Daring Daddy (Montana Daddies 5)

Clint also had panic buttons placed through the house in case she slipped or hurt herself. When pressed it would call through to his cell. Then if he didn’t answer, it went to Kent’s phone. Finally, if he didn’t answer, 911 was alerted. She also had a necklace she wore with an emergency button that went straight to a 911 monitor. She’d never had to use any of them, though.

See? This is what you get when you let someone else close. When you allow them to try to care for you. You’re just better off on your own.

She didn’t really believe that, either. Although God knew she tried to convince herself.

It was better this way. That he was gone. Last night, she’d been too vulnerable. Too open. Him pulling back was perfect because it saved her from having to push him away. As she moved, preparing to get out of bed, the scent of mint and leather hit her senses.

Crap. Her sheets were going to need washing. Comforter too. She couldn’t go to bed with that scent surrounding her, reminding her.

She took another steadying breath. She’d lowered her guard for a short time and let him in. . .

And it had felt right. Too right.

Such a mistake. She’d made herself vulnerable to him. If she let him in again, there was no telling what would happen. Or how badly she would get hurt.

You can’t become his burden.

She knew that. She’d just been stupid last night. And she couldn’t blame it on the champagne. Even though she rarely drank, she hadn’t been drunk.

She rubbed her pounding temples. Shit. Shit. Shit.

A knock at her bedroom door startled her. It had to be Clint or Charlie, although she hadn’t expected them home until later.

“Come in,” she called out as she frantically looked around to make sure that Zeke hadn’t left any sign that he’d been here. Not that anything had happened and she was a grown woman, but hell, she wasn’t ready for anyone to know.

She didn’t just guard her privacy, she hoarded it.

To her shock, it wasn’t her brother or his girlfriend who walked in the door, but Zeke. He was wearing different clothes, had he gone back to his cabin to get changed? Today he wa

s back in his normal uniform of plaid shirt and jeans. He wore brown scuffed boots and a wide leather belt. He looked the part of a rancher even though he wasn’t actually a ranch hand.

He carried a tray which he set down on her lap.

“Good morning, princess.”

“Zeke.”

“Zeke, huh? Well, I expected as much.”

He gave her a warm look and it nearly broke her heart because she knew what she had to do. She’d hoped he would stay away. Last night had been magical. And she knew it had only touched the surface of what she desired.

But you can’t do that to him.

“You need to leave.” She couldn’t look up from the tray of food he’d brought for her. It was filled with her favorite things. A chocolate Danish, coffee that looked like it had just the right amount of creamer, and a small glass of apple juice.

How did he even know that? They’d never had breakfast together. Yet he knew exactly what she liked.

“Excuse me?”

Don’t look at him. If she looked at him then she couldn’t be certain she would go through with this. And she had to. Because this couldn’t happen again.

Why? Because you liked it too much? Because you wanted more?

So much more. And once she took more how did she go back to nothing?

You’re being a coward. So, what if it’s not forever, why not take what you can get?

Because he would break her. Or she’d break him. And she couldn’t do that.