Much to his chagrin, his stomach growled at the sight of such a delicious banquet of food. Loudly. Fiercely. And there wasnt a thing he could do about intercepting the announcement that he was starved.
She laughed, the husky, intimate sound igniting a slow heat in his veins. Im glad to hear youre hungry. I was hoping you hadnt eaten yet.
Unable to help the perplexed frown that touched his brows, he watched her move to the counter and pick up a platter of cantaloupe sliced into juicy wedges. Uh, no, maam, I havent.
Good. Setting the fruit on the table, she turned to him with a beguiling smile no healthy, red-blooded male could resist. Will you stay for supper?
What the heck was going on? Was she offering him his last meal before sending him on his way? He scratched his temple, certain hed misunderstood the whole scenario. Excuse me, maam?
Please, call me Eden, she insisted, the waver in her voice at odds with the determination in her eyes. Right now, Im not your boss, just a woman who invited you to join her for supper. No Ms. Lowe or maam allowed. She gestured toward the table with a slender hand. And I made plenty as you can tell. More than enough for just one.
More than enough for just one? Which meant she was alone. They were alone. His boots remained grounded where he stood. Wheres your daughter?
Phoebe is at my sisters for the night. After smoothing a hand down the skirt of her dress, she went to the refrigerator and opened it. What would you like to drink? I have iced tea, apple juice, or beer.
She held the latter choice out to him, and he noticed that her hand trembled ever so slightly. Still trying to put all the pieces of this intriguing puzzle together, he took the chilled bottle from her. Thank you.
Twisting off the cap, he took a long drink of the malty liquid, quenching his thirst. He watched as she drew a deep breath, then turned to retrieve a glass from the cupboard and pour herself a glass of iced tea. It gave him an extra moment to analyze Edens intentions.
In the month that hed been working for Eden, shed always been kind to him and theyd worked well together on the ranch. He had no problems taking orders from his lady-boss, unlike most men. He liked and respected her, and she offered him the same. But, at the end of the day they went their separate ways, him to his small apartment over the garage, and her to the main house.
Though there seemed to be an undercurrent of awareness between them, theyd never fraternized beyond business, and their employee/employer relationship had never crossed the boundaries of propriety.
He felt as though theyd just leapt across that line of demarcation and straight into forbidden territory.
Now that his confusion had worn off, the signs were fairly blatant. With a quick sweep of his gaze, he gathered up the evidence and sorted it out in his mind. Shed prepared a sumptuous meal for two, her daughter was gone for the night, she looked pretty and feminine in her dress, and she smelled soft and alluring. Her anxious behavior fit the pattern, as well.
From his own observations over the past month, he had concluded that Eden Lowe was an independent woman, confident and competent in her business decisions, and headstrong in her ideals when it came to the small cattle operation she managed, despite how her brother-in-law tried to thwart her attempts to keep the facilities running efficiently.
From the information hed gleaned through casual conversation with Jake, the only other hand Eden employed on a part-time basis, he knew she was a widow of two-and-a-half years. But, according to Jake, she rarely dated. Which made Luke guess that she preferred having a brief fling with a man who wasnt looking for a commitment or emotional entanglements and wouldnt demand anything more than a good time.
He was certainly that kind of man, and while the thought of having an affair with this woman appealed to him on a masculine level, she posed too much of a threat to his mental well-being. One taste of her whole-some, generous nature, and he feared he wouldnt be able to walk away.
And sooner or later, he always walked away.
She carried her drink to the table, snapping him out of his thoughts. Well, lets sit down and get started before everything gets cold.
At the moment, he was feeling warmer than usual, and it had nothing to do with the heat in the kitchen, and everything to do with his own internal temperature that had risen at the image of Eden soft and willing in his bed, her lips lush beneath his, her hair spread over his pillow, tangled in his hands
Abruptly, he banished those sensual thoughts that would never come to fruition. Not with her.
Despite his resolve not to engage in extracurricular activities with his boss, Luke decided there was no sense in refusing a perfectly good meal. Taking the chair next to Eden, he settled in and accepted the platter of succulent pot roast she passed his way. He wasnt shy about heaping his plate with the array of delicious-smelling foods, and as he started to eat, he kept waiting for Eden to engage him in conversation.
She didnt. Nor did she eat any of the small portion of supper shed served herself. Instead, she fiddled with her fork, and pushed her food around on her plate, and absently chewed on her bottom lip, as if uncertain how to broach the subject that was on her mind. Her obvious preoccupation took away from his own enjoyment of the meal.
He sighed, and tried to find the best way to gently prompt her to open up and divulge the real purpose for inviting him to supper. Maam She glanced up at him expectantly, making him realize hed reverted back to a formality that was better used during working hours. Eden, youll have to pardon me for being so forward, but Id really like to know what all this is leading to. It is leading to something, isnt it?
She cringed, and her face flushed a becoming shade of pink. Um, yes, I suppose it is, she admitted, unnecessarily smoothing the napkin in her lap. Am I that transparent?
She sounded completely disgusted with herself. He found a rare smile kicking up the corner of his mouth, as well as experiencing a profound sense of relief that she didnt do this sort of thing often. Well, you did say you wanted to speak with me about something, and a woman doesnt usually go through all this trouble for a man she hardly knows unless shes trying to impress him.
Are you impressed? she asked, hope glimmering in her eyes.
And flattered, he said, the admission an honest one. At least shed know that her efforts hadnt been in vain, that hed appreciated the meal, and her attempts to seduce him, even if he wouldnt allow himself to reap the end results.
His response seemed to gratify her, bolster her fortitude, even. Straightening in her chair, she reached over and rested her hand on his arm, her gaze locking on his. LukeI have a proposition for you. Before he could swallow the bite of potato hed just taken and waylay her request, she forged ahead. Id like for you and I to, well Her voice faltered as she struggled to find the right words. Ive never asked a man to, well
He swallowed, hard, and sympathetic to her discomfort, he supplied, Have an affair?
She snatched her hand back, shock enveloping her features. Oh, goodness, no! Her hand fluttered to the collar of her dress, and then she laughed, as if she found his wrong assumption amusing. I dont want us to have an affair, I want us to get married.
Stunned, Lukes fork clattered to his plate, and his appetite vanished. Married? he repeated incredulously, feeling as though hed just been prodded with a fiery branding iron. His entire body burned, and he had a strong urge to bolt for wide open spaces. Hed been prepared to divert a seduction, not a marriage proposal!
She pulled in a deep breath, and let it out in a rush. I know this is all very sudden
Maam, he managed to interrupt with extreme politeness, I think youve roped the wrong cowboy. Prepared to leave, he scooted his chair back, the scraping sound much like the clawing sensation in his belly.
Abruptly, she stood, too, panic flashing in her eyes. Luke, wait a minute.
Another minute, and hed surely give in to the pleading note in her voiceand she had to be desperate to ask a renegade like him to marry her. He was certain she had her reasons for picking him, a stranger, he just didnt want to be any part of whatever ploy she had in mind.
And considering what a fiercely independent woman she was, he had no doubt that this marriage proposal was a scheme of some sort. He didnt believe for a moment that she needed a husband.
He headed toward the back screen door, but she beat him to it, blocking his path. When he stepped even closer to intimidate her into moving out of his way, she held out her hand and pressed her palm against his chest to keep two feet of distance between them. He immediately tensed at her bold move, but she didnt seem the least bit afraid of him, and she might not know it but she had many reasons to fear him.
He scowled down at her. Stubborn woman!
Luke, please, she persisted, ignoring his dark look. Just give me a chance to explain.
His jaw clenched tight, until a muscle in his cheek ticked. Theres nothing to explain, he said with more calm than he felt. I think we both should just chalk this up to a big misunderstanding.
But its not a misunderstanding. Her chin rose and purpose fired her green eyes to a bright shade of emerald. I am proposing.
That heat prickled his skin again, settling in his stomach like a ball of fire. Im not interested. The lie tumbled gruffly from his lips.
Frustration radiated off her, and her fingers flexed against his chest. Ill make it worth your while, she blurted.
Her brazen statement threw provocative images into his mind that he had no defenses against. Oh, he had no doubt the benefits of marrying Eden would far exceed any sacrifice on his part. She was a beautiful woman, and it would be no hardship to share a house and bed with her, to be able to claim his husbandly rights and take their attraction to its logical conclusion. She was an excellent cook, an intelligent, hardworking business woman, and a good mom. She possessed all the qualities a man would pick for a wife, and then some. But whatever her reasons for singling him out, and no matter how appealing he found the idea of marrying Eden, he couldnt do it.
And then there was his past to consider that would forever haunt him, a past which would only taint Edens reputation and the credibility of the Double L if someone discovered what hed done.
He was a solitary man for a reason, a drifter by necessityfor the sole purpose of being able to pack up and move on when his transgressions nipped at his heels. Far from being poor, hed been saving his earnings for years now, and he hoped that one day hed be able to settle down on his own spread, be his own boss, raise his own cattlealone. Always alone.
Regret twisted within him, and he gently grasped the hand Eden still pressed insistently to his chest. His callused thumb grazed the silky soft skin along her wrist, as much of a touch as he dared when he craved something far more intimate with Edenwarmth, caring, acceptance. The very things hed sworn hed learned to live without.
Obviously not.
Her lips parted on a catch of breath, and the pulse at the base of her neck fluttered in reaction to his caress. Her dark, spiky lashes drifted to half-mast, and she made no attempt to pull her arm back. The tension in the room shifted, crackling with those sensual sparks that flared whenever they got too close.
Right now, they were close enough to ignite a wildfire.
His heartbeat drummed in his ears and reverberated heavily through his body, making him intensely aware of Eden, of himself, and the need that had crept up on him without his permissiona dangerous kind of longing he couldnt seem to shake when it came to this particular woman.
Kissing her would be only a matter of lowering his head and stealing what she unconsciously offered. And there was no denying he ached to taste the sweet heat of her mouth, to draw her body against his and lose himself in her scent and softness.
And though he suspected Eden wouldnt so much as issue a protest to something theyd both been fighting for the past month, deny himself he did. For her protection as much as for his own sanity.
Releasing her hand, he watched as the smoky desire in her gaze ebbed to confusion. He forced himself to speak, to reestablish those boundaries that had crumbled the moment he touched her.
As tempting as your offer is, maam, Im not interested, he said succinctly.
Stepping around her before she regained her composure and countered him yet again, he headed out the back door, mentally justifying his brusque actionsbetter for her to experience a gentle rejection now than for her to suffer later.
CHAPTER TWO
EDEN wasnt ready to admit defeat, not when Luke hadnt even given her the opportunity to explain her predicament, or extend her generous offer.
Ill make it worth your while.
Eden dipped her hands into the soapy water in the sink and scrubbed a bowl, her face warming as she recalled the words shed spoken in hasteand the unintentional sexual connotation behind her reckless statement.
Good grief, the man probably thought she was a desperate widow in need of attention. She cringed, realizing she was a desperate widow, but not for the reasons he most likely believed.
She didnt want a man in her life, but she did need one to achieve her ultimate goal of securing the house and Double L as hers, and finally be free of her brother-in-laws influence.
Not for the first time, she cursed the stipulation her husband had written into his will, one last controlling contingency shed had no knowledge of until his death. The last laugh had been on her, and shed spent the past two-and-a-half years berating herself for being such a fool.
Shed grieved her husbands death for many reasons, but not for a love lost. Looking back on their whirlwind courtship, she knew shed married him for all the wrong reasons. At the young age of nineteen shed found herself pregnant, and when Bryce insisted that they marry, shed honestly believed theyd be happy together like her own parents had been before theyd passed away. But shed soon realized that Bryce Lowe had expected a meek and mild-mannered wife he could manipulate.
Months after the wedding, the conflicts, struggles, and arguments began. There was no compromising in this marriage. Every issue had been resolved Bryces way, leaving Eden feeling frustrated, and resentful of her husbands chauvinistic behavior.
Unfortunately, Bryces brother was cut from the same cloth. Allen might be a high-finance city slicker who lived and worked in Houston, but there was no doubt he relished the power and authority he held over Eden.