacket with a purpose. His every instinct screamed at him that she was looking for something specific. Was she with the press? Had someone in the media gotten wind of his father’s secret identity?

Or had she been tasked by her employer to find out more about him before the launch party? Devon suspected the Mesa Falls Ranch owners would have preferred to work with Marcus on the launch since Devon had arrived late and had asked a private investigator to look into his father’s doings before he’d arrived. Weston Rivera hadn’t been pleased to be contacted by the PI.

Devon had hoped that was water under the bridge after the welcome reception the owners had thrown last week. But now he wasn’t so sure.

“You’re suggesting we…date?” When she raised one eyebrow and pursed her lips, there was something familiar about her features.

For a moment, he could almost swear he’d seen her before. But that made no sense. He shoved aside the thought to lock things down with her.

“Date. And wherever that might lead.” He wandered closer to her again, taking pleasure in the way her gaze dipped to his lips for a moment.

“I have to admit, now I’m the one confused about your motives.” She turned to release her horse from the crossties so she could lead the bay back to a stall.

It forced Devon to back up a step. The scent of hay and horses stirred while the mustang swished her tail, settling into the space before dipping her muzzle into the feed bucket.

“I thought I made myself very clear. I’m attracted to you. The feeling is reciprocated.” He shrugged as he moved toward Evangeline so he could put her in for the night, too. “What’s confusing about that?”

“You don’t seem to trust me.” She eyed him warily, opening another stall door and showing him where to lead Evangeline. “That kiss felt like some kind of test. You walked away from it easily enough. And now you toss around the idea of dating like it’s a dare.”

“In a way, it is.” He led Evangeline to the stall, then passed the bridle to Regina. “Do you dare?”

She slanted a sideways glance at him while she waited for Evangeline to get comfortable. Then she pulled off the bridle and latched the stall door.

“That’s beside the point. I can’t risk my job by dating one of the patrons.” She brushed past him with two bridles in hand.

He followed her into the tack room, where the scent of leather cleaner and polish hung heavily in the air. The walls were lined with saddles, blankets and all kinds of riding accessories. There were a few highly decorative pieces, but most were well-used plain leather.

“I’m not a guest of the ranch, though,” he reminded her as he watched her wipe down the bridles. “I’m a freelance contractor providing a service. That’s something very different. No one will object to you seeing me for the next ten days until the launch party.”

He needed to keep her close to him to find out what she was doing. If she was trying to dig up information about his family, he’d find out soon enough. He watched as she hung the clean bridles on an iron peg over her head. She arched up on her toes, fitting the pieces over the hook.

“How do I know that?” She lifted her hands in exasperation.

“I’ll inform Rivera personally.” He rested his hands on her shoulders, feeling the tension threaded through her muscles under the fabric of her soft chambray shirt. “That way, he’ll know I’m the one who initiated this relationship. So tell me, what would you like to do tomorrow to celebrate our first date?”

He caught a hint of her fragrance, something green and fresh like spring. Jasmine, maybe. He could feel some of the knots sliding away as he worked over the muscles. Not all. She was far from relaxed. Because she was nervous? Or was it more of that attraction at work? The kiss had rocked him, too, even if he’d managed to hide his reaction better than she had.

“You’re serious about going through with this?” Those silver eyes were so wary.

“I want you,” he told her simply. “I’m sure you could tell how much when I kissed you.”

He saw a shiver pass over her and it filled him with satisfaction. No matter what other dynamic was at work between them, he couldn’t wait to touch her again. Taste her thoroughly.

She gave a quick, fast nod.

“Okay.”

It wasn’t the most enthusiastic of receptions, but the shiver—and the kiss—had been enough.

“Okay.” He confirmed it, gesturing her to lead the way out of the tack room.

She sidled past him, careful not to touch.

He retrieved her discarded jacket and helped her on with it. “Would you prefer I make the plans?”

He took his time easing the heavy duster over her shoulders, then lifted her hair out from under the collar. It brushed in a silky waterfall along the top of her back.

“Maybe that would be best.” She turned to face him while he shrugged into his own jacket. “The picnic was nice today,” she admitted, a smile animating her features for the briefest moment.

“I’m glad you had fun.” He looked forward to getting to know Regina Flores much, much better. “I’ll find a way to top it tomorrow.”

She tugged her gloves from her pockets and pulled them on, flexing her fingers into the leather. He wondered what she was thinking. Feeling.

There were mysteries in her eyes he couldn’t wait to unravel.

“I’ll pick you up at six?” He pulled open the barn door so he could walk her back to her cabin or wherever it was she stayed on the ranch.

Snowflakes still fell in slow whorls. She glanced up at the sky and then back at him as she stepped outside.