The Rancher's Second Chance Read Online Free

years he was noticing and responding to a woman. She was nothing like Sarah. Melanie was petite, like small enough that she’d be able to tuck her head under his chin. And she was curvy, enticingly curvy in all the right places. Her eyes were green, a deep, dark emerald color that to him always seemed filled with secrets. She’d always been kind of quiet, and he’d always been aware of her on some level.
    “I, uh, I guess I’ll get back to my room,” she said, her face turning an enchanting shade of pink. Enchanting. When had that word entered his vocabulary? At least he hadn’t said it out loud. He realized then that he was staring. She probably thought he was an ogling jerk, checking out the cleavage of the houseguest.
    “Sorry, I just never realized…” He scrambled for something to say. He was an idiot. Totally out of practice. He used to be able to just look at a woman and have her saunter over to where he was standing in the bar. Now he was like a pervert hiding in the shadows.
    She crossed her arms in front of herself, probably trying to hide parts from him he really shouldn’t be seeing, no matter how much he found himself wanting to. Her movement sent a delicious amount of flesh swelling over the already low neckline.
    “Never realized?” she asked.
    What the hell are you saying, man? He needed to end this undercurrent of whatever the hell it was that he’d started. Crap. Never realized. Never realized…how beautiful she was. How sexy. How…
    Her full lips had parted and desire slammed him in the gut and exploded through his body. It was time to shut this down. He cleared his throat. “I never realized how short you are.”
    He was the biggest ass. An idiot.
    “Short?” She began tapping her foot, and he made the mistake of looking down, his gaze trailing over the smooth, silky bare legs.
    He swallowed hard and then looked up at her, giving a quick nod.
    “Thank you. I’m glad you have come to the realization that I’m short. I’ll just walk back to my room as quickly as my short, stubby, little legs will allow,” she said, turning to pass him.
    He reached out to grab her arm and caught her hand instead. A jolt of something rattled him when her soft, warm hand filled his own. He stared into her green eyes and caught the awareness that filled their depths. This could go nowhere. Ever. He had to remember that. He needed boundaries. Space. She needed to go home tomorrow.
    A soft click interrupted the silence, and he whipped his head around in the direction of the noise, just in time to see Mrs. H’s tight, gray curls disappear into the doorway that led to her third-floor suite. He cursed inwardly. Of course. His housekeeper wasn’t going senile; she was playing matchmaker.
    “Good night, Cole,” Melanie whispered, tugging her hand free from his.
    He nodded, dropping his hand to his side. “‘Night.”
    Cole waited until she closed her door and then marched back to his own room, towels in hand. Ten minutes later he was showered and settled in bed and staring up at the ceiling, wide awake. He glanced over at the picture of Sarah, the moonlight highlighting her smile. He replayed his last days with Sarah, all her pleas for him to find someone. He replayed the lie he’d told her. For five years no one had come into his life that made him want to open himself up again. For five years he’d been able to look at attractive women and not respond. Until tonight.
    He cursed out loud and tried to fluff his pillow as sleep eluded him. He ended up punching it a few times instead and then fell back on it, in a worse mood than before. He was just going to avoid Melanie tomorrow. Gage could dote on her all day, since it was obvious he was interested. He would just step back and not interfere. He glowered at the ceiling. He was going to get Melanie out of his head.
    Unfortunately, he dreamed about her that night.
    …
    “Good morning. I hope you had a nice evening,” Mrs. Harris called out the second his