The Rancher and the Event Planner - By Cheryl Gorman Page 0,9
One brother made her hot and needy inside, while the other brother ensnared her within a net of kindness.
No.
No way.
JC had dreamed those dreams before and they had gotten her nowhere. The heat in Rafe’s eyes only meant he was feeling the physical attraction she felt. There were no happily ever afters in real life, no fairytale endings. Fairytales and dreams were just that—fairytales and dreams. They weren’t real, they didn’t exist. She would finish up her community service and go back to Shreveport, to the good life she’d made for herself. Dreaming about Rafe was a dead end.
What she really wanted to do was to spend the evening and the rest of her stay in Cade’s cabin to put some much needed distance between her and Rafe but that was impossible now with the repairs being done. “So, when you’re not handing out sentences you’re a gourmet chef?”
Linc smiled. “Not a gourmet exactly but I enjoy cooking. Rafe’s culinary skills aren’t half bad either when he puts his mind to it.”
JC looked at Rafe. A corner of his sexy mouth pushed upward and heat immersed every cell in her body. Her heart tripped into over-drive. She pictured Rafe in the kitchen but he wasn’t slaving over a hot stove. He was naked except for an apron tied around his waist and a come-hither grin on his lips.
“Uncle Linc, let’s go riding.”
At the sound of Molly’s voice, JC snapped out of her sensual haze. “Dinner sounds great, but I’d like to help.”
“Terrific. You’re in charge of the salad.” Linc gathered up his reins and climbed back on his horse. “See you later.” He turned his horse and trotted toward Molly.
“Come on,” Rafe said and gestured toward the house. “I’ll show you to your room.”
What else could he show her? She pushed the thought from her mind. She had to stop thinking of Rafe in sensual terms. With a little luck her room would be located far away from his.
Chapter Three
JC followed Rafe down the ranch house’s wide second floor hallway with honey colored oak floors and a navy and maroon runner at her feet. His tall presence and all-man scent made her insides jittery. They passed a small study with a stone fireplace. The furniture, a mix of leather and fabric, composed two cozy seating areas with book shelves lining two walls and a desk and chair situated in front of the floor to ceiling window. After passing several bedrooms, the first of which was decidedly masculine in décor, JC breathed a sigh of relief. That room was obviously Rafe’s. Thank goodness her room would be quite far from his. Luck was on her side. He stopped at a closed door, opened it and gestured for her to step inside.
The room was lovely and inviting, everything a guest room should be. The walls were painted in pale blue with white trim. A charming four-poster bed, covered in a magnificent quilt in shades of every blue imaginable, stood against one wall. A dressing table with mirror, a high boy and a window seat in a blue and white striped pattern completed the room.
“You’ll be staying here. I hope you like it,” Rafe said at her back.
She turned. “I’d be really hard to please if I didn’t.”
He smiled. “I’ll leave you alone to get settled. My room’s across the hall if you ever need anything.”
Her heart pounded a tattoo in her chest and slid up into her throat. If she ever needed anything? She could think of a lot of things she needed from Rafe and none of them included an extra blanket or pillow. He couldn’t be across the hall. What was she going to do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She had no choice. There was nowhere else for her to stay.
He put his hat on and said, “Need to get down to the barn.”
“Right. See you later.”
So much for luck.
***
“Dinner was delicious, Linc,” Jennifer said. “And the peach crisp practically melts on my tongue.”
The words melting and tongue in the same sentence caused sensual visions of Jennifer in various states of undress to flicker through Rafe’s brain. He ignored the images and tried to focus on his own dessert. What was wrong with him? He’d been acting like a teenager with raging hormones since he’d clapped eyes on her. What would Cade think? Cade wouldn’t think. He’d rearrange his face first then ask questions later. Good thing he was out of town for a couple more days. It would give Rafe