her life back on track. She couldn’t handle this lack of control and uncertainty.
“My fiancé is no longer in the picture.”
Even with the bright morning sun beating down on them, she shivered. The pain, the loss, the trust she’d once had in people she loved was all too much. This topic wasn’t bearable.
“How many acres did you say you have?”
“Just over five thousand. There are three homes, mine, Nolan’s, and Hayes’s, for when he’s stateside. We have seven ponds and eight barns.”
Pebblebrook was like a city in itself. Annabelle would be lying if she didn’t admit that she was jealous. Not that she wanted a large spread like this, she’d be so content with getting her bed-and-breakfast up and running. Still, she was envious that Colt had known exactly what he’d wanted, apparently from the time he was a kid, and had accomplished it all. Granted, the majority had been handed to him, but Colt had stepped up as part of the new generation to lead the ranch to the next level and beyond.
Anger bubbled within her. He had it all and he still wanted more. She wasn’t about to go down without a fight. The bed-and-breakfast, her childhood home, was all she had to make something of her life and to secure a stable future for Emily and Lucy. So whatever he had in his head about her land, he could think again.
“Do you plan on taking me back and forth several times a day?” she asked, glancing back at him.
She hated looking over her shoulder because each time she did, she saw that sexy scruff along his jawline and those striking blue eyes. Not to mention the movement pressed her lower half deeper into the V of his thighs. It was like this man was created to drive her out of her ever-loving mind.
And she couldn’t forget the fact she’d seen him sans shirt. Like that was an image she’d ever forget. Colt Elliott had embedded himself in her deepest fantasies...not that he would ever know.
“If I’m not around, I will have Ryan or Josh take you. They are my most trusted employees.”
“It’s a ride home, Colt.”
His bright blue eyes zeroed in on hers, then dropped to her lips for the briefest of seconds. “They’re both married.”
“Just because they’re married doesn’t mean they’re committed,” she countered, hating the bitterness in her tone. “And I can take care of myself. I’m working for you, I’m not a little sister you need to watch over.”
A corner of his mouth kicked up in a naughty grin that had her toes curling in her boots. “Considering my thoughts, it’s best we aren’t related in any way.”
Annabelle jerked back around, her heart beating double time in her chest. “You aren’t going to flirt with me, Colt. I’m here to make sure those payments are made on time and I get to keep my house. So whatever it is you’re thinking, keep it to yourself.”
“But you’d enjoy every one of my thoughts,” he whispered in her ear.
The brush of his lips along her cheek sent tremors racing through her. How could she hate him and be so turned on at the same time? This man stood in the way of her only chance at a stable future.
No, her father had stood in the way, Colt was just an extra hurdle she had to jump. She really didn’t want to be one of those bitter, scorned women, but every man in her life had let her down. Why the hell would she expect any different from her new employer?
Besides, he was just trying to throw her off her game. And, damn it, it was working. She had to be sharper from here on out...and he needed to keep his shirt on.
“Let’s just stick to business,” she suggested as they neared a massive two-story barn.
She forced herself not to gape at the large stone archway that led into the tunnel where the horses were kept. The wide planked sides were weathered, but in that deliberate, expensive way. A smaller door up top no doubt led to the hayloft.
Annabelle couldn’t help but wonder how many women Colt and his sexy, Southern charms had seduced up into that romantic space. She vowed not to be one of them. She wasn’t naive. She knew he looked at her with interest, but she and her fiancé hadn’t even consummated their relationship, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let Colt Elliott charm her into bed.
“These are the stables for our older horses. We have two mares and three stallions housed here. Ryan tends to oversee this group.”
A man in a fitted plaid shirt stepped through the doorway, leading a gorgeous black stallion by the reins.
Colt steered Lightning toward the barn. As they neared, the forty-something man turned toward them.
“Ryan, this is Annabelle Carter,” Colt said. “She’s going to be working with me for the foreseeable future.”
“Ma’am.” Ryan nodded with the tip of his hat. “Pleasure to meet you. Colt, the engineer called earlier and needs you to call when you get a chance.”
“I’ll do it this afternoon,” Colt replied.
Every time he spoke, the rumble in his chest vibrated against her back. There was something entirely too intimate about this situation. The way she fit so perfectly between his thighs, the way her body heated that had nothing to do with the sun, the way he looked at her mouth like he wanted to devour her.
And she knew without a doubt he’d methodically planned this mode of transportation and made it nonnegotiable just so he could annoy her further. Added to that, he must be well respected because his employee didn’t bat an eye at the sight of the new recruit and the way she’d arrived on the scene.
“Also, Monte from the feed store called and our truckload will arrive around two this afternoon.”
“We’ll unload it in the barn on the west side. Make sure to tell Josh. We need all hands for that.”
Ryan nodded once again and tugged on the reins of his horse. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
He climbed onto the stallion and headed around the side of the barn.
“He seems nice. It’s strange how the two of you get along.”
“You’re hurting my feelings, Belle.”
She cringed. “Don’t call me that.”
“What do you prefer? Annabelle suits you, but it’s a mouthful. Besides, I want my own name for you.”
“Ms. Carter would work fine. Or, you don’t have to refer to me at all.”
That low chuckle sent even more tremors through her, causing her body to respond in ways she did not want where Colt was concerned.
“Oh, come on now, Belle. That’s no way to start your first workday.”
Fisting her hands on the horn of the smooth saddle, Annabelle forced herself to take calm, deep breaths. “I offered to get a different job, I’d prefer a different job, actually. I just needed some time to start getting a paycheck.”
“I can give you time, but then you’d lose
