Cowboy Trouble (The McCord Brothers 1.5) by Delores Fossen Read Free Book Online Page B

that I can never marry him,” she went on. “That way, he can get on with his life and find someone thinner who’s right for him.”
    He made a sound of approval to that, too.
    Natalie made a corresponding sound and continued, “Of course, I’ll have to make my father understand, as well. Because I’ve messed up so many things, he thinks he knows what’s best for me. But he doesn’t.” She paused again. “One final thing. I want to have sex with you.”
    Rico made another sound of approval before those last words sank into his head. A head he was already shaking.
    “Muddy waters,” he reminded her. Because while she wasn’t marrying Marcus, that didn’t mean she’d stay married to him .
    And Rico wasn’t sure he wanted that anyway.
    “You’ll always be daddy’s princess,” he added. “I’ll always be a ranch hand.”
    He frowned. Because he wasn’t just a ranch hand. He was in charge of managing the other ranch hands for one of the most profitable cattle brokers in the state. And Natalie was more than just a princess. She was apparently a capable businesswoman with questionable taste in undergarments.
    Unlike before, she didn’t come to him, so Rico got up and went to her. He turned her around so he could tell her to her face exactly what she didn’t want to hear.
    She tipped her head to the papers. “I’ll sign them. I’ll even file them. But I want one last afternoon with you.”
    He doubted she was talking about margaritas and scrambled eggs, either. No. This was about what they’d been skirting around since she’d stepped from her car at the ranch.
    Even though Rico was pretty sure this was a mistake, he no longer cared. He pulled Natalie to him and started something that he intended to finish. And not just do a half-assed job, either.
    Rico intended to finish this the right way.

CHAPTER SIX
    D ESPITE WHAT R ICO had just told himself, the right way got off to a wrong start.
    He lowered his head to kiss Natalie at the same moment that she raised hers to kiss him. Their faces sort of collided, her cheekbone slamming into his nose. It felt as if a boxer wearing iron gloves had punched him.
    Rico probably would have disgraced himself by howling in pain if Natalie hadn’t followed through on the kiss. It only took a few seconds of her mouth on his to cure the pain. It cured other things, too, like any remaining doubt and common sense. But then, he’d never had much common sense when it came to Natalie.
    She slipped right into his arms. And into the kiss. Of course, it didn’t just stay a kiss, either. Not with their bodies already pressed against each other. Since there weren’t any condoms in this part of the house, Rico scooped up Natalie and headed toward his bedroom.
    Rico got another jolt of pain when he slammed his shoulder into the doorjamb. He wasn’t usually this awkward with sex, but the stakes suddenly seemed sky-high.
    Like maybe this would be the last time he’d ever be with Natalie.
    That froze him for a moment. Because it was true. This would almost certainly be a onetime deal. It should have been a whopping red flag flapping in the breeze. Not that he was opposed to onetime sex deals. In fact, he’d been a willing partner in them on several occasions. But it just didn’t seem right when it came to Natalie.
    That didn’t stop him.
    Mainly, though, because when they landed on the bed, Natalie immediately started trying to undress him. Or maybe she was trying to give him a hand job. It was hard to tell which. Either way, it was a huge distraction, and thoughts about onetime deals flew out of his head.
    Rico stopped her undressing attempts by flipping her onto her back and pinning her hands to the bed. That way, he could kiss her neck, and her breasts, without the distraction of an imminent orgasm.
    Man, she tasted good. Tasted right , too. There it was again, the word that kept finding its way into his lust-hazed mind. Since the word just kept coming, Rico made it his mantra,