Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(45)

“Annaliese.”


He couldn’t help but smile. “I know Annaliese.”


Her gaze sharpened. “How well?”


He knew the petite blonde loved to give head after being flogged until she came. “Well

enough.”


“Ah. Evasion. I’m beginning to understand why your motto is gentlemen don’t kiss and

tell. I’m also beginning to understand why you aren’t interested in dating anyone

from around here.” Keely cocked her head. “Although Jessie told me you went out with

her coworker Simone a couple of times.”


“I went out with her once. Why? She badmouthing me or something?”


“No. You knew within a single date she wasn’t your type?”


“Simone was…” Too abrasive. He preferred his women docile. Like Annaliese. Like

Angel last night.


“Simone was…what?” Keely prompted.


“Suffering from baby fever. She’s lookin’ for a man to be her husband only so she

can get knocked up and experience the joys of motherhood. That sets off my warning

bells.”


“What? A woman who wants to settle down?”


“No. A woman who’s only interested in getting pregnant. I doubt she’d be focused on

me or the marriage, since she’s already fixated on babies.”


“So you expect your woman to devote all her energy to you? Make you the center of her

existence?” Keely demanded.


Ben shook his head. “But I watched my sister-in-law Libby’s single-minded focus on

having a baby nearly destroy her marriage to Quinn. I hated watching my brother suffer.

I hated seeing everything they loved about each other become unimportant. They were

lucky and fixed their problems, but that’s a rarity because the divorce rate is so

damn high. So I ain’t gonna sign on for something for the rest of my life knowing

ahead of time it ain’t what I want.”


She started to retort when two raps preceded Quinn walking in. He cast a glance at the

dogs snoring in front of the woodstove. “Did you drug my usual welcoming committee?”


“No. They spent the weekend in the barn, pacing, missing their cushy life inside the

house, snoozing by the fire. You want a beer?”


“Sure.” Quinn placed a tinfoil-covered plate on the counter. “Libby made brownies.”


“Ooh. Yum.” Keely moved dishes around to make space.


Ben slipped behind the bar and popped the top on a bottle of Coors Light, nudging it

toward his brother. “Before we get overrun with family, what’s up with Dad? I called

him on the way home today and he said he couldn’t talk. He was figuring something out.

” Ben winced. “Christ. Please tell me that ain’t married man code for him and Mom

havin’ sex?”


Quinn laughed. “Nope. He was lookin’ at airline schedules.”


“Why? They goin’ to see Chase and Ava in California?”


“Nope. Gavin invited them to Phoenix.”


“Really? That’s…good. Isn’t it?”


“I hope so.”


His cousins streamed in. Kane and Kade. Cord and Colby. Colt and Cam. Brandt, Tell and