The Love Ranch (BWWM Romance) by Violet Jackson Read Free Book Online Page B

called.
    The young boy materialized beside them immediately, proudly presenting his mother with a bouquet of mangled flowers which he had obviously crushed in his childish exuberance.
    Tiana’s eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the flowers clutched in the tiny hand as though they were the world’s most exquisite diamonds and cried, “Oh, Jamal, I love them! They're wonderful!”
    The sincerity in her voice and her apparent happiness made Jamal’s little chest puff out with pride. He grinned up at her, “They are for you, Mom.”
    She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before taking the flowers from him. “You’re so sweet, baby. But you do know there’s a rule, right?”
    Christian watched amused as the boy’s little shoulders drooped comically. “I have to let you know where I am always?”
    “That’s the one. So you’re grounded. Two weeks, baby.”
    Christian intervened, unable to bear the sight of the young boy’s sad expression, “Come on Tiana, isn’t he a little young for grounding?”
    She gave him a speaking, angry glance that seemed to come naturally to all mothers and he immediately clamped his mouth shut.
    “Two weeks, Jamal,” she said firmly, “and thanks for the lovely flowers.”
    With a grown-up sigh, Jamal meekly fell into step beside them but he soon forgot to be sad as his natural zest for life turned everything into a tourist attraction, including a severely traumatized butterfly which flew off when the little boy approached.
    Tiana grinned to herself, enjoying her son’s natural enthusiasm and Christian felt a kick in his chest as he watched that beautiful smile and the dimples that followed it.
    ***
    The ranch came into sight within minutes and Christian hastily mumbled something about brushing Aasifa’s coat and disappeared into her stall, leaving the other two to their own devices. Aasifa’s stall was removed from others and was one of the few private places on the ranch. There was even a special bunkhouse inside which only he used when he felt like it, and today, he collapsed onto the bed almost immediately after giving Aasifa some treats.
    He must have been there for a long time, completely lost in thoughts of Tiana that by the time he knew what was happening, it was evening. He jolted as he realized someone was calling his name softly; it didn’t take a genius to figure out who.
    What in all of creation was she doing here? He had left the damn house to get away from her and now there she was!
    “Christian?” she called again.
    He kept silent hoping she would go away.
    She knocked against the door of the bunkhouse and then poked her head around the edge, dimpling when she caught sight of him sprawled atop the bed. She had changed out of her customary jeans and t-shirt and was wearing a short flared dress that stopped mid-thigh. Her small feet were encased in casual flip-flops, her toes painted an exotic shade of red.
    What had he done to deserve this torture, he wondered, even as his eyes helplessly feasted on the bare expanse of straight legs peeking beneath her dress.
    “Hey, you,” she breathed. Then gulped, when she saw what he was wearing, or not wearing. He had on his usual pair of jeans but other than that, he was naked from the waist up. He had a hard, heavily muscled, corded chest with straining biceps and flat, washboard abs that tapered into a slim narrow waist.
    The delicious aroma hit his nose first; lemon meringue pie! He sat up immediately, even as his stomach growled so loudly that she heard it clear across the room from the doorway.
    She laughed, her voice tinkling like bells as she carefully averted her eyes from that naked, well-muscled chest and said, “I guess you are happy to see me; or at least your stomach is.”
    “Tiana? What are you doing?” he asked sitting up. Why would she come here? Couldn’t she tell that he was avoiding the house only so he could keep his hands off her?
    “I made you a pie. Dinner was a long time