Cassie's Cowboy Crave: Witness Protection - Rancher Style (Sweet Montana Bride Series) Read online

  Shane had already tossed his button-up shirt, and was now tugging at the neck of his undershirt as if it were choking him. “Well, uh… loud when everybody’s there. Plenty of chatter and games. Lots of food. The family has a good time together.”

  “You liked growing up there?” she asked, and for a moment she could see a child-like sparkle in his eye at the question.

  “Oh, it’s the perfect place to raise a family. None better. Something about the lay of the open land against the blue sky. The hay field when it’s tall and green before reaping. I learned how to work hard from a young age. Rode my first bull when I was seven years old.”

  She gasped. “You’re kidding. Seven? A bull, like in a rodeo?”

  The smile that owned him then caused a rush of adrenaline to surge through her body. “Yeah. My older brothers were already competing. They’ve got a youth division and all. But it was more than that.” He picked up the box between them, set it on the coffee table before leaning his elbows onto his knees. “There’s not a whole lot of calm moments around there, yet there’s always this … sense of peace.” The warm look in those hazel eyes repeated every word he’d said; this cowboy loved life on the ranch.

  Cassie considered that as she scooted closer to him still, working to casually close the gap between them. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps the trauma she’d endured over the last twenty-four hours, but suddenly she craved being close to him and was in no mood to silence the voice that urged her on. She inhaled his masculine scent as she neared him, musing the pine and wood smell had placed her under some sort of spell.

  “What about the girls?” she asked. “Do they help with the cattle?”

  “I never did have a sister, but my mom, grandma, and aunts have all helped out in different ways. Most enjoy riding, just not to round up the cattle. I have an aunt who’s real involved during calving season.” He eyed her. “Not at our place. They have their own ranch miles from ours. Sometimes Reese and Jade help out with that too, plus they both like caring for flowers, planting gardens, that type of thing.”

  Cassie took another sip of her chocolate drink before setting the cup on the side table. “Lucky. I suck at keeping plants alive.”

  He smiled. “Maybe you were just putting your roots down in the wrong place.” He held her gaze while his sentence stretched into lonely, aching places in her heart.

  She gulped. “Maybe.”

  Shane straightened up. “So how was it growing up in Seattle?”

  “Different.” She chuckled. “You can hardly walk with your head up with as wet as it is outside. But I love the rich, green life everywhere you turn. And the fresh seafood restaurants, like I mentioned. I like the city too. All the hustle and bustle of everyone around. Keeps me from feeling lonely, I guess.”

  He looked at her questioningly.

  “Oh,” Cassie said, “I don’t have much of a family. Never had any brothers or sisters, and I was raised mostly by my grandmother, so it was kind of quiet.” She sighed. “My grandma passed a few years ago, but she taught me to work hard, too. Just mostly with schoolwork and my job. I’ve been working since I was fifteen.”

  Shane frowned. “What happened to your parents?”

  “Nothing. They’re good – healthy and everything – just didn’t want to stop their mission work to raise a child.”

  “What do you mean by mission work?” he asked, grimacing.

  Her defenses kicked into gear. “My parents have donated nearly their entire lives to helping third-world countries grow and develop. They’re actually called developing countries now, but no one seems to recognize that term.” She mumbled the last few words, distracted by the thoughtful look on Shane’s handsome face.

  “They left their only child – you – behind to go do stuff like that?”

  She nodded. “I know. It was a big sacrifice.”

  A mass of unspoken words warred in those eyes of his, so loaded was the tension behind them and the tight set of his finely chiseled jaw. “Hmm,” he murmured. “Was your grandmother kind – the one who raised you?”

  “Yes. I mean, she was strict, had one of those no-nonsense personalities, but she always made me feel loved.” Cassie eyed Shane as he maneuvered from the couch to the floor, pushing the coffee table away in the process. She bit at her bottom lip as he got situated to where he faced her. She knew she should hit the sheets, but for some reason the night still felt young. Call it the fresh spark of possibility in the air, or the energy that blazed between them each time their eyes met, but she wasn’t ready to say goodnight yet.

  ~+~

  Shane positioned his back against the coffee table, grateful to have a little space to clear his head. He’d moved the box of doughnuts because, as much as he didn’t need another, having them so close made him want more. Who knew an even tastier-looking treat would scoot right into its place? That woman was a temptation if he ever saw one. And was it just him, or was Cassie looking at him in that I-want-to-get-closer way?

  She stretched those slender arms high overhead before slipping onto her side, taking up the length of the couch. He watched as she propped herself up on one elbow, tucking the small pillow beneath her arm. The act had closed the gap between them again, put her face a meager arm’s length from his.

  Shane let out a slow breath, inching the table a bit more with his back. He wanted to ask something to keep the conversation going between them, but was drawing a blank. She’d already told him about her apartment – one bedroom with a balcony and a view, and her job back home –an editor for a magazine. If the conversation drifted back to her selfish, indulgent parents, he may not be able to hold back his opinion next time around.

  “Let me see your hand,” Cassie said, reaching hers out.

  With his elbow propped on his knee, Shane straightened his arm. Cassie hunkered over his palm, attempting to rest it on the couch.

  He chuckled. “My elbow doesn’t bend that way.”

  “Then put your knees down and move closer. Come on, I won’t bite.” Had he not seen her make the hot chocolate with his own eyes, Shane would’ve sworn Cassie’s held a shot of liquor. Of course he hadn’t known her long, but it seemed her inhibitions were lost somewhere on the Montana breeze blowing just outside.

  Shane cleared his throat, attempting to sit Indian style the way they taught him in grade school. He wasn’t nearly as flexible as he was back then, but he made it work.

  Cassie looked pleased as she forced his hand flat on the couch next to her. She rubbed her thumb gently over his palm in a circular motion, and he was surprised by the sensation it gave. The soft tips of her fingers flittered over it next, light and feathery, causing a warm dose of heat to gather in his belly. His skin must feel rough against hers. Calloused and dry. His hand looked huge beside her dainty little fingers.

  “My grandmother used to massage my hands after gymnastics,” she said. “I never realized how sore they were until she’d start rubbing, and then it would sort of hurt, but in the best way, you know?”

  He knew alright. “You were a gymnast?” he asked.

  Cassie’s eyes grew wistful. “Yeah. I competed for ten years. But my grandma wasn’t in the best health so it was hard for her to keep up with the busy schedule. I didn’t mind giving it up if it meant life would be easier for her.”

  The statement was just another tidbit Shane logged into his assessment of her. The woman before him was a mystery – a puzzle of sorts – and he was left to gather the pieces. He still had a long way to go, yet something was clicking into place. He just didn’t have the time to ponder exactly what it was about Cassie Lovell that set her apart from most women he’d met.

  His thoughts were all but lost as her thumbs began pressing at the muscle along the outer edge of his hand. His eyes drifted closed at the feel of it. She moved slowly, thoroughly, rubbing small circles along the edges of his palm, paying extra attention to the spots just beneath each finger. A slight moan sounded from his throat, and Cassie giggled in res
ponse – a cute, quiet little sound.

  After working the entire palm, she flipped his hand over and pinched at the skin on the back, tugging it away from the knuckle while making her way up and down each finger. She skipped right over his supposed wedding ring as if it were some permanent part of him. Shane expected to feel more annoyed at the thought – him being trapped in the situation and all – but even when he tried he couldn’t muster the anger he’d felt before he’d met the woman. Already, she had him under her spell. He was in trouble for sure.

  “Next hand,” she said.

  Shane didn’t hesitate. Couldn’t believe how good the massage felt.

  “I’ve never massaged anyone’s hands before,” she said. “But I still remember every little move Grandma made while she did mine. Something that’s just stuck with me.”

  Shane was surprised. “So what made you think of doing this for me?”

  He watched her pale lids as she blinked a few times, keeping her focus on his hand. She shrugged before glancing up at him. “I just really appreciate what you’re doing for me, and I wanted to thank you somehow. Pay you back in some small way.”

  He felt like a big heap of manure for whining about the whole thing now. Here this woman had her entire life turned upside down and he’d been the one complaining.

  “It’s hard for you to be away from the ranch, from what you said,” she continued, her voice small and warm as she sandwiched his large hand between hers. Her statement made him feel even worse. Reminded him of how she’d praised her parents for the way they valued their precious mission work over their own daughter. A big piece of the puzzle was snapping into place.

  “Listen,” he said, “I’m happy to do it. I want you to know that.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s a sacrifice for you, to spend this time away. All to come get me, work out this whole marriage charade so it looks like we’re having a decent honeymoon, when in reality you haven’t even kissed the bride.” She glanced at him shyly at first, through her lashes, head still lowered over his hand. But as she slowly lifted her chin, Cassie’s eyes drifted to his mouth.

  He gulped.

  Her words dangled in the air like an invitation, warm and welcome. Something in the atmosphere had changed, a new energy pushing right through his skin where it pulsed in his blood, pounded restlessly in his heart as he eyed that pretty mouth of hers in return. He couldn’t likely bring her home without a simple kiss, now, could he?

  The dim glow of the muted TV screen played across her face like a reflection of dancing flames from a bonfire. The imagined heat of it licked at his skin as he got to his knees. Cassie sat up on the couch as he did, resting her legs off the edge at either side of him.

  Shane had been only half-certain he should make such a move, but as Cassie reached out, rested her arms gently around his neck, he realized she wanted it too.

  His heart pounded faster, hotter.

  Perhaps a lone hotel room wasn’t the smartest place for a first kiss, especially if he intended to have it end with that, but there was no stopping the inertia that drew his hands to the warm curve of her hips. He inhaled that scent of her and let out a raspy sigh.

  Those sweet-looking lips were just a breath away, a breath he inhaled as he moved in. Before meeting her lips with his, Shane ran the length of his jaw along her smooth, warm cheek, melting as she sighed in response to the feel of it. He breathed her in again, placed a gentle kiss there beneath her earlobe, and grazed over her cheek once more with the stubble on his face. Gently, back and forth.

  When their eyes met, he tilted his head, asking for permission with the lift of his brow.

  She nodded slightly – a silent response – yet the best thing he’d heard in weeks – Yes.

  He pressed his mouth against hers, taunted by the silky warmth of her timid kiss. He kissed her again. And then again, encouraging her lips to part for him. He wanted more. Wanted to taste the sweet chocolate on her tongue, inhale the flavor on her breath. At last her lips parted, just slightly, as she released a soft noise of pleasure. And though he was certain her cup of cocoa had been as cool as his, all he could taste was the heat.

  Shane tilted his head, deepening the kiss. Yet just as he did, Cassie seemed to tense in response. Her hands slid from his shoulders to his chest where she pressed herself away from him.

  He’d gone too far. “Sorry,” Shane said, voice no more than a raspy whisper. He could barely open his eyes to see her, so hypnotized by the heat between them. “I didn’t mean to…”

  Cassie’s eyes were wide, nearly terrified. “I have a boyfriend,” she blurted, climbing off the couch.

  “You do?” It took him a moment to digest it. A boyfriend. She had to be kidding. “I didn’t know,” he assured her, coming to a stand.

  She was pacing now, the pink draining from her cheeks. “I can’t believe I just did that – let you kiss me that way.”

  Shane stepped around the coffee table, reached out and took hold of her wrist. He didn’t want her to think he was a predator. “Listen, I wouldn’t have done that had I known. I’m usually pretty good at reading people, not women, maybe, but still. I could’ve sworn you were…” He let the sentence die, knowing it would sound like he was blaming her for the whole thing. Though it was her fault, the way he saw it. Heck, she’d given him the okay. Was practically asking for it.

  “You know what?” he said. “It’s late. We’re both half asleep and doing things we wouldn’t normally do. Let’s just go to bed and forget about what happened.”

  Cassie stood staring at him. And though her blue eyes seemed to be pasted on his mouth, they were burdened with regret.

  He strode past her, turning his face away, unwilling to utter another word.

  Shane closed Cassie’s side of the door before tearing off his tee shirt and flinging it across the darkened room. He stepped over to the only source of dim light gleaming beyond the large window and used the drapes to shut that out as well.

  What the hell had he been thinking? And what had she been thinking? Cassie was the one in a relationship. Scooting all close. Looking at him that way. Heck, the woman had wrapped her arms around him. He hadn’t read her wrong, and he was half-tempted to march back in there and tell her so. But he thought better of it. Doing a thing like that wouldn’t make the situation any better. What he needed was a good night’s sleep.

  His family’s silly scheme wasn’t going to work, just like he’d said. Cassie was a pretty little thing, he’d give them that, and she was more his type than he thought possible, considering where she was from. But she didn’t belong to him, and she never would. He’d just focus on keeping her safe until the danger passed. ‘Sides, she had a boyfriend waiting back home who’d be anxious to get his hands on her when it was all said and done. He might not know a thing about the man, but already Shane hated him.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Forget about what happened? Had he really said that? Cassie ran her trembling fingers over her still-moist lips, knowing she wouldn’t forget the feel of his mouth on hers as long as she lived. Mindlessly, she pulled a small trash bin to the table, tossing napkins and sacks into it.

  Her heart pounded restlessly as she worked in the dimly-lit room. How could she have forgotten about Griffin so easily? It was like he’d disappeared from her memory completely. Until… she didn’t even want to think the words. She felt too guilty. But they played in her head all the same: She’d been lost in Shane’s kiss. The incredible sensation of his rough, stubbled jaw against her cheek. The feel of it around his lips as he kissed her. The pure masculinity in everything about this rugged, Montana cowboy had caused thoughts of contrast to sneak into her mind at the worst possible time. The contrast between Shane and Griffin – her boyfriend! Not ex-boyfriend, like some guy from her distant past – the current man in her life. Yet maybe Cassie had already detached from him more than she was willing to admit. Perhaps her mind had been made up weeks before she’d received his letter, and she feared the words m
ight send her back into a relationship that was nothing but a dead end.

  Still, she was a total jerk for enjoying Shane’s kiss. For encouraging it, even. How had she so easily lost her senses? Cassie dropped to her knees, glancing at the damp washcloth she held in her hand. She didn’t even remember going to the sink to get it, yet she’d already wiped the surface clean. Her ring glistened in the small hint of light, and Cassie couldn’t help but smile at it. She quickly replaced the expression with a reproving frown. It was lack of sleep, that was all. Like Shane had said. Beautiful, wonderful, bull-riding, cowboy-from-Emerson Ranch – Shane.

  In a slow daze, Cassie shuffled her way to the bed, not bothering to remove her sweats. She reached for the remote, shut off the TV, and sunk into the mattress. The last thing she remembered was a sick, strong feeling of regret, prodding at her thoughts. Not regret for kissing Shane, like any good and decent person would have. It was regret in a different way. Cassie was sure she’d burn in Hell for her thoughts, but she only wished she would’ve let it go on for longer. A kiss was a kiss, after all. If she was to endure a world of guilt over it for who knew how long, at least she could have kissed him back.

  In her dreams, Cassie did just that. Over and over the event played blissfully in her mind. The scruff of his jaw against her cheek as goose bumps spread over her arms. The all-too-brief press of his lips to her neck. That ruggedly handsome smell of him teasing her senses. And that mouth. In her dreams she kissed him back, long and thorough, intoxicated by the man he was. She ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair and listened to him groan in response. His kiss was strong and certain, and she reveled in the feel of it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a lucid thought told Cassie it was only a dream. Still, she relished the moment, knowing it may be the last taste of Shane Emerson she’d get.

  ~+~