New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson

“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.”

—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster

“Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple characters and side stories together makes shocking truths all the more exciting.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Jackson’s characters are wonderful, strong, colourful and hot enough to burn the pages.”

—RT Book Reviews on Westmoreland’s Way

“The kind of sizzling, heart-tugging story Brenda Jackson is famous for.”

—RT Book Reviews on Spencer’s Forbidden Passion

“This is entertainment at its best.”

—RT Book Reviews on Star of His Heart

The Proposal

Brenda Jackson

To Tempt a Sheikh

Olivia Gates

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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The Proposal

Brenda Jackson

Dear Reader,

This is it! The twentieth book in THE WESTMORELANDS series and the fifth book about those Denver Westmorelands. For those two reasons alone I knew this book was special from the moment I began writing it.

I always thought of Jason Westmoreland as the quiet storm. Of the three, Derringer, Zane and Jason, Jason was the one who didn’t have a lot to say and wouldn’t have a lot to say … until it was his time to take centre stage. Now, it is his time.

Jason is a man who thinks he knows what he wants, but when he meets Bella Bostwick he isn’t so sure anymore. He thinks he would be happy to make Bella an offer, the ultimate proposal, one he thinks she can’t refuse. What he doesn’t count on is awakening to passion the likes of which he’s never had before. And it doesn’t take long for him to figure out that Bella is the one woman whose heart he needs to conquer.

I present you with another Westmoreland man who has to come up with a plan to get the woman he wants. That one woman who will make his life complete. It’s going to be up to him to prove to Bella that together they can have a forever kind of love.

Happy reading!

Brenda Jackson

About the Author

BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and her husband of thirty-eight years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five romance titles, Brenda is a recent retiree who now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald.

You may write Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA, by e-mail at WriterBJackson@aol.com or visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.

Dedication

To Gerald Jackson, Sr. My one and only.

To all my readers who enjoy reading about the

Westmorelands, this book is especially for you!

To my Heavenly Father. How Great Thou Art.

He hath made everything beautiful in his time.

—Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV

Prologue

“Hello, ma’am, I’m Jason Westmoreland and I’d like to welcome you to Denver.”

Even before she turned around, the deep, male voice had Bella Bostwick’s stomach clenching as the throaty sound vibrated across her skin. And then when she gazed up into his eyes she had to practically force oxygen into her lungs. He had to be the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.

For a moment she couldn’t speak nor was she able to control her gaze from roaming over him and appreciating everything she saw. He was tall, way over six feet, with dark brown eyes, sculpted cheekbones and a chiseled jaw. And then there was his skin, a deep, rich chocolate-brown that had her remembering her craving for that particular treat and how delicious it was. But nothing could be more appealing than his lips and the way they were shaped. Sensuous. Sumptuous. A perfect pair for the sexy smile curving them.

He said he was a Westmoreland and because this charity ball was given on behalf of the Westmoreland Foundation, she could only assume he was one of those Westmorelands.

She took the hand he’d extended and wished she hadn’t when a heated sizzle rode up her spine the moment she touched it. She tried forcing the sensation away. “And I’m Elizabeth Bostwick, but I prefer just Bella.”

The smile curving his lips widened a fraction, enough to send warm blood rushing through her veins. “Hi, Bella.”

The way he’d pronounce her name was ultrasexy. She thought his smile was intoxicating and definitely contagious, which was the reason she could so easily return it. “Hi, Jason.”

“First, I’d like to offer my condolences on the loss of your grandfather.”

“Thank you.”

“And then I’m hoping the two of us could talk about the ranch you inherited. If you decide to sell it, I’d like to put in my bid for both the ranch and Hercules.”

Bella drew in a deep breath. Her grandfather Herman Bostwick had died last month and left his land and prized stallion to her. She had seen the horse when she’d come to town for the reading of the will and would admit he was beautiful. She had returned to Denver from Savannah only yesterday to handle more legal matters regarding her grandfather’s estate. “I haven’t decided what I plan on doing regarding the ranch or the livestock, but if I do decide to sell I will keep your interest in mind. But I need to make you aware that according to my uncle Kenneth there are others who’ve expressed the same interest.” “Yes, I’m sure there are.”

He had barely finished his sentence when her uncle suddenly appeared at her side and spoke up. “Westmoreland.”

“Mr. Bostwick.”

Bella immediately picked up strong negative undercurrents radiating between the two men and the extent of it became rather obvious when her uncle said in a curt tone, “It’s time to leave, Bella.”

She blinked. “Leave? But we just got here, Uncle Kenneth.”

Her uncle smiled down at her as he tucked her arm underneath his. “Yes, dear, but you just arrived in town yesterday and have been quite busy since you’ve gotten here taking care of business matters.”

She arched a brow as she stared at the grand-uncle she only discovered she had a few weeks ago. He hadn’t been concerned with how exhausted she was when he’d insisted she accompany him here tonight, saying it was her place to attend this gala in her grandfather’s stead.

“Good night, Westmoreland. I’m taking my niece home.”

She barely had time to bid Jason farewell when her uncle escorted her to the door. As they proceeded toward the exit she couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder to meet Jason’s gaze. It was intense and she could tell he hadn’t appreciated her uncle’s abruptness. And then she saw a smile touch his lips again and she couldn’t help reciprocate by smiling back. Was he flirting with her? Was she with him?

“Jason Westmoreland is someone you don’t want to get to know, Bella,” Kenneth Bostwick said in a gruff tone, apparently noticing the flirtatious exchange between them.

She turned to glance up at her uncle as they walked out into the night. People were still arriving. “Why?”

“He wants Herman’s land. None of the Westmorelands are worth knowing. They think they can do whatever the hell they please around these parts.” He interrupted her thoughts by saying, “There’re a bunch of them and they own a lot of land on the outskirts of town.”

She lifted an arched brow. “Near where my grandfather lived?”

“Yes. In fact Jason Westmoreland’s land is adjacent to Herman’s.”

“Really?” She smiled warmly at the thought that Jason Westmoreland lived on property that connected to the land she’d inherited. Technically that made her his neighbor. No wonder he wants to buy my land, she thought to herself.

“It’s a good thing you’re selling Herman’s land, but I wouldn’t sell it to him under any circumstances.”

She frowned when he opened the car for her to get in. “I haven’t decided what I plan to do with the ranch, Uncle Kenneth,” she reminded him.

He chuckled. “What is there to decide? You know nothing about ranching and a woman of your delicacy, breeding and refinement belongs back in Savannah and not here in Denver trying to run a hundred-acre ranch and enduring harsh winters. Like I told you earlier, I already know someone who wants to buy the ranch along with all the livestock—especially that stallion Hercules. They’re offering a lot of money. Just think of all the shoes, dresses and hats you’ll be able to buy, not to mention a real nice place near the Atlantic Ocean.”

Bella didn’t say anything. She figured this was probably not the time to tell him that as far as she was concerned there was a lot to decide because none of those things he’d mentioned meant anything to her. She refused to make a decision about her inheritance too hastily.

As her uncle’s car pulled out of the parking lot, she settled back against the plush leather seats and remembered the exact moment her and Jason Westmoreland’s eyes had met.

It was a connection she doubted she would ever forget.

One

One month later

“Did you hear Herman Bostwick’s granddaughter is back in Denver and rumor has it she’s here to stay?”

Jason Westmoreland’s ears perked up on the conversation between his sister-in-law Pam and his two cousins-in-laws Chloe and Lucia. He was at his brother Dillon’s house, stretched out on the living room floor playing around with his six-month-old nephew, Denver.

Although the ladies had retired to the dining room to sit at the table and chat, it wasn’t hard to hear what they were saying and he thought there was no reason for him not to listen. Especially when the woman they were discussing was a woman who’d captured his attention the moment he’d met her last month at a charity ball. She was a woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since.

“Her name is Elizabeth but she goes by Bella,” Lucia, who’d recently married his cousin Derringer, was saying. “She came into Dad’s paint store the other day and I swear she is simply beautiful. She looks so out of place here in Denver, a real Southern belle amidst a bunch of roughnecks.”

“And I hear she intends to run the ranch alone. Her uncle Kenneth has made it known he won’t be lifting one finger to help her,” Pam said in disgust. “The nerve of the man to be so darn selfish. He was counting on her selling that land to Myers Smith who promised to pay him a bunch of money if the deal went through. It seems everyone would love to get their hands on that land and especially that stallion Hercules.”

Including me, Jason thought, as he rolled the ball toward his nephew but kept his ears wide-open. He hadn’t known Bella Bostwick had returned to Denver and wondered if she remembered he was interested in purchasing her land and Hercules. He definitely hoped so. His thoughts then shifted to Kenneth Bostwick. The man’s attitude didn’t surprise him. He’d always acted as if he was entitled, which is probably the reason Kenneth and Herman never got along. And since Herman’s death, Kenneth had let it be known around town that he felt the land Bella had inherited should be his. Evidently Herman hadn’t seen it that way and had left everything in his will to the granddaughter he’d never met.

“Well, I hope she’s cautious as to who she hires to help out on that ranch. I can see a woman that beautiful drawing men in droves, and some will be men who she needs to be leery of,” Chloe said.

Jason frowned at the thought of any man drawn to her and didn’t fully understand why he reacted that way. Lucia was right in saying Bella was beautiful. He had been totally captivated the moment he’d first seen her. And it had been obvious Kenneth Bostwick hadn’t wanted him anywhere near his niece.

Kenneth never liked him and had envied Jason’s relationship with old man Herman Bostwick. Most people around these parts had considered Herman mean, ornery and craggy, but Jason was not one of them. He would never forget the one time he had run away from home at eleven and spent the night hidden in Bostwick’s barn. The old man had found him the next morning and returned him to his parents. But not before feeding him a tasty breakfast and getting him to help gather eggs from the chickens and milk the cows. It was during that time he’d discovered Herman Bostwick wasn’t as mean as everyone thought. In fact, Herman had only been a lonely old man.

Jason had gone back to visit Herman often over the years and had been there the night Hercules had been born. He’d known the moment he’d seen the colt that he would be special. And Herman had even told him that the horse would one day be his. Herman had died in his sleep a few months ago and now his ranch and every single thing on it, including Hercules, belonged to his granddaughter. Everyone assumed she would sell the ranch, but from what he was hearing she had moved to Denver from Savannah.

He hoped to hell she had thought through her decision. Colorado’s winters were rough, especially in Denver. And running a spread as big as the one she’d inherited wasn’t easy for an experienced rancher; he didn’t want to think how it would be for someone who knew nothing about it. Granted if she kept Marvin Allen on as the foreman things might not be so bad, but still, there were a number of ranch hands and some men didn’t take kindly to a woman who lacked experience being their boss.

“I think the neighborly thing for us to do is to pay her a visit and welcome her to the area. We can also let her know if there’s anything she needs she can call on us,” Pam said, interrupting his thoughts.

“I agree,” both Lucia and Chloe chimed in.

He couldn’t help but agree, as well. Paying his new neighbor a visit and welcoming her to the area was the right thing to do, and he intended to do just that. He might have lost out on a chance to get the ranch but he still wanted Hercules.

But even more than that, he wanted to get to know Bella Bostwick better.

Bella stepped out of the house and onto the porch and looked around at the vast mountains looming before her. The picturesque view almost took her breath away and reminded her of why she had defied her family and moved here from Savannah two weeks ago.

Her overprotective parents had tried talking her out of what they saw as a foolish move on her part mainly because they hadn’t wanted her out of their sight. It had been bad enough while growing up when she’d been driven to private schools by a chauffeur each day and trailed everywhere she went by a bodyguard until she was twenty-one.

And the sad thing was that she hadn’t known about her grandfather’s existence until she was notified of the reading of his will. She hadn’t been informed in time to attend the funeral services and a part of her was still upset with her parents for keeping that from her.

She didn’t know what happened to put a permanent wedge between father and son, but whatever feud that existed between them should not have included her. She’d had every right to get to know Herman Bostwick and now he was gone. When she thought about the summers she could have spent here visiting him instead of being shipped away to some camp for the summer she couldn’t help but feel angry. She used to hate those camps and the snooty kids that usually went to them.

Before leaving Savannah she had reminded her parents that she was twenty-five and old enough to make her own decisions about what she wanted to do with her life. And as far as she was concerned, the trust fund her maternal grandparents had established for her, as well as this ranch she’d now inherited from her paternal grandfather, made living that life a lot easier. It was the first time in her life that she had anything that was truly hers.

It would be too much to ask David and Melissa Bostwick to see things that way and they’d made it perfectly clear that they didn’t. She wouldn’t be surprised if they were meeting with their attorney at this very moment to come up with a way to force her to return home to Savannah. Well, she had news for them. This was now her home and she intended to stay.

If they’d had anything to say about it she would be in Savannah and getting engaged to marry Hugh Pierce. Although most women would consider Hugh, with his tall, dark and handsome looks and his old-money wealth, a prime catch. And if she really thought hard about it, then she would be one of those women who thought so. But that was the problem. She had to think real hard about it. They’d dated a number of times but there was never any connection, any spark and no real enthusiasm on her part about spending time with him. She had tried as delicately as she could to explain such a thing to her parents but that hadn’t stopped them from trying to shove Hugh down her throat every chance they got. That only proved how controlling they could be.

And speaking of controlling … her uncle Kenneth had become another problem. He was her grandfather’s fifty-year-old half brother, whom she’d met for the first time when she’d flown in for the reading of the will. He’d assumed the ranch would go to him and had been gravely disappointed that day to discover it hadn’t. He had also expected her to sell everything and when she’d made the decision to keep the ranch, he had been furious and said his kindness to her had ended, and that he wouldn’t lift a finger to help and wanted her to find out the hard way just what a mistake she had made.

She sank into the porch swing, thinking there was no way she could have made a mistake in deciding to build a life here. She had fallen in love with the land the first time she’d seen it when she’d come for the reading of the will. And it hadn’t taken long to decide even though she’d been robbed of the opportunity to connect with her grandfather in life, she would connect with him in death by accepting the gift he’d given her. A part of her felt that although they’d never met, he had somehow known about the miserable childhood she had endured and was giving her the chance to have a way better adult life.

The extra men she had hired to work the ranch so far seemed eager to do so and appreciated the salary she was paying them which, from what she’d heard, was more than fair. She’d always heard if you wanted good people to work for you then you needed to pay them good money.

She was about to get up to go back into the house to pack up more of her grandfather’s belongings when she noticed someone on horseback approaching in the distance. She squinted her eyes, remembering this was Denver and people living on the outskirts of town, in the rural sections, often traveled by horseback, and she was grateful for the riding lessons her parents had insisted that she take. She’d always wanted to own a horse and now she had several of them.

As the rider came closer she felt a tingling sensation in the pit if her stomach when she recognized him. Jason Westmoreland. She definitely remembered him from the night of the charity ball and one of the things she remembered the most was his warm smile. She had often wondered if he’d been as ruggedly handsome as she recalled. The closer the rider got she realized he was.

And she had to admit that in the three times she’d been to Denver, he was the closest thing to a modern-day cowboy she had seen. Even now he was riding his horse with an expertise and masculinity that had her heart pounding with every step the horse took. His gaze was steady on her and she couldn’t help but stare back. Heat crawled up her spine and waves of sensuous sensations swept through her system. She could feel goose bumps form on her skin. He was definitely the first and only man she’d ever been this attracted to.

She couldn’t help wondering why he was paying her a visit. He had expressed interest in her land and in Hercules when she’d met him that night at the charity ball. Was he here to convince her she’d made a mistake in moving here like her parents and uncle had done? Would he try to talk her into selling the land and horse to him? If that was the case then she had the same news for him she’d had for the others. She was staying put and Hercules would remain hers until she decided otherwise.

He brought his horse to a stop at the foot of the porch near a hitching post. “Hello, Bella.”

“Jason.” She gazed up into the dark brown eyes staring at her and could swear she felt heat radiating from them. The texture of his voice tingled against her skin just as it had that night. “Is there a reason for your visit?”

A smile curved his lips. “I understand you’ve decided to try your hand at ranching.”

She lifted her chin, knowing what was coming next. “That’s right. Do you have a problem with it?”

“No, I don’t have a problem with it,” he said smoothly. “The decision was yours to make. However, I’m sure you know things won’t be easy for you.”

“Yes, I’m very much aware they won’t be. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

“Yes. We’re neighbors and if you ever need my help in any way just let me know.”

She blinked. Had he actually offered his help? There had to be a catch and quickly figured what it was. “Is the reason you’re being nice that you still want to buy Hercules? If so, you might as well know I haven’t made a decision about him yet.”

His smile faded and the look on his face suddenly became intense. “The reason I’m being nice is that I think of myself as a nice person. And as far as Hercules is concerned, yes, I still want to buy him but that has nothing to do with my offering my help to you as your neighbor.”

She knew she had offended him and immediately regretted it. She normally wasn’t this mistrusting of people but owning the ranch was a touchy subject with her because so many people were against it. He had wanted the land and Hercules but had accepted her decision and was even offering his help when her own uncle hadn’t. Instead of taking it at face value, she’d questioned it. “Maybe I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”

“Yes, maybe you shouldn’t have.”

Every cell in her body started to quiver under the intensity of his gaze. At that moment she knew his offer had been sincere. She wasn’t sure how she knew; she just did. “I stand corrected. I apologize,” she said.

“Apology accepted.”

“Thank you.” And because she wanted to get back on good footing with him she asked, “How have you been, Jason?”

His features relaxed when he said, “Can’t complain.” He tilted his Stetson back from his eyes before dismounting from the huge horse as if it was the easiest of things to do.

And neither can I complain, she thought, watching him come up the steps of the porch. There was nothing about seeing him in all his masculine form that any woman could or would complain about. She felt her throat tighten when moments later he was standing in front of her. Something she could recognize as hot, fluid desire closed in on her, making it hard to breathe. Especially when his gaze was holding hers with the same concentration he’d had the night of the ball.

Today in the bright sunlight she was seeing things about him that the lights in the ballroom that night hadn’t revealed: the whiteness of his teeth against his dark skin, the thickness of his lashes, the smooth texture of his skin and the broadness of his shoulders beneath his shirt. Another thing she was seeing now as well as what she remembered seeing in full detail that night was the full shape of a pair of sensual lips.

“And what about you, Bella?”

She blinked, realizing he’d spoken. “What about me?” The smile curving his lips returned and in a way that lulled her into thoughts she shouldn’t be thinking, like how she’d love kissing that smile on his face.

“How have you been … besides busy?” he asked.

Bella drew in a deep breath and said. “Yes, things have definitely been busy and at times even crazy.”

“I bet. And I meant what I said earlier. If you ever need help with anything, let me know.”

“Thanks for the offer, I appreciate it.” She had seen the turnoff to his ranch. The marker referred to it as Jason’s Place. And from what she’d seen through the trees it was a huge ranch and the two-story house was beautiful.

She quickly remembered her manners and said. “I was about to have a cup of tea. Would you like a cup, as well?”

He leaned against the post and his smile widened even more. “Tea?”

“Yes.”

She figured he found such a thing amusing if the smile curving his lips was anything to go by. The last thing a cowboy would want after being in the saddle was a cup of tea. A cold beer was probably more to his liking but was the one thing she didn’t have in her refrigerator. “I’d understand if you’d rather not,” she said.

He chuckled. “A cup of tea is fine.”

“You sure?”

He chuckled again. “Yes, I’m positive.” “All right then.” She opened the door and he followed her inside.

Beside the fact Jason thought she looked downright beautiful, Bella Bostwick smelled good, as well. He wished there was some way he could ignore the sudden warmth that flowed through his body from her scent streaming through his nostrils.

And then there was the way she was dressed. He had to admit that although she looked downright delectable in her jeans and silk blouse she also looked out of place in them. But as she walked gracefully in front of him, Jason thought that a man could endure a lot of sleepless nights dreaming about a Southern-belle backside shaped like hers.

“If you’ll have a seat, Jason, I’ll bring the tea right out.”

He stopped walking as he realized she must have a pot already made. “All right.”

He watched her walk into the kitchen, but instead of taking the seat like she’d offered, he kept standing as he glanced around taking in the changes she’d already made to the place. There were a lot of framed art pieces on the wall, a number of vases filled with flowers, throw rugs on the wood floor and fancy curtains attached to the windows. It was evident that a woman lived here. And she was some woman.

She hadn’t hesitated to get her back up when she’d assumed his visit here was less than what he’d told her. He figured Kenneth Bostwick, in addition to no telling how many others, probably hadn’t liked her decision not to sell her land and was giving her pure grief about it. He wouldn’t be one of those against her decision.

He continued to glance around the room, noting the changes. There were a lot of things that remained the same, like Herman’s favorite recliner, but she’d added a spiffy new sofa to go with it. It was just as well. The old one had seen better days. The old man had claimed he would be getting a new one this coming Christmas, not knowing when he’d said it he wouldn’t be around.

Jason drew in a deep breath remembering the last time he’d seen Herman Bostwick alive. It had been a month before he’d died. Jason had come to check on him and to ride Hercules. Jason was one of the few people who could do so mainly because he was the one Herman had let break in the horse.

He glanced down to study the patterns on the throw rug beneath his feet thinking how unique looking they were when he heard her reenter the room. He looked up and a part of him wished he hadn’t. The short medium brown curls framing her face made her mahogany colored skin appear soft to the touch and perfect for her hazel eyes and high cheekbones.

There was a refinement about her, but he had a feeling she was a force to be reckoned with if she had to be. She’d proven that earlier when she’d assumed he was there to question her sanity about moving here. Maybe he should be questioning his own sanity for not convincing her to move on and return to where she came from. No matter her best intentions, she wasn’t cut out to be a rancher, not with her soft hands and manicured nails.

He believed there had to be some inner conflict driving her to try to run the ranch. He decided then and there that he would do whatever he could to help her succeed. And as she set the tea tray down on the table he knew at that moment she was someone he wanted to get to know better in the process.

“It’s herbal tea. Do you want me to add any type of sweetener?” she asked.

“No,” he said flatly, although he wasn’t sure if he did or not. He wasn’t a hot tea drinker, but did enjoy a glass of cold sweet tea from time to time. However, for some reason he felt he would probably enjoy his hot tea like he did his coffee—without anything added to it.

“I prefer mine sweet,” she said softly, turning and smiling over at him. His guts tightened and he tried like hell to ignore the ache deep within and the attraction for this woman. He’d never felt anything like this before.

He was still standing and when she crossed the room toward him carrying his cup of tea, he had to forcibly propel air through his lungs with every step she took. Her beauty was brutal to the eyes but soothing to the soul, and he was enjoying the view in deep male appreciation. How old was she and what was she doing out here in the middle of nowhere trying to run a ranch?

“Here you are, Jason.”

He liked the sound of his name from her lips and when he took the glass from her hands they touched in the process. Immediately, he felt his stomach muscles begin to clench.

“Thanks,” he said, thinking he needed to step away from her and not let Bella Bostwick crowd his space. But he also very much wanted to keep her right there. Topping the list was her scent. He wasn’t sure what perfume she was wearing but it was definitely an attention grabber, although her beauty alone would do the trick.

“You’re welcome. Now I suggest we sit down or I’m going to get a crook in my neck staring up at you.”

He heard the smile in her voice and then saw it on her lips. It stirred to life something inside of him and for a moment he wondered if her smile was genuine or practiced and quickly came to the conclusion it was genuine. During his thirty-four years he had met women who’d been as phony as a four-dollar bill but he had a feeling Bella Bostwick wasn’t one of them. In fact, she might be a little too real for her own good.

“I don’t want that to happen,” he said, easing down on her sofa and stretching his long legs out in front of him. He watched as she then eased down in the comfortable looking recliner he had bought Herman five years ago for his seventy-fifth birthday.

Jason figured this was probably one of the craziest things he’d ever done, sit with a woman in her living room in the middle of the day and converse with her while sipping tea. But he was doing it and at that moment, he couldn’t imagine any other place he’d rather be.

Bella took a sip of her tea and studied Jason over the rim of her cup. Who was he? Why was she so attracted to him? And why was he attracted to her? And she knew the latter was true. She’d felt it that night at the ball and she could feel it now. He was able to bring out desires in her that she never felt before but for some reason she didn’t feel threatened by those feelings. Instead, although she really didn’t know him, she felt he was a powerhouse of strength, tenderness and protectiveness all rolled into one. She knew he would never hurt her.

“So, tell me about yourself Jason,” she heard herself say, wanting so much to hear about the man who seemed to be taking up so much space in her living room as well as in her mind.

A smile touched his lips when he said, “I’m a Westmore land.”

His words raised her curiosity up a notch. Was being a Westmoreland supposed to mean something? She hadn’t heard any type of arrogance or egotism in his words, just a sense of pride, self-respect and honor.

“And what does being a Westmoreland mean?” she asked as she tucked her legs beneath her to get more comfortable in the chair.

She watched him take a sip of his tea. “There’s a bunch of us, fifteen in fact,” Jason said.

She nodded, taking in his response. “Fifteen?”

“Yes. And that’s not counting the three Westmoreland wives and a cousin-in-law from Australia. In our family tree we’ve now become known as the Denver Westmorelands.”

“Denver Westmorelands? Does that mean there are more Westmorelands in other parts of the country?”

“Yes, there are some who sprung from the Atlanta area. We have fifteen cousins there, as well. Most of them were at the Westmoreland charity ball.”

An amused smile touched her lips. She recalled seeing them and remembered thinking how much they’d resembled in looks or height. Jason had been the only one she’d gotten a real good close-up view of, and the only one she’d held a conversation with before her uncle had practically dragged her away from the party that night.

She then decided to bring up something she’d detected at the ball. “You and my uncle Kenneth don’t get along.”

If her statement surprised him the astonishment was not reflected in his face. “No, we’ve never gotten along,” he said as if the thought didn’t bother him, in fact he preferred it that way.

She paused and waited on him to elaborate but he didn’t. He just took another sip of tea.

“And why is that? ”

He shrugged massive shoulders and the gesture made her body even more responsive to his. “I can’t rightly say why we’ve never seen eye-to-eye on a number of things.”

“What about my grandfather? Did you get along with him?”

He chuckled. “Actually I did. Herman and I had a good relationship that started back when I was kid. He taught me a lot about ranching and I enjoyed our chats.”

She took a sip of her tea. “Did he ever mention anything about having a granddaughter? ”

“No, but then I didn’t know he had a son, either. The only family I knew about was Kenneth and their relationship was rather strained.”

She nodded. She’d heard the story of how her father had left for college at the age of seventeen, never to return. Her uncle Kenneth claimed he wasn’t sure what the disagreement had been between the two men since he himself had been a young kid at the time. David Bostwick had made his riches on the east coast, first as a land developer and then as an investor in all sorts of moneymaking ventures. That was how he’d met her mother, a Savannah socialite, daughter of a shipping magnate and ten years her senior. The marriage had been based more on increasing their wealth instead of love. She was well aware of both of her parents’ supposedly discreet affairs.

And as far as Kenneth Bostwick was concerned, she knew that Herman’s widowed father at the age of seventy married a thirty-something-year-old woman and Kenneth had been their only child. Bella gathered from bits and pieces she’d overheard from Kenneth’s daughter, Elyse, that Kenneth and Herman had never gotten along because Herman thought Kenneth’s mother, Belinda, hadn’t been anything but a gold digger who married a man old enough to be her grandfather.

“Finding out Herman had a granddaughter came as a surprise to everyone around these parts.”

Bella chuckled softly. “Yes, and it came as quite a surprise to me to discover I had a grandfather.”

She saw the surprise that touched his face. “You didn’t know about Herman?”

“No. I thought both my father’s parents were dead. My father was close to forty when he married my mother and when I was in my teens he was in his fifties already so I assumed his parents were deceased since he never mentioned them. I didn’t know about Herman until I got a summons to be present at the reading of the will. My parents didn’t even mention anything about the funeral. They attended the services but only said they were leaving town to take care of business. I assumed it was one of their usual business trips. It was only when they returned that they mentioned that Herman’s attorney had advised them that I was needed for the reading of the will in a week.”

She pulled in a deep breath. “Needless to say, I wasn’t happy that my parents had kept such a thing from me all those years. I felt whatever feud was between my father and grandfather was between them and should not have included me. I feel such a sense of loss at not having known Herman Bostwick.”

Jason nodded. “He could be quite a character at times, trust me.”

For some reason she felt she could trust him … and in fact, that she already did. “Tell me about him. I want to get to know the grandfather I never knew.”

He smiled. “There’s no way I can tell you everything about him in one day.”

She returned the smile. “Then come back again for tea so we can talk. That is, if you don’t mind.”

She held her breath thinking he probably had a lot more things to do with his time than to sip tea with her. A man like him probably had other things on his mind when he was with someone of the opposite sex.

“No, I don’t mind. In fact I’d rather enjoy it.”

She inwardly sighed, suddenly feeling giddy, pleased. Jason Westmoreland was the type of man who could make his way into any woman’s hot and wild fantasies, and he’d just agreed to indulge her by sharing tea with her occasionally to talk about the grandfather she’d never known.

“Well, I guess I’d better get back to work.”

“And what do you do for a living?” she asked, without thinking about it.

“Several of my cousins and I are partners in a horse breeding and horse training venture. The horse that came in second last year at the Preakness was one of ours.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thanks.”

She then watched as he eased his body off her sofa to stand. And when he handed the empty teacup back to her, she felt her body tingle with the exchange when their hands touched and knew he’d felt it, as well.

“Thanks for the tea, Bella.”

“You’re welcome and you have an open invitation to come back for more.”

He met her gaze, held it for a moment. “And I will.”

Two

On Tuesday of the following week, Bella was in her car headed to town to purchase new appliances for her kitchen. Buying a stove and refrigerator might not be a big deal to some, but for her it would be a first. She was looking forward to it. Besides, it would get her mind off the phone call she’d gotten from her attorney first thing this morning.

Not wanting to think about the phone call, she thought about her friends back home instead. They had teased her that although she would be living out in the boondocks on a ranch, downtown Denver was half an hour away and that’s probably where she would spend most of her time—shopping and attending various plays and parties. But she had discovered she liked being away from city life and hadn’t missed it at all. She’d grown up in Savannah right on the ocean. Her parents’ estate had been minutes from downtown and was the place where lavish parties were always held.

She had talked to her parents earlier today and found the conversation totally draining. Her father insisted she put the ranch up for sale and come home immediately. When the conversation ended she had been more determined than ever to keep as much distance between her and Savannah as possible.

She had been on the ranch for only three weeks and already the taste of freedom, to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted, was a luxurious right she refused to give up. Although she missed waking up every morning to the scent of the ocean, she was becoming used to the crisp mountain air drenched in the rich fragrance of dahlias.

Her thoughts then shifted to something else or more precisely, someone else. Jason Westmoreland. Good to his word he had stopped by a few days ago to join her for tea. They’d had a pleasant conversation, and he’d told her more about her grandfather. She could tell Jason and Herman’s relationship had been close. Part of her was glad that Jason had probably helped relieve Herman’s loneliness.

Although her father refused to tell her what had happened to drive him away from home, she hoped to find out on her own. Her grandfather had kept a number of journals and she intended to start reading them this week. The only thing she knew from what Kenneth Bostwick had told her was that Herman’s father, William, had remarried when Herman was in his twenties and married with a son of his own. That woman had been Kenneth’s mother, which was why he was a lot younger than her father. In fact her father and Kenneth had few memories of each other since David Bostwick had left home for college at the age of seventeen.

Jason had also answered questions about ranching and assured her that the man she’d kept on as foreman had worked for her grandfather for a number of years and knew what he was doing. Jason hadn’t stayed long but she’d enjoyed his visit.

She found Jason to be kind and soft-spoken and whenever he talked in that reassuring tone she would feel safe, protected and confident that no matter what decisions she made regarding her life and the ranch, it would be okay. He also gave her the impression that she could and would make mistakes and that would be okay, too, as long as she learned from those mistakes and didn’t repeat them.

She had gotten to meet some of his family members, namely the women, when they’d all shown up a couple of days ago with housewarming goodies to welcome her to the community. Pamela, Chloe and Lucia had married into the family, and Megan and Bailey were Westmorelands by birth. They told her about Gemma, who was Megan and Bailey’s sister and how she had gotten married earlier that year, moved with her husband to Australia and was expecting their first child.

Pamela and Chloe had brought their babies and being in their presence only reinforced a desire Bella always had of being a mother. She loved children and hoped to marry and have a houseful one day. And when she did, she intended for her relationship with them to be different than the one she had with her own parents.

The women had invited her to dinner at Pamela’s home Friday evening so that she could meet the rest of the family. She thought the invitation to dinner was a nice gesture and downright neighborly on their part.

They were surprised she had already met Jason because he hadn’t mentioned anything to them about meeting her.

She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t when all the evidence led her to believe the Westmorelands were a close-knit group. But then she figured men tended to keep their activities private and not share them with anyone. He said he would be dropping by for tea again tomorrow and she looked forward to his visit.

It was obvious there was still an intense attraction between them, yet he always acted honorably in her presence. He would sit across from her with his long legs stretched out in front of him and sip tea while she talked. She tried not to dominate the conversation but found he was someone she could talk to and someone who listened to what she had to say. She could see him now sitting there absorbed in whatever she said while displaying a ruggedness she found totally sexy.

And he had shared some things about himself. She knew he was thirty-four and a graduate of the University of Denver. He also shared with her how his parents and uncle and aunt had been killed in a plane crash when he was eighteen, leaving him and his fourteen siblings and cousins without parents. With admiration laced in his voice he had talked about his older brother Dillon and his cousin Ramsey and how the two men had been determined to keep the family together and how they had.

She couldn’t help but compare his large family to her smaller one. Although she loved her parents she couldn’t recall a time she and her parents had ever been close. While growing up they had relinquished her care to sitters while they jet-setted all over the country. At times she thought they’d forgotten she existed. When she got older she understood her father’s obsession with trying to keep up with his young wife. Eventually she saw that obsession diminish when he found other interests and her mother did, as well.

That was why at times the idea of having a baby without a husband appealed to her, although doing such a thing would send her parents into cardiac arrest. But she couldn’t concern herself with how her parents would react if she chose to go that route. Moving here was her first stab at emancipation and whatever she decided to do would be her decision. But for a woman who’d never slept with a man to contemplate having a baby from one was a bit much for her to absorb right now.

She pulled into the parking lot of one of the major appliance stores. When she returned home she would meet with her foreman to see how things were going. Jason had said such meetings were necessary and she should be kept updated on what went on at her ranch.

Moments later as she got out of her car she decided another thing she needed to do was buy a truck. A truck. She chuckled, thinking her mother would probably gag at the thought of her driving a truck instead of being chauffeured around in a car. But her parents had to realize and accept her life was changing and the luxurious life she used to have was now gone.

As soon as she entered the store a salesperson was right on her heels and it didn’t take long to make the purchases she needed because she knew just what she wanted. She’d always thought stainless steel had a way of enhancing the look of a kitchen and figured sometime next year she would give the kitchen a total makeover with granite countertops and new tile flooring, as well. But she would take things one step at a time.

“Bella?”

She didn’t have to turn to know who’d said her name. As far as she was concerned, no one could pronounce it in the same rugged yet sexy tone as Jason. Although she had just seen him a few days ago when he’d joined her for tea, there was something about seeing him now that sent sensations coursing through her.

She turned around and there he stood dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged his sinewy thighs and long, muscular legs, a blue chambray shirt and a lightweight leather jacket that emphasized the broadness of his shoulders.

She smiled up at him. “Jason, what a pleasant surprise.”

It was a pleasant surprise for Jason, as well. He had walked into the store and immediately, like radar, he had picked up on her presence and all it took was following her scent to find her.

“Same here. I had to come into town to pick up a new hot water heater for the bunkhouse,” he said, smiling down at her. He shoved his hands into his pockets; otherwise, he would have been tempted to pull her to him and kiss her. Kissing Bella was something he wanted but hadn’t gotten around to doing. He didn’t want to rush things and didn’t want her to think his interest in her had anything to do with wanting to buy Hercules, because that wasn’t the case. His interest in her was definitely one of want and need.

“I met the ladies in your family the other day. They came to pay me a visit,” she said.

“Did they?”

“Yes.”

He’d known they would eventually get around to doing so. The ladies had discussed a visit to welcome her to the community.

“They’re all so nice,” she said

“I think they are nice, too. Did you get whatever you needed?” He wondered if she would join him for lunch if he were to ask.

“Yes, my refrigerator and stove will be delivered by the end of the week. I’m so excited.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. She was genuinely excited. If she got that excited over appliances he could imagine how she would react over jewelry. “Will you be in town for a while, Bella?”

“Yes. I have a meeting with Marvin later this evening.”

He raised a brow. “Is everything all right?”

She nodded, smiling. “Yes. I’m just having a weekly meeting like you suggested.”

He was glad she had taken his advice. “How about joining me for lunch? There’s a place not far from here that serves several nice dishes.”

She smiled up at him. “I’d love that.”

Jason knew he would love it just as much. He had been thinking about her a lot, especially at night when he’d found it hard to sleep. She was getting to him. No, she had gotten to him. He didn’t know of any other woman that he’d been this attracted to. There was something about her. Something that was drawing him to her on a personal level that he could not control. But then a part of him didn’t want to control it. Nor did he want to fight it. He wanted to see how far it would go and where it would stop

“Do you want me to follow you there, Jason?”

No, he wanted her in the same vehicle with him. “We can ride in my truck. Your car will be fine parked here until we return.” “Okay.”

As he escorted her toward the exit, she glanced up at him. “What about your hot water heater?”

“I haven’t picked it out yet but that’s fine since I know the brand I want.”

“All right.”

Together they walked out of the store toward his truck. It was a beautiful day in May but when he felt her shiver beside him, he figured a beautiful day in Savannah would be a day in the eighties. Here in Denver if they got sixty-something degree weather in June they would be ecstatic.

He took his jacket off and placed it around her shoulders. She glanced up at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He smiled. “Yes, I did. I don’t want you to get cold on me.” She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a light blue cardigan sweater. As always she looked ultrafeminine.

And now she was wearing his jacket. They continued walking and when they reached his truck she glanced up and her gaze connected with his and he could feel electricity sparking to life between them. She looked away quickly, as if she’d been embarrassed that their attraction to each other was so obvious.

“Do you want your jacket back now?” she asked softly.

“No, keep it on. I like seeing you in it.”

She blushed again and at that moment he got the most ridiculous notion that perhaps this sort of intense attraction between two people was sort of new to Bella. He wouldn’t be surprised to discover that she had several innocent bones in her body; enough to shove him in another direction rather quickly. But for some reason he was staying put.

She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Why do you like seeing me in it?”

“Because I do. And because it’s mine and you’re in it.”

He wasn’t sure if what he’d said made much sense or if she was confused even more. But what he was sure about was that he was determined to find out just how much Bella Bostwick knew about men. And what she didn’t know he was going to make it his business to teach her.

Bella was convinced there was nothing more compelling than the feel of wearing the jacket belonging to a man whose very existence represented true masculinity. It permeated her with his warmth, his scent and his aura in every way. She was filled with an urge to get more, to know more and to feel more of Jason Westmoreland. And as she stared at him through the car’s window as he pulled out his cell phone to make arrangements for their lunch, she couldn’t help but feel the hot rush of blood in her veins while heat churned deep down inside of her.

And there lay the crux of her problem. As beguiling as the feelings taking over her senses, making ingrained curiosity get the best of her, she knew better than to step beyond the range of her experience. That range didn’t extend beyond what the nuns at the private Catholic schools she’d attended most of her life had warned her about. It was a range good girls just didn’t go beyond.

Jason was the type of man women dreamed about. He was what fantasies were made of. She watched him ease his phone back into the pocket of his jeans, walk around the front of his truck to get in. He was the type of man a woman would love to snuggle up with on a cold Colorado winter night … especially the kind her parents and uncle had said she would have to endure. Just the thought of being with him in front of a roaring fire that blazed in a fireplace would be an unadulterated fantasy come true for any woman… . And her greatest fear.

“You’re comfortable?” he asked, placing a wide-brimmed Stetson on his head.

She glanced over at him and she held his gaze for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

He backed up the truck and then they headed out of the parking lot in silence but she was fully aware of his hands that gripped the steering wheel. They were large and strong hands and she could imagine those same hands gripping her. That thought made heat seep into every cell and pore of her body, percolating her bones and making her surrender to something she’d never had before.

Her virginal state had never bothered her before and it didn’t really bother her now except the unknown was making the naughtiness in her come out. It was making her anticipate things she was better off not getting.

“You’ve gotten quiet on me, Bella,” Jason said.

She glanced over at him and again met his gaze thinking, yes she had. But she figured he didn’t want to hear her thoughts out loud and certain things she needed to keep to herself.

“Sorry,” she said. “I was thinking about Friday,” she decided to say.

“Friday?”

“Yes. Pamela invited me to dinner.”

“She did?”

Bella heard the surprise in his voice. “Yes. She said it would be the perfect opportunity to meet everyone. It seems all of my neighbors are Westmorelands. You’re just the one living the closest to me.”

“And what makes you so preoccupied about Friday?”

“Meeting so many of your family members.”

He chuckled. “You’ll survive.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Then she said, “Tell me about them.” He had already told her some but she wanted to hear more. And the ladies who came to visit had also shared some of their family history with her. But she wanted to hear his version just to hear the husky sound of his voice, to feel how it would stir across her skin and tantalize several parts of her body.

“You already met the ones who think they run things, namely the women.”

She laughed. “They don’t?”

“We let them think that way because we’re slowly getting outnumbered. Although Gemma is in Australia she still has a lot to say and whenever we take a vote about anything, of course she sides with the women.”

She grinned. “You all actually take votes on stuff?”

“Yes, we believe in democracy. The last time we voted we had to decide where Christmas dinner would be held. Usually we hold everything at Dillon’s because he has the main family house, but his kitchen was being renovated so we voted to go to Ramsey’s.”

“All of you have homes? ”

“Yes. When we each turned twenty-five we inherited one hundred acres. It was fun naming my own spread.”

“Yours is Jason’s Place, right?”

He smiled over at her. “That’s right.”

While he’d been talking her body had responded to the sound of his voice as if it was on a mission to capture each and every nuance. She inhaled deeply and they began chatting again but this time about her family. He’d been honest about his family so she decided to be honest about hers.

“My parents and I aren’t all that close and I can’t remember a time that we were. They didn’t support my move out here,” she said and wondered why she’d wanted to share that little detail.

“Is it true that Kenneth is upset you didn’t sell the land to Myers Smith?” he asked.

She nodded slowly. “Yes, he told me himself that he thinks I made a mistake in deciding to move here and is looking forward to the day I fail so he can say, ‘I told you so.'”

Jason shook his head, finding it hard to believe this was a family member who was hoping for her failure. “Are he and your father close?”

Bella chuckled softly. “They barely know each other. According to Dad he was already in high school when Kenneth was born, although technically Kenneth is my father’s half uncle. My father’s grandfather married Kenneth’s mother who was twenty-five years his junior.”

“Do you have any other family, like cousins?”

She shook her head. “Both my parents were the only children. Of course Uncle Kenneth has a son and daughter but they hadn’t spoken to me since the reading of the will. Uncle Kenneth only spoke to me when he thought I’d be selling the ranch and livestock to his friend.”

By the time he had brought the truck to a stop in front of a huge building, she had to wipe tears of laughter from her eyes when he’d told her about all the trouble the younger Westmorelands had gotten into.

“I just can’t imagine your cousin Bailey—who has such an innocent look about her—being such a hell-raiser while growing up.”

Jason laughed. “Hey, don’t let the innocent act fool you. The cousins Aiden and Adrian are at Harvard and Bane joined the navy. We talked Bailey into hanging around here to attend college so we could keep an eye on her.”

He chuckled and then added, “It turned out to be a mistake when she began keeping an eye on us instead.”

When he turned off the truck’s engine she glanced through the windshield at the building looming in front of them and raised a brow. “This isn’t a restaurant?”

He glanced over at her. “No, it’s not. It’s the Blue Ridge Management, a company my father and uncle founded over forty years ago. After they were killed Dillon and Ramsey took over. Ramsey eventually left Dillon in charge to become a sheep rancher and Dillon is currently CEO.”

He glanced out the windshield to look up at the forty-story building with a pensive look on his face and moments later added, “My brother Riley holds an upper management position here. My cousins Zane and Derringer, as well as myself, worked for the company after college until last year when we decided to join the Montana Westmorelands in the horse training and breeding business.”

He smiled. “I guess you can say that nine-to-five gig was never our forte. Like Ramsey we prefer being outdoors.”

She nodded and followed his gaze to the building. “And we’re eating lunch here?”

He glanced over at her. “Yes, I have my office that I still use from time to time to conduct business. I called ahead and Dillon’s secretary took care of everything for me.”

A few moments later they were walking into the massive lobby of Blue Ridge Land Management and the first thing Bella noticed was the huge, beautifully decorated atrium with a waterfall amidst a replica of mountains complete with blooming flowers and other types of foliage. After stopping at the security guard station they caught an elevator up to the executive floor.

“I remember coming up here a lot with my dad,” Jason said softly, reflecting on that time. “Whenever he would work on the weekends, he would gather us all together to get us out of Mom’s hair for a while. Once we got up to the fortieth floor we knew he would probably find something for us to do.”

He chuckled and then added, “But just in case he didn’t. I would always travel with a pack of crayons in my back pocket.”

Bella smiled. She could just imagine Jason and his six brothers crowded on the elevator with their father. Although he would be working they would have gotten to spend the day with him nonetheless. She couldn’t ever recall a time her father had taken her to work with him. In fact she hadn’t known where the Bostwick Firm had been located until she was well into her teens. Her mother never worked outside the home but was mainly the hostess for the numerous parties her parents would give.

It seemed the ride to the top floor took forever. A few times the elevator stopped to let people either on or off. Some of them recognized Jason and he took the time to inquire about the family members he knew, especially their children or grandchildren.

The moment they stepped off the elevator onto the fortieth floor Bella could tell immediately that this was where all the executive offices were located. The furniture was plush and the carpeting thick and luxurious looking. She was quickly drawn to huge paintings of couples adorning the walls in the center of the lobby. Intrigued she moved toward them.

“These are my parents,” Jason said, coming to stand by her side. “And the couple in the picture over there is my aunt and uncle. My father and Uncle Thomas were close, barely fourteen months apart in age. And my mother and Aunt Susan got along beautifully and were just as close as sisters.”

“And they died together,” she whispered softly. It was a statement not a question since he had already told her what had happened when they’d all died in a plane crash. Bella studied the portrait of his parents in detail. Jason favored his father a lot but he definitely had his mother’s mouth.

“She was beautiful,” she said. “So was your aunt Susan. I take it Ramsey and Chloe’s daughter was named after her?”

Jason nodded. “Yes, and she’s going to grow up to be a beauty just like her grandmother.”

She glanced over at him. “And what was your mother’s name?”

“Clarisse. And my father was Adam.” Jason then looked down at his watch. “Come on. Our lunch should have arrived by now.”

He surprised her when he took her arm and led her toward a bank of offices and stopped at one in particular with his name on it. She felt her heart racing. Although he hadn’t called it as such, she considered this lunch a date.

That thought was reinforced when he opened the door to his office and she saw the table set for lunch. The room was spacious and had a downtown view of Denver. The table, completely set with everything, including a bottle of wine, had been placed by the window so they could enjoy the view while they ate.

“Jason, the table and the view are beautiful. Thanks for inviting me to lunch.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, pulling a chair out for her. “There’s a huge restaurant downstairs for the employees but I thought we’d eat in here for privacy.”

“That’s considerate of you.”

And done for purely selfish reasons, Jason thought as he took the chair across from her. He liked having her all to himself. Although he wasn’t a tea drinker, he had become one and looked forward to visiting her each week to sit down and converse while drinking tea. He enjoyed her company. He glanced over at her and their gazes connected. Their response to each other always amazed him because it seemed so natural and out of control. He couldn’t stop the heat flowing all through his body at that precise moment even if he wanted to.

He doubted she knew she had a dazed look in the depths of her dark eyes or that today everything about her looked soft, feminine but not overly so. Just to the right degree to make a man appreciate being a man.

She slowly broke eye contact with him to lift the lid off the platter and when she glanced back up she was smiling brightly. “Spaghetti.”

He couldn’t help but return her smile. “Yes. I recall you saying the other day how much you enjoyed Italian food.” In fact they had talked about a number of things in the hour he had been there.

“I do love Italian food,” she said excitedly, taking a hold of her fork.

He poured wine into their glasses and glanced over and caught her slurping up a single strand of spaghetti through a pair of luscious lips. His gut clenched and when she licked her lips he couldn’t help but envy the noodle.

When she caught him staring she blushed, embarrassed at being caught doing something so inelegant. “Sorry. I know that showed bad manners but I couldn’t resist.” She smiled. “It was the one thing I always wanted to do around my parents whenever we ate spaghetti that I couldn’t do.”

He chuckled. “No harm done. In fact you can slurp the rest of it if you’d like. It’s just you and me.”

She grinned. “Thanks, but I better not.” He then watched as she took her fork in her hand, preparing to eat the rest of her spaghetti in the classical and cultured way.

“I take it your parents were strong disciplinarians,” he said, taking a sip of his wine.

Her smile slowly faded. “They still are or at least they try to be. Even now they will stop at nothing to get me back to Savannah so they can keep an eye on me. I got a call from my attorney this morning warning me they’ve possibly found a loophole in the trust fund my grandparents established for me before they died.”

He lifted a brow. “What kind of a loophole?”

“One that says I’m supposed to be married after the first year. If that’s true I have less than three months,”

she said in disgust. “I’m sure they’re counting on me returning to Savannah to marry Hugh.”

He sipped his wine. “Hugh?”

She met his gaze and he could see the troubled look in hers. “Yes, Hugh Pierce. His family comes from Savannah’s old money and my parents have made up their minds that Hugh and I are a perfect match.”

He watched her shoulders rise and fall after releasing several sighs. Evidently the thought of becoming Mrs. Hugh Pierce bothered her. Hell, the thought bothered him, as well.

In a way he should be overjoyed, elated, that there was a possibility she was moving back to Savannah. That meant her ranch and Hercules would probably be up for sale. And when they were, he would be ready to make her an offer he hoped she wouldn’t refuse. He knew he wasn’t the only one wanting the land and no telling how many others wanted Hercules, but he was determined that the prized stallion wouldn’t fall into anyone’s hands but his.

And yet, he wasn’t overjoyed or elated at the thought that she would return to Savannah.

He got the impression her parents were controlling people or at least they tried to be. He began eating, wondering why her parents wanted to shove this Hugh Pierce down her throat when she evidently wasn’t feeling the guy. Would they coerce her to marry someone just because the man came from “old money"?

He forced the thought to the back of his mind, thinking who she ended up marrying was no concern of his. But making sure his name headed the list as a potential buyer for her ranch and livestock was. He glanced over at her. “When will you know what you’ll have to do?”

She looked up after taking a sip of her wine. “I’m not sure. I have a good attorney but I have to admit my parents’ attorney is more experienced in such matters. In other words, he’s crafty as sin. I’m sure when my grandparents drew up my trust they thought they were looking out for my future because in their social circles, ideally, a young woman married by her twenty-sixth birthday. For her to attend college was just a formality since she was expected to marry a man who had the means to take care of her.”

“And your parents have no qualms in forcing you to marry?”

“No, not one iota,” she said without pause. “They don’t truly care about my happiness. All they care about is that they would be proving once again they control my life and always will.”

He heard the trembling in her voice and when she looked down as to study her silverware, he knew her composure was being threatened. At that moment, something inside of him wanted to get up, pull her into his arms and tell her things would be all right. But he couldn’t rightly say that. He had no way of knowing they would be for her, given the situation she was in. Actually it was her problem not his. Still another part of him couldn’t help regretting that her misfortune could end up being his golden opportunity.

“I thought I’d finally gotten free of my parents’ watchful eyes at college, only to discover they had certain people in place, school officials and professors, keeping tabs on me and reporting to them on my behavior,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.

“And I thought, I truly believed, the money I’m getting from my trust fund and inheriting the ranch were my way of living my life the way I want and an end to being under my parents’ control. I was going to exert my freedom for the first time in my life.”

She paused briefly. “Jason. I really love it here. I’ve been able to live the way I want, do the things I want. It’s a freedom I’ve never had and I don’t want to give it up.”

They sat staring at each other for what seemed like several mind-numbing moments and then Jason spoke. “Then don’t give it up. Fight them for what you want.”

Her shoulders slumped again. “Although I plan to try, it’s easier said than done. My father is a well-known and powerful man in Savannah and a lot of the judges are his personal friends. For anyone to even try something as archaic as forcing someone to marry is ludicrous. But my parents will do it with their friends’ help if it brings me to heel.”

Once again Bella fell silent for a moment. “When I received word about Herman and confronted my father as to why he never told me about his life here in Denver, he wouldn’t tell me, but I’ve been reading my grandfather’s journals. He claims my father hated living here while growing up. His mother had visited this area from Savannah, met Herman and fell in love and never went back east. Her family disowned her for it. But after college my father moved to Savannah and sought out his maternal grandparents and they were willing to accept him in their good graces but only if he never reminded them of what they saw as their daughter’s betrayal, so he didn’t.”

She then straightened her shoulders and forced a smile to her lips. “Let’s change the subject,” she suggested. “Thinking about my woes is rather depressing and you’ve made lunch too nice for me to be depressed about anything.”

They enjoyed the rest of their meal conversing about other things. He told her about his horse breeding business and about how he and the Atlanta Westmorelands had discovered they were related through his great-grandfather Raphel Westmoreland.

“Was your grandfather really married to all those women?” she asked after he told her the tale of how Raphel had become a black sheep in the family after running off in the early nineteen hundreds with the preacher’s wife and all the other wives he supposedly collected along the way.

He took another sip of wine. “That’s what everyone is trying to find out. We need to know if there are any more Westmorelands out there. Megan is hiring a private detective to help solve the puzzle about Raphel’s wives. We’ve eliminated two and now we have two more to check out.”

When they finished the main course Jason used his cell phone to call downstairs to say they were ready for dessert. Moments later banana pudding was delivered to them. Bella thought the dessert was simply delicious. She usually didn’t eat a lot of sweets but once she’d taken a bite she couldn’t help but finish the whole thing.

A short while later, after they’d devoured the dessert with coffee, Jason checked his watch. “We’re right on schedule. I’ll take you back in time to get your car so you can make your meeting with Marvin.”

Jason stood, rounded the table and reached for her hand. The instant they touched it seemed a rush of heated sensations tore through the both of them at the same time. It was absorbed in their bones, tangled their flesh and he all but shuddered under the impact. The alluring scent of her filled his nostrils and his breath was freed on a ragged sigh.

Some part of his brain told him to take a step back and put distance between them. But then another part told him he was facing the inevitable. There had been this blazing attraction, this tantalizing degree of lust between them from the beginning. For him it had been since the moment he had seen her when she’d entered the ballroom with Kenneth Bostwick. He had known then he wanted her.

They stared at each other and for a second he thought she would avert her gaze from his but she didn’t. She couldn’t resist him any more than he could resist her and they both knew it, which was probably why, when he took a step closer and began lowering his head, she went on tiptoes and lifted her mouth to meet his.

The moment their lips connected, a low, guttural sound rumbled from deep in his throat and he deepened the kiss the moment she wrapped her arms around his neck. His tongue slid easily into her mouth, exploring one side and then another, as well as all the areas in between before tangling with her own, mating deeply, and when she reciprocated the move sent a jolt of desire all through his bones.

And then it was on.

Holy crap. Hunger the likes he’d never felt before infiltrated his mind. He felt a sexual connection with her that he’d never felt with any woman before. As his tongue continued to slide against hers, parts of him felt primed and ready to explode at any moment. Never had he encountered such overwhelming passion, such blatant desire and raw primal need.

His mouth was doing a good job tasting her, but the rest of him wanted to feel her, draw her closer into his arms. On instinct he felt her lean into him, plastering their bodies from breast to knee and as Jason deepened the kiss even more, he groaned, wondering if he would never get enough of her.

Bella was feeling the same way about Jason. No man had ever held her this close, taken her mouth this passionately and made sensations she’d never felt before rush through her quicker than the speed of light.

And she felt him, his erection, rigid and throbbing, against her middle, pressing hard at the juncture of her thighs, making her feel sensations there—right there—she hadn’t felt before. It was doing more than just tingling. She was left aching in that very spot. She felt like a mass of kerosene and he was a torch set to ignite her, making her explode into flames. He was all solid muscle pressing against her and she wanted it all. She wanted him. She wasn’t sure what wanting him entailed but she knew he was the only man who made her feel this way. He was the only man she wanted to make her feel this way.

When at last he drew his mouth away from her, his face remained close. Acting by instinct, she took her tongue and licked around his lips from corner to corner, not ready to relinquish the taste of him. When a guttural sound emitted from his throat, need rammed through her and when she tilted her lips toward his, he took her mouth once again. He eased his tongue into her mouth like it had every right to be there and at the moment she was of the conclusion that it did.

He slowly broke off the kiss and stared into her face for a long moment before caressing his thumb across her lips then running his fingers through the curls on her head.

“I guess we better leave now so you won’t miss your meeting,” he said in a deep, husky tone.

Unable to utter a single word she merely nodded.

And when he took her hand and entwined her fingers in his, the sensations she’d felt earlier were still strong, nearly overpowering, but she was determined to fight it this time. And every time after that. She could not become involved with anyone, especially someone like Jason. And especially not now.

She had enough on her plate in dealing with the ranch and her parents. She had to keep her head on straight and not get caught up in the desires of the flesh. She didn’t need a lover; she needed a game plan.

And as Jason led her out of his office, she tried sorting out all the emotions she was feeling. She’d just been kissed senseless and now she was trying to convince herself that no matter what, it couldn’t happen again.

Only problem with that was her mind was declaring one thing and her body was claiming another.

Three

He was in serious trouble.

Jason rubbed his hand across his face as he watched Bella rush off toward her car. He made sure she had gotten inside and driven off before pulling out of the parking lot behind her. The Westmoreland men were known to have high testosterone levels but his had never given him pause until today and only with Bella Bostwick.

He wouldn’t waste his time wondering why he had kissed her since he knew the reason. She was walking femininity at its finest, temptation not too many men could resist and a lustful shot in any man’s arms. He had gotten a sampling of all three. And it hadn’t been a little taste but a whole whopping one. Now that he knew her flavor he wanted to savor it again and again and again.

When he brought his truck to a stop at a traffic light he checked his watch. Bella wasn’t the only one who had a meeting this afternoon. He, Zane and Derringer had a conference call with their partners in Montana in less than an hour. He hadn’t forgotten about the meeting but spending time with Bella had been something he hadn’t been willing to shorten. Now with the taste of her still lingering in his mouth, he was glad he hadn’t.

He shook his head, still finding it hard to believe just how well they had connected with that kiss, which made him wonder how they would connect in other ways and places … like in the bedroom.

The thought of her naked, thighs opened while he entered her was something he couldn’t get out of his mind. He was burning for her and although he’d like to think it was only a physical attraction he wasn’t sure that was the case. But then if it wasn’t the case, what was it?

He didn’t get a chance to think any further because at that moment his cell phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and saw it was his cousin Derringer. The newlywed of just a little over a month had been the last person he’d thought would fall in love with any woman. But he had and Jason could see why. Lucia was as precious as they came and everyone thought she was a great addition to the Westmoreland family.

“Yes, Derringer?”

“Hey, man, where are you? Did you forget about today’s meeting?”

Jason couldn’t help but smile as he remembered how he’d called to ask Derringer the same question since he’d gotten married. It seemed these days it was hard for his cousin to tear himself away from his wife at times.

“No, I didn’t forget and I’m less than thirty minutes away.”

“Okay. And I hear your lady is joining the family for dinner on Friday night.”

He considered that for a moment. Had anyone else made that comment he probably would have gotten irritated by it, but Derringer was Derringer and the two people who knew more than anyone that he didn’t have a “lady” were his cousins Derringer and Zane. Knowing that was the case he figured Derringer was fishing for information.

“I don’t have a lady and you very well know it, Derringer.”

“Do I? If that’s the case when did you become a tea sipper?”

He laughed as his gaze held steady to the road. “Ah, I see our precious Bailey has been talking.”

“Who else? Bella might have mentioned it to the ladies when they went visiting, but of course it’s Bailey who’s decided you have the hots for the Southern belle. And those were Bailey’s words not mine.”

“Thanks for clarifying that for me.” The hots weren’t all he had for Bella Bostwick. Blood was pumping fast and furious in his veins at the thought of the kiss they had shared.

“No problem. So level with me, Jason. What’s going on with you and the Southern Bella?”

Jason smiled. The Southern Bella fit her. But then so did the Sensuous Bella. The Sexy Bella. The Sumptuous Bella. “And what makes you think something is going on?”

“I know you.”

True. Derringer and Zane knew him better than any of the other Westmorelands because they’d always been close, thick as thieves while growing up. “I admit I’m attracted to her but what man wouldn’t be? Otherwise, it’s not that serious.” “You sure?”

Jason’s hand tightened on his steering wheel—that was the crux of his problem. When it came to Bella the only thing he was sure about was that he wanted her in a way he’d never wanted any other woman. When they’d kissed she kissed him back in a way that had his body heating up just thinking how her tongue had mated with his. He had loved the way her silken curls had felt flowing through his fingers and how perfect their bodies fit together.

He was probably treading on dangerous ground but for reasons he didn’t quite understand, he couldn’t admit to being sure right now. So instead of outright lying he decided to plead the fifth by saying, “I’ll get back to you on that.”

Irritation spread all through his gut at the thought that he hadn’t given Derringer an answer mainly because he couldn’t. And for a man who’d always been decisive when it came to a woman’s place in his heart, he could just imagine what Derringer was thinking.

He was trying not to think the same thing himself. Hell, he’d only set out to be a good neighbor and then realized how much he enjoyed her company. And then there had been the attraction he hadn’t been able to overlook.

“I’ll see you when you get here, Jason. Have a safe drive in,” Derringer said without further comment about Bella.

“Will do.”

Bella stood staring out her bedroom window at the mountains. Her meeting with Marvin had been informative as well as a little overwhelming. But she had been able to follow everything the man had said. Heading the list was Hercules. The horse was restless, agitated and it seemed when Hercules wasn’t in a good mood everybody knew it.

According to Marvin, Hercules hadn’t been ridden in a while mainly because very few men would go near him. The only man capable to handling Hercules was Jason. The same Jason she had decided to avoid from now on. She recognized danger when she saw it and in this case it was danger she could feel. Physically.

Even now she could remember Jason mesmerizing her with his smile, seducing her with his kiss and making her groan over and over again. And there was the way his gaze had scanned over her body while in the elevator as they left his office after lunch, or the hot, lusty look he gave her when she got out of the truck at the appliance store. That look had her rushing off as if a pack of pit bulls were nipping at her heels.

And last but not least were Jason’s hands on her. Those big, strong hands had touched her in places that had made her pause for breath, had made sensations overtake her and had made her put her guard up in a way she didn’t feel safe in letting down.

Of course she’d known they were attracted to each other from the first, but she hadn’t expected that attraction to become so volatile and explosive. And she’d experienced all that from just one kiss. Heaven help them if they went beyond kissing.

If he continued to come around, if he continued to spend time with her in any way, they would be tempted to go beyond that. Today proved she was virtually putty in his hands and she didn’t want to think about what that could mean if it continued. She liked it but then she was threatened by it. She was just getting to feel free and the last thing she wanted to be was held in bondage by anything, especially by emotions she couldn’t quite understand. She wasn’t ready to become the other part of anyone. Jeez, she was just finding herself, enjoying her newfound independence. She didn’t want to give it up before experiencing it fully.

At that moment her cell phone went off and she rolled her eyes when she saw the caller was her mother. She pulled in a deep breath before saying, “Yes, Mother?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard from your attorney about that little stipulation we found out about in your trust fund. My mother was definitely smart to think of it.”

Bella frowned. “Yes, I heard all about it.” Of course Melissa Bostwick would take the time to call and gloat. And of course she wanted to make it seem that they had discovered the stipulation by accident when the truth was that they’d probably hired a team of attorneys to look for anything in the trust fund they could use against her to keep her in line. If they had their way she would be dependent on them for life.

“Good. Your father and I expect you to stop this nonsense immediately and come home.”

“Sorry, Mom, but I am home.”

“No, you’re not and if you continue with this foolishness you will be sorry. With no money coming in, what on earth will you do?”

“Get a job I guess.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m being serious. Sorry you can’t tell the difference.”

There was a pause and then her mother asked, “Why do you always want to have your way?”

“Because it’s my way to have. I’m twenty-five for heaven’s sake. You and Dad need to let me live my own life.”

“We will but not there, and Hugh’s been asking about you.”

“That’s nice. Is there anything else you wanted, Mom?”

“For you to stop being difficult.”

“If wanting to live my life the way I want is being difficult then get prepared for more difficult days ahead. Goodbye, Mom.”

Out of respect Bella didn’t hang up the phone until she heard her mother’s click. And when she did she clicked off and shook her head. Her parents were so sure they had her where they wanted her.

And that possibility bothered her more than anything.

Jason glanced around the room. All of his male cousins had Bella to the side conversing away with her. No doubt they were as fascinated by her intellect as well as her beauty. And things had been that way since she’d arrived. More than once he’d sent Zane dirty looks that basically told his cousin to back off. Why he’d done such a thing he wasn’t sure. He and Bella weren’t an item or anything of the sort.

In fact, to his way of thinking, she was acting rather coolly toward him. Although she was polite enough, no one would have thought he had devoured her mouth the way he had three days ago in his office. And maybe that was the reason she was acting this way. No one was supposed to know. It was their secret. Right?

Wrong.

He knew his family well, a lot better than she did. Their acting like cordial acquaintances only made them suspect. His brother Riley had already voiced his suspicions. “Trouble in paradise with the Southern Bella?”

He’d frown and had been tempted to tell Riley there was no trouble in paradise because he and Bella didn’t have that kind of relationship. They had kissed only once for heaven’s sake. Twice, if you were to take into consideration that he’d kissed her a second time that day before leaving his office.

So, okay, they had kissed twice. No big deal. He drew in a deep breath wondering if it wasn’t a big deal, why was he making it one? Why had he come early and anticipated her arrival like a kid waiting for Christmas to get here?

Everyone who knew him, especially his family, was well aware that he dated when it suited him and his reputation with women was nothing like Derringer’s had been or Zane’s was. It didn’t come close. The thought of meeting someone and getting married and having a family was something at the bottom of his list, but at least he didn’t mind claiming it was on his list. That was something some of his other single brothers and cousins refused to do.

“You’re rather quiet tonight, Jason.”

He glanced over and saw his cousin Bailey had come to stand beside him and knew why she was there. She wanted to not just pick his brain but to dissect his mind. “I’m no quieter than usual, Bail.”

She tilted her head and looked up at him. “Hmm, I think you are. Does Bella have anything to do with it?”

He took a sip of his wine. “And what makes you think that?”

She shrugged. “Because you keep glancing over there at her when you think no one is looking.” “That’s not true.”

She smiled. “Yes, it is. You probably don’t realize you’re doing it.”

He frowned. Was that true? Had he been that obvious whenever he’d glanced over at Bella? Of course someone like Bailey—who made it her business to keep up with everything and everyone or tried to—would notice such a thing.

“I thought we were just having dinner,” he decided to say. “I didn’t know it was an all-out dinner party.”

Bailey grinned. “I remember the first time Ramsey brought Chloe to introduce her to the family. He’d thought the same thing.”

Nodding, he remembered that time. “Only difference in that is that Ramsey brought Chloe. I didn’t bring Bella nor did I invite her.”

“Are you saying you wished she wasn’t here?”

He hated when Bailey tried putting words into his mouth. And speaking of mouth … he glanced across the room to Bella and watched hers move and couldn’t help remembering all he’d done to that mouth when he’d kissed her.

“Jason?”

He then recalled what Bailey had asked him and figured until he gave her an answer she wasn’t going anywhere. “No, that’s not what I’m saying and you darn well know it. I don’t have a problem with Bella being here. I think it’s important for her to get to know her neighbors.”

But did his brothers and cousins have to stay in her face, hang on to her every word and check her out so thoroughly? He knew everyone who hadn’t officially met her had been taken with her the moment Dillon had opened the door for her. She had walked in with a gracefulness and pristine elegance that made every male in the house appreciate not only her beauty but her poise, refinement and charming personality.

Her outfit, an electric-blue wrap dress with a flattering scoop neckline and a hem line that hit just above her knees greatly emphasized her small waist, firm breasts and shapely legs, and looked stylishly perfect on her. He would admit that his heart had slammed hard in his chest the moment she’d entered the room.

“Well, dinner is about to be served. You better hope you get a seat close to her. It won’t take much for the others to boot you out the way.” She then walked off.

He glanced back over to where Bella was standing and thought that no one would boot him out the way when it came to Bella. They better not even try.

Bella smiled at something Zane had said while trying not to glance across the room at Jason. He had spoken to her when she’d first arrived but since then had pretty much kept his distance, preferring to let his brothers and cousins keep her company.

You would never know they had been two people who’d almost demolished the mouths right off their faces a few days ago. But then maybe that was the point. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to know. Come to think of it, she’d never asked if he even had a girlfriend. For all she knew he might have one. Just because he’d dropped by for tea didn’t mean anything other than he was neighborly. And she had to remember that he had never gotten out of the way with her.

Until that day in his office.

What had made him want to kiss her? There had been this intense chemistry between them from the first, but neither of them had acted on it until that day. Had stepping over those boundaries taken their relationship to a place where it couldn’t recover? She truly hoped not. He was a nice person, a charmer if ever there was one. And although she’d decided that distance between them was probably for the best right now, she did want him to remain her friend.

“Pam’s getting everyone’s attention for dinner,” Dillon said as he approached the group. “Let me escort you to the dining room,” he offered and tucked Bella’s arm beneath his.

She smiled at him. The one thing she noticed was that all the Westmoreland men resembled in some way. “Thank you.”

She glanced over at Jason. Their gazes met and she felt it, the same sensations she felt whenever he was near her. That deep stirring in the pit of her stomach had her trying to catch her breath.

“You okay?” Dillon asked her.

She glanced up and saw concern in his deep dark eyes. He’d followed her gaze and noted it had lit on his brother. “Yes, I’m fine.”

She just hoped what she’d said was true.

Jason wasn’t surprised to discover he had been placed beside Bella at the dinner table. The women in the family tended to be matchmakers when they set their minds to it, which he could overlook considering three of them were all happily married themselves. The other two, Megan and Bailey, were in it for the ride.

He dipped his head, lower than he’d planned, to ask Bella if she was enjoying herself, and when she turned her head to look at him their lips nearly touched. He came close to ignoring everyone sitting at the table and giving in to the temptation to kiss her.

She must have read his mind and a light blush spread into her cheeks. He swallowed, pulled his lips back. “Are you having a good time? ”

“Yes. And I appreciate your family for inviting me.”

“And I’m sure they enjoy having you here,” he said. Had she expected him to invite her? He shrugged off the thought as wrong. There had been no reason for him to invite her to meet his family. Come to think of it, he had never invited a woman home for dinner. Not even Emma Phillips and they’d dated close to a year before she tried giving him an ultimatum.

The meal went off without a hitch with various conversations swirling around the table. Megan informed everyone that the private investigator she had hired to dig deeper into their great-grandfather Raphel’s past was Rico Claiborne, who just happened to be the brother of Jessica and Savannah who were married to their cousins Chase and Durango. Rico, whom Megan hadn’t yet met, was flying into Denver at some point in time to go over the information he’d collected on what was supposed to be Raphel’s third wife.

By the time dinner was over and conversations wound down it was close to ten o’clock. Someone suggested given the lateness of the hour that Bella be escorted back home. Several of his cousins spoke up to do the honor and Jason figured he needed to end the nonsense once and for all and said in a voice that brooked no argument, “I’ll make sure Bella gets home.”

He noticed that all conversation automatically ceased and no one questioned his announcement. “Ready to go?” he asked Bella softly.

“Yes.”

She thanked everyone and openly gave his cousins and brothers hugs. It wasn’t hard to tell that they all liked her and had enjoyed her visit. After telling everyone good-night he followed her out the door.

Bella glanced out her rearview mirror and saw Jason was following her at a safe distance. She laughed, thinking when it came to Jason there wasn’t a safe zone. Just knowing he was anywhere within her area was enough to rattle her. Even sitting beside him at dinner had been a challenge for her, but thanks to the rest of his family who kept lively conversation going on, she was able to endure his presence and the sexual tension she’d felt. Each time he talked to her and she looked into his face and focused on his mouth, she would remember that same mouth mating with hers.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips when they pulled into her yard. Figuring it would be dark when she returned she had left lights burning outside and her yard was practically glowing. She parked her car and was opening the door to get out when she saw Jason already standing there beside it. Her breathing quickened and panic set in. “You don’t need to walk me to the door, Jason,” she said quickly.

“I want to,” he said simply.

Annoyance flashed in her eyes when she recalled how he’d gone out of his way most of the evening to avoid her. “Why would you?”

He gave her a look. “Why wouldn’t I?” Instead of waiting for her to respond he took her hand in his and headed toward her front door.

Fine! she thought, fuming inside and dismissing the temptation to pull her hand away from his. Because her foreman lived on the ranch, she knew the last thing she needed to do was make a scene with Jason outside under the bright lights. He stood back while she unlocked the door and she had a feeling he intended to make sure she was safely inside before leaving. She was right when he followed her inside.

When he closed the door behind them she placed her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to say what was on her mind, but he beat her to the punch. “Was I out of line when I kissed you that day, Bella?”

The softly spoken question gave her pause and she dropped her hands to her side. No, he hadn’t been out of line mainly because she’d wanted the kiss. She had wanted to feel his mouth on hers, his tongue tangling with her own. And if she was downright truthful about it, she would admit to wanting his hands on her, all over her, touching her in ways no man had touched her before.

He was waiting for her response.

“No, you weren’t out of line.”

“Then why the coldness today?”

She tilted her chin. “I can be asking you the same thing, Jason. You weren’t Mr. Congeniality yourself tonight.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment but she could tell her comment had hit a mark with him. “No, I wasn’t,” he admitted.

Although she had made the accusation she was stunned by the admission. It had caught her off guard. “Why?” She knew the reason for her distance but was curious to know the reason for his.

“Ladies first.”

“Fine,” she said, placing her purse on the table. “We might as well get this little talk over with. Would you like something to drink?”

“Yes,” he said, rubbing his hand down his face in frustration. “A cup of tea would be nice.”

She glanced up at him, surprised by his choice. There was no need to mention since that first day when he’d shown up she had picked up a couple bottles of beer and wine at the store to give him more of a choice. Since tea was also her choice she said, “All right, I’ll be back in a moment.” She then swept from the room.

Jason watched her leave and felt more frustrated than ever. She was right, they needed to talk. He shook his head. When had things between them gotten so complicated? Had it all started with that kiss? A kiss that was destined to happen sooner or later given the intense attraction between them?

He sighed deeply, wondering how he would explain his coldness to her tonight. How could he tell her his behavior had been put in place as a safety mechanism stemming from the fact that he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any other woman? And how could he explain that the thought of any woman getting under his skin to the extent she had scared the hell out of him?

Chances were if he hadn’t run into her at the appliance store he would have sought out her company anyway. More than likely he would have dropped by later for tea, although he had tried limiting his visits for fear of wearing out his welcome.

Her phone rang and he wondered who would be calling her at this late hour but knew it was none of his business when she picked it up on the second rang. He’d never gotten around to asking if she had a boyfriend or not and assumed she didn’t.

Moments later Jason glanced toward the kitchen door when he heard a loud noise, the sound of something crashing on her floor. He quickly moved toward the kitchen to see what had happened and to make sure she was all right.

He frowned when he entered the kitchen and saw Bella stooping to pick up the tray she’d dropped along with two broken cups.

He quickly moved forward. “Are you okay, Bella?” he asked.

She didn’t look at him as she continued to pick up broken pieces of the teacups. “I’m fine. I accidentally dropped it.”

He bent down toward her. “That’s fine. At least you didn’t have tea in the cups. You could have burned yourself. I can help you get that up.”

She turned to look up at him. “I can do this, Jason. I don’t need your help.”

He met her gaze and would have taken her stinging words to heart if he hadn’t seen the redness of her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Instead of answering she shook her head and averted her gaze, refusing to look at him any longer. Quickly recovering his composure at seeing her so upset, he was pushed into action and wrapped his arms around her waist and assisted her up off the floor.

He stood facing her and drew in a deep, calming breath before saying, “I want to know what’s wrong, Bella.”

She drew in her own deep breath. “That was my father. He called to gloat.”

Jason frowned. “About what?”

He watched her when she swallowed deeply. “He and his attorney were able to get an injunction against my trust fund and wanted me to know my monthly funds are on hold.”

He heard the tremor in her voice. “But I thought you had three months before your twenty-sixth birthday.”

“I do, but some judge—probably a close friend of Dad’s—felt my parents had grounds to place a hold on my money. They don’t believe I’ll marry before the trust fund’s deadline date.”

She frowned. “I need my money, Jason. I was counting on the income to pay my men as well as to pay for all the work I’ve ordered to be done around here. There were a number of things my grandfather hadn’t taken care of around here that need to be done, like repairing the roof on the barn. My parents are deliberately placing me in a bind and they know it.”

Jason nodded. He had started noticing a number of things Herman had begun overlooking that had needed to be done. He then shook his head. He’d heard of controlling parents but felt hers were ridiculous.

“Certainly there is something your attorney can do.”

She drew in a deep breath. “He sent me a text moments ago and said there’s nothing he can do now that a judge has gotten involved. And even if there were, it would take time and my parents know it. It is time they figure I don’t have, which will work in their favor. True, I got this ranch free and clear but it takes money to keep it operational.”

He shook his head. “And all because you won’t get married?”

“Yes. They believe I was raised and groomed to be the wife of someone like Hugh who already has standing in Savannah’s upper-class society.”

Jason didn’t say anything for a few moments. “Does your trust fund specifically state who you’re to marry?”

“No, it just says I have to be a married woman. I guess my grandparents figured in their way of thinking that I would automatically marry someone they would consider my equal and not just anyone.”

An idea suddenly slammed into Jason’s head. It was a crazy one … but it would serve a purpose in the long run. In the end, she would get what she wanted and he would get what he wanted.

He reached out and took her hand in his, entwined their fingers and tried ignoring the sensations touching her caused. “Let’s sit down for a moment. I might have an idea.”

Bella allowed him to lead her over to the kitchen table and she sat down with her hands on top of the table and glanced up at him expectantly.

“Promise you’ll keep an open mind when you hear my proposal.”

“All right, I promise.”

He paused a moment and then said, “I think you should do what your parents want and get married.” “What!”

“Think about it, Bella. You can marry anyone to keep your trust fund intact.”

He could tell she was even more confused. “I don’t understand, Jason. I’m not seriously involved with anyone, so who am I supposed to marry?”

“Me.”

Four

Bella’s jaw dropped open. “You?”

“Yes.”

She stared at Jason for a long moment and then she adamantly shook her head.

“Why would you agree to marry me?” she asked, confused.

“Think about it, Bella. It will be a win-win situation for the both of us. Marriage to me will guarantee you’ll keep your trust fund rolling in without your parents’ interfering. And it will give me what I want, as well, which is your land and Hercules.”

Her eyes widened. “A marriage of convenience between us?”

“Yes.” He could see the light shining bright in her wide-eyed innocent gaze. But then caution eased into the hazel depths.

“And you want me to give you my land as well as Hercules?”

“Co-ownership of the land and total ownership of Hercules.”

Bella nibbled on her bottom lip, giving his proposal consideration while trying not to feel the disappointment trying to crowd her in. She had come here to Denver to be independent and not dependent. But what he was proposing was not how she had planned things to go. She was just learning to live on her own without her parents looking over her shoulder. She wanted her own life and now Jason was proposing that he share it. Even if it was on a temporary basis, she was going to feel her independence snatched away. “And how long do we have to remain married? ”

“For as long as we want but at least a year. Anytime after that either of us are free to file for a divorce to end things. But think about it, once we send your father’s attorney proof we’re officially married he’ll have no choice but to release the hold on your trust fund.”

Bella knew that her parents would always be her parents and although she loved them, she could not put up with their controlling ways any longer. She thought Jason’s proposal might work but she still had a few reservations and concerns.

“Will we live in separate households?” she decided to ask.

“No, we will either live here or at my place. I have no problem moving in here but we can’t live apart. We don’t want to give your parents or anyone a reason to think our marriage isn’t the real thing.”

She nodded thinking what he said made sense but she needed to ask another question. This one was of a delicate nature but was one she definitely needed to know the answer to. She cleared her throat. “If we lived in the same house would you expect for us to sleep in the same bed?”

He held her gaze intently. “I think by now it’s apparent we’re attracted to each other, which is the reason I wasn’t Mr. Congeniality tonight as you’ve indicated. That kiss we shared only made me want more and I think you know where wanting more would have led.”

Yes, she knew. And because he was being honest with her she might as well be honest with him. “And the reason I acted ‘cold’ as you put it was that I felt sensations kissing you that I’d never felt before and with everything going on in my life, the last thing I needed to take on was a lover. And now you want me to take on a husband, Jason?”

“Yes, and only because you won’t have all those issues you had before. And I would want us to share a bed, but I’ll leave the decision of what we do up to you. I won’t rush you into doing anything you’re not comfortable with doing. But I think you can rightly say with us living under the same roof such a thing is bound to happen eventually.”

She swallowed. Yes, she could rightly say that. Marrying him would definitely be a solution to her problem and like he’d said, he would be getting what he wanted out of the deal as well—co-ownership of her land and Hercules. It would be a win-win situation.

But still.

“I need to think about it, Jason. Your proposal sounds good but I need to make sure it’s the right answer.”

He nodded. “I have an attorney who can draw up the papers so you won’t have to worry about everything I’m proposing being legit and binding. Your attorney can look at them as well if you’d like. He will be bound by attorney-client privilege not to disclose the details of our marriage to anyone.”

“I still need time to think things through, Jason.”

“And I’ll give you that time but my proposal won’t be out there forever.”

“I understand.”

And whether or not he believed her, she did understand, which was why she needed time to think about it. From his standpoint things probably looked simple and easy. But to her there were several “what ifs” she had to consider.

What if during that year she fell in love with him but he wanted out of the marriage? What if he was satisfied with a loveless marriage and like her parents wanted to be discreet in taking lovers? What if—

“How much time do you think you’ll need to think about it?”

“No more than a week at the most. I should have my answer to you by then.” And she hoped more than anything it would be the right one.

“All right, that will work for me.”

“And you’re not involved with anyone?” she asked, needing to know for certain.

He smiled. “No, I’m not. Trust me. I couldn’t be involved with anyone and kiss you the way I did the other day.”

Bringing up their kiss made her remember how it had been that day, and how easily her lips had molded to his. It had been so easy to feel his passion, and some of the things his tongue had done inside her mouth nearly short-circuited her brain. Even now her body was inwardly shuddering with the force of those memories. And she expected them to live under the same roof and not share a bed? That was definitely an unrealistic expectation on her part. It seemed since their kiss, being under the same roof for any period of time was a passionate time bomb waiting to happen for them and they both knew it.

She glanced across the table at him and her stomach clenched. He was looking at her the same way he’d done that day right before he’d kissed her. And she’d kissed him back. Mated with his mouth and loved every minute doing so.

Even now she recognized the look in his eyes. It was a dark, hungry look that did more than suggest he wanted her and if given the chance he would take her right here, on her kitchen table. And it would entail more than just kissing. He would probably want to sample her the same way she’d done the seafood bisque Pam had served at dinner. And heaven help her but she would just love to be sampled.

She knew what he wanted but was curious to know what he was thinking at this moment. He was staring at her with such intensity, such longing and such greed. Then she thought, maybe it was best that she didn’t know. It would be safer to just imagine.

Swallowing hard, she broke eye contact with him and thought changing the subject was a good idea. The discussion of a possible marriage between them was not the way to go right now.

“At least I’ve paid for the appliances they are delivering next week,” she said, glancing over at her stove that had seen better days. “I think that stove and refrigerator were here when my Dad lived here,” she added.

“Probably.”

“So it was time for new ones, don’t you think?” “Yes. And I think we need to get those broken pieces of the teacups off the floor,” he said.

“I’ll do it later. It will give me something to do after you leave. I’m going to need to stay busy for a while. I’m not sleepy.”

“You sure you won’t need my help cleaning it up?”

“Yes, I’m sure” was her response.

“All right.”

“I have beer in the refrigerator if you’d like one,” she offered.

“No, I’m straight.”

For the next ten minutes they continued to engage in idle chatter. Anything else was liable to set off sparks that could ignite into who knows what.

“Bella?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not working.”

She knew just what he meant. They had moved the conversation from her appliances, to the broken teacups, to him not wanting a beer, to the furniture in her living room, to the movie that had made number one at the box office last weekend like either of them really gave a royal flip. “It’s not?”

“No. It’s okay to feel what we’re feeling right now, no matter what decision you make a week from now. And on that note,” he said, standing, “if you’re sure you don’t want me to help clean up the broken teacups, I think I’d better go before …”

“Before what?” she asked when he hesitated in completing the statement.

“Before I try eating you alive.”

She sucked in a quick breath while a vision of him doing that very thing filtered through her mind. And then instead of leaving well enough alone, she asked something really stupid. “Why would you want to do something like that? ”

He smiled. And the way he smiled had her pulse beating rapidly in several areas of her body. It wasn’t a predatory smile but one of those “if you really want to know” smiles. Never before had she been aware of the many smiles a person’s lips could convey.

In truth, with the little experience she had when it came to men, she was surprised she could read him at all. But for some strange reason she could read Jason and she could do so on a level that could set off passion fizzing to life inside of her.

Like it was doing now.

“The reason I’d try eating you alive is that the other day I only got a sample of your taste. But it was enough to give me plenty of sleepless nights since then. Now I find that I crave knowing how you taste all over. So if you’re not ready for that to happen, come on and walk me to the door.”

Honestly, at that moment she wasn’t quite sure what she was ready for and figured that degree of uncertainty was reason to walk him to the door. She had a lot to think about and work out in her mind and only a week to do it.

She stood and moved around the table. When he extended his hand to her, she knew if they were to touch it would set off a chain of emotions and events she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Her gaze moved away from his hand up to his face and she had a feeling that he knew it, as well. Was this supposed to be a challenge? Or was it merely a way to get her to face the facts of how living under the same roof with him would be?

She could ignore his outstretched hand but doing so would be rude and she wasn’t a rude person. He was watching her. Waiting for her next move. So she made it and placed her hand in his. And the instant their hands touched she felt it. The heat of his warmth spread through her and instead of withstanding it she was drawn deeper and deeper into it.

Before she realized his intentions he let go of her hand to slide his fingertips up and down her arm in a caress so light and so mind-bogglingly sensual that she had to clamp down her mouth to keep from moaning.

The look in the dark eyes staring at her was intense and she knew at that moment his touch wasn’t the only thing making her come apart. His manly scent was flowing through her nostrils and drawing him to her in a way that was actually making her panties wet.

My goodness.

“Maybe my thinking is wrong, Bella,” he said in a deep, husky voice as his fingers continued to caress her arms, making her stomach clench with every heated stroke against her skin.

“Maybe you are ready for me to taste you all over, let my tongue glide across your skin, sample you in my mouth and feast on you with the deep hunger I need assuaged. And while your delicious taste sinks into my mouth, I will use my tongue to push you over the edge time and time again and drown you in a need that I intend to fulfill.”

His words were pushing her over the edge just as much as his touch was doing. They were making her feel things. Want things. And increasing her desire to explore. To experience. To exert her freedom this way.

“Tell me you’re ready,” he urged softly in a heated voice. “Just looking at you makes me hot and hard,” he said in a tone that heated her skin. “So please tell me you’re ready for me.”

Bella thought Jason’s words had been spoken in the huskiest whisper she’d ever heard, and they did something to her both physically and mentally. They prodded her to want whatever it was he was offering. Whatever she was supposed to be ready for.

Like other women, sex was no great mystery to her. At least not since she had seen her parents’ housekeeper Carlie have sex with the gardener when she was twelve. She hadn’t understood at the time what all the moans and groans were about and why they had to be naked while making them. As she got older she’d been shielded from any encounters with the opposite sex and never had time to dwell on such matters.

But there had been a time when she’d become curious so she had begun reading a lot. Her parents would probably die of shame if they knew about all the romance novels Carlie would sneak in to her. It was there between the pages of those novels that she began to dream, fantasize and hope that one day she would fall in love and live happily ever after like the women she read about. Her most ardent desire was to one day find the one man who would make her sexually liberated. She wouldn’t press her luck and hold out for love.

She swallowed deeply as she gazed up at Jason, knowing he was waiting for her response, and she knew at that moment what it would be. “Yes, Jason, I’m ready.”

He didn’t say anything for the longest time; he just stood there and stared at her. For a moment she wondered if he’d heard her. But his darkened eyes, the sound of his breathing alerted her that he had. And his eyes then traveled down the length of her throat and she knew he saw how erratically her pulse was throbbing there at the center.

And then before she could blink, he lowered his head to kiss her. His tongue drove between her lips at the same time his hand reached under her wrap dress. While his tongue relentlessly probed her mouth, his fingers began sliding up her thighs and the feel of his hands on that part of her, a part no other man had touched, made something inside of her uncoil and she released a breathless sigh. She knew at that moment the heat was on. Before she realized he’d done so, he had inched her backward and the cheeks of her behind aligned with the table.

He withdrew his mouth from hers long enough to whisper, “I can’t wait to get my tongue inside of you.”

His words sent all kinds of sensations swirling around in her stomach and a deep ache began throbbing between her legs. The heat was not just on, it was almost edging out of control. She felt it emitting even more when his fingers moved from her thighs to her panties.

And when he reclaimed her mouth again she moaned at how thoroughly he was kissing her and thinking her brain would overload from all the sensations ramming through her. She tried keeping up as his tongue did a methodical sweep of her mouth. And when she finally thought her senses were partially back under control, he proved her wrong when his fingers wiggled their way beneath the waistband of her panties to begin stroking her in a way that all but obliterated her senses.

“Jason …”

She felt her body being eased back onto the table at the same time her dress was pushed up to her waist. She was too full of emotions, wrapped up in way too many sensations, to take stock in what he was doing, but she got a pretty good idea when he eased her panties down her legs, leaving her open and bare to his sight. And when he eased her back farther on the table and placed her legs over his shoulders to nearly wrap around his neck she knew.

Her breath quickened at the smile that then touched his lips, a smile like before that was not predatory and this time wasn’t even one of those “if you really want to know” smiles. This one was a “you’re going to enjoy this” smile that curved the corners of his mouth and made a hidden dimple appear in his right cheek.

And before she could release her next breath he lifted her hips to bury his face between her legs. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming when his hot tongue slid between her womanly folds.

She squirmed frantically beneath his mouth as he drove her crazy with passion, using his tongue to coax her into the kind of climax she’d only read about. It was the kind that had preclimactic sensations rushing through her. He shoved his tongue deeper inside her, doing more than tasting her dewy wetness; he was using the hot tip of his tongue to greedily lick her from core to core.

She threw her head back and closed her eyes, as his tongue began making all kinds of circles inside her, teasing her flesh, branding it. But he wouldn’t let up and she saw he had no intentions of doing so. She felt the buildup right there at the center of her thighs where his mouth was. Pleasure and heat were taking their toll.

Then suddenly her body convulsed around his mouth and she released a moan from deep within her throat as sharp jolts of sexual pleasure set ripples off in her body. And she moaned while the aftershocks made her body shudder uncontrollably. What she was enduring was unbearably erotic, pleasure so great she thought she would pass out from it.

But she couldn’t pass out, not when his tongue continued to thrust inside her, forcing her to give even more. And then she was shoved over the edge. Unable to take anymore, she tightened her legs around his neck and cried out in ecstasy as waves after turbulent waves overtook her.

It was only when the last spasm had eased from her body did he tear his mouth away from her, lower her legs, lean down and kiss her, letting her taste the essence of herself from his lips.

She sucked hard on his tongue, needing it like a lifeline and knowing at that moment he had to be the most sensual and passionate man to walk on the planet. He had made her feel things she’d never felt before, far greater than what she had imagined in any of those romance novels. And she knew this was just the beginning, an introduction to what was out there … and she had a feeling of what was to come.

She knew at that moment, while their tongues continued to mate furiously, that after tonight there was no way they could live under the same roof and not want to discover what was beyond this. How far into pleasure could he take her?

She was definitely going to have to give the proposal he’d placed out there some serious thought.

Jason eased Bella’s dress back down her thighs before lifting her from the table to stand on her feet. He studied her features and was pleased with what he saw. Her eyes glowed, her lips were swollen and she looked well rested when she hadn’t slept.

But more than anything he thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He hoped he’d given her something to think about, something to anticipate, because more than anything he wanted to marry her.

He intended to marry her.

“Come on, walk me to the door,” he whispered thickly. “And this time I promise to leave.”

He took her hand in his and ignored the sensations he felt whenever he touched her. “Have breakfast with me tomorrow.”

She glanced up at him. “You don’t intend to make my decision easy, do you?”

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Nothing’s wrong with me giving you something to think about. To remember. And to anticipate. It will only help you to make the right decision about my proposal.”

When they reached her door he leaned down and kissed her again. She parted her lips easily for him and he deepened the kiss, finding her tongue and then enjoying a game of hide-and-seek with it before finally releasing her mouth on a deep, guttural moan. “What about breakfast in the morning at my place?” he asked huskily.

“That’s all it’s going to be, right? Breakfast and nothing more?” she asked, her voice lower than a whisper.

He smiled at her with a mischievous grin on his face. “We’ll see.”

“In that case I’ll pass. I can’t take too much of you, Jason Westmoreland.”

He laughed as he pulled her closer into his arms. “Sweetheart, if I have my way, one of these days you’re going to take all of me.” He figured she knew just what he meant with his throbbing erection all but poking at her center. Maybe she was right and for them to share breakfast tomorrow wasn’t a good idea. He would be pouncing on her before she got inside his house.

“A rain check, then?” he prompted.

“Um, maybe.”

He lifted a brow. “You’re not trying to play hard to get, are you?”

She smiled. “You can ask me that after what happened a short while ago in my kitchen? But I will warn you that I intend to build up some type of immunity to your charms by the time I see you again. You can be overwhelming, Jason.”

He chuckled again, thinking she hadn’t seen anything yet. Leaning over he brushed a kiss across her lips. “Think about me tonight, Bella.”

He opened the door and walked out, thinking the next seven days were bound to be the longest he’d ever endured.

Later that night Bella couldn’t get to sleep. Her body was tingling all over from the touch of a man. But it hadn’t been any man, it had been Jason. When she tried closing her eyes all she could see was how it had been in her kitchen, the way Jason had draped her across the table and proceeded to enjoy her in such a scandalous way. The nuns at her school would have heart failure to know what had happened to her … and to know how much she had enjoyed it.

All her life she’d been taught—it had virtually been drilled into her head—all about the sins of the flesh. It was wrong for a woman to engage in any type of sexual encounter with a man before marriage. But how could something be so wrong if it felt so right?

Color tinted her cheeks. She needed to get to Confessions the first chance she got. She’d given in to temptation tonight and as much as she had enjoyed it, it would be something she couldn’t repeat. Those kinds of activities belonged to people who were married and doing otherwise was improper.

She was just going to have to make sure she and Jason weren’t under the same roof alone for a long period of time. Things could get out of hand. She was a weakling when it came to him. He would tempt her to do things she knew she shouldn’t.

And now she was paying the price for her little indulgence by not being able to get to sleep. There was no doubt in her mind that Jason’s mouth should be outlawed. She inwardly sighed. It was going to take a rather long time to clear those thoughts from her mind.

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