Page 64 of A Rancher's Heart

Chapter Fourteen

Tamara pulled back the quilt and crawled on her oversized bed, leaning against an enormous stack of pillows and settling into her book. She’d barely finished the first chapter when the floorboards outside her room made a distinctive creaking sound.

She glanced up to see the doorknob turn, and wondered which one of the girls needed her. She wasn’t shocked when the door opened—

Not until Caleb marched in.

Marched in, turning to close the door behind himself.

Tamara stared, positive her jaw was hanging low. “Need something?”

“No.” He strode to the side of the bed, gaze fixed on the wall behind her.

Tamara shoved away the impulse to grab a pillow to cover herself. “What… What are you doing?”

“Getting ready for bed.”

The impossibility of that statement combined with the dirty daydreams she’d been having about her boss mixed into one enormous cauldron, and Tamara found herself, for the first time in a long time, speechless.

Her silence was based on utter confusion, not helped at all by the fact he was deadly quiet as he reached to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Somehow she forced herself to form words. “Caleb, this isn’t funny. You shouldn’t be here.”

He shrugged the flannel off leaving a plain white muscle shirt behind, the broad muscles of his shoulders and massive biceps far too close. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, darlin’. Where else should I be when it’s time to get ready for bed?”

“Your own room.Caleb—”

Tamara’s mouth went dry as the final layer covering his torso lifted away. Farfartoo much naked, gorgeous skin was right there beside her. A light dusting of hair covered his chest, another darkening and narrowing as it headed lower and disappeared under his beltline and—

Oh my word, he was putting his hands on his belt and loosening the buckle, and…this was not happening.

Tamara abandoned her book and slipped out of bed. She had some idea of hiding in the bathroom until he came to his senses, but he stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

Maybe she should have been afraid. Maybe she should have screamed, but he wasn’tscaringher, scaring her. Just making every nerve in her body tingle and sending her pulse into orbit.

His gaze slid down, then up, until he was once again staring into her eyes. When he spoke, his voice had gone low. “I think that’s my favourite nightie. Although I don’t know why you bother to wear it since I won’t let you keep it on for very long.”

Maybe she’d fallen asleep and was having a deliciously dirty dream. Tamara reached up and pinched the skin of her forearm. “Ouch.”

Awake. Definitely awake.

“What the hell have you been doing?” Suspicion rushed in. “Have you been drinking, Caleb Stone?

He stepped closer, his gaze dropping from her eyes to linger on her breasts. The traitorous things reacted, nipples jerking upright to press against the cool material of her nightgown.

“Nope. Not a drop. Only, you see, I hear you and I are an item. I hear you’re warming my bed at night, and I’d hate to think of you as a liar. So we should make it clear where we stand. Or should I say, where we lie?”

Tamara stuttered for a moment. “S-s-someone said we’re sleeping together? Oh my God, who? Wait,what?”

His answer was wordless. His hand no longer hovered between them. Instead he touched her, tracing the thin strap of her nightgown down her shoulder, continuing to the swell of her breast. His fingertip slid over the hard peak of her nipple, and a shiver rippled over her entire body.

Her brain was not working, that much was obvious. She forced herself to speak. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Seems someone at that birthday party you went to got the idea that I’m sleeping with my nanny. I figured since you were the one who started the rumour, you wouldn’t mind if—”

The birthday party?“I hate small towns.”

Tamara jerked back two steps, instant fury heating her blood. Now she knew what he was talking about, the memory clear and sharp.