Page 9 of A Baby for the Texas Cowboy (The Texas Wolf Brothers #3)

“L ie on it, give it a bounce. See what your body says.” The mattress store salesman Jeff Lyons made the suggestion sound dirty, but Tinsley was so tired and overwhelmed her temper didn’t even notch up.

Anders’ did. He puffed up and his eyes narrowed on the mattress salesman.

Why was he acting all proprietary?

The baby.

Not her.

Of course.

Marriage because of an oops pregnancy. Just what every woman dreamed of. Not any better than a business-deal marriage—especially where the would-be groom had pretended to care about her. Anders was at least honest about why he wanted to get married.

“ We’ll be needing a king,” Anders said, his voice mock pleasant, but his blue eyes homed in on Jeff like lasers.

Men.

Tinsley mentally rolled her eyes.

There was not going to be a we . After she’d run out on John days before her over-the-top, every-moment-choreographed wedding that her mother had likely started planning immediately following her birth, she’d made a promise to herself—she would follow her own path, never again subject herself to fitting into someone else’s fantasy mold. She was not ever going to be a wife.

“I’m not sleeping on a queen,” Anders added, as if he’d heard her mentally arguing with him.

He wouldn’t be sleeping with her on a mattress—king or queen.

“Oh. Of course.” Jeff flushed to the roots of his colorless ash-brown hair. “Didn’t…ah, you know…ah, Anders, that you are…you know…together.”

“We are.” Anders wrapped an arm around Tinsley’s waist and pulled her close against his very fit, very hard body. It was a hold that said belonging, and for a moment, Tinsley relaxed.

What was wrong with her?

She pulled away. She wasn’t going to be that girl again, the weak one, dependent on someone else’s opinion, fulfilling their needs, not hers.

She’d played that pleaser role before—the perfect daughter, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect fiancée.

It had consumed her soul, nearly extinguished her spark.

“We want top of the line,” Anders added.

That sounded like something John would have said. Definitely her parents—always the best.

“No need to be extravagant,” she hissed and wondered if he’d still have the hint of a smile on his oh-so-firm-and-beautiful lips if she stomped on his toe.

Why had she agreed to this detour when they’d been heading out to his family’s ranch with the intriguing name of Ghost Hill? Anders was trying to take her over. He’d hijacked her bike and now her plans.

And she needed to put a stop to it.

Easier thought than accomplished. She’d never seen this roll-over-everything-in-his-path side of him. It was fascinating and infuriating.

“I want us to be comfortable.” He smiled down at her like he cared. “Especially you. With the baby coming, you will need your rest.” His hand rested on the back of her neck and his thumb stroked her skin. She used to love that when he did it before, but now she wanted to slap his hand away.

He had no right to talk about the baby in public like this. And by the way Jeff’s overt interest in her fizzled and he stared briefly at her still-flat stomach in horrified fascination, Tinsley felt Anders had done it on purpose.

“This way,” Jeff said quickly and walked to the side of the display room. “We have our higher end, luxury mattresses on this side of the store.”

“There is no us,” she told him.

“Definitely an us,” Anders whispered, his palm sliding from her hip to low on her abdomen.

She yipped and nearly jumped out of her skin.

His laugh tickled her cheek and warmed her body even as she tried to stomp down on her reactions.

“What’s next? Are you going to publicly pee on me to declare me off limits?” she said in a soft, mock-sweet voice. What was he thinking—that he’d go ride off on the tour and take his pleasure with any buckle bunny in line while she’d wait around pining?

Not that she had any interest in men at the moment and hopefully never again. Too much trouble.

“Tinsley, I had no idea you were into kink.”

Her mouth dropped open, and she had a sudden image of her walking in on John during a party they were hosting.

He’d been sexually engaged with two women in what would soon be their marital bedroom…

. And then later she’d walked in on him with another woman at his office.

She scrunched her eyes shut as if that could scrub the images off her retinas for good.

“No worries, Tinz, I’m up for trying anything you want,” he said easily.

“Thanks. No.”

His smile lit his eyes and feathered laugh lines down his cheeks. His mouth quirked up in a sexy, I-know-you-want-me smile. “Sure about that, baby?”

“Mattress.” She walked toward the salesman with her best I’m-going-to-close-this-deal smile. She could play his game and beat him at it. “Top of the line.”

Once, long ago, she would never have had to think about price, but she liked her new normal—or she had before the blue pregnant word had busted it wide open. Still, with her new job and her savings, she did want to get a comfortable mattress.

She plopped her butt down on the mattress but kept her feet on the floor. No need to roll around in front of two men. She bounced a little. Buying a mattress shouldn’t have to be so awkward.

“Give it a spin,” Anders encouraged.

She blinked, and he laughed and mouthed kink at her, which should not make her nearly laugh.

“I can order you anything you like if we don’t have it in stock,” Jeff said. “Are you back in Last Stand for good, Anders? Are you retiring from the tour?” he asked, curiosity stamped on his face.

Anders’ smile fled. He looked at Tinsley, and she felt panic stir in her stomach.

Oh. God. He wasn’t thinking of giving up his career, was he? For her? No. The baby. He’d hate her. Resent the child.

“No,” she said quickly. “Definitely not. Anders is on top of the leaderboard and likes it there.”

Her smug smile lasted all of two seconds.

“Gotta admit I like it on top.” He winked down at her with a full smile—two dimples, sparkling blue-ocean eyes like he’d just made a joke shared between them.

“I handed you that one,” she groused, trying to ignore how just looking up into his amused face softened her core and flared her nipples.

This version of Anders was catnip, tasty and addictive, but it had not been this side of him that had reeled her in and weakened her resolve to indulge herself one last time.

He sprawled down on the bed next to her and pulled her flat.

“Stop,” she whispered.

“Haven’t even started, darlin’.”

“And cut the darlin’ ,” she said firmly. “Save it for your buckle bunny fans.”

“Anders calls everybody darlin’,” Jeff said. “It was his thing in high school. All the girls loved it. They giggled and followed him and blinked a lot.”

“What fun.” Tinsley winced for her sex, but she’d probably been just as goofy.

Anders lost his cocky smile. “Small towns,” he muttered ruefully.

“Wonder what else I’ll learn about you, while I’m here,” she said sweetly and rolled to standing up.

“Anything else to show us?” she encouraged.

“This is the TEMPUR-LUXE breeze,” Jeff said. “It’s thirteen inches and a firm mattress. You like firm or soft?” Jeff asked Tinsley earnestly.

She ran her hand along the plush covered mattress. “Hard as hell,” she deadpanned and reveled in Anders’ cough.

Jeff waved his hand over the mattress in invitation.

Not creepy or awkward at all. Then Tinsley looked at the price tag. More than five grand?

“No thanks.” And then she squeaked as Anders swooped her up in his arms. For a brief moment she felt his rock-hard abs teasing one side of her body before he all but tossed her on the mattress.

“Good bounce,” he commented, looming. “Roll over.”

Tinsley barely scooted out of the way before Anders’ big body was stretched out beside her. He had his boots on the mattress protector at the bottom and one arm curled back behind his head. The pose was unbearably sexy.

For some reason her heartbeat raced into her throat making it hard to swallow.

“Relax,” he said, and rolled to his side so he could look down at her.

Like that was possible lying so close to him with an audience.

She could feel Ander’ heat. Smell his appealing masculine scent that had always reminded her of sun-warmed grass and pine and fresh earth.

And her body reacted—nerves jangled, her breath tangled, and her limbs felt fluid and warm.

She felt juiced, primed for action, and her thighs had an inappropriate urge to part as if eager to cradle him.

It’s just sex. Biology. Chemistry. Dopamine and endorphins.

But the reminders didn’t give her the brains to pull her fascinated gaze away. His eyes were such a beautiful blue and with the light behind him, he glowed like an angel—although a fallen one. His Stetson rested on the bed beside him, and the moment seemed way too intimate.

“Comfortable?” he queried. Then his hand brushed over her forehead and along her cheek.

“Anders.” It sounded more invitation than protest.

Her body was betraying her. Again.

“We’re not sleeping together,” she whispered, but she was reminding herself as much as him.

“Who said anything about sleeping?”

*

“I’m not sure why we’re here,” Tinsley balked at the entrance to a large red barn.

It was long and low and not at all what she thought a barn would look like—at least it looked nothing like the barns where she had kept her dressage horse as well as her competition horse she’d jumped with—Juniper.

The image of the gray horse rose up unexpectedly and for a moment she could almost feel Juney’s nose nuzzle her neck for treats.

It seemed like the past intruded more and more on her present.

Let it go.

“I’m supposed to meet Catalina up at the winery to start to learn more about that side of the operation. I don’t want to keep her waiting. There are so many things I need to put in motion before I can open the tasting room.”

“Relax, she’s not going to expect you to open the tasting room before you’re settled in.”