Page 19 of Disarming The Rancher

“Retreat.” His one word seemed to strike a chord.

“Hey, don’t be a brat,” she defended, fire in her emerald eyes.

“I’m not trying to upset you and I’m definitely not trying to run you off.” His temper was rising and he had no idea why. He shouldn’t care one way or the other if she stuck around. He shouldn’t need to keep her safe more than he needed air. And he definitely shouldn’t close the distance between them and kiss her.

“You guys would be better off without me here,” she admitted and the flash of vulnerability in those green eyes hit him at the core.

He took a step toward her and locked gazes, searching for encouragement or rejection. When her tongue slicked across her bottom lip, leaving a silky trail in its wake, he decided encouragement. An urgency was building inside him that he knew better than to let run wild.

So, Brax closed the gap, bent down, and pressed his lips to hers. Electricity jolted as she brought her hands up to his shoulders. He half expected her to push him away. She dug her fingernails into his muscles instead. He interpreted the move as more encouragement.

A second later, he brought his hands up to cup her cheeks, tilting her head back for better access.

He kissed the freckle above her lip. Then, the one on her cheek before his lips found hers again. Suddenly, catching a breath was difficult as his chest squeezed and a dozen campfires lit inside him. She smelled like a mix of spring flowers after a morning rain and a field of peppermint. She tasted like dark roast. He liked coffee a whole lot better on her tongue.

Raleigh parted her lips more and he delved his tongue deeper in her mouth, tasting the sweet honey there.

His mind focused on one thing…more.

He wanted more of Raleigh. More of her taste. More of the way she touched him. More of the way she responded to him.

A clearing the throat noise from behind interrupted the moment.

“Hey, sorry, I was asked to get a special blanket and it’s in here.” Adam eased in, arm still in a sling. He seemed to make a special effort not to look directly at Brax or Raleigh.

“Great,” Raleigh whispered.

“No problem, Adam. It’s your home. Take what you need.” Brax tried to play the moment off like it was nothing.

Adam grabbed a pink blanket with silk material wrapped around the edges. “Here it is. Got what I came for.”

Awkward was a pretty good word to describe what was happening. Brax just wished he could shield Raleigh from the embarrassment of being caught during their first kiss. The first of many, he hoped.

“Yeah, no more kidding around, Brax,” she said, taking a few steps toward the hallway, and tripping over her own two feet. She caught herself, hands on the wall, in time to avoid the embarrassment of face-planting. “We have to get back in there.”

He was thrown for a loop with her comment.

“After you,” he said, stuffing down the hit to his ego. “But, hey, Adam. Can you stick around for a second?”

“Yes, and Red Devil has been located and is tucked away in the equipment building for safe keeping, just like you asked,” Adam reported.

“Thank you for seeing to it the minibike was taken care of,” Brax said as Raleigh smiled her approval.

“I know the way.” Raleigh pointed toward the kitchen. Her dramatic movements weren’t helping draw less attention to the fact they’d been kissing a few seconds ago. And those had been some of the hottest, sexiest kisses he’d had in a long time. Maybe ever.

They’d been caught red-handed. Time to fess up.

“I’ll be right in,” he said to her before walking over and taking her hand in his. He lifted hers to his mouth and pressed a tender kiss there.

Locking gazes, he saw an emotion flicker behind her eyes that stirred an unfamiliar feeling in his chest.

And then she withdrew her hand like it had been burned, turned away from him, and couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

7

“There might be troubling brewing on the ranch,” Brax said to his brother.

“So, I saw,” Adam responded with a wink and a smirk.