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She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught it in his hand. “Let go of me, you brute!”
Instead of letting her go, Cameron lowered his lips to hers and kissed the anger right off her lips. He held her there, and while she expected his kiss to be punishing, it was soft and gentle.
It didn’t take long at all for her to melt against him and return his kiss. He was still holding one of her hands, but Cassandra moved the other to his shoulder, hanging on to him for dear life.
When he raised his head, he looked just as stunned as she felt. “I guess I’m fit to kiss after all.”
Cassandra had nothing to say to that, so she pulled her hand from his grip and headed back toward the house. The man was insufferable, and she had no desire to spend even another minute in his company.
She went to the garden and knelt in the same spot she’d been in, and she worked, but her mind was no longer focused on the vegetables in the garden. No, she was too busy thinking about how much she enjoyed kissing him.
Never having been kissed before, she didn’t know if it was normal to like it that much, but perhaps she was a loose woman, who enjoyed kissing every man who came along. She’d never had the opportunity to know any differently.
When she heard footsteps approach, she didn’t even turn to acknowledge him. Instead, she kept working, her head down. “Good to see you again!” a man’s voice said.
Cassandra turned to see the same man who had come by earlier. “Oh, hello!”
Wade watched her for a moment. “You really enjoy working in the garden, don’t you?”
“I do. I’m a farmer’s daughter, and I’m proud of it.”
He grinned. “Would you like to go for a walk with me?”
She took a deep breath. Why not? She needed to find out if she was compatible with the man anyway, and he was a great deal nicer than Cameron was. “I’d like that. Let’s not go that way, though,” she said, pointing in the direction Cameron had taken her.
Wade shrugged. “That’s all right. I’ll walk whichever direction you’d like,” he said, offering a hand to help her to her feet.
“You don’t want to touch me. I’m filthy from my time in the garden.”
“Oh, that doesn’t bother me a bit, Miss Arnold.”
She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. She liked this man. Instead of walking further onto the ranch, he led her toward the road. “How long have you worked for Mr. Royal?”
“Eight years now. I was his first hand when he started this operation.” He walked along beside her but didn’t crowd her the way some men had.
“So, you’ve known him for a very long time. I really enjoy being around Mrs. Royal. She’s very kind.”
“She is, but she’s also a bit of a meddler.”
Cassandra bit her lip, but she decided to confess her situation. She liked Wade, and maybe if he knew what was happening, he would be interested in more than just walking with her in the evening. “She sent for a mail-order bride on Mr. Royal’s behalf. He came home for a bit today, and he had no idea who I was. Now I’m just helping out in the garden and around the house. He has no desire to marry me. He’s made that abundantly clear.”
“Then he’s not as smart as I’ve given him credit for.” Wade shook his head. “If you’re looking for a man to step into his shoes and marry you, don’t look any further! Please!”
Cassandra laughed. “I’m going to think long and hard before I agree to marry someone else. I’m in a good place, and I don’t have to hurry anything.”
“Well, know that I’ll wait as long as you feel the need to wait.”
She wanted to ask him to kiss her, so she could see if she just liked kisses or if there was something special about Cameron’s, but she didn’t dare. Maybe eventually.
He stopped at the side of the road and picked a flower for her. She took it and sniffed deeply. “Thank you. Is it a cornflower?”
“It is! You know your flowers.”
Cassandra smiled. “I do. If I haven’t physically seen one, then I’ve seen pictures in books. I’ve read more gardening books than any woman should ever admit to. I prefer fruit and vegetable gardens because they provide food, but I love flowers as well.”
“You read?” he asked, looking surprised.
She nodded. “Yes, I went to school all the way through eighth grade.” She’d have gone longer, but it was the highest grade her school had offered.
