Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(8)

“I don’t know how you formed a negative impression of me, but I don’t plan to throw you out on your ass.”


“Don’t you see that’s almost worse?” She leapt to her feet and paced, words spilling out unchecked. “You came here with Sierra to be a family. I get that. I’m not your family and yet, under our current agreement, I’ll be living in your house as if I am. You’ll want to hang out, just the two of you. Fix meals together, watch TV, help with her homework, play games, invite your McKay relatives over. How can I live here without feeling like an interloper…in what’s always been my home? On the other hand, how can I live here and not get to watch what I want on my TV, and sit on my furniture in my living room? I’m just supposed to…what? Lock myself in my room?


“Not to mention I’ve always treated you like a guest at the B&B or my boss. I’m not in either of those servant or employee roles now. I don’t know how I’m supposed to act around you. Or Sierra. Will she treat me like the hired help? Will you?”


Strong hands circled her biceps, stopping her pacing.


Gavin loomed over her. “Dammit, Rielle, take a breath.”


She froze. He had big hands. Warm. Not girly soft like she’d imagined, but a little rough.


“For Christsake. Please quit looking at me like I’m going to hit you.” He gentled his hold and his thumbs swept the inside of her arms, but he didn’t release her.


The crazy thing? She didn’t want him to. How long had this man owned such a powerful presence? And why hadn’t she noticed?


But she was aware of Gavin’s intense gaze on her mouth. She self-consciously licked her lips. His avid eyes tracked the movement of her tongue.


That deliberate focus caused a falling sensation in her belly that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever.


“Ree?” he said a bit hoarsely.


“Sorry. This panic has been building since you called with the news you were moving here.”


“It wasn’t my intention to put you on notice. I’m not the enemy.”


“I know.”


“Good.” He dropped his hands. “I’ll need something stronger than beer if we’re continuing this conversation.”


“Me too. And since I’m not waiting on you…” She cocked her head. “Need me to show you where the liquor cabinet is in your house?”


“No, smartass. And here I always thought you were so sweet.”


“I am.” She batted her eyelashes and he laughed. “You pegged me as a non-confrontational, go with the flow, peace, love and good vibes type, didn’t you?”


“Maybe. You itching to prove me wrong?”


“More than I already have?”


“Ouch. Point taken. But then again, we don’t really know each other, do we?”


“No.” But I’d really like to change that.


“I’m curious. You saw yourself in the servant and employee role. What role did you assign me?”


“Stick-up-his-ass, my-way-or-the-highway ruthless business tycoon.”


Gavin grinned. “Not far off the mark. But I am looking forward to showing you a different side of me, and seeing that different side of you.”


She was too. Way more than she wanted to admit to him and maybe to herself.


Rielle Wetzler was a dichotomy.


On one hand, given the serious financial bind she’d wound up in a few years back, Gavin assumed she had no head for business and flitted through life like a paisley butterfly.


But hearing her talk about her businesses showed him not only was she on top of her game, she wasn’t a pushover. In fact, she’d thought through the repercussions of this living situation on a much deeper level than he had.


He hadn’t lost track of their conversation until he’d put his hands on her. Then like the village idiot, all he could do was stare into her pale green eyes and imagine taking a big bite of her full bottom lip.


And it didn’t help matters when Gavin realized her pretty blush and bright eyes meant that she felt the surprising zing of attraction too.


He grabbed the bottle of Crown XR from his room and returned to the kitchen. He doubted Rielle drank whiskey on the rocks or even neat. He stirred Coca-Cola into her glass, topped his off with water and headed to the porch.



Rielle had moved to the glider.


He’d barely sat down beside her before she launched into questions. “What prompted the sudden move to Crook County, Wyoming?”


“How much do you know from the McKays?”


“Nothing beyond Sierra had some issues and you pulled up stakes, hoping to straighten her out.”


Gavin gave her the rundown of Sierra’s troubles. “Did you ever deal with anything like that with Rory?”


She shook her head. “It strikes me as odd that the kids who have the most are usually the ones with sticky fingers. Rory kept a low profile throughout school and stayed out of trouble. It was hard enough for her being the granddaughter of hippies who were rumored to grow pot and live in a commune.”