Honeymoon With the Rancher

“Make you…?” the softly asked question came out with a wobble and he had the insane urge to wrap his arms around her.

“You make me want things,” he admitted.

“Want me?” She lifted her chin boldly, but he could see through the gesture to the insecure girl behind it.

“Yes,” he said, lifting his hand and placing it on her cheek. “Want you.”

She looked down, biting her lip as if he’d flustered her. “I shouldn’t have kissed you…”

He wanted to taste her lips so intensely again he knew it had to be a bad thing. “No, you shouldn’t have.”

“I’m not ready for a fling.”

Of course she wasn’t. She was on the heels of a broken engagement. He turned away, dropping his hand. “No. Sophia, I would never take advantage of you. Maybe that’s why I told you. I don’t want you to have any illusions of what is between us. Yesterday’s kiss was a mistake.”

“Of course.”

The words sounded polite, but he detected a note of hurt behind them. “I didn’t mean to make the afternoon so depressing,” he said, needing to lighten the mood. This was why they needed to keep busy, occupied with other things!

“No, I’m glad you told me. It explains a lot. And I am sorry for your loss, Tomas. No one should have to endure such an ordeal.”

“It is over and done,” he replied. “I know it. I sometimes just have a problem being okay with it.” He straightened his shoulders. “Now, let’s shake off this heavy cloud and head back to the estancia.”

He’d made some arrangements for while they were absent. The fact that the surprise excited him was a little worrying, but he shook it off. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter. Sophia would be gone in a few days. Why shouldn’t he enjoy her company until then?

Sophia’s senses were whirling as she stood in the centre of her room, sorting through her purchases. Dinner was over and the mess tidied. Now the long evening stretched before her, leaving her too much time to think. Tomas had been engaged to Maria and Carlos’s daughter. He had mentioned Miguel but not Rosa—a telling omission. And to have her taken in such a way…she suddenly realized there was a depth to Tomas that she hadn’t counted on. For a man to close himself away from life as he had at the Vista del Cielo…beneath his tough exterior was a broken heart.

At first she had thought the swirling sensation she felt every time he was near was just physical. But, after today, she knew it was more. She felt a connection. And

he felt it, too. He must, to trust her with such a confidence. How he must have grieved for the woman he loved. A woman who had grown up right here in this house, she realized. Of course letting go was hard when he was surrounded by reminders of her every day!

Sophia had just put her purchases away when Tomas showed up at her door. Simply seeing him there made her heart beat a little faster. Something had shifted between them. It had been daring of her to kiss him this afternoon. Maybe a simple kiss was not daring for some women, but it was for her. Taking the initiative was not her style, but there was something about Tomas that tempted her to try new things. She felt safe with him, a feeling she had never anticipated.

“Come with me. I want to show you something.”

As his dark eyes watched her, an energy seemed to fill the room and she felt a little thrill. Following the set path had always been comfortable before, but she was beginning to see she’d been hiding behind it, too, the same way Tomas had hidden behind the estancia. Never taking risks. It was time for her to come out of the dark and find out just what Sophia Hollingsworth was made of.

Then there was the delicious tidbit that Tomas had admitted—he wanted her. She’d been honest—she wasn’t ready for a fling, even though the thought was incredibly tempting. After this afternoon’s shared honesty she felt she could trust him. He would not press her. And he was standing in the doorway looking like a kid on Christmas morning, impossible to resist.

“Okay, I’ll play. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. Close your eyes.”

A surprise? Tomas didn’t seem the type for surprises. The heavy mood that had hung over them earlier had completely dissipated as his eyes danced at her. She closed her lids and felt him take her hand in his, leading her from her room and down the hall. With her eyes shut, she felt the intimacy of their connection running from her fingers straight to…well, straight to the part of her that kept insisting on being attracted to Tomas. It didn’t help that every now and then this lighter side peeked from behind his rough exterior.

He led her out into the warm air, over prickly grass that tickled her legs and then she felt the dull hardness of patio stones beneath her feet.

“Open your eyes.”

She lifted her lashes and squinted against the sun. Suddenly Sophia understood. They were at the pool. There was water in it, the reflection of the sun glimmering off the surface and filling the air with dancing light. “The pool!” she exclaimed, delighted. “You had it filled!”

“I had them come when we were gone. I wish you could enjoy it now, but I’m afraid it is too cold, and it needs time for the chemicals to balance. But I’ll test it in the morning and you should be able to cool off and work on your back float tomorrow afternoon.”

Sophia didn’t know what to say. Of course this was part of the repairs Tomas had talked about but she got the feeling he had put a rush on it just for her. He clearly took pleasure in the surprise and the realization made her heart give a little skip. She took a step forward, could smell the sharp tang of chlorine and could feel the cool water on her skin even though it was just in anticipation. After all his bluster about the fire and repairs and lack of amenities, he had put a rush on the pool. To please her? Or to get her out of his hair? After what he’d told her on the bridge, Sophia wondered.

“Thank you, Tomas. For everything. For the day in town and for this great surprise.”

“It had to be filled anyway,” he replied. “You can enjoy it while I’m working.”