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K aden studied her expression . He could plainly see the turmoil she was going through and the wall she was trying to build between them, but he wasn't going to let that happen.

He came to the conclusion that his feelings for her were never going away and only got deeper as time passed, so he decided to stop fighting them.

He wrapped his arms around her and then set his chin on the top of her head.

“I’m going to hold you while you cry.”

Jenny shook her head and tried to push him away again. “I don’t want you here.”

“I know. It’s because you’ve never had someone support you or be there for you when you were down. I want to be that person for you.”

He looked at her and almost smiled at the stunned look on her face.

“But...”

He shook his head. “Don’t say I don’t like you because I do. That first moment I laid eyes on you standing in front of me made me hungry for things I never thought I'd want again.”

“Like what?”

“Like a relationship with a woman.”

“You’re talking like us ... dating?”

He snorted. “Quit sounding so surprised. I am a man, and you’re a woman, and we are both attracted to each other. I’m not going to fight it anymore.”

“Why have you fought it?”

“Because I was afraid you wouldn’t want me. The fact that I’ve never wanted a woman the way I do you makes my insecurities ten times worse.”

“I never would have thought you were insecure.”

“It’s only happened one time before, and it’s when I took over the ranch from my dad when he became ill. I was terrified I’d do something or not work hard enough, and I’d lose the place.”

“Well, you didn’t.”

“No. It’s actually grown in the time I’ve been in charge.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” she told him.

He pressed her head to his chest. “Do you still need to cry?”

She shook her head. “No, you holding me is helping. I’m always amazed at what a hug can do for a person.”

“You never got hugged?”

“Oh, I think the nannies would hug me sometimes.”

“That’s so fucked up. I can’t believe you came from them. They both had ... I would say sticks up their asses, but I’d say it’s closer to poles up their asses. It’s got to be mighty uncomfortable.”

She chuckled and moved a few steps away. “I don’t think they planned to have me.”

“But they did, and you’re a wonderful person.”

She leaned back and raised her eyebrows. “I think I’m dreaming. You just gave me a compliment.”

He grunted. “I’ve done that before.”

“What do you want to do now?” she asked.

He arched an eyebrow. “You really want to put that out there?”

She looked confused and then apprehensive when he stood and took the few steps to stand in front of her again.

He placed his hands on her hips.

“What ... do you mean?”

One side of his mouth kicked up. “It means I’ve wanted to get my hands on you from the first moment I saw you.”

“Oh.”

He stared down at her. “Do you really have work to do?”

She nodded. “I always have work.”

“Can it wait?”

“I guess. Why?”

“Are you on call?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I was going to bring you home to the ranch and take you riding, but we'll have to do that another day. How about lunch, and we’ll go from there?”

She pretended to look shocked and pointed at herself. “You want to go on a date with me?”

“All right, you smart-ass. Yes. Do you want to go to the café on Main, or can we grab some groceries and make a meal at your house?”

“You know how to cook?” she asked.

He snorted. “No, but I figured you being a genius and all, you’d be able to figure it out.”

“Wow. Thank you.”

He laughed.

She smiled. “How about we just go to my house? I made lasagna last night, and I have a ton left.”

“I like lasagna.”

“Then follow me.”

He squeezed her one more time, released her, and followed her out of the building. It took about five minutes to get to her house, and he pulled in behind her.

He looked around outside the house. It needed to be re-sided, but the yard was in good shape, and she had planted flowering bushes on either side of the front door, which added color to the otherwise drab-looking house.

A thought popped into his head, and he turned to her. “You’re not thinking of roofing and siding this house by yourself, right?” Jesus, just the thought of her on a tall ladder, or even worse on top of the roof and falling, made sweat beads on his forehead.

She shook her head. “No, I’m going to have one of the construction businesses in town do it. One, because I like to use local businesses, and two, I hate heights.”

“Good. I would have had nightmares.”

She laughed. “Come on in.”