The Renegade Rancher

“I believe you. Still, you hardly know me.” She tilted her face to look at him.

“Then that’s something we’ll have to change.”

Brian delivered a trail of hot kisses down the side of her face and continued a path back up to her forehead. Lindsey turned her mouth into his path, and the fireworks were as explosive as the kiss earlier that morning.

Their tongues danced and explored. His fingers barely grazed her waist and then she felt a tug on both sides of her shirt. Brian backed away, leaving her lips cold and desperate for more of him.

“As much as I’d like to keep on with this—” he dropped another kiss on her cheek “—our first time is not going to be when we could be interrupted at any moment.”

She stood there with her mouth open at the audacity of his words. Our first time?

ANGI MORGAN writes Mills & Boon^>® Intrigue novels “where honor and danger collide with love.” She combines actual Texas settings with characters who are in realistic and dangerous situations. Angi has been a finalist for the Booksellers’ Best Award, RT Book Reviews Best First Series, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and the Daphne du Maurier Award.

Angi and her husband live in north Texas, with only the four-legged “kids” left in the house to interrupt her writing. They recently began volunteering for a local Labrador foster program. Visit her website, www.angimorgan.com, or hang out with her on Facebook.

Many moons ago, I graduated from high school with a small group of kids. Brian & Johnny are fictional characters, but named after two men who won’t be returning at our next reunion. I have used the names of people in my hometown, but not their personalities. The characters are fictional, but not my friendships or the respect I have for the namesakes.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Extract

Chapter One

Tall, blond and deadly gorgeous.

Brian Sloane knew that Lindsey Cook was a looker. One glance would let any male with eyes know that fact. Platinum blond hair that hung to her waist, classic blue eyes that would disappear next to a clear summer sky and a body that should be gracing covers of magazines. A looker, all right.

This was the longest he’d ever been with a woman and he hadn’t met her yet.

He knew how old she was, where she’d graduated from college, that her best friend’s name was Beth. All that information was on her internet site. He knew she lived in Arlington, drove a sports car, kept two goldfish and was allergic to cats. She’d had five jobs in the past three years and did freelance web design. He also knew why she’d migrated to Texas after burying her cousin. Jeremy had drowned while they’d been on vacation together about six months ago and she’d stayed after settling his affairs. Her cousin’s female lawyer had been extrachatty during happy hour.

Unfortunately, accidents happened everywhere, leaving one question he couldn’t answer. How long she would live.

Brian entered the sandwich shop and tried not to zoom all his attention on her. Searching the remaining tables, he noticed no one else was alone, so it was probably safe to assume she was his appointment. “Lindsey?”

“You’re Brian?” she asked, extending her hand. Her smile could mesmerize him. He’d watched her work that magic on several customers—male and female—over the past couple of weeks.

“That’d be me.” He took a slender palm in his own, gave a quick squeeze and sat at the table. A well-chosen table in the middle of the very empty sandwich shop. The red silky blouse clung everywhere and plunged just enough to make his imagination go a little wild.

“So, you said that Jeremy’s lawyer recommended me for a job. Your email said something about a ranch website?”

“Yeah, about that. This might sound strange, but I’ve been doing some research and—” Was that sudden look in her eyes one of surprise? An alert? How had he messed up?

“No website?”

He stared, thinking hard on what his answer should be. It was important she listen to him. Her life depended on it. He couldn’t just say that. Could he? He’d avoided the truth long enough. “To be honest—”

“Excuse me just a sec.” She looked into her purse. She brought her keys to the tabletop. Hooked to the ring—now pointed at his face—was a small can of pepper spray. “Who are you and why have you been following me? I saw you in front of the store yesterday and you were in line behind me when I got coffee last week.”

“Whoa there.” He raised his hands, trying not to jump away from that can. “I really am Brian Sloane. I’m a Fort Worth paramedic, just like I said on the phone. I’ve got ID.”