The Rancher's Secret Love (The Montana McGregor Brothers Book 2) Read online

  Instead, she focused on her feet. Did anyone die playing these games?

  This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.

  She jumped.

  *

  So far, Reality Bytes was living up to its positive online reviews. What Luke was watching on the screen looked pretty convincing. What Mara saw through the headset would be even more so.

  So, when she jumped, he was impressed.

  He was also right there beside her in case she took another nosedive. He hadn’t forgotten about her leg when he booked the room. He simply hadn’t given enough consideration as to the challenge some of the games that required balance might present for her.

  The look on her face when she entered free fall, however, seconds before her brain caught up with the illusion, was priceless, and when she removed the headset, her eyes were shining. A few stray locks of brown hair had worked free of the knot she’d bundled it in. His fingers itched to tuck them in place.

  “That was amazing!” she cried.

  Poor Mike, the kid who’d walked her through her first 3D experience, had gotten completely caught up in her excitement if the silly grin on his face was any indication. It likely matched the one on his own, because Mara incited that sort of reaction. The blue-eyed Dutch features, combined with all of the Latina vitalidad, were a tough combination for any male to resist.

  They’d been busy getting the kids settled in and ready to start their new school, so he’d had to wait a few weeks to call her, but she was exactly what he needed tonight. The McGregors had met with the ranch’s lawyer yesterday and he wasn’t over the shock, even if Weldon Scott had taken the edge off the surprise. Jake now owned controlling share, but the rest had been left to Luke and Zack to split between them. Luke and Zack had agreed to stay for a year, giving Jake a chance to get back on his feet. At the end of the year, he’d buy them out.

  Luke wanted to keep his share. He hadn’t known how badly until the option was presented to him. He’d always assumed the whole operation would end up Jake’s, which was the family tradition—the ranch went to the oldest—but now that he saw the possibilities with the new robotics milking system and biomass power plant, the geek side of him wanted in.

  Jake, however, had put in the sweat equity and the long-term business planning. He was the son who’d shared their father’s vision. He’d made a significant financial commitment already.

  Wanting a piece of his brother’s hard work, even though he had no intentions of ever taking it, made Luke uncomfortable. He liked this side of himself even less than the one pursuing Mara. If he had to pick between vices while he was here, he’d go with blue eyes and fiery vitalidad. This way, no one got hurt.

  Mike gave them a rundown on how to select and enter new games, then left them on their own. The black curtain slid closed and they were alone.

  “Lady’s choice. Roller coaster first?” Luke inquired. He grabbed the lone chair in the room and dragged it to the round gaming pad on the floor. “You have to sit down for this one.”

  Her expressive face conveyed her opinion as to what he could do with his chair. “I’m not a child.”

  No. She certainly was not, and he appreciated that fact.

  He pointed to a list of rules on the wall. “‘Warning. For your personal safety, gamers are strongly advised to sit down for the roller coaster ride.’ It says so, right there.” He patted the vinyl cushion. “So sit.”

  She was far too graceful to do something so mundane. Rather, sliding the headset in place, she settled onto the chair much the same way a ballerina sank into a curtsey at the end of a performance.

  Luke watched the screen on the wall as she activated the program. So far, so good.

  Less than a minute in, she lifted the headset again. “It’s boring sitting down. Let’s try something else.”

  She sounded so disappointed. He couldn’t have that. This was supposed to be a fun evening.

  “Don’t give up yet. I have a solution.” He helped her to her feet and got rid of the chair. “Put the headset back on.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. The soft mass of her knotted hair brushed the underside of his chin. “Now brace yourself against me. I’ve got you.”

  She settled into his arms without an ounce of unease, her butt intimate against his thighs as if they’d been lovers for years. He caught a whiff of mock orange and fought off an urge to explore her throat with his mouth. She smelled delicious. He’d bet she tasted even better.

  Meanwhile, her attention was 100 percent immersed in the game. She listed to one side but he steadied her, shifting her upright with his arms and his thighs, and she started to laugh.

  “Much better than a chair,” she said, wriggling her hips.

  He had to agree. The laugh was what got him. Holding her, feeling her weight on his thighs, didn’t hurt either.

  They played for two hours. She caught on fast, and in fact, when they switched to two-player games, posed a real challenge, because she took the same no-holds-barred approach to competition that he didn’t doubt drove her major decisions in life. Impetuosity wasn’t usually for him—he liked to plan—but there was a lot to be said for carpe diem.

  He was so glad he’d called her.

  It was after eleven when they finally returned to the car. The city was sleeping and the black Montana night sky, glittering thanks to a kaleidoscope of white stars and a bright, crescent moon, stretched forever. It made a man dizzy if he stared up for too long.

  What man in his right mind would ever willingly choose to leave here?

  Luke choked down the lump of nostalgia. Montana was forever changed for him, now. His home wasn’t his anymore. A new generation of McGregors would take over someday—if Jake ever carved out the time to find the right woman. Most women didn’t seem interested in ranch life these days.

  He saw Mara into the passenger seat, then got behind the wheel. He couldn’t remember when he’d last had such a good time. He wasn’t ready for the evening to end, but how it ended was up to her.

  “I was okay with you cheating at kickboxing,” he said as he dug the keys from his pocket, “but pushing me off the ledge on Mount Everest was downright dirty play.”

  Mara was busy tidying her hair, reinserting the pins that held it in place. He was the one who’d mussed it a little and he couldn’t say he was sorry. It looked sexy as hell.

  She paused, a pin in one hand, the thick mass of brown hair under the command of the other, and arched an eyebrow. The buttons on the white blouse she wore strained open, allowing him a peek at a frilly pink bra. The color was growing on him.

  “I didn’t cheat,” she insisted, her eyes wide and innocent. “It’s hardly my fault that your reflexes are terrible. And dirty how? You were in my way.”

  “Even so, I believe you promised me a coffee. I’d suggest we go for a drink instead, but I’m driving.” Not to mention, Forsyth nightlife wasn’t exactly bustling on a Tuesday, so the options for drinks were slim.

  She gave her hair one final pat to make sure the knot was secure and lowered her arms. “We passed a little shop on the corner. How about if I treat you to a coffee first, then if you aren’t too tired from your fall off that ledge, we can head back to my place for a drink? Or… we could skip the coffee altogether.”

  He wasn’t mistaking her meaning any more than she’d mistaken his. The offer was out there for them both to consider.

  But he hadn’t been this uncertain about broaching the topic of sex with a woman since he’d been shot down by Susan Adams in high school. Looking back on that, he could see the cards were stacked against him from the start. He’d been a hormone-riddled fourteen-year-old with a penchant for older women, whereas she was a senior who’d only kissed him and let him unfasten her bra because those extra inches he’d grown had made him look old enough for her to forget. He’d been heartbroken for days. A fourteen-year-old boy hadn’t understood the difference between lust and love.

  He did now. He was most de
finitely in lust with Mara. He’d been thinking about how good sex with her would be ever since she’d nestled her ass into his crotch earlier on. Possibly before that.

  But, while the cards might be more in his favor tonight, he’d just gotten out of a long-term relationship he’d assumed was forever and he wasn’t entering another one anytime soon. Mara needed to understand his family came first and the remnants of his career a close second. Women were a far distant third.

  The parking lot was empty and so was the street. The only movement was a scrap of paper skittering around the wire garbage can on the curb. The businesses blocking them in on either side of the lot were silent and dark.

  “I’ve really enjoyed tonight,” he said. “The past weeks have been rough and I needed a break. But this is a bad time for me to be getting involved with anyone.”

  “Taking me to a virtual reality room on your night off was a good indicator that you need a break,” Mara said, her kind smile understanding. “But no worries, you’re in luck. I’m not interested in becoming involved with anyone, either.” She placed her palm on his thigh. His blood headed south. Her touch was light, and yet it set off an extraordinary array of sensations. “I’ve enjoyed tonight, too. Why think it to death? Why can’t we just continue to enjoy ourselves without worrying about what happens tomorrow?”

  A tight knot deep inside him relaxed. He did think things to death. He’d been doing nothing but thinking for years. He’d been plotting for the better part of two weeks about how to get to know Mara better without becoming too involved, and as it turned out, all he’d had to do was come right out and say it.

  As for worrying about tomorrow…

  There were a lot of tomorrows between now and next year. Taking them one day at a time definitely seemed the most sensible approach. The only decisions he’d think through without tossing a coin would involve the kids, the ranch, and his brothers.

  Carpe diem.

  “Coffee is more of a breakfast drink for me,” he said, and moved to start the engine.

  Mara’s fingers curled around his, staying his hand. She edged closer, leaning past the console between them. “There’s something we should get out of the way before we begin talking about breakfast.”

  Of course there was. He was so bad at this.

  His gaze zeroed in on her tempting mouth. He’d wanted to taste her all evening—a hard thing to do when they were both wearing headsets—and she’d just given her blessing. He cupped her face in his palms and bent his head over hers, taking a second to appreciate the desire he saw in her amazing eyes. When was the last time a woman had looked at him like this? Or he’d looked at a woman the way he had to be looking at Mara right now?

  “I can see you thinking too hard, Dr. Pretty,” she whispered.

  He swept his thumbs across her cheeks in a light caress. Her eyelashes fluttered. Her skin was so delicate. Smooth.

  He covered her mouth with his. She had both hands on his thigh now, bearing her weight. Her fingers curled into his flesh, so close to his crotch that his brain could no longer fully engage, and then, he was no longer thinking at all. He tugged at her bottom lip, tracing it with his tongue. She parted her lips, inviting him in, and he slid his tongue inside her mouth.

  His senses exploded from the sight, scent, touch, and taste of her. A small, ragged sigh entered the fray. He couldn’t say who it belonged to, but it could well have been his. His hand slid from her cheek to the curve of her throat. Her pulse drummed beneath the pad of his thumb, making him so hard it ached.

  His brain gave an insistent rap on his skull, calling on the one sense he’d yet to engage. What the hell was going on, here?

  What was he doing?

  They broke apart. Mara’s eyes were wide and startled, her breathing as unsteady as his. He had no words for what had just happened between them, but whatever it was, if he had to guess, he’d say she’d felt it, too.

  And it wasn’t what either of them had expected. Breakfast, at least for tomorrow, was out of the question.

  “It’s late,” he said. “I’ll take you home.”

  Chapter Five

  They began the drive home. Traffic on the highway was light. Stars twinkled in the night sky above.

  And Dr. Pretty looked so completely freaked out that Mara didn’t know whether she should feel insulted or laugh.

  She tucked her hands under her thighs. They were shaking a little. She hadn’t expected the chemistry to be quite so high either, but she wasn’t about to allow the evening to end in awkwardness and emotional withdrawal because of a physical—and very mutual—attraction.

  Luke had needed tonight. He’d needed fun. Sex, however, would only complicate things for him. And she did not need the angst those complications would cause. She’d finally pulled her own life back together and she planned to keep it that way.

  This was her cue to run.

  “We’ve started off on the wrong foot,” Mara said. “Neither one of us is interested in a relationship, so maybe we’re moving too fast in the wrong direction. We both had a great time tonight. Why don’t we try being friends, instead?”

  Relief dragged him a few steps back from the edge. “It’s not you, it’s me.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. It’s definitely you,” she assured him, smiling to take the bluntness from her words. “I was more than willing to cook you breakfast, but I don’t think you’re ready for that.”

  His intense, black-lashed green eyes delved deep into hers. “My family life is a mess and I need to help sort it out. My sister’s kids need stability and a real home, and they’ve only got three uncles who have no clue what they’re doing to provide it.”

  “Run,” her head whispered.

  But she loved kids, too. She worked with them every day. She also understood the commitment caring for them involved, and the caregiver’s need for adult interaction. “I really do understand. Grand isn’t exactly the place to get away from it all, is it?”

  That earned her a smile as he unwound a bit more. A muscle flexed in his cheek, indicating the ghost of a smile.

  “Everyone here is pretty much up in your business,” he conceded.

  “So I’ve noticed.” Her broken lock came to mind, but she didn’t point out that he’d been up in hers, too.

  They rolled along for a few miles. Then…

  “Why do you call me Dr. Pretty?” he asked.

  She rubbed the heel of her hand along the length of the console. She had to quit thinking of him that way because it kept slipping out. His name was Luke. “Nobody’s ever told you how attractive you are?”

  “Maybe when I was six. These days, most people tend to admire me more for my mind.”

  By most people she assumed he meant women, and yet, no matter how smart he was, she found it hard to believe that any sexually aware woman could discount his physical appearance, too.

  “Dr. Pretty covers both beauty and brains,” she said.

  An eyebrow lifted. His hard, Greek-statue profile unbent. The side-eye he cast her voiced his opinion better than words, although he gave it a shot. “My ego thanks you. I think.”

  Mara straightened her legs. They were back where they’d been an hour ago—on comfortable ground. Any more talk and things might get weird again, so she kept her peace, and instead, put some thought into that kiss and getting her own head in order.

  She’d been kissed lots of times in her life and was far from a prude. Traveling so much, especially when she was in her teens, meant she’d had her heart broken more than once, too, although she’d left that kind of emotional drama behind when she became an adult. Little Zee had caused little more than a dent in her pride and her finances. Things could have been worse. What bothered her most was that she’d fallen for his pitiful story.

  Luke’s story was real. He’d lost a large part of his family. He had an orphaned niece and two nephews to help transition to Grand, and was obviously struggling with it.

  Maybe she should focus more on his needs and less on
hers, because they’d had very different reactions to the kiss they’d just shared. She’d been willing to straddle him and take him right there. He’d looked ready to cut and run.

  “Tell me about your dance studio,” he said. “Do you like teaching?”

  “I love it.” But did she love it better than dancing?

  Only time could confirm or deny that. She didn’t yet earn a living wage from teaching, whereas before her accident, she’d been one of the more successful dancers in an industry notorious for its low-income wages. A tiny knife twisted. She chose to ignore it.

  “I wish I had more male students, though,” she added, throwing it out there to see what he’d say. Most of the cowboys she’d met, while thrilled to sign their daughters up for lessons, seemed to view their young sons taking formal dance training as a direct attack on their manhood. They didn’t care that two of the greatest ballet dancers of all time—Vasiliev and Baryshnikov—were straight.

  She’d met Baryshnikov once. Even though he was now in his seventies, he still made her swoon. A man who knew how to move…

  That was so, so sexy.

  “If getting boys on board is your goal, you should try coaching football or hockey,” Luke said. “There’s more money in sports. Most fathers bet on their sons making the NFL or NHL, not the national ballet.”

  This wasn’t news. “Dance is as much a sport as it is an art.”

  “I agree, but I’m explaining how the Grand hive mind works. If there’s no potential for money, then they aren’t going to pay for lessons. Dancing is for dreamers.”

  She could have told him she’d been a high earner, but saw no point in it, because she wasn’t a success anymore. In fact, she was spending a lot more than she made. She’d never made as much money as a professional football player, either. Not even dancing for Little Zee.

  Besides, she had the feeling she was missing something important. He sounded jaded, and not as if he agreed with the “hive mind,” as he called it, at all. She wondered if he’d been considered a dreamer, growing up.

  “Not every football player is going to turn pro,” she said. “Neither is every dancer. Those are high expectations. Besides, money isn’t everything. Sometimes it’s simply about participating in an activity you love.”