Crockett's Seduction by Tina Leonard Read Free Book Online Page A

ass atop ol’ Hooves Of Death? Frankly, I don’t have a whole lot to prove. You sure as hell might .”
    He left the kitchen, his chest tight. Mason had no business lecturing him. And Last had no right to run telling tales to Mason.
    Crockett stopped in his tracks, forcing himself to breathe deeply. The truth was, he was romancing Valentine, not a lot, but a little. And obviously there were hard feelings about it. Even he and Valentine both seemed to know that they were flirting with disaster. His feelings were not exactly shiny clean. The residue of guilt and the frequent jealousy told him that.
    If it hadn’t been for Last’s wild night on the town, Valentine wouldn’t be living on the ranch. And if she became uncomfortable with her friendship with Crockett, she might leave.
    That was the last thing Crockett wanted. She had a good home here. Valentine was happy and grateful for her newfound independence. She was trying to please the brothers by making good on their investment. And Annette had people around who doted on her. Even Minnie and Kenny made special efforts to play with her and coddle her like a little sister. But if Mason felt the need to broach the subject, then matters had heated up.
    What had Crockett been thinking? A sweet kiss was heaven, but he should have learned his lessonsabout forbidden fruit from watching his brothers in various stages of downfall. Brothers could unwittingly cause each other all kinds of pain.
    Like the pain Calhoun had caused him by trying out painting. Like the pain good-hearted Mason caused everyone. Like the pain he had probably caused all his brothers at one time or another without ever knowing it.
    If matters had become uncomfortable and someone needed to leave the ranch so that Rome could be built in some form or fashion…it would be Crockett.
    Until that became necessary, he resolved to stay as far away from Valentine as was humanly possible.
     
    O N THE DAY OF THE RODEO , Valentine watched Calhoun and Olivia fix a bridle for Minnie, smiling at how easily the couple worked together. Maybe one day she and Crockett would have that type of relationship, she thought wistfully.
    The daydream surprised her. One small kiss and she was thinking of a life together? Most likely the kiss hadn’t meant anything to him. He was probably doing what Jefferson men did with willing women—amusing himself. After all, the Jefferson brothers were not immune to women, and womenloved those men because they were always rough and ready.
    And she had made the first move.
    “Valentine, is something wrong?” Olivia asked. “You seemed so happy a second ago.”
    “No. I’m fine.” She gave Olivia a smile. “I’ve been thinking about a new recipe.”
    “Oh, I know all about the mood of creation,” Olivia said. “When Calhoun is working on a project, he gets very quiet.”
    Valentine stood. “I should get to the bakery.”
    Calhoun looked surprised. “You’re not going to the rodeo?”
    “Oh, no.” Valentine tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, patting Kenny on the head as she stood.
    “We can give you a ride, of course,” Olivia said.
    “Come with us,” Minnie said. “It’s going to be fun. All the brothers are going to ride!”
    “I’d better work,” she murmured.
    She didn’t want to run into Marvella, and she didn’t want to see her old coworkers from the Never Lonely Cut-n-Gurls salon. Once she’d left, those ties had forever been broken. It would be awkward, like a player who was now on an opposing team, despite the fact that Marvella and Delilah were said to be behaving just like sisters these days.
    “Have fun.” She smiled and excused herself,walking toward her truck. “Somebody call me and tell me how it went.”
    Just then Crockett pulled up in his truck. Valentine smiled and waved, slowing her steps a little so he could catch her and chat if he wanted to. He didn’t. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized he’d gone right to his brother. When he looked