Expecting the Rancher's Heir

As they walked down the hall to his study, he chuckled. He could still hear Cactus grumbling about kids, women and bone-headed ranchers who expected him to give up everything worth doing.

“What did you want to show me?” Lissa asked, when they entered the study and he closed the door.

She looked so sweet and desirable, he didn’t think twice about taking her into his arms and kissing her until they both gasped for breath. When he finally raised his head, Shane drew in some much-needed air.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

Her smile sent his temperature skyrocketing. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“How was your day at the spa?” he asked, a bit surprised that something so mundane suddenly felt important to him.

She shook her head. “Don’t ask. You really don’t want to know.”

Leaning back, he frowned. “That bad, huh?”

“Just tiring.” She explained about the booking mix-up, then smiling, asked, “How about you? Anything interesting happen?”

“I got a call from Sheik Al Kahara.” He shrugged. “He wants to hire me to design all new stables for the Thoroughbred farm he just bought in Kentucky.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” she said, sounding genuinely interested. “Do you have to do a lot of traveling with jobs like that?”

“I have to travel occasionally, but not more than once or twice a year.” He shook his head. “Most of my clients e-mail the size of stable they want and what they want included in the design. I send them a quote and then once we sign the contracts, I go to work on the design. But the sheik’s is going to be a piece of cake. He basically wants the same setup I designed for the stables at his palace in Almarif.”

Her eyes widened. “Do you have a lot of foreign clients?”

“I have quite a few.”

“Are they all royalty?”

Her curiosity about his career pleased him more than he would have thought. “Not all of them are royalty, but I have designed stables for several members of this or that monarchy.” Taking her hand, he led her over to the other side of the room. “But I don’t want to talk about sheiks or stable designs right now.” He motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. “I want your opinion on something.”

“I can’t guarantee how much help I’ll be, but I’ll try,” she said, smiling as she settled into the high-backed leather armchair.

“Oh, I think your opinion on this counts for a lot more than you think.” He turned to remove the small, black velvet box he had placed on the fireplace mantel before leaving to pick her up after she got off work. Flipping the box open, he turned to hold it out to her as he watched for her reaction to the pear-shaped diamond solitaire in a white-gold setting that he had bought for her the day before. “Do you think you would be interested in wearing this to the investors’ dinner on Saturday evening?”

If the look on her face was any indication, he had hit a home run. “My God, Shane, it’s beautiful.”

Removing the sparkling jewelry from the box, he took her left hand in his to slip the ring on her third finger. To her delight and his relief, it fit perfectly.

“How did you know my ring size?” she asked, jumping from the chair to throw her arms around his neck.

“I guesstimated,” he said, catching her to him. “So you like it?”

“I love it.” She leaned back to stare down at her hand. “It’s exactly what I would have chosen.” Then, looking up, the smile she gave him lit the darkest corners of his soul. “Thank you.”

“Are you ready for my other surprise?” he asked, kissing the tip of her nose. He decided there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do just to see her smile at him like she was at that very moment.

Her eyes widened. “There’s something else?”

He took her by the hand and led her out of the study to the front door. “I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them.”

“What are you up to now?” she asked, laughing.

“If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise.” Shane grinned. “Would you rather I blindfold you?”

She shook her head. “No, I promise I’ll keep my eyes closed.”

Once she did as he asked, he helped her down the porch steps and across the yard. “Don’t peek,” he warned, releasing her hand to untie a set of reins from the corral fence.

“Shane, what on earth—”

Placing the leather straps in her hand, he said, “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

When she did, she looked puzzled. “I don’t understand.”