The Rancher's Rules

She slid reluctantly from the bed. She would like nothing better than to stay in bed with him for the rest of the day, but they needed to get his house cleaned up before his parents arrived from Portland. She also wasn’t sure she had the savoir-faire to handle a naked-between-the-sheets morning after. She tiptoed to the closet and pulled out jeans, T-shirt and an oversized flannel shirt she had pilfered from Grant’s closet sometime last summer.

She took a quick shower, not wanting to use up all the hot water. Grant would have to shower, and they needed to get a move on.

She smiled when she thought of the Cortezes’ arrival. Having them around for Christmas would help make up for her own parents’ defection. She dried her hair and pulled it back in her typical French braid, leaving some wisps to frame her face. After making coffee, she padded back to the bedroom in bare feet, carrying a mug of the steaming brew for Grant.

He was sitting on the side of the bed when she walked in. He grabbed the sheet and yanked it across his lap. She smiled at his modesty, even though she was sure she would have done the same thing herself. “A little late for that, isn’t it?”

The smile he gave her in return looked a little forced. “Maybe.”

If he was already regretting giving in to his desire for her she was going to scream—and not with pleasure like she had last night.

“I’ll leave you alone to shower.” She set the coffee on the table next to the bed. “This will help you wake up.”

“Thanks.”

She couldn’t resist. She leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the lips before leaving the room. He averted his face and she ended up kissing the stubble on his chin instead. Zoe’s insides froze. Last night had been a mistake. She could see it in the wary way he watched her.

She straightened and moved away from him. “I left you plenty of hot water, but you might want to make your shower quick. The faster we get to your house, the sooner we’ll have everything cleaned up and ready for your parents.”

She turned around and started from the room, ignoring him when he called her name. No tears came. Nothing. Just frozen pain. The way she’d felt when her dad had told her he’d sold the ranch and her parents were moving to Arizona to retire. Ranchers did not retire. But men who had lost their only son and heir, who saw their daughter as a complete write-off, did.

Grant’s grip on her arms was the first inkling she had that he had followed her out of the bedroom. He spun her around to face him, every glorious naked inch of him. “What is going on?” Fury laced his words.

She felt the pain building. “You tell me.”

“This is not a game, Zoe. Last night you went wild in my arms, and now you’re walking away from me like I’m a cow pie on your boot.”

“You promised.” She glared at him, fighting the urge to cry. “You don’t even remember, do you? You were just so hot, you said whatever you had to say so I wouldn’t stop.”

The dull red on his cheeks confirmed her suspicion like nothing else could. She struggled for release. “Let me go.”

“No. Explain what you mean by my promise.”

“You promised you would not regret what we did last night.”

“You think I regret it?”

She searched his face, her conviction wavering. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t?”

“Hell, no.” His thumbs started a slow circling on her upper arms and she had to concentrate hard to remember what they were arguing about.

“But you turned your head when I tried to kiss you.”

He closed his eyes and she had the distinct impression he was counting to ten. “Why weren’t you in bed with me when I woke up this morning?”

She felt her face grow warm. “We need to get over to your house to get the place cleaned up before your parents arrive.”

“Actually, we don’t. I called an electrician and a cleaning crew out last night before I left to come here. But what has that got to do with you leaving the bed without waking me?”

“I thought if I took a shower first, we could get back to your place all that much faster.” That hadn’t been the only reason, and it must have shown on her face because he looked skeptical.

“And?”

She swallowed. “And I’ve never woken up naked with a man before. I didn’t know how it was done.”

“I’m not just any man, Zoe. I’m your best friend, and now I’m also your lover.”

She craned her neck to meet his blue-eyed gaze. It was better than staring at his totally tantalizing naked body. “It’s the lover part that I find a little disconcerting.”

He reached out and held her shoulders, his expression grim. “Are you regretting last night?”