The rain abated, then came down again for hours. Bonnie spent the day wrapped in a tangle of sheets, catching up on years of missing Sean’s strong, firm body pressed against hers. Finally, they came up for air, and talked about everything, including the short time they’d lived together in L.A. They both carefully avoided minefields on the subject of how unhappy he’d been.
She heard firsthand how difficult the years after their father died had been for the brothers. Colton decided to enlist in the Army and hadn’t been home in years, stationed overseas. The two youngest brothers were always close, and the emotion in Sean’s voice when he spoke about Colton was palpable. It occurred to her that he’d had two significant people snatched out of his life. Four, if you counted his parents.
Later, Sean made a fire, and they ate popcorn and watched old movies while dressed in very little. She wore Sean’s bathrobe and nothing else underneath, delighted it smelled like him. Woodsy and freshly cleaned. Sean had pulled on a pair of jeans but didn’t bother with a shirt. They were keeping each other warm.
Beer sat at their feet, begging for scraps. Every now and then Sean threw him a kernel which Beer caught mid-air.
When Casablanca ended, Sean used the remote and switched to Kavanaugh’s Way, season one. “Here we go.”
“No! I never watch myself.” She wrestled the remote from him.
“You never?” He held it out of reach. “Why not?”
“Why would I? It makes me cringe.”
“So, you’ve tried.” He went her a wicked smile. “What’s it like?”
“Um, cringe-worthy. I silently criticize and sit in judgment of every move I make. Every word I say.”
“You were damn good. I think you’re being too harsh.”
“That’s nice of you to say but Sean, remember, I played the youngest daughter in a crime-syndicate family. She was bitchy, unhappy, and raging with anger at the world.”
“And?”
“I lived every day in her skin. After a while, I realized it wasn’t just Meghan Kavanaugh who was miserable. I was, too.”
“Yeah?” He set the remote down.
Drawing her into his arms, he caressed the soft hairs on the back of her neck, causing an all-body tingle.
She curled into him. “I had everything I’d ever wanted, or at least thought I wanted, and I hated my life.”
“I’m sorry, Skippy.” The words were soft, tender, and her heart tugged in a sweet ache.
And even though he’d been the one to cause that misery when he’d given up on her, she’d forgiven him right at his father’s gravesite. Nothing in life had been easy for Sean, not from the moment he’d been born into the world to parents who chose their addiction over their children.
“But…I’ve got to be honest with you here.” Sean stroked her spine in slow up and down motions but sounded deadly serious.
“What is it?”
“I thought you were hot on that show. Sexy as hell.”
Relieved, she chuckled. The show had nearly made her a sex symbol, which had never been her goal. Every week she’d fought with the director and wardrobe to be fully clothed in her scenes. The closest she’d ever been to nudity was a silky red bathrobe.
“You didn’t get jealous watching your ex-girlfriend with other men?”
“I had lost the right to be jealous.” He tugged on a lock of her hair.
“If anyone had a right, it was you. I got delusional mail from boys jealous I’d slept with the FBI informant on the show. They thought I was their girlfriend, and how dare I?”
His eyes narrowed. “You mean stalkers?”
“I had a few but nothing to worry about. Worse were the women who hated me for ‘being mean.’ to the men.” She held up air quotes. “The guys who kill their rivals are fine, but when I did the same, I was bitchy.”
“Bitchy when you shot the man who’d framed your father for a mass murder?”
Surprise thrummed through her and utter delight to know she’d been in his life in some small way. He wasn’t exaggerating.
“You really did watch the show.”
“Every episode.” He cleared his throat. “It may have cost me a relationship.”
“Robyn?”
“We used to watch the show. She didn’t know about you, but once she found out, she accused me of cheating by proxy.” He shook his head slowly.
“That’s ridiculous. You’re not a cheater, never have been.”
“No, she was right. My body never cheated but my mind and heart did. I’m not very enlightened. It took me a while to realize I watched the show to feel closer to you. But it was one of the reasons. Because I never got over you.”
She crawled into his lap and framed his face in her hands gazing into his amber irises. “Please know this. There has never been anyone else for me besides you.”
Outside the rain had slowed, and the fire’s flames kicked up and crackled with heat. The scent of wood filled the air.
Sean’s calloused hands slid down her bare thighs. “Damn I feel lucky.”
It was only much later that Sean realized he hadn’t just broken one rule. He’d violated an entire contract and it didn’t sit well with him. His actions were less than honorable. He was supposed to be Mr. Cowboy, allowing the show to find a woman for him to fall in love with and bring home to Stone Ridge. Instead, he’d reunited with Bonnie Lee. But hell, it was the producers who had brought her here.
How was he supposed to propose to someone else when he’d fallen back in love with Bonnie? Everything had changed, except the contract.
He should really talk to his brother, the lawyer. Riggs had reviewed the contract for him, after all and written in the option for the large grant.
“I’ll talk to Riggs today,” Sean said, as he pulled a t-shirt on.
He had chores he’d neglected by engaging in marathon sex.
“Riggs? Why?”
Bonnie, still half-dressed and wearing only her bra and panties, gave him a hard-on just by looking at her.
“He reviewed the contract. I don’t want to propose to whoever they choose now. I didn’t know you’d be here when I agreed to this.”
“And I’m at least in violation of doing far more than kissing you off screen.”
“We both are.” He bristled at the thought of not living up to a promise he’d made. “What can they do to us? Burn us at the stake?”
“No, but they can sue us.”
“If I do anything to risk our ranch, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“They won’t come after your ranch. Look, I have an idea.” She stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “We’ll keep us a secret. No one has to know.”
“I don’t want to keep us a secret.”
He fought the urge to be pissed at the suggestion. She was only trying to help.
“Me, either. You think I want to see Tabitha keep fantasizing about you? I want her to know right away that you’re mine no matter who you propose to.”
“Okay, yeah. I was right. You were jealous. Are jealous.”
“Of course, I am, dummy! I was ‘acting.’ I’m jealous every time you even look at another woman.”
“You’re a damn good actress. So, I’m supposed to make you miserable by pretending Tabitha or Angela have a chance with me?”
“Yes, because they do. You don’t know who the producers will choose. But I’ll know the truth. And I won’t be miserable.” She hesitated a beat. “Well, I’ll try not to be.”
“I guess you’re right. It’s not like I’m even kissing anyone else.”
“Don’t even joke about that.”
“C’mere.” He tugged her into his arms. Smooth soft and silky skin under his hands made him want to forget about ranch chores.
He wondered if he’d get anything done when she moved in with him. But he was getting ahead of himself. They had things to resolve first.
The doorbell rang and Bonnie startled. She pulled out of his arms, grabbed her jeans, and pulled them on. “You have company.”
“Probably Riggs or Winona.” He took the steps down two at a time, Bonnie following.
But it wasn’t Riggs. Not Winona.
Tabitha.
“What the…?” Sean cursed. “It’s freaking Tabitha.”
“Oh, no! She can’t know about us.” Bonnie rushed back up the steps and made crazy motions with her arms. “Get rid of her.”
“Sure.” Bonnie upstairs, Sean opened his door, and tried to pretend a visit from Tabitha was the most natural thing in the world. “Hey there. What are you doin’? You’re not supposed to be here.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” She didn’t wait for an invitation but pushed her way inside. “Lenny dropped me off and he’s waiting down the lane. I thought you might want some company. I know I do. I just finished Angela’s podcast earlier today and now I have nothing else to do.”
“Well, I have chores.”
Tabitha ignored that, too. “Do you have some coffee? I love some coffee on a rainy day.”
“It stopped raining.”
“Even so. It’s still wet out there.” Walking further into the house, she scanned every room. “This is nice. I think I could raise a family here.”
He cleared his throat. “Look, I’m busy.”
“Just one cup of coffee and then I’ll go?” She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout which made her look twelve. “I know you don’t want to be inhospitable.”
“Just one cup.” He stalked over to the machine and pulled out a mug from the cupboard.
Evidence of his and Bonnie’s random kitchen foraging after sex was evident everywhere. Paranoid, he quickly threw the popcorn bowl in the sink and rinsed the two cups they’d used earlier.
“Milk and sugar?”
He turned to ask and Tabitha had removed her top and stood in her frilly pink bra.
“Just milk.” She smiled.
“What the hell are you doing? Put your shirt on!” he yelled and threw the kitchen towel at her.
“I know we can’t kiss, or anything else.” She licked her bottom lip. “But I thought I’d at least give you the chance to view the merchandise.”
“Jesus! Tabitha, you don’t even know me.”
Was he shouting? Yes, he was. With Bonnie upstairs.
“But I want to get to know you.” She stepped closer.
“Then you’ll have to wait until the contest resumes. I signed a contract and I want to honor my word.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire!
He winced. Upstairs, he heard something drop. Something…large. It might be a lamp, or a…he didn’t want to even consider what Bonnie might be breaking.
“What’s that?” Tabitha quickly pulled her shirt back on. “Is someone else here? You didn’t tell me you’re not alone!”
“I am alone. It’s probably my…cat,” Sean lied. “She…likes to push things off tables to piss me off.”
“My cat is the same way! They’d probably get along. Can I meet her?”
“Another time. You…you better go. I need to feed her before she breaks everything I own.” With two hands on her back, he firmly but gently pushed Tabitha toward the front door.
“Phew, for a second I thought you were cheating on me.”
“I can’t cheat on you, Tabitha. We’re not together.”
“Technically we were dating just a few days ago.”
“Right. I was dating three women, not just you.” He held open the door.
“If you’re bored, Angela is looking for people to interview for her podcast while she waits. She’s probably going downtown to start asking around.”
“Sorry. A rancher is never bored.” With that he shut the door in her face.
He turned to find Bonnie standing at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, hip jutted out.
“How does she know where you live?”