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I knew she was only looking out for us. Truthfully, she had been more of a mother to us for longer than I would like to admit. She knew about our arranged marriage, and she wasn’t happy about it anymore than we were. Of course, she wanted to see us settle down and start a family, but she knew it wouldn’t be the same with Victoria, our intended, as it would be with someone we truly loved.
I made a detour to the kitchens, sat at the island, and pulled out my phone. Even though Dr. Brooks wasn’t exactly family, I still needed to take care of things for her, starting with her father and her dogs.
The line rang twice before a deep voice answered.
“Thomas, I didn’t expect to hear from you. Is everything all right?” Concern laced Dr. Henry’s voice.
“Everything is well here, Dr. Henry. I know Duke called and let you know Dr. Brooks is stuck here on the ranch. She mentioned a few concerns back home I wanted to make sure were taken care of for her.”
“Right. The roads closed a bit earlier than we anticipated. I ran into Martin in town and offered for him to stay with me until it blows over.” Martin’s voice came through softly as he shouted his greeting in the background.
I chuckled.
“Thank you for that. He was my next call.” At least I knew Martin was sorted out. “Dr. Brooks mentioned she had dogs at the house that needed to be looked after, in addition to the clinic. Will you be able to get that sorted over there?”
“Absolutely. I have them, and the clinic is all taken care of. Please let Alex know she can relax.”
“I’m sure that’s easier said than done. It was hard to convince her to stay. She wanted to take the helicopter to get back home. Honestly, even if Martin was here to fly it, the winds were already picking up. There was no way I would have allowed her to leave in such dangerous conditions.”
“That’s my Alex for you.” His booming laugh rang through the line. “Take good care of her for me.”
“You have my word.” We said our farewells and promised we would check in again once the storm blew over.
Take care of her. If only I could in the way I wanted to.
It surprised me she had driven out to the ranch for the appointment. Seeing her pop up in the stall made my heart skip a beat. She’d looked so cute with her fiery red hair sticking out everywhere, mussed from her hat. Her cheeks and nose were rosy, no doubt from the wind and cold. Those black-rimmed glasses that framed her bright green eyes nearly brought me to my knees every time I saw her. She was beautiful, but she was also smart. She had gotten her doctorates in Veterinary Medicine at a young age and was ready to take over her father’s practice.
I admired her for stepping up. My stomach twisted into painful knots when I thought about taking over my family’s business. Our parents continuously pushed their desires onto us, determined that Declan and I were perfect to take on the full responsibilities of being a Duke. But we knew differently. This ranch was what we were born to do.
Looking up, Declan descended the stairs, meeting me halfway. The grin that stretched across his face had me slightly concerned. What had he done?
I was afraid to ask. “Where did you put her?”
He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s in the room next to ours. Where else do you think I would put her?”
I wanted to smack the grin off his face. Alex being under the same roof was going to be hard enough to resist, but having her in the room next to mine?
God help me.
ALEX
Icould smell the faint scent of Irish Spring in the room even though Declan had left five minutes prior. It made my head spin and my insides warm. I wanted nothing more than to call Declan back into the room and have him show me around instead of waiting here until someone came to get me.
Declan had led me to a room near the end of the hall in a wing of the main house and immediately left. I assumed to give me privacy to settle in. I silently hoped he and Thomas were in another wing, far away from me. Being in the same house, this close to them, was going to test me enough as it was.
I thought my fantasies before now were hot enough to melt steel, but the dirty thoughts running through my head now were far too close to reality. In each one, I kept warm throughout the snowstorm by crawling in bed with one or both of them, and we explored each other’s bodies all night long. Sweat beaded my brow as the thoughts wreaked havoc on my nerves. I’d read enough romance novels to not feel bad about imagining I was in bed with both men.
I let out a shaky breath and pushed thoughts of the Kingstons out of my mind. I turned to get a better look at the room I’d be staying in. It was bigger than my bedroom and living room put together. There was a king-sized bed in the middle with a gorgeous solid wood headboard with ornate carvings along the sides. The matching furniture fit perfectly in the room, not making it look too cluttered. If truth be told, it was exactly the style of furnishing I would have chosen for myself.
I strolled to the closet and noticed it already had women’s clothes hung inside. My gut twisted with jealousy as I wondered who Declan and Thomas purchased these for. I ran my fingers over the cotton, my fingers catching on small tags. A tiny gasp left my mouth when I caught the prices listed. It was far more than I’d spent on my entire year’s wardrobe.
I shut the closet and wandered over to a door on the opposite side of the room. A beautiful bathroom with marble countertops and a massive shower took my breath straight from my lungs. The huge tub nestled in the corner, complete with jets, caught my attention. I wanted to sink into a hot bath so badly. It had been ages since I last had the luxury of a bathtub I could sink in to.
“Thinking about a bath, aren’t you?” a light feminine voice said from behind me.
I slapped my hand to my chest and turned to face her.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Jessie smiled, an apology in her eyes. “I thought you heard me come in.”
