He had too much to lose.
That’s what made the purpose of this trip to Texas so ironic. The fact that he would return to Munir without his errant sister as a result of his own negligence was more inappropriate than a dozen drinks.
He downed half the glass of scotch, and then took the rest with him to the den where he could look out at the courtyard fountain. The house was quiet, although he knew Brianna was somewhere inside. From the stables he had watched her cross the lawn and enter the house less than an hour ago.
She was an amazingly graceful creature. Tall and lithe and elegant even in faded jeans. A natural beauty who was inordinately reserved. In his experience, most women who possessed such perfection flaunted their attributes, expected special treatment. Although he had not had too many exchanges with her, Brianna seemed as quiet as a little mouse.
She could have been born to royalty by the way she carried herself, but he knew better. Cord had explained a little about his sister, about her shyness, how she kept to herself, going swimming or riding when not at work on the Flying Ace’s books. He was concerned about her swimming alone at a nearby lake, and Rafe had assured him he would be watchful of her.
And also discreet. Cord had immediately regretted that Brianna knew he had asked Rafe to watch over her. He smiled at the memory of her annoyed reaction when she had overheard them talking, how she had been quick to remind Cord that she was almost twenty-three and needed no supervision.
Rafe had decided to downplay his presence, allow her to think he had no interest in her whereabouts or activities. Apparently, she stayed close to the ranch, sometimes visiting friends at the Desert Rose or swimming in the lake.
Four of the five men living in the bunkhouse had been with the Brannigan family for years and did not concern Cord. The fifth one, however, a young man hired recently, showed too much interest in Brianna. Cord had not yet found it necessary to warn the man, but Rafe’s instructions were to “break the guy’s neck if he sniffed around Bri.”
Staring out at the waning sun, Rafe smiled at Cord’s choice of words and his intense protectiveness. An unusual quality among the American men Rafe had met at Harvard or since. Women were more independent in this country—an admirable trait to be sure, but sometimes difficult for a brother to accept.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.”
At the sound of Brianna’s voice, he turned to find her backing out of the room. “Is it a crime in Texas for us to be in the same room?”
Confusion flickered in her eyes at his teasing. And then she made a face. “I simply meant I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Ah, I see.” He gestured to a chair. “Please, sit with me.”
She glanced toward the door as if seeking escape. “I’m sort of busy right now.”
“Of course.” He drained his scotch, and contemplated another.
Brianna stared at him. When he met her gaze, she quickly looked away, her cheeks flooding with color. “You were right about dinner. Allie ordered something. I’ll let you know when it gets here.”
Rafe did not know the Brannigan family history, only that Brianna had not been raised in Bridle, but had led a sheltered life in a small town in New England. Perhaps that was the reason for her shyness. Perhaps that was what intrigued him about her. “May I fix you a drink?” he asked before she could leave.
She frowned slightly.
“You are old enough?”
She gave him a scathing look. “I’m almost twenty-three.”
“That old?”
The corners of her mouth twitched. “Very funny,” she said, and to his satisfaction, she lowered herself to a chair. “I’ll remind you that Allie and I are close in age and she’s now a married woman.”
His mood darkened. That was a reminder he did not need. He liked and respected Cord, but Aliah’s marriage to him had caused a great deal of trouble. “Yes, but until she was married, Aliah was under my patronage.”
Brianna laughed. “Patronage?”
He nodded.
“That sounds archaic.”
“Perhaps, but it is Munir’s custom for a brother to be responsible for his sister.”
She lifted her chin. “Good thing I don’t live there.”
Rafe made no comment, as tempted as he was to point out that she lived under the protection of Cord, and that in many aspects their cultures were not so vastly different.
“I’m not sure I’ll be here for dinner,” she said after a brief silence. “I may be meeting friends in Bridle.”
“All right.” He did not believe her. She was testing him, seeing if he would question her. “I have some work I must do for my meeting in Dallas. I would have preferred your company, but I understand.”
She seemed to relax. “I didn’t say I was going for sure. In fact, no one’s called yet so I probably won’t.” She eyed his empty glass. “I’ll fix you another drink if you want.”
He handed her the glass, their fingers brushing in the exchange. “The scotch, if you will. But just half. I need to keep my wits about me.”
He deliberately sought her gaze, and she stiffened, her eyes growing wide. The innuendo had not been lost. But he had meant only to tease her, not frighten her. She truly was naive, a child in many ways.
Bri quickly got up. She was glad for the excuse to go to the living room for the drink. He made her so darn nervous and had her thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts. That dark sexy look he gave her made her imagination go a little nuts.
Plus, she’d heard a lot about him from Allie. He was quite a ladies’ man, although Allie claimed he never took advantage of the fact that women were drawn to his looks and power. Bri didn’t know what exactly it was about him, but something sure got her all hot and bothered. The feeling was both unfamiliar and a little frightening.
She wasn’t worried, though. Not about his intentions. And it wasn’t just because of Allie’s glowing praise of her brother. Bri put more stock in the way Rafe treated Allie, in the way they interacted.
Watching Allie and Rafe say their goodbyes yesterday had made her a little wistful. The way they could give each other one look and smile in understanding, or the way he unabashedly hugged and kissed Allie. Even though Rafe still had to be hurt and angry over the way she had tricked him into leaving her in Texas, the love and acceptance he’d shown his sister warmed Bri in a way she couldn’t describe. It made her like him.
But it also made her envious. Rafe and Allie had a long history together. Not like her and Cord. They’d only known each other for a short time. If she were to suddenly move back to New Hampshire, Cord would miss her, she felt sure, but it wouldn’t devastate him.
She found the bottle of scotch and poured a small amount into Rafe’s glass. It crossed her mind to have a little wine, but she had the auction paperwork to handle and a stack of invoices to pay and payroll to prepare and…
The
