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“It’s a win-win,” Bodhi said, persuasively. “Ashni gets the love of her life. Beck gets his perfect woman. They start their married life. Granddad has family around him. The ranch has a future heir, so its future is assured. Beck is off the tour. Safe.”

“And what do you get, Bodhi?”

You.

Where the hell had that come from?

“Peace of mind.” He angled his wrist, cocked his hand, and spun the rock flat across the lake.

Chapter Five

So many questions.

Maybe instead of following the rules of improv she should be playing twenty questions. Or truth or dare. She shivered. Not sure she was that brave.

“I counted nine skips,” she whispered, impressed.

“You want a friendly wager?”

She’d never skipped a stone in her life.

“What do you have in mind?” She found herself on the balls of her feet, breath held, her heart kicking up a tick. She wanted to be the woman who let impulse kickstart her day—or night. What better time than now?

“I teach you to skip a stone, and you teach me something.”

“Like what?”

“Yes, and…” he teased.

“You seem like the most confident, self-sufficient, genuine person I’ve ever met,” she admitted. “I’m not sure what I could teach you.”

He gave her the ‘are you serious right now?’ expression.

“Anything useful,” she amended. Because what could she teach him that he would need? How to mix a mean dirty martini? How to depose a powerful CEO? Complete ten fluid sun salutations before showering? How to maintain a poker face while listening to a panel of judges’ questions? Organize a corporate holiday party? Write an end-of-the-year speech for shareholders? Diplomatically get her father out of the room before he started to slur or slap the ass of a server?

Of what use would any of that be to a down-to-earth, beautiful cowboy?

“You are giving me far too much credit.” Bodhi rocked back on his heels and grinned. “I picked you up in a small-town cowboy bar and before asking your name taught you to shoot whiskey, dance the two-step, and enticed you to engage in a little friendly family subterfuge.”

Put like that, her insecure angst was misplaced.

“It’s true, you are a wicked man sure to burn in hell.”

“Good thing I like the heat,” he said easily.

“You bring the heat.” Only after she uttered her response did she realize how flirty it sounded.

So. Unlike. Her.

“Hoping I can light up so much more.”

“You don’t look like a man who relies on hope.”

“True. Nor do you look like a woman who waits on wishes to come true.”

“And yet you invited me to come stargazing.”

His gaze dipped to her mouth. “That I did, but the invitation extends beyond stargazing.”