Page 22 of Disarming The Rancher

She blinked a couple of times unsure she’d heard him right.

“I said we made a mistake,” she clarified.

“Yes,” he stated.

Those kisses were embedded in her thoughts, his lips branded hers. And how was she supposed to follow up that kind of chemistry?

“It’s just, it’s good being home and I got carried away in the moment remembering how amazing it was here and missing this place,” she continued, talking so fast she tripped over a couple of her words.

“Won’t happen again,” he said.

Shouldn’t he be a little put off by her rejection? She wasn’t trying to be indignant but she was a pretty decent kisser. Or at least, others told her so. Had they been lying? Was she mediocre?

Now, her cheeks really burned.

“I’m sorry if I wasn’t up to your usual standards,” she said with a little more ire than she’d planned. Yes, she was poking the bear.

The bear chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“I can’t figure out if you’re trying to let me down easy or put yourself down.” He shrugged and those infuriatingly blue eyes of his held her gaze. The air crackled between them as if it wasn’t hot enough in the middle of June at lunchtime.

“Let you down easy,” she decided and all the fight left her. “Those kisses were pretty great. I’m not going to lie. But they can’t happen again.”

“I’m clear on the point, Raleigh.” And why did her name have to sound so good rolling off his tongue?

“I didn’t realize how homesick I was until now and I don’t want to confuse an attraction for missing this place.” She waved her arms in the air. “Does that make sense?”

“Sure does,” he said with a cocky grin.

“What’s that look about?” She balled her fists and planted them on her hips.

“Nothing,” he countered.

“It must mean something.” She couldn’t seem to let it go now that she’d gone down the path.

He shrugged.

She was ready to scream. A few deep breaths later and her pulse calmed down a few notches.

Raleigh started pacing the length of the house and back. She needed to burn off some of her pent-up energy.

“You’ve had a rough couple of days,” Brax started with that whiskey in front of a roaring fire voice. “I’d planned on inviting you to stay at the main house with me but if the ‘me’ part makes you uncomfortable I can grab one of my brothers or cousins.”

She stopped for a long moment, wishing it was that simple. “I just can’t, Brax.”

“Is it me?” he asked and it was the first hint of vulnerability in his voice.

“No. Yes. Kind of. It’s you and your beautiful family,” she said. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to any one of you because of me.”

“Adam and I talked it over and we’re comfortable with the risk,” he said. “The rest of the guys would feel the same way because we view you as one of us.”

Having someone around who had her back for a change threatened to disarm her defenses. She didn’t get where she was in her career by sticking around one place too long or letting anyone in. Based on those smokin’ hot kisses and the attraction sizzling between her and Brax, she could get into real trouble if she stayed at the ranch.

“Your band is welcome and whoever else is traveling with you,” he continued. “It’d be a shame for all this room to go to waste.”

Well, now she really needed to give it some thought. She chewed on her thumbnail.