choose to do for a living.”
Silence descended over the group with the density of thick soup.
Magnolia caught Lucas’s eyes from across the table and said meaningfully, “I’m proud of you for the man you are and would never ask you to be anything different.”
Her words had the magical effect of deflating Lucas’s anger. He needed to get control of his emotions and stop letting Benjamin bait him.
Benjamin grunted. “A noble sentiment, but it won’t hold up in the face of reality.” He looked at Magnolia. “Can you honestly tell me that you’d rather end up with that—” he gestured toward Lucas “—that ranch hand—instead of Roman? Open your eyes, Magnolia. Roman loves you for who you are. The two of you have a history together. You’re upset with him because you misunderstood the situation. Roman wasn’t stepping out on you. You heard him earlier in the study. The other woman was an old friend.”
Magnolia’s face turned blood red. “Stop it!” she warned Benjamin. “I’ve made my decision.”
“It’s true,” Roman chimed in. “I do love you.” His voice trembled. “I’ll do anything to prove it to you. Give me another chance.” He reached for Magnolia’s hand. “Please,” he uttered.
Indignation blazed a hot inferno through Lucas as he rose to his feet and threw down his napkin. If he stayed here a minute longer, he was going to punch Roman and Benjamin Bentley into next week. “Excuse me,” he barked as he turned and stalked out of the room.
12
Magnolia found Lucas in the atrium, wearing a trail as he paced back and forth. Even when he was a whirlwind of rage, his raw masculinity called to her, titillating her senses. His jaw was set in stone, his muscles pulled taut and lithe, like a panther that might pounce any minute. She stepped next to one of the bushes and plucked off a red rose. She moved closer to Lucas. “Hey,” she said softly. He must’ve been too caught up in his thoughts to realize that she was there, for he whirled around with a start, like he was ready to fight someone. His features relaxed a fraction when he realized it was her, although the agony carved over his handsome face cut her to the quick. His eyes were pools of dense, flat gray.
She held out the rose.
He furrowed his brows. “What’s that for?” he grumbled. Magnolia was learning that whenever Lucas felt threatened or in over his head, his knee-jerk reaction was to become surly and withdrawn. She couldn’t let that happen.
She kept her tone light as she forced a smile. “It’s Christmas Eve.”
He barked out a short laugh. “You think?”
“I thought we’d take some notes from Lillian and her late husband … start some new traditions of our own. It’s not a full dozen, but the sentiment is the same.” Her voice dribbled off.
His eyes widened in surprise as understanding flashed over his expression. A ghost of a relenting smile touched his lips.
Magnolia tipped her head. “How are you at dancing?”
“Terrible,” he muttered.
She stepped up to him. “That’s too bad.” The air around them crackled with energy. Her pulse hammered wildly against her ears as she peered up into his face. “Well, if we can’t dance? Whatever else can we do?” She made a point of looking at his lips. She moved so close that she was pressed against him. Heat from his body wrapped her in a tantalizing cocoon.
His expression grew fierce, his eyes hot, as he scoured her face. She felt his stubborn pride, his hurt over being spurned by her grandfather. He was strong and good, an eagle who was born to soar to magnificent heights. Knowledge flowed into her, giving her added insight into herself. She knew in that moment that she would give up everything—even her inheritance, if necessary, to be with him. He caught her in his arms, his lips coming down on hers, demanding her complete and undying allegiance. She let the rose fall from her fingers as she yielded to his intensity, welcoming the surge of adrenaline as she melded into him, appreciating the hardness of his muscles.
Their lips stoked a delicious fire that licked through her veins and simmered into her soul. When he dipped her back to deepen the kiss, a groan of pleasure rose in her throat as she threaded her fingers through his hair. She got the feeling that Lucas was claiming her his as she was him. They were born to be together. When he pulled his