Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(190)

having her reject him.


“Yet, you tried to make it right. You tried to tell me you attempted to fix it by

withdrawing the loan request. But I was too incensed.” She swallowed hard. “Too…hurt

and too busy lashing out at you to listen to what you were saying.”


“You do seem to pay better attention when you’re tied up,” he murmured.


Ainsley’s full lips curved slightly. “You like that far too much, Bennett.”


“No lie.” He grinned without shame.


“I missed that smile of yours. I missed you in the last week.”


“Did you miss Ben? Or Bennett?”


“I’ve figured out they’re one in the same. I can’t have one without the other. I

don’t want one without the other.”


Hope nearly blindsided him and he fought to retain control. Ben released her arms so he

could touch her. “I gathered from my mom that you didn’t get fired.”


Ainsley blinked at him. “Vi? How would she know about my job at the bank?”


“Didn’t you have lunch with her on Monday?”


“No. I was in Denver Friday night through Monday. That’s why I didn’t swing by this

weekend and talk about what’d happened. The district manager got pissy after the phone

call and forced me and Turton to attend a weekend seminar in Denver about interpersonal

team management.”


Ben tugged Ainsley upright and took her mouth in a savage kiss. He owned each breath,

each exhalation, each tongue tangling thrust. And when he thought his head might

explode, he broke his lips free from hers. “That little taste isn’t enough.”


“Ben—”


“God, woman, I’m dyin’ for you, but not until we talk this through. All of it.”


“You and that blasted talking.” She nuzzled his cheek. “Okay. But let’s talk fast.

Rielle told me what happened. You should know…I had words with her.”


“What kind of words?”


“Words that made it plain I wouldn’t stand for her hurting you.” Ainsley’s fingers

were gently scraping against three days worth of beard growth on his face. “I know

you, Ben. Her betrayal of your friendship hurt worse than Gavin buying the land.”


This woman saw so much, she knew him so much better than he’d imagined.


“Been a rough week for you. I cut you loose. You were let down by your brother and

your friend.” She paused. “And you resigned from the Rawhide Club.”


“News travels fast. Layla must’ve told you?”


“Told me? No. She confronted me, accused me, and threatened me…so it’d be redundant

if I asked why you quit. But I want to know if you’re sure you want to quit?”


Ben turned his head and kissed her palm. “I’m positive.” When she didn’t say

anything else, he prompted. “And?”


“And now will you ask me if I’d be here if you hadn’t resigned from the club?”


“No. When you told me that we couldn’t be together because of what I was—it pissed

me off. You knew I was a Dom, you knew that I belonged to a club when we met. It

chapped my ass you were using that as an excuse to break it off with me—because you