Tears appeared in her eyes, and a hard knot tightened in his gut. “Honey, please don’t cry,” he pleaded, feeling at a loss. He was trying to make her feel better, not worse.
Staring at him with pure dismay, Lynn swiped at her wet cheeks. “Believe me, I don’t want to.” Realizing that she’d given her virginity to Russ, she was at a loss for words. She’d given him firsthand,
personal
proof of her innocence.
Well, she thought dejectedly, she couldn’t say she was inexperienced anymore, could she? Of all the
men for her to sleep with! Visions of them making love assailed her, and she closed her eyes as she relived the memory of being with him. Her recollection was foggy at best, but she knew he’d been tender and gentle, and she was just as sure she hadn’t asked him to stop. In fact, begging and pleading came to her mind.
What did that say about her judgment? She and Russ didn’t even get along most of the time. He’d been trying to get rid of her since Jake had finally agreed to let her work with the horses on the Bar M.
“Look, this is just as much my fault as yours,” she stated, grimacing at him and still looking offended.
Russ’s expression turned grim. “Don’t say that. This is my fault, not yours. You’re the innocent party here. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you
how
innocent,” he grated, still angry at himself. “I’m a hell of a lot more experienced than you are. I should have shown some control. I—”
A nervous chuckle came from her throat, and she shook her head. “That kind of macho thinking is ridiculous.”
“Well, it might well seem ridiculous, but it’s the damned truth,” he stated, his tone gruff. “Now I guess the best thing for us to do is to figure out what to do about this.”
Her mouth fell open. “What do you mean?” His biceps bulged as he crossed his arms over his chest, and Lynn had to suppress the urge to touch him. A flutter of excitement coiled through her as she remembered being held in those strong arms.
He sat up straighter and leaned against the head-board, stretching his legs out in front of him. “In case
you haven’t figured it out, we’ve gotten ourselves in a situation here.”
A
situation.
Well, if Lynn had a niggling curiosity as to how Russ was analyzing what had happened between them, it was erased by his terming it a “situation.” Her temper beginning to simmer, she gave him a scorching look. “If you’ll just turn your back, I’ll get my clothes on and get out of here and there won’t be a
situation
to worry about.”
Russ wasn’t sure why, but knowing she wanted to hightail it out of his bed stuck in his craw. She looked so absolutely desirable that he wanted to drag her against him and kiss her luscious mouth. Curbing his desire, he said, “You think it’s gonna be that easy, huh?”
Lynn wasn’t sure how to react to his question. “What are you getting at?”
“Well, for one thing, honey, we work side by side every single day. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure as hell not gonna be able to look at you the way I used to.”
Lynn’s expression turned indignant. “And exactly how was that?” she demanded, tucking the sheet under her arms to free her hands. Russ slid his gaze lazily over her, and she felt as if he’d somehow touched her.
“You were hands-off, honey. I’m not fool enough to think that I’m in the same league as you. In my right mind, I would never have laid a hand on you,” he admitted. Now, thanks to his lack of control and poor judgment, he was going to have to work with her remembering how damn fantastic it felt being with her.
Not sure of what to think, Lynn was quiet for a
moment. She had known Russ for almost five years. He’d started working at the Bar M when she was sixteen. He’d never said much to her, and she’d always thought he just didn’t like her. It surprised her to learn that he thought himself beneath her.
She thought about how very little she knew about him. He’d come from somewhere in Montana, but she didn’t think he had a family, mainly because to her knowledge he’d never had anyone call for him or come to see him. She’d always thought that kind of sad. Her family had often included Russ in celebrations at the ranch, but frequently he was the first to leave, seeming to prefer his own company.
Russ shook his head. “And then there’s our age difference. I’m a hell of a lot older than you.” Before she could say anything, he held up his hand to stop her. “Not only that, but you’re the boss’s little sister.”
Affronted, Lynn glared at him. He sure had a lot of excuses for
not
wanting her! “Well, let me give you a few more minutes so you can just keep adding up why this was such a horrible mistake. It’s not as if I
planned
it, you know.”
“Hell, Lynn, I’m saying this all wrong. I’m not good enough for you. You’re beautiful and intelligent.” He said it as if it killed him to admit it, but, hell, it was the truth, now that he’d seen her as a woman. “Any man would be lucky to marry you.”
Except him, of course. He wouldn’t be giving his heart to another woman. No way, not in
this
lifetime. One go-round with Candace had taught him a bitter lesson. When he’d found out she was pregnant with another man’s baby, he’d walked out and never looked back.
“Jeez, thanks so much.”
“And besides the fact that I’m too old for you, Jake’ll have my hide when he gets back from his honeymoon, if Ryder and Deke leave any for him.”
“What my brothers think isn’t important,” Lynn insisted, forgetting her hurt feelings for the moment.
“Well, if you believe that, you’re more innocent than I thought. The way I see it, I’ll be off this ranch by sundown.”
She made a snorting sound. “Don’t be ridiculous, Russ. You’re not going to get fired because you slept with me.”
His lip curled. “Hell, Lynn, the only reason I’m still here is because no one knows you’re in my bed. Mark my words, I’ll be gone in a matter of hours.”
Would he? Lynn wondered. Were her brothers
that
protective? Well, they
had
threatened every boy she’d dated with bodily harm if he laid a hand on her. And the single hands on the ranch
did
give her a wide berth when she was around them.
Was Russ right? She didn’t especially like him—which sounded ridiculous because she’d just spent the night making love with him—but she sure didn’t want to be the cause of him losing his job. “No one knows I’m, uh, we’re here together. All I have to do is get dressed and get up to the house. No one will ever find out we spent the night together.”
“
I’ll
know,” Russ declared irritably. “And if we get caught, the entire town of Crockett will know.”
Lynn wasn’t paying attention. She’d begun to look around the room, searching for the time. There was a small, round alarm clock on his dresser.
“Nine o’clock!” she screamed. Frantic, she waved at him with her hands. “Just turn around, and I’ll get
dressed and get out of here! Quick!” She was going to have to try and sneak into the house. By now, Ryder, his wife Ashley and their babies would be up. Maybe, if the Fates were with Lynn, she could get in the front door and down the hall to her room before she came upon them.
“What are you gonna do? Sneak in?” Russ asked, sounding as if that would never work in a million years.
Lynn made a face at him. “Yes, I’m going to sneak in. If I hurry, I can make it.” She wished she had some regular clothes here, but, of course, she didn’t. “Turn around!” she commanded, searching for the beautiful blue dress she’d worn at the wedding. It was lying on the floor out of her reach, as were her skimpy lace panties. Heat surged to her face all over again.
Russ stared at her as if she’d lost her mind, then he shrugged his shoulders. He started to move, then stopped when they both heard a loud knock at the door. Panic swept through Lynn as both of their heads whipped in that direction. Her chest got heavy as she and Russ looked back at each other. A feeling of dread hung over her and she held her breath. Russ put his finger to his lips, motioning for her to keep quiet.
The knock came again, louder and more demanding. Russ jumped out of bed and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on and zipping them just as he heard Ryder call his name.
Then the door flew open.
“S
orry for barging in, Russ,” Ryder McCall blurted, bursting into the room, his boot heels thundering on the hardwood floor.
“What’s going on?” Russ stepped forward, blocking his path, hoping to also block Ryder’s view of Lynn at the same time. Having had just enough time to zip his pants, but not enough to close the snap, he let his hands linger there.
“We can’t find Lynn anywhere.” Ryder’s face was set into a permanent frown as he whipped his hat off and hit it against his thigh. His voice sounded deeply troubled. “She didn’t come home last night, and Ashley’s really worried about her. Lynn doesn’t do things like this. She’s—” The words died a natural death when a movement from the bed caught his eye.
“Damn, I’m sorry, man, I shouldn’t have come busting in here unannounced.” He started to turn
away, then caught sight of a familiar blue dress on the floor near the foot of the bed. He frowned, then turned back toward Russ. He didn’t say anything in the split second it took to make the connection, then his gaze went beyond Russ and landed hard on his sister, who was sitting in the rumpled bed with the sheet clutched to her neck.
“What in hell is going on here?” Ryder demanded, his gaze taking in the intimate scene in bits and pieces—Russ barely dressed, clothes strewn here and there. His sister naked! Anger glittered in his eyes. “Why, you—”
He rounded on Russ, his fist flying. Russ backed up and ducked, but not quite quick enough to avoid Ryder’s punch. The powerful blow to Russ’s chin knocked him backward, and he stumbled. He quickly regained his footing, then faced Ryder, his stance rigid. Bracing himself for another blow, he brought his arms up to protect himself.
“Ryder!” Lynn screamed, “stop it!” She barely got the words out as her brother charged toward Russ. “Stop!” Her shrill voice echoed through the room.
Russ deflected the next punch with his forearm, then shoved Ryder away with enough force to give him time to regain his own bearing. “Hold on, Ryder!” he growled, raising his hands, palms out.
Lynn screamed again, stopping Ryder in his tracks, his fists raised. Fierce protectiveness raged in his eyes. Both men were breathing rapidly, both glaring at each other with malicious intent. Ryder’s eyes were fraught with suspicion. “Who the hell do you think you are?” he demanded.
“Look, just give me a chance to explain,” Russ said in a rush. He rubbed his chin with the back of
his hand, then worked his jaw back and forth. It wasn’t broken, but it hurt like hell. He didn’t have any idea how he was going to explain what really happened to Ryder’s satisfaction. He still wasn’t sure how he and Lynn had ended up in bed together, and he sure didn’t want to admit to her brother that it had been a one-night mistake.
Ryder’s glare challenged him. He swore, and the words weren’t pretty. “We trusted you,” he grated. “Hell, Lynn’s not even twenty-one.”
Russ swallowed hard, forcing the knot in his throat back down. His tanned face reddened. “I know that.” The age difference between them stood out like the beam from a lighthouse on a foggy night. Though he’d been aware of Lynn as a young woman for a long time, he’d kept his distance from her. He didn’t like how she made him feel, what she’d made him think about. And, hell, now that he’d made love to her, was he ever going to be able to forget?
“Will you two stop talking about me as if I’m not here?” Neither man looked at her. Lynn rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air with frustration.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Ryder demanded. His heated gaze bore down on Russ, demanding an explanation as he lowered his fisted hands to his sides.
“Ryder!” Lynn scrambled to her knees, still clasping the sheet. “I don’t need you to defend my virtue!” she exclaimed, feeling her own temper start to simmer.
“Stay out of this!” Both men shouted the command at the same time.
Feeling disgraced, Russ faced off with Ryder, knowing the entire situation was his fault. During his
employment at the ranch, he’d been a trusted employee. He’d worked hard and had proven himself, had just about earned enough money to start a small ranch of his own. Ashley, Ryder’s wife, had even gone so far as to mention that she considered him family. Catherine, Jake’s new bride, did, too, for that matter.
Well, now he knew which way the wind blew. Ryder was looking at him as if he’d committed the crime of the century. If looks could kill, he’d be dead ten times over. He couldn’t believe how much he’d hurt Lynn, how he’d humiliated her by compromising her reputation.
Taking advantage of the silence between the two men, Lynn stated sharply, “Ryder, you idiot, just get out of here. This doesn’t concern you!” She yanked at the sheet, struggling wildly until she had it tugged free and pulled around her. With bumbling efforts, she worked herself off the bed and stood.
His eyes still glittering with anger, Ryder pointed his finger at Russ. “Pack your things and get off the ranch!” he ordered, staring him down.
Lynn stormed up to them, her arms tucked tight beside her to keep the sheet in place. “Oh, will you please stop the big brother act?” she cried. “Just mind your own business.”
Ryder gave her a brief, silencing glare. “You are my business,” he countered hotly. He turned his gaze on Russ again. “And you’re fired.”
“Oh, puhleeze. I’m not underage, you know.” She couldn’t believe Russ had been right. If she didn’t do some fast talking, this
was
going to cost him his job. “It’s not like you’re Mister Perfect,” she told her brother, her voice slick with sarcasm. Ryder had met
Ashley one night while saving her from the unwanted advances of a drunken cowboy. But he’d ended up stealing her virtue and leaving her pregnant with twins. It had worked out well between them, though, because they’d eventually fallen in love and married. Still, he had no right to be judging her or Russ.
“We’re not talking about me or my past deeds,” Ryder said in his defense. “We’re talking about you.” He brought his attention back to Russ. “You’ve got two hours to be off the ranch.”
“Oh, this is ridiculous.” She glared at her brother, getting madder by the minute. “Do you have any idea of how stupid you sound?”
“Not nearly as stupid as you look standing there practically naked,” he returned, fixing her with a furious stare. “You should be glad I’m the one who found you instead of Jake.”
“Now wait just a damn minute,” Russ broke in, and his tone lowered dangerously. He wasn’t going to just stand there while Ryder berated Lynn. He’d already done enough to hurt her. He couldn’t stand knowing he was the reason they were fighting. “Don’t talk to her that way,” he warned, his expression thunderous. “This isn’t Lynn’s fault. It’s mine.” His hard gaze challenged Ryder. Still on edge, he was ready to defend himself if Ryder came at him again.
“You’re damn right it is,” Ryder agreed, his stance rigid. His hands went to his hips. “I want you off this ranch!”
In a panic, Lynn searched her mind for something,
anything
she could say to save Russ’s job. “We’re getting married!” she blurted.
Oh, heavens! Had she actually said that out loud?
She heard Russ’s quick intake of breath, and her
head swivelled in his direction. Jeez, she
had
said it! Giving him an encouraging, go-along-with-this look, she moved closer to him, placing her hand possessively on his arm. Her eyes pleaded with him, silencing his protest. “Is that good enough?” she asked her brother, wondering if she’d lost her mind. But it was the only solution she could think of at the moment, the only thing that would save her neck and Russ’s job.
His expression questioning, Ryder stared at them both. “You are?” He looked as if he didn’t believe her.
Lynn slid closer to Russ, and he put his arm around her. She felt his whole body coil with tension as his hand squeezed her shoulder. “Yes, we just weren’t ready to tell anyone yet. We didn’t want to take anything away from Jake and Catherine so we kept quiet about our relationship. It wouldn’t have been very nice of us to steal their thunder,” she told her brother, hoping he wouldn’t see through her deception.
Ryder nodded, but still didn’t look quite convinced. “You certainly did a great job of keeping this a secret,” he stated. He continued to study Russ. “Is this true?” he asked, his tone still obviously suspicious. “Are you going to marry Lynn?” he demanded.
Russ returned an unwavering stare. The fire blazing in his green eyes gave Lynn a cold chill as she waited for him to speak.
“Yes.”
Lynn shivered. It wasn’t his answer, but his inflexible tone that alarmed her.
“All right, then,” Ryder said, still frowning and looking perplexed. His jaw set, he stared at Russ.
“But be warned. You hurt my sister, and there’ll be hell to pay.”
“Have you ever known me to go back on my word?” Russ challenged.
“Can’t say that I have.” That said, Ryder’s whole demeanor changed. “Look, I apologize for hitting you, Russ. I guess I should’ve waited for an explanation, but you know how it is. She’s my sister.”
“Yeah, I know,” Russ replied with a nod.
Ryder ruffled his little sister’s blond head as if she were a small child. “Damn, Lynn, I don’t think anyone expected this,” he commented, eyeing her speculatively. Then his mustache quirked up at one corner. “You managed to make everyone think you hated Russ. Sorry, Russ,” he said when he saw the foreman’s jaw muscle tighten.
Lynn flinched. That was true because she’d believed she had. Now she was so confused. Still, vividly clear shots of the two of them making love kept clicking like slides through her brain, contradicting her previous thoughts and beliefs. The man she’d been with last night had been loving and kind, not abrasive and distant and hard to get along with.
Lynn managed an awkward smile as her gaze found Russ’s. She ran her hand along his chest. “Yes, well, we, uh, were quite taken by surprise by our feelings for each other.”
“How long has this been going on?” Ryder asked, his gaze sharp and questioning. It was obvious that he was still digesting the news.
“Long enough.”
“For a while.”
Speaking in unison, Lynn and Russ looked at each other, their eyes locked in a duel. She swallowed a
gulp of air as his gaze narrowed. Ryder was watching them both, and Lynn managed a smile when she turned her attention back to him. For a moment, she wasn’t certain if her brother wasn’t still a little unconvinced. But Russ tugged her closer to him, as if to reassure Ryder of their feelings for each other. His body heat enveloped her, and she swayed, feeling a little light-headed.
Russ shifted his gaze to Ryder. “Look, I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but could you give us a few minutes? We’d like a little privacy, and Lynn needs to dress before we go into any more details.”
“Sure thing.” Ryder searched around the room for his hat. Spotting it on the floor, he picked it up, then walked to the door.
“Ryder!” Lynn called before he could leave. As he settled his hat on his head, he looked back at her. “Um, could you just give us a little time and not say anything about this to anyone? I’m, uh, we’re not quite ready to share this with the family.” Her eyes pleaded for a little mercy as she felt Russ’s fingers digging into her shoulder.
“You’ve gotta be kiddin’, darlin’,” Ryder replied. “What a hoot! You think I’m gonna sit on this and keep it from Ashley?” He snorted a laugh. “She’d kill me.” He gave his sister a magnificent grin, then opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.
“Are you crazy?” Outraged, Russ turned and grabbed Lynn by the shoulders before she could move away.
She blushed. “I’m sorry. It was the first thing that came to my mind.” Afraid it would slip, her fingers clutched the sheet tighter. Then the heat of his hands
on her skin seeped into her, and it was an effort just to breathe.
“‘We’re getting married?’
That
was the only thing you could think of?”
“Well, I didn’t hear you coming up with any great explanations!” she countered, trying to shrug free.
“Great. Just great.” Russ shook his head, trying to make sense of everything, and his hands tightened just a fraction on her shoulders. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. In the space of twenty-four hours, he’d made love to Lynn McCall
and
become engaged to her. Could this day get any worse? He let go of her and stormed across the room, his hands on his hips.
“I was trying to save your job!” Lynn yelled, fuming.
So that’s what the charade was about, Russ thought, the muscle in his jaw beginning to tick. “That’s what you were doing? Saving my job?” He shouldn’t feel annoyed that she was admitting she felt nothing for him, but nonetheless it irritated the hell out of him. He’d spent the night making love to her, and this was the second time she’d insisted it meant nothing. He gritted his teeth as the pain of rejection stunned his heart.
Russ turned away from her, unwilling to let her see the wounds she’d opened inside him. He really shouldn’t have been surprised. His own mother hadn’t wanted him. She’d dumped him with a spinster aunt who’d raised him because of propriety. His wife had cheated on him and had gotten pregnant with her lover’s child. Why should Lynn’s rejection surprise him or hurt him? It wasn’t as if he had delusions about keeping her.
“Yes. You should be thankful, you ingrate,” she argued. “Besides, it’s not like we’re
really
going to get married.”
Russ swivelled around and gave a forced laugh. “Oh? And how do you figure that?” he scoffed. He reached up and rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “By now Ashley knows what happened between us last night, and by this afternoon, everyone who lives on the ranch will know, too.”
“So?”
“So, I’m gonna do the right thing and marry you!” Though he knew he’d never have had a chance with Lynn under normal circumstances, he couldn’t just stand by and see her reputation ruined. He was duty bound to do right by her, even if it meant that they’d be married only long enough to make it look good.
Lynn went still. “You are not!”
That afforded her a harsh glare. “Oh, yes, I am.” His tone was as obstinate as hers, but held underlying menace. Danger lingered in his scorching gaze.