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“Our land? Do you have a share of Espada?”
“No.” Caitlin’s mouth thinned. “I think I told you, I’m not a Baron.”
“And only Barons are good enough to own Espada?”
“Something like that.”
“But you love the ranch. And you damned near run it.”
“Yes, and yes…and please don’t try to change the subject. Why did you come to Espada?”
Tyler looked across the table at this woman he’d only met days ago. There was no artifice to her, neither in the way she looked and dressed nor in the way she spoke. He’d known so many women in his life…some of them must have had more perfect features, more voluptuous bodies. He knew, for certain, that he’d never dined on Texas ribs at a table set outside a handsome house all done up like an overblown whore.
He knew, too, that he’d never spent a more wonderful evening, that he’d never dreamed he’d hear a woman tell him she wasn’t ready for what they both wanted and know, in his gut, he wasn’t ready, either, because he was flat-out scared of what she made him feel.
And he knew that this was the first time in his thirty-five years he’d ever been tempted to tell a woman the truth. To say, look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I don’t know who I am. I don’t even know my real name. That’s why I came to Espada, to try to solve the mystery that’s haunted me all my life…
Was he losing his mind? Tell her that he was an orphan? That he’d grown up first in the care of two polite people who’d never particularly cared for him, then in the even more tender care of the state? Tell her that he’d spent the better part of a year at a place for kids who’d gotten themselves in trouble?
He pushed back his chair and got to his feet.
“Tyler, please.” Caitlin rose, too. “Tell me what’s going on. Jonas has done nothing but growl since he threw you out.”
“Threw me out?” He gave a snort of laughter. “It would take that old son of a bitch and his three sons to throw me out, and even then, they’d have a tough time doing it. Besides, I didn’t bring you here to talk about Jonas Baron.”
“Tyler, if you’d just listen…”
“I am listening.” He came around the table toward her, his eyes locked on hers. “I liked the way you said that.”
“Said what?” Caitlin cleared her throat and took a step back. “What did I say?”
“My name.” She caught her breath as he reached out his hand and touched her cheek. “Say it again.”
“You’re right,” she said unsteadily. “It really is late…”
“Caitlin.”
His voice was as soft as honey but there was a roughness to it that sent a lick of flame through her blood. He was so beautiful. So impossibly, dangerously male. He was everything a woman would dream of, everything she had dreamed of since she’d first begun to wonder what it would be like to lie in a man’s arms and give herself up to passion.
“Tyler,” she whispered, and she knew that one, softly spoken word had given everything away. His green eyes darkened and his gaze fell to her mouth. She trembled as he reached for her, as she imagined his weight bearing her down into the softness of his bed.
“I’m on fire for you,” he said huskily, and kissed her.
She didn’t fight him. How could she, when the taste of his mouth was richer than wine? When the feel of his arms was everything that mattered? She moaned as his tongue parted her lips, and she arched against him and wound her arms around his neck.
Tyler swept his hands down Caitlin’s body, molding her, marking her with his touch. He groaned, slid his hands up under her skirt, and it was almost his undoing. God, how he wanted her.
“Sweet Cait,” he whispered, and he cupped her bottom, lifted her to him, shuddering when she pressed herself against him. “Come to bed with me,” he said, against her throat. “Let me make love to you until dawn lights the sky.”
Caitlin moaned and tore her mouth from Tyler’s. She pressed her face to his throat and inhaled his scent.
“I—I don’t do this,” she whispered. “I don’t.”
Tyler drew back, cupped her face, and lifted it to his.
“Damned right, you don’t,” he said fiercely. “You’re only going to do it with me.”
She struggled to hold on to reason. Things were moving too quickly. She knew what she’d always believed was right and what was wrong, but Tyler had swept all of that aside. Right and wrong had given way to hunger and need, and it frightened her.
“I need—I need time,” she said. “We just met. You hardly know me, and I don’t know anything except that you’re Tyler Kincaid.”
The change in him was stunning. He let go of her and stepped back, his eyes cold and flat.
“And that’s not enough, is it?” His voice was quiet but she sensed the fury of the storm beneath the calm façade. “After all, who in hell is Tyler Kincaid?”
“No. That isn’t what I meant.”
“Of course it is. And you’re right to ask the question. A woman would be a fool to get involved with a man who has nothing but a name.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
He walked across the room and stood looking out at the dark hills. Seconds passed. When he turned to her again, she felt as if she were looking at a man wearing a mask.
“It’s late, Caitlin, and we’ve both had a long week.” He smiled as he came toward her but the smile was empty of meaning. “I’ll drive you home.”
His hand closed on her elbow. His touch was polite and removed. It was hard to believe that only moments ago, his touch had seared her with fire.
“Tyler.” She touched his shoulder. “Please, what’s wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s all right,” he said gently. “You didn’t.”
He gave her the same empty smile as he had before, pressed his lips lightly to her forehead and took her back home, to Espada.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MARTA was waiting at the foot of the steps when Caitlin came down the next morning.
She shook her head before Caitlin could greet her, put a finger to her lips and drew her aside.
“What’s wrong?” Caitlin asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“I just wanted to warn you that Jonas is in a terrible mood this morning.”
“As if that were something new. He’s been mean as a rattlesnake all week.”
“Yes, Catie, but I have the feeling you’re going to be the one getting all his attention.”
Caitlin blew out a breath in exasperation. “What’d I do to get so lucky? Near as I can tell, I followed every one of the orders he snarled at me.”
Marta sighed and took her stepdaughter’s hand. “It’s about last night.”
“What about last night? He wanted me to be sure and remind Abel to check on that colt, and I did.”
“No, no, dear, this has nothing to do with the ranch.” Marta cleared her throat. “Were you out with Mr. Kincaid last evening?”
Color rose in Caitlin’s cheeks. “Marta,” she said stiffly, “you know how much I care for you, but I really don’t think—”
“You don’t think who you see is any of my business, and you’re right, of course. It’s Jonas. He heard about your date—”
“It was hardly a date. Mr. Kincaid showed up here without any warning. I went with him so I could make sure he understood that I have no intention of ever seeing him again.”
Marta said nothing but she didn’t have to. The look on her face said it all, and who could blame her? Caitlin thought irritably. The excuse sounded laughable, even to her.
“Anyway, I don’t owe Jonas an explanation.” She tugged her hand free of Marta’s but not before giving her stepmother’s fingers a reassuring squeeze. “I think there are times he forgets that I’m a grown woman.”
“I know he does.” Marta smiled. “As far as my husband is concerned, you’re still his little girl.”
“Not his,” Caitlin said stiffly. “Neve
r his. I’m not a Baron, remember?”
“Oh, Catie, I know he’s hurt you terribly by saying you can’t inherit Espada, but—”
“You’ve got it wrong. He won’t let me inherit Espada. There’s a big difference. And it’s crazy. He trusts me to run the ranch, to oversee everything that goes on here, but because I don’t carry the precious Baron blood, I’m not good enough to—” Caitlin broke off the rush of angry words and threw her arms around her stepmother. “Oh, Marta, I’m sorry! He’s your husband and you love him.”
“And you love him, too, Catie.”
“I do, dammit, despite the fact that he doesn’t love me. Not the way he should.”
Marta stepped out of Caitlin’s embrace and clasped her shoulders.
“He loves you with all his heart. And he’s proud of you. He talks about you to everybody.” She sighed. “Trouble is, he’s as stubborn as a mule when it comes to Espada. He built this place from nothing, you know that. Fifty acres of dirt, a secondhand tractor, two horses—”
“And a dozen head of cattle.” Caitlin had to smile. She’d heard the story a thousand times but never grown weary of it. “I know.” She sighed, kissed Marta on the cheek, then smiled at her. “Really, I do. And if I try hard, I can even see things from Jonas’s viewpoint. He created a kingdom and he wants to bequeath it to someone who carries his blood.” Her chin lifted. “But for all of that, I still think he’s as stubborn as a mule.”
Marta grinned and put her arm around her stepdaughter’s waist. The women started slowly toward the dining room.
“An excellent description,” she said. “I might just have trouble looking at my beloved husband from now on without seeing him with a pair of twitching ears.”
The women looked at each other and burst out laughing.
