normal when you’re about to leave home for the first time.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “Do you want me to come out to the ranch for a while?”
“No. I’m good. I just… I guess I wanted to be reassured that after I left I wouldn’t feel differently.”
“You might, Jance. I won’t lie. But I don’t.”
He could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “Thanks, Cole. I feel better.”
“Good. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive out?”
“No. Really. I’m doing great. How are my babies?”
Cole smiled. “Your babies are greedy eaters. They’re gaining weight fast.”
“Good to know. I’ll try to get in to see them—and you—soon.”
“You do that, kid. And call anytime you’re feeling unsettled. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He dropped his phone back into his pocket as he strode back toward the pile. Taylor didn’t even glance his way as he went back to work. Maybe he did need to take a drive to the ranch soon. Going back invariably stressed him out, but he needed to keep tabs. Make sure that Miranda was minding her p’s and q’s.
“Why’d you leave your ranch job if you owned the ranch?”
The question came out of the blue, startling him after a day of silence. Cole carefully set the pipe he’d just extracted onto the salvage pile. “I quit because I didn’t like my boss. And I only own part of the operation.”
“Do you miss it?” Taylor put a hand on her hip, and Cole couldn’t help but follow the movement before bringing his gaze back up to her face. She wore her business expression, which made him think that she fully intended to get answers. So much for distance.
“I don’t miss what it became.” He went back to sorting the pipe. Taylor didn’t move. He didn’t look at her.
“Is the subject off-limits?”
“Pretty much.”
“Because you’re private, or because it’s me?”
“Private.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Nothing personal, Taylor.”
“Right.”
He gave a small snort. He wasn’t lying. “I don’t discuss the ranch.”
“Maybe you should start.”
“Because?”
“You bottle things up and they come out in weird ways.”
“I’ll take the chance.” Because the thought of opening up to…well, anyone, really…made him freeze. Telling the truth about his family…he hated what the ranch had become and hated that he no longer felt welcome on his own property. Talking about it only twisted the knife a little more.
“It isn’t like I can use the information against you,” she continued as she went back to battling the rebar. A moment later the pieces she’d been working on slid free and she put them in the junk stack.
“I don’t like talking about it.”
“In my world, you grow a thick skin.”
“In my world, you hide your true thoughts.” In the guest ranch world anyway.
“Mine, too.”
He turned to meet her gaze. “What are your true thoughts right now?” It was almost as if he couldn’t help but edge toward trouble with this woman.
“You want the blistering truth?” she asked.
“I can take it.”
“I think you don’t want to like me. I think you’re working hard to push me away.”
Cole stilled. His first impulse was to deny it. His second was to admire her instincts. His third was to back up fast. “I have nothing against you.”
Her eyes narrowed and her lips curved into a humorless smile, telling him that she wasn’t fooled. Not even a little. “But…”
“No but.”
“Liar.” She spoke softly, holding his gaze in a way that warned him not to underestimate her. “But I’ll let it go in the name of future peaceful calf feedings and wonderful days sorting junk.” Taylor took off her gloves and uncapped the water bottle sitting on the tailgate. “I’m done for the day. I have a Skype interview in an hour.”
She started to walk away, and Cole realized that even though the sane thing would be to let her walk away, he wasn’t done.
He took hold of her arm as she went past him, and she stopped, her gaze slowly coming up to meet his. “You’re right,” he said.
“I know.” Her voice was low and husky. It made him think of sex, although he didn’t think that was her intention. Didn’t matter. It came off that way.
“Getting closer will complicate things.”
“We wouldn’t want that.” She spoke softly as her gaze moved down to his lips and held. “But you don’t have to be a jerk to me. Just…talk.”
He pulled in a breath. Her muscles were taut beneath his grip, light as it was. She could have easily moved away, but she didn’t. She finally pulled her gaze from his mouth, her expression shifting ever so slightly as she met his eyes, then reached up to touch his face as he’d touched hers in the SUV the day she’d taken him to the doctor. Her fingers moved over his cheekbone, trailed down his jaw, brushed lightly over his lips, making his nerves sing and his dick jump.
She leaned closer. “If we kiss—”
He didn’t wait for her to finish the sentence, didn’t wait for her to set goals or outline parameters. He made the if a reality, releasing her arm and sliding his hand around the back of her neck as he brought his mouth down to hers.
Taylor gasped against his lips, even though she’d known the kiss was coming—maybe because she felt the same surge of raw need that he did as their mouths melded together and their tongues met. And what should have been a test-the-waters kiss became a long, deep exploratory kiss. One that had the blood pounding in his veins and his hands skimming over her body before he pulled her more tightly against him. He raised his head briefly, then went back for more. Taylor met him halfway as reality blurred. Dynamite in his hands.
When he raised his head for the second time, Taylor’s lips clung to his and her eyes remained closed, as if she were savoring, keeping the moment for as long as she could. When she opened her eyes, she stepped back, putting space between them that seemed more like a chasm than a few feet of gravel. A slight frown drew her brows together as she lightly pressed her fingers against her lips, as if checking for damage, which only made him want to kiss her again.
“Aren’t
