Stay With Me: BWWM Interracial Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

question he expected because he blinked his eyes and then tipped the hat on his head. “Ah! I guess it’s because you’re so pretty and I’m honest-to-goodness attracted to you.”
    Shayne took a careful step back. Now, that his arms were no longer around her, she could think a bit more. What he said made sense to her because she felt exactly the same way. “You have nothing to apologize for. I could have stopped you, but I guess I didn’t want to.”
    “Why?”
    How could she deny him the answer? “Because you’re so pretty and I’m honest-to-goodness attracted to you.”
    At her mimic answer, Juston threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Good,” he said when he regained his composure. His hands reached for her as a grin split over his face, but she shook her head and took another step back. The light mood changed into a serious one. “What?”
    “Look, you’re very good looking, and I can’t deny that I’m attracted to you, but right now I’m in a very strange position.” Shayne took a deep breath and then expelled it slowly. “I just got divorced, and there are a lot of complications in my life, and I don’t want to add to them.”
    Juston nodded his head. “Complicated is good.”
    She adjusted the brim of her hat, feeling self-conscious. She’d never talked to a guy so directly, but it felt good to say whatever it was in her heart. She didn’t want to lead him on and then push him away. It would be better to make it clear that she wasn’t looking for anything. A pang of regret hit her as she stared into his denim-blue eyes. It wasn’t just that he was good-looking but she could also sense a kind heart.
    This was a man who could show a woman how to have a good time, and he would do with it ease and respect.
    It would be great to hang out with him some more and forget about the troubles that plagued her, but Shayne knew that she wouldn’t be able to offer him anything permanent. She just wasn’t looking for a relationship. Shayne shook her head. “It’s not. At least, not for me. I just embarked on a new phase of my life. I need friends at the moment, and nothing more than that.”
    He nodded. “I got the message. Don’t worry. I don’t want to add to any mess in your life. It’s fine.”
    “I hope we can be friends?” She thrust out her hand and much to her delight…he shook it.
    “Friends,” he declared.
    She breathed a sigh of relief. It would be awkward to work with him if he didn’t understand, and she felt glad that he was so nice about it. Once more, her heart ached as she gazed at his face. It was crazy to deny herself the pleasure that he seemed so willing to offer, but she felt that with this guy, nothing would be easy. If she got involved with him, her life would change—and she didn’t want that.  
    They walked around the cows, and much to her relief, they weren’t attacked again.
    “Cows are generally docile,” he explained. “Not the bulls, of course, but we don’t have any.”
    “The one who ran towards me didn’t look docile.”
    “You didn’t notice, but she had a calf.” He laughed. “We got too close to it and she became uncomfortable. Generally, they would do anything to avoid a confrontation. That’s why it’s easy to herd them from one place to another. When we move closer to them, they automatically start moving forward to maintain the distance between us.”
    It was easy to read the excitement in his voice. “You love this job, don’t you?”
    “I do. It’s great to work outdoors with animals. Maybe…I guess you can’t imagine it.”
    “I can,” she admitted easily. “My father loved it, remember? I grew up on a farm, and even though I haven’t inherited the passion for it that my sisters have, I do enjoy being outdoors.”
    “You have to love nature, respect it, and only then you can make a living out of it. I don’t like people abusing the natural resources, which is why I like Cullen’s approach. She doesn’t want to