Page 20 of Beg for You

Chapter Six

Cassandra

Tierra whinnied her delight when I urged her to go faster. The cool morning air tugged at my clothes and hair, stinging my cheeks. I needed this. I’d dreamed of Cal, God, all week, of what he’d done to me in front of that mirror.

But last night it had been different. In my dream, I’d been looking at him, into his dark brown eyes, so heated and fierce, and then his face had vanished, and Spencer’s had taken his place.

I’d woken sweating and shaking. Stomach in knots, body confused. The lust of my dream forced out by the reality of my future.

The more I thought about it, the harder it was to see my way out of this. I felt trapped, more alone than I had in my whole life.

Out here with Tierra, I felt free, and it was so tempting to keep riding, to just keep going and never come back.

But I refused to give up. I had an appointment with my bank manager in a few days to try to raise the money myself, and I’d been researching possible investors, someone willing to sink money into the ranch with the hopes that the breeding program, and the profit that it would eventually bring in, would make us look more attractive.

Finally, I slowed to a trot. I was riding along the border between ours and the Livingstons’ property. I could see their ranch in the distance. They’d knocked down the original house years ago and built the monstrosity there now.

It didn’t belong there. It was as out of place on that piece of land as I would be. I belonged here. I would always belong here, like my gran. And if I turned Spencer down, we’d lose this place. We’d lose everything and my gran wouldn’t recover from the pain of it. I knew that without a doubt.

Which meant I needed to find a way out of this mess.

A horse and rider appeared in the distance, and I waited as they grew closer.

Spencer.

I wanted to turn and escape, but I knew that would be the worst thing I could do. I forced myself to stay where I was as he approached. He’d recently taken to wearing a Stetson. The man thought he was a cowboy, when, like his father and mine, he’d spent more time behind his desk than out on his ranch. It looked ridiculous on his pin head. He tapped the brim as he eased on the reins, slowing his horse to a stop.

There was a fence between us, but that didn’t help the unhappy way my belly clenched when his eyes slid to me.

“Cassandra, this is a nice surprise.” He twisted in his saddle, looking back at his McMansion. “Enjoying the view?” He grinned. “One day it could be all ours. All of it.”

Was that his attempt at charm? Bragging about all we’d have if I went ahead with this sham marriage? That was the opposite of charming and proved how little about me he actually knew.

It was only the memory of Cal’s hands on me, the rough way he grunted dirty things in my ear, that kept me grounded and not lose my composure completely.

I made sure my cool mask was in place when I answered him, while inside I was being flayed alive. “Nothing has been decided yet.”

The easy smile slipped. “Well, don’t wait too long, will you, darling? Your father’s creditors will only be kept at bay for so long.”

He dipped his chin, smiled an oily smile, pulled his horse around, and rode off.

Stomach in knots, I did the same and headed for home to get ready for work.

When I was showered and dressed, I stopped by the main house to check on Gran. She was sitting in the sunroom, some color in her cheeks. On days like this, you wouldn’t know how sick she was. They were my favorite. I smiled wide when I walked in and she turned to me.

“You’ve been keeping secrets from me, my girl,” she said, a wicked glint in her eyes.

My feet stopped their forward momentum abruptly, my heart stalling along with them. “What secret?” I felt like I had so many at the moment, none of them anything I wanted my grandmother in on.

“Your father tells me you’ve been seeing the Livingston boy, that it’s quite serious and he wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some kind of announcement soon.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. That my father had actually lied to her like that. Was he so sure I’d do what he wanted? Obviously, if he was laying the groundwork with my grandmother for the day I told her I was getting married.

She held out her hand for me and I moved toward her, feeling numb, betrayed. Hurt. I took her soft hand and she squeezed it.

“I know I’ve spent a lot of years griping about that family, and I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me about this relationship because of it.” She lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to the backs of my fingers, her eyes getting bright with emotion. “If Spencer makes you happy, then I’m happy for you, my girl. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. A love like your grandfather’s and mine is what you deserve.”

Tears filled my eyes as well, but for a different reason. My heart felt like it was cracking in my chest. “Thank you,” I whispered. It was all I could manage.