Page 32 of Summer on the Ranch (Royally Wed #1)

O kay, he was fifteen different kinds of a bastard.

He knew that. The problem was that Alex probably knew it, too.

Mitch paused outside of the den where he knew she was reading.

He’d heard her walk by less than fifteen minutes before.

He’d also heard her steps hesitate when she’d been in front of his office.

He’d sensed her indecision as clearly as if she’d spoken aloud to him.

He’d been able to read her thoughts. She wanted to know what was wrong.

In the past few days since they’d returned from Los Angeles, he’d alternated between completely avoiding her and being unable to get enough of her.

During the day he stayed busy with work, twice not even coming back in time for dinner.

But each night he’d appeared at her door, not saying anything, yet silently begging for admission.

Each time he’d expected her to tell him what a jerk he was, or at the very least to slap him.

Instead she’d led him to her bed. Each time he promised himself he was going to tell her the truth, or at least as much of it as he’d figured out. Which wasn’t much.

But he hadn’t. Instead he’d continued to bury himself in work because it was safe. Because he didn’t feel that he had any choice in the matter. Because he didn’t want to admit the truth.

He’d fallen for her. Not just in a casual, isn’t-the-sex-great-and-maybe-we-can-get-together-some-time kind of way, but for real. As in wanting it all.

He swore softly. He’d made some mistakes in his life, but this was one of the biggest. Falling for a princess—what the hell had he been thinking?

Except he hadn’t been thinking, at least not with his head.

He should have kept things light, or at the very least not bothered to find out there was an intriguing person behind the title.

Life had been a whole lot easier when she’d gotten on his nerves.

If she’d been any other woman, he would have tried to make it work. He would have wanted to talk about compromise and kids and forever. But how was he supposed to compromise with a future queen? Was he willing to give up the ranch?

Mitch pressed his hand against the sturdy hall wall—the same wall his grandfather had built.

His family had lived on this land for generations.

Of course, Alex could make a case that hers had lived in Wynborough longer.

In the grand scheme of things, what difference did his cattle ranch make?

She might one day rule a country. Except his ranch mattered to him.

He couldn’t exist just to be her consort.

He didn’t have any answers, which was why he’d been avoiding her.

‘‘Talk about putting the cart before the horse,’’ he muttered. ‘‘You don’t even know how she feels about you.’’

It was true, he realized. She might think he was a lot of fun for the moment, but no more permanent than a summer—or in this case winter—romance. There was only one way to find out. He pushed open the door and stepped into the study.

Alex sat curled up in one of the big wing chairs flanking the stone fireplace.

The green leather was the perfect foil for her coloring.

Her hair glowed as bright as the flames in the hearth.

She glanced up when he entered. Her eyes were dark and unreadable, her expression pleasant but wary.

In the past couple of days he’d given her no reason to trust him or welcome him.

If things had gone badly, he only had himself to blame.

‘‘Can I interrupt?’’ he asked.

‘‘Of course.’’

She closed her book and placed it on the small table next to her chair. He took the seat opposite hers and wondered how he was supposed to begin. ‘‘I have some news,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t know whether to tell you it’s good or bad. I guess that depends on how you interpret it.’’

She raised her eyebrows, but didn’t say anything.

‘‘My parents called a little earlier,’’ he said. ‘‘A reporter tracked them down and wanted to interview them about our relationship. When they claimed not to know anything, the guy showed them pictures.’’ He gave her a slight smile. ‘‘The ones they took at the dance.’’

‘‘Yes, my parents saw those, as well.’’

‘‘I can’t figure out what the big deal is,’’ Mitch told her. ‘‘We were just dancing. Anyway, my mother called to let me know that she and my father would be flying in to meet you.’’

Alex stiffened. ‘‘Your parents want to meet me?’’ She sounded horrified.

‘‘It’s all right. You’re a princess. I’m sure you’ll do fine.’’

She shook her head. ‘‘I do much better with a group of five hundred than one-on-one. At least in situations like that. I’ve never met a man’s parents before.’’

‘‘All the princes you know are orphans?’’

She glared at him. ‘‘That’s not what I meant, and you know it. I’ve never met the parents of the man I was, well, involved with.’’

Despite all that they were going to have to talk about, he couldn’t help teasing her. ‘‘You mean your lover’s parents.’’

‘‘Yes. Thank you for making that so clear. My lover’s parents.’’

He leaned back in the chair. ‘‘You’ll do fine. You’re pretty, intelligent, you have a great job. What’s not to like?’’

She smiled. ‘‘When you put it like that, I sound like a prize.’’

‘‘You are a prize, Alex.’’ His momentary humor faded. ‘‘They’ll get here in the next couple of days. They wouldn’t tell me exactly when. They hadn’t booked their flights when they called, and they don’t want us to bother taking time off to pick them up. My parents are like that.’’

‘‘How lovely.’’ She closed her eyes briefly. ‘‘I’m taking up two guest rooms. Is that going to be a problem? Is there enough room?’’

‘‘Plenty.’’

She nodded. ‘‘How long will they stay?’’

‘‘I don’t know. A few days. They haven’t been back in nearly a year, but they won’t want to be away from their bed-and-breakfast for long.’’

He crossed one ankle over the opposite knee and tried to relax. But the knot in his gut wasn’t going anywhere and all he could think about was how empty his life would be when she was gone.

‘‘We have to talk,’’ he said.

She looked at him. ‘‘I know.’’ She tried a smile, but it failed pretty miserably. ‘‘Things have gotten out of hand, haven’t they? At least they have for me. I didn’t mean to presume—’’ she bit her lower lip ‘‘—that is to say…’’

‘‘I know what you’re getting at,’’ he told her, then tried a fake smile of his own. ‘‘I didn’t know you’d start to matter so much. We’ve created an impossible situation.’’

She shifted in her chair. ‘‘More than impossible. Potentially disastrous.’’

‘‘What?’’

She looked startled, as if she hadn’t meant to speak aloud. ‘‘There are ramifications that neither of us considered.’’

What was she going on about? ‘‘The press?’’ he asked.

‘‘That, too.’’

‘‘Alex, you’re not making any sense.’’

‘‘I know. I don’t think I want to.’’ She stood up and crossed to stand next to him. ‘‘Mitch, I don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m confused and frightened and all I want is for you to hold me. Let’s worry about the rest of it tomorrow.’’

He wasn’t sure he wanted things put off. He’d worked himself up to having this conversation with her and he wanted it done. He wanted to put his cards on the table and tell her that he loved her. But he couldn’t resist her invitation.

He rose to his feet and pulled her close. ‘‘But tomorrow we talk,’’ he said.

‘‘Yes. I need to go into town in the morning, then we’ll talk after that.’’

‘‘What’s in town?’’ he asked, his voice teasing. ‘‘You want to check out the other cowboys to see if you can do better?’’

Instead of answering with a laugh or a comment of her own, she wrapped her arms around him and hung on as if she never wanted to let go. ‘‘You don’t know how much I need you,’’ she whispered.

He felt an answering tug in his own heart, and the whisper of the pain to come. ‘‘Actually, I do.’’

* * *

They didn’t make it into town until later the next afternoon. One of the horses had turned up lame and they’d spent the morning tending to the injured animal.

‘‘Thanks for your help with Midnight,’’ Mitch said as they drove into Hope.

‘‘You’re more than welcome. I really like working with the horses. They seem so much less complicated than the rest of the world.’’

‘‘I know what you mean.’’

Their conversation fizzled into silence, as it had continually since they’d climbed into his truck.

What was going on? he wondered. Last night had been— he shook his head not sure how to describe the previous evening.

When they’d walked into his bedroom, it was as if they suddenly couldn’t get enough of each other.

While their lovemaking was usually intense, last night they’d barely taken the time to get undressed before falling into bed.

He’d needed her so much and his passion and desire had been more than matched by hers.

Again and again she’d reached for him, arousing him with her hands and her mouth, making him hard and ready over and over again.

They’d barely slept. But this morning when he’d awakened, Alex had already left to return to her own bed.

The chilly sheets on her side of the mattress had been an ugly reminder of his future without her.

‘‘Where to?’’ he asked as he drove down the main street.

‘‘The drugstore,’’ she said, pointing to the low building on the far corner. ‘‘Just park in front. I’ll only be a minute.’’

He started to protest, to tell her that he would come inside with her, but she looked faintly embarrassed. He figured she had to buy some female stuff and didn’t need him along for that.