touch her in an intimate way. Even where his hips cradled her rump, the contact was light and through layers of clothing. But that didn’t seem to matter. Forbidden thoughts swirled like hot sparks her mind. If she stayed here much longer, she would be on fire.
She mustn’t do this.
Straightening her body, she rolled back onto her side of the bed.
“Are you all right?” He rose onto one elbow. His eyes twinkled with amusement in the half light.
“You said that if I moved, you wouldn’t take it personally.”
“That’s right.” He smiled—a devil’s smile, she thought. “Lexie, you’re a beautiful, intriguing woman. I don’t know what’s going to happen between us, but whatever it is, it’s not going to happen here.”
“What makes you think anything’s going to happen between us?”
“I’ll take the Fifth Amendment on that.”
Lexie settled back onto the lumpy pillow, gazing up at a crack on the ceiling. Sleep was out of the question now. Maybe it was time she carried out the task she’d set for herself—to learn more about Shane and his boss.
“I’ve spilled most of my life story to you,” she said. “Why don’t you return the favor? I don’t know anything about you except that you ride bulls, and you work for that sneaking, lying scumbag—”
“Whoa. No need to get riled up. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. My past is the traditional hard-luck story. No family to speak of. My dad went to prison for armed robbery. A cop got shot, not by him, but he’s doing life in Texas. My mother died when I was twelve, and I got kicked into the foster system. At sixteen I took off on my own. Wanted to ride bulls, any way I could. A hired man found me hiding in Brock Tolman’s hay shed. That sneaking, lying scumbag, as you call him, took me under his wing, gave me a job and a chance to ride. I know the man’s not perfect, Lexie, but I owe him everything I’ve got.”
Lexie took a moment to weigh what she’d heard. Shane’s loyalty to Brock Tolman was an unsettling surprise.
“So I take it you’d do anything for him,” she said.
“Only within reason. I wouldn’t break the law, if that’s what you’re implying. And I wouldn’t do anything that might jeopardize my riding career. Brock knows that.”
“Would you try to charm a woman into selling Brock her prize bull?”
He flinched. “Lady, you know right where to jab.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Would you?”
“Not if that woman was you. And I’ve already said as much to Brock.”
“I’ll accept that for now.” Lexie took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “What about sabotage?”
“Sabotage?” His cocksure mask slipped out of place. “What are you talking about?”
She sat up, facing him. “Threats against the ranch. A note on my windshield. A gate opened in the night, and our best two-year-old bull dead. How’s that for starters?”
He shook his head. “Lexie, I don’t know what to say. This is the first I’ve heard of your trouble. But I had nothing to do with any of it—I swear to God.”
“And what about Brock?”
“Why would he do something like that?”
“You can’t be that naïve. If Brock can wear us down with dirty tricks, get our backs to the wall, we might be forced to sell him Whirlwind.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I know Brock. He can be ruthless when he wants something. But threatening notes and property damage—those things aren’t his style.”
“Aren’t they?” Lexie demanded. “Oh, I know he never dirties his hands. But he has the means to hire people, maybe somebody from the res, who could sneak onto the property and disappear without a trace. I don’t trust him. And I’m not sure I should trust you, either.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.” Shane swung his legs off the bed. “I’ll be seeing Brock tomorrow. I’ll let him know what’s going on. I still can’t believe he’s involved, but he might know something.”
“Or he might just lie through his teeth.”
“That’s a chance we’ll have to take, isn’t it?” He stood, found his boots on the floor, and carried them over to the chair.
Only as he sat and started to pull his boots on did she realize how far she’d pushed him. Maybe she’d gone too far. She wouldn’t blame him if he walked out and left her to spend the rest of the night alone in this place.
“Are you leaving?” she asked, hoping she was wrong.
“Not until it’s light outside—unless you want me