Marry Me for Real, Cowboy - Valerie Comer Page 0,10
drive in front of the first cabin and reached for Adam’s other hand. “Listen.” She kept her voice cool and low as she faced him. “We need to get through this without emotional involvement, okay? So, there are boundaries. I’m not going to change myself to be what you want. I’ll do my part, but that’s it. It’s all business. Got it, cowboy?”
Adam’s jaw clenched as he searched her eyes. “Got it.” Then he leaned those extra few inches and swept his lips over hers. “Blake’s watching from the barn.” And he kissed her again, more thoroughly this time.
The man had far too much experience making a woman’s knees turn to jelly. And he had a lot at stake.
Well, so did she. Ten grand.
She kissed him back.
“It’s wonderful to meet you at last. I’ve heard so much about you all.”
Was Riley seriously gushing at Travis? Adam should have given her the lowdown on how Declan’s oldest son had hated his guts since they were kids.
Travis gave Adam a searching look before turning back to Riley. “I wish I could say the same about you, but it seems Adam’s been keeping secrets.”
Riley giggled. “You know how he is.”
Oh, that giggle might be a little much.
“Yeah, I do. I hope you know what you’re getting in for.”
Riley twined her fingers with Adam’s and beamed up at him. “Oh, I do. Trust me.”
Batting eyelashes now? Adam nuzzled her ear. “Easy,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she whispered back, a little louder.
Oh, man. Adam was done for.
“You’re Riley?”
Great. His thirteen-year-old sister was going for disdain. Adam turned Riley toward the twins.
Arms akimbo, Alexia looked Riley over while Emma hung back.
“Ry, honey, the one with her hands on her hips is Alexia. And the other is Emma. It’s pretty easy to tell them apart. Emma’s more agreeable.”
Alexia’s eyes flashed.
Maybe he shouldn’t have goaded her.
“She looks like an improvement over your last girlfriend,” Alexia announced.
Riley glanced up at him, and Adam tightened his grip on her fingers as he locked gazes with his little sister. Not now. Not now.
“Yeah, she was kind of...” Alexia drew a large bosom in the air in front of herself. “But she had better makeup. Fluffier hair.” She demonstrated that, as well.
“A little too much, if you ask me,” put in Emma. “Adam needs a real girlfriend not a megastar.”
Cook saved Adam from having to answer that by calling everyone into the dining room.
Riley dragged Adam out of the family’s current as they flowed into the other room. “Got something you forgot to tell me, cowboy?”
“Uh... I forgot the twins had met her.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s been out of the picture for months. No love lost.”
“She’d better be good and gone, because if I have to act like a jealous girlfriend, I can do that. Try me.”
Oh... temptation. He could just see Riley going toe-to-toe with Chantelle Devereaux. His money would be on Riley Dunning, every single time.
Adam grinned at her. “You’re awesome, you know that? And now we’d better get to the table, or Cook won’t let us eat.”
“You better tell me that story, cowboy.”
“Later. With hot chocolate and s’mores.” And he escorted his fiancée into the dining room to meet the rest of the family. All things considered, she was doing pretty well.
Riley thought she had them all straight. Declan sat at the head of the table, and Cook served him first. Then Travis, Blake, and Ryder across the table. Those were Declan’s sons, with Nathaniel beside them. On this side, the twins then her and Adam. Noah, the sixth brother, wasn’t home, and the place at the foot of the table was set but vacant. Adam’s mother had sent her apologies for a headache.
There was little small talk around the table. The twins whispered between themselves, silenced only at their father’s glower. Adam’s brothers reported what they’d accomplished today. Declan thought they should have achieved more and laid out his expectations for the next day, including Adam in his assignments.
What about her? The man was just intimidating enough she didn’t want to draw his attention by asking what her role would be. With a giggling pair of young teens beside her, Riley was afraid their father would come to the natural conclusion of appointing her to them. If that happened, she’d need to tape a picture of ten grand to her eyelids to keep going.
Just when she couldn’t take it anymore and was ready to blurt out her question, Adam’s hand covered hers