Christmas at Blue Moon Ranch Read Online Free Page B

Willa.” He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs, then bent to
give her a quick kiss.
    She understood
he meant to leave without finishing what they’d started. But despite seeing the
horrors he’d suffered, Willa didn’t want to let him go. Even as he drew back,
she circled her arms around his neck.
    “Stay.”
    His eyebrows
drew together, his blue eyes questioning, doubtful. “Are you sure?”
    “Oh, yes.”
    He squeezed his
eyes shut for a second. “Thank God.”
    And then he came
back to her, stronger, more demanding than before. The room heated up, or maybe
that was just her body, on fire everywhere Daniel touched her, everywhere he
kissed. And that was everywhere. Finally, they lay together, skin to
skin. He moved inside of her…gently, at first, then harder, faster, till the
bed rocked and her body thrashed and her senses exploded into a brilliant
climax. Before she could catch a single breath, Daniel gave a strangled cry.
    And then he
relaxed, falling to the side, drawing her with him into the shelter of the
covers and his arms. Safe and sated, Willa plunged mindlessly into sleep.
     
    S HE WOKE UP WINCING,
WITH A headache
thudding like a bass drum between her ears. Through one squinted eye she saw
the yellow line of sunlight at the top of the drapes, which meant she must have
slept much later than she’d intended.
    In the next
second, Willa realized she was naked under the covers. Then she remembered why.
    With a gasp, she
whipped her head around to see that the other side of the bed was empty. She
had a moment to sigh in relief before her stomach revolted and sent her running
for the bathroom.
    After a few
unpleasant minutes, she wiped her face with a cold washcloth. Unable to meet
her own eyes in the mirror, she sat on the end of the bed she…they…hadn’t slept
in, her fists clenched in her lap, and faced the shameful facts.
    Last night,
she’d abandoned the last ounce of good sense she possessed to have sex with a
man she didn’t know, a man who hadn’t even stayed long enough to say “Good
morning.” After fourteen years of marriage and three kids, she should know
better than to take this kind of risk.
    Every woman had
the right to be stupid once in her life, especially as a teenager. Giving in to
a boy’s persuasion—“If you loved me you’d do it”—was understandable when you
were only sixteen.
    But what excuse
did she have at thirty-two? How could she have allowed her principles to be
overturned by a sexy grin and a pair of sweet blue eyes?
    Well, no more.
As she jerked on her clothes, Willa swore to herself that she wouldn’t let
Daniel Trent get to her. She would keep her distance, make him keep his. With
any luck, he’d fail miserably in his attempt at ranching and be gone well
before Christmas. All she had to do was wait him out…
    …and never again
give herself a chance to make a mistake like the one last night.
     
    W HEN SHE FINALLY
DREDGED UP the courage
to leave her room, she found Daniel Trent leaning against the wall in the hotel
lobby, scanning a newspaper.
    “Good morning.”
Smiling, he straightened and fell into step beside her. “Can you join me for
breakfast?”
    “No. Thanks.”
She glanced at the people moving around them as if looking for someone,
avoiding his knowing blue eyes. “I need to get on the road. I can’t afford to
miss a whole day’s work.”
    “Okay.” He
folded the paper under his arm. “I thought I’d follow you out to the ranch,
look around a bit. My stuff won’t be arriving until the end of the week, but
I’d like to see the setup, get a feel for what kind of supplies I’ll be
needing.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shrug. “I’ve lived in army
housing most of the time, so I don’t have much furniture. Outfitting a house is
a new experience.”
    Panic erupted in
her chest. Without answering, Willa walked quickly outside, aware that Daniel
was following as fast as he could. She didn’t slow down for him.
    Somehow,