Curves and the Rancher Read Online Free Page B

”
    “ Sure. ” He rose from the table, and led the way to the study. Cassie
checked out the impressive way his butt fit his jeans. Grateful that
her experience with Phillip hadn ’ t
put her off all men, she wondered if Luke had ever checked her out in the same way.
She silently sighed. Probably not.
    Cassie showed Luke the
accounts program and her entries. He seemed to ask her a few more
questions than were strictly necessary, but she put it down to the
fact that he hadn ’ t used the program
in two months.
    He finally turned off the
computer. “ How much do I owe you? ”
    She named a figure that
she was comfortable with.
    Luke raised an eyebrow. “ Are you sure? I don ’ t
want you to charge less than you should. ”
    Cassie smiled,
appreciating his sense of fairness. “ I
asked around, and this is the going rate for the area. ”
    “ And
you ’ re happy with that? ”
    “ Yes.
It ’ s more than I make at the diner. ”
    Luke opened the desk
drawer and brought out a checkbook. He wrote her a check and handed
it to her. A shiver raced through her when his fingertips touched
hers.
    “ Thank
you. ” She tried to look businesslike
when she put the check in her purse.
    “ I ’ ll
walk you out. ” He gestured for her
to precede him, and she walked down the hall, conscious of him
walking closely behind her.
    Luke opened the front
door. “ Thanks, ” she said again, turning to face him. Tilting her head a little, she
smiled up at him.
    “ I
should be the one thanking you. ” His
voice was low.
    She couldn’t break
free from his molten brown gaze.
    “ Cassie, ” he murmured, catching a strand of her auburn hair in his fingers.
    She caught her breath,
her insides melting into a pool of warm chocolate. Was he going to
kiss her? She waited for a long second, not daring to say or do
anything that would break the sensual moment.
    His mouth slowly
descended, brushing hers. She returned the light pressure of his
lips. His strong arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer as
he caressed her lips once more. She breathed in his scent of honeyed
hay, wishing the kiss would never end.
    Her spine tingled as he
reluctantly released her. “ Can you
come over next week? I ’ ll have more
accounts work for you. And I ’ ll make
lunch. ”
    “ Okay. ” Cassie tried to control her whirling emotions. She thought she ’ d
agree to just about anything right now, if it promised the
possibility of Luke kissing her again.
    ###
    Sixweeks later,
Cassie sang along to an old country song as she drove to Luke ’ s
house. Although the gray clouds in the sky looked ominous, they
couldn ’ t affect her mood. Visiting
Luke at his ranch was her favorite part of the week. Since Luke had
kissed her for the first time, she ’ d
never been happier.He ’ d
introduced her to his rancher friends, most of whom had hired her,
and he ’ d been coming into the diner
two or three times per week, sitting in her section each time, and
chatting with her when she wasn ’ t
rushed off her feet.
    Every time she visited
Luke, he ’ d prepared lunch for them . After lunch, Luke would leave her to the accounts while he did
chores outside. When she finished entering the numbers into the
computer program, he always kissed her goodbye. Just like
their first kiss.
    Cassie wrinkled her brow.
That was the only problem. Luke ’ s
kisses made her toes curl, but they remained exactly the same as the
first time he kissed her. Contrary to the romance novels she liked
to read sometimes, his tongue did not demand entry to her
mouth, nor did his mouth cover hers hungrily. They were perfectly
delicious, shivery kisses, but he seemed content for them to remain
so.
    Maybe what he felt for
her was more platonic than romantic. After all, it wasn ’ t
as if there were hordes of guys vying to date her. She sighed. Just
when she thought she was ready for another relationship, it appeared
that Luke wasn ’ t really that
interested in her.
    She swung into the