Carrying the Rancher’s Heir

Charlene Sands

Secret Son, Convenient Wife

Maxine Sullivan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Carrying the Rancher’s Heir

Charlene Sands

“The baby’s mine?”

Callie might have expected this. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, hurt that he’d even asked. “Yes.”

Tagg inhaled sharply. “You were ticked at your father and you what? Seduced me in order to defy him?” He turned to her then, his eyes black with fury.

“Tagg, listen. You’re wrong. I can explain.”

“I don’t think so. It all makes sense now.” He spoke with conviction as if nothing in the world could change his mind.

“I mean that was only part of the reason.” What could she say now, that she’d come face to face with her fantasy man? That she’d seen an opportunity to finally take something she wanted, to go for broke, to do something wild and so out of character for her?

How could she tell him that? How could she tell him she loved him?

Dear Reader,

Have you ever met your fantasy man? Someone that is so perfect for you, deadly handsome and honorable with charm to burn, that his very perfection makes him unattainable in your eyes?

Lucky for me, I married my fantasy man, but that’s another story for another day, so I figured why couldn’t my heroine, Callie Sullivan, finally meet the man of her dreams?

Enter Taggart Worth, ex-rodeo rider, rancher, businessman and the owner of Callie’s heart. The Worths are her father’s fiercest competitors and all her life she’s been forbidden to associate with any of them. But a chance encounter with Tagg and a heart full of yearning has Callie going for broke with her sinfully sexy fantasy man.

Welcome to Red Ridge, Arizona, and Worth Ranch, where skies are blue, the land is vast and mountaintops shine deep crimson.

I hope you enjoy Tagg and Callie’s story!

Charlene Sands

About the Author

Award-winning author CHARLENE SANDS writes bold, passionate, heart-stopping heroes and always … really good men! She’s a lover of all things romantic, having married her school sweetheart, Don. She is the proud recipient of a Readers’ Choice Award and double recipient of a Booksellers’ Best Award, having written twenty-eight romances to date, both contemporary and historical Western. Charlene is a member of Romance Writers of America and belongs to the Orange County and Los Angeles chapters of RWA, where she volunteers as the Published Authors’ Liaison.

When not writing, she loves movie dates with her hubby, playing cards with her children, reading romance, great coffee, Pacific beaches, country music and anything chocolate. She also loves to hear from her readers.

For fun stuff, contests and more, you can reach Charlene at www.charlenesands.com, Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter too!

To my dear friends and high school buddies, Mary,

Robin, Allyson, Pam, Denise, Susan, Cindy and Kathy.

Girls who know a good “crush” when they see one!

Our friendship has aged well and I love you all!

A special thank you to Charles Griemsman, my stellar

editor, for his wonderful insights on this story!

One

The subtle sound of hooves pounding earth and good-natured snorts usually put a smile on Taggart Worth’s face.

But not today.

Today, his gut was in a twist as he leaned on the corral fence drinking coffee, watching his three prize mares trot around the circular arena, the slight Arizona wind sweeping their manes. Once again, Worth Ranch had lost out on a lucrative cattle deal to Big Hawk Ranch. Hawkins Sullivan had outbid them and won.

Sullivan.

He was their neighbor and a big thorn in Tagg’s side. Though Worth Ranch held its own with their biggest competitor, Tagg hated losing this last deal. He’d been led to believe it was a sure thing.

Tagg took a sip from his coffee mug. The thick brew had grown as cold and bitter as his emotions. He splashed the remaining coffee onto the ground and set the empty cup on the top of the rail post. His thoughts strayed to the one-night stand he’d had with Sullivan’s daughter Callie last month in Reno. For weeks now, she’d been on his mind and that wouldn’t do for the chief financial officer of Worth Enterprises.

While he should have been outsmarting and outbidding The Hawk, as he was known in the cattle business, Tagg had been thinking about Sullivan’s daughter instead. The devil in him wondered if Hawkins had sent her to that Reno rodeo deliberately to distract him and throw him off balance. Sullivan was known to be ruthless in business but even he wouldn’t go that far—sacrificing his daughter for a cattle deal. Callie didn’t strike him as the type of woman who could be easily manipulated, either, but then Tagg had been wrong before when it came to*** women

He’d known Callie as a child. Their ranches bordered each other, but he hadn’t seen her in years until she’d pulled him off that bar stool in the Cheatin’ Heart honky-tonk and dragged him onto the dance floor.

That night had been wild.

“Dance with me, cowboy. Show me your moves,” she said as she slid her arms around his neck and cozied up real close. Long dark waves fell in a tangle onto her back. She shimmied her body and sent him a smile that beckoned.

“Can you handle my moves?” He spread his hands on her hips and drew her tight against him. She felt like heaven, warm and willing. He was one whiskey away from pure misery—rodeos did that to him. Made him remember what he’d lost. All-grown-up Callie had caught the brunt of his dangerous mood.

“Oh, yeah, Tagg. I can handle any move you want to make on me.” Breathless, her lips angled up to his, so close, so tempting. She stared into his eyes with unmistakable invitation. Take me, she had said with that look, tearing his waning willpower to shreds.

Rational thought had escaped him then. He’d been without a woman for months and Callie seemed to want the same thing as he had, a night of crazy-wild sex. She’d seemed eager for it and Tagg hadn’t an ounce of self-control left. He’d grabbed her hand and taken her to his hotel room, no questions asked. They’d barely made it through the door before they’d tossed each other’s clothes off.

“She’s a fine-looking filly.”

Tagg turned to find his older brother standing at the corral fence three feet away from him. Tagg and his two brothers owned seventy-five thousand acres of prime ranch land in Red Ridge County—land that had been in the Worth family for generations. Clay lived at the main house, and Jackson spent most of his time in the penthouse, while Tagg lived up in the hills on the site of the original Worth cabin in a newly built ranch home.

“Trick?” Tagg nodded, glancing at the youngest of the three mares, a dappled gray. “She’s from good healthy stock. The other females have taken to her just fine.”

“You named her Trick?”

“Long story, but she wasn’t easy to acquire. In fact, it was damn tricky. I had to do some fast talking.”

They watched the horses settle down on the far side of the corral, the two older mares sandwiching Trick between them, mothering her.

“It’s been a while since you’ve come down to the main house.” Clay tipped his hat back to look at him directly. “When I drove up you looked deep in thought. Everything okay?”

Tagg wasn’t the kiss-and-tell kind of guy. He felt guilty about skipping out on Callie that morning, leaving a note on the hotel bed in his wake. He’d never done that to a woman before. But he wasn’t going to discuss that or the loss of the cattle deal to Sullivan with Clay this morning.

It was his problem and he’d deal with it.

Tagg liked his privacy and thanks to modern-day inventions like computers, the internet and iPhones, he didn’t have to venture too far to conduct ranch business these days. Clay dealt with the ranch employees and Jackson took care of the other Worth holdings in Phoenix. All three of them didn’t mind getting their hands dirty and working the land.

“Everything’s fine. Just been buried under a pile of paperwork. How about you?”

“Busy with Penny’s Song. The construction is almost complete. Our first young visitors are due to arrive in a few weeks.”

“That’s good. I’m planning on lending a hand. Anytime you need it.”

Penny’s Song was Clay and his estranged wife’s brainchild, named after a local child who’d died from a debilitating disease at ten years old. With the Worth money and name behind it, the facility built one mile into the property would honor her memory and provide a safe haven for children recovering from life-threatening illness. From the get-go, it was designed to help mainstream those recovering kids into society in a dude ranch-type setting.

“We’re counting on your help.”

“I’ll stop by later today and check out the progress.”

Clay nodded and took a step toward his truck, but then turned and stared at Tagg for a moment.

He lifted his brows, curious at Clay’s expression. “What?”

“It’s been four years, Tagg.”

Tagg took a quick pull of oxygen. Noting the concern on his brother’s face, he tempered his impulse to lash out with careful words. “I know how long it’s been. No one has to remind me.”

“Maybe it’s time you gave yourself a break.” He watched Clay turn around and get into the cab of his truck. The engine roared and red dust kicked up a fuss as he drove off, leaving Tagg alone with his thoughts. The way he wanted. The way it had to be. He’d lost his wife, Heather, four years ago and nothing would make it right. Giving himself a break wasn’t on his agenda.

Ever.

Callie Sullivan stood in the shadows of the Red Ridge Mountains, just steps from Tagg’s front door. A tremble pulsed through her body. She recognized it as anticipation and not fear. She couldn’t wait to lay eyes on him again even knowing he wouldn’t be glad to see her. Even knowing that he’d never called, never tried to get in touch with her again after the night they’d spent together.

She strode up the porch steps and pulled the note he’d written to her on hotel-room stationary out of her jeans. She’d taken it out and read it so many times the paper had worn ragged and thin. She remembered how she’d felt when she’d woken up to find it and not Tagg in the bed beside her that morning. She knew the words by heart now; she didn’t have to see them.

Callie,

It was great. Heading home early. Didn’t want to wake you.

Tagg

As far as notes went, it wasn’t much. Tagg wasn’t a verbal man, but he’d sure made up for his lack of social skills in the bedroom. Callie had no regrets about that night. She’d been restless, frustrated and unhappy during that trip to Reno until she had spotted Tagg sitting on a bar stool all alone. Something short of crazy clicked in her head and told her to go for what she wanted. She’d always wanted Tagg.

Callie, this is your chance.

She’d taken that chance and that night her “Tagg fantasy” had come to life.

She stood on his doorstep and knocked, the note tucked safely into the back pocket of her jeans.

Silence.

Callie knocked again.

Still nothing.

She stepped off his porch and with a hand above her brows she scoured the property, squinting against the afternoon sun, looking for some sign of Tagg.

His sprawling one-story home sat atop a hill and afforded a panoramic view of the Red Ridge Mountains. The picturesque scene reminded Callie why she loved this part of Arizona so much. More than an hour away from the bustling city of Phoenix with its legendary historic districts, sports centers and trendy shopping, Tagg’s ranch home seemed far removed from that life.

It’s the way he wanted it, she thought. Everyone knew his past history. The bronco champion married to the rodeo queen. It had all been so perfect. A real fairy-tale ending.

And they lived happily ever after.

But they hadn’t. Because Heather Benton Worth had died in a small-plane crash on an airstrip on Worth land and Tagg’s life had been engulfed with grief. The details of how it had all come about were sketchy and if anyone knew, not a soul in the county spoke about it. It had been a tragic end to a beautiful life. And it had been as if Tagg had died that day, too. He’d quit the rodeo, leaving his friends and his career behind to build a modest home in the hills. Callie’s father had said that Clayton Worth made Tagg the CFO of the company to pull him out of his grief, and his solitary life on the ranch had begun.

Off in the distance, Callie spotted a lone rider coming in from the range. She took a few steps forward to be sure. Her heart sped. Emotions washed over her. She hadn’t seen Tagg in five weeks. Five weeks too long. She held a secret close to her heart. One she wouldn’t yet share with him.

Long and tall in the saddle, Tagg was just as much a cowboy as he was CFO of Worth Ranch. He wore tan leather chaps over Wranglers and a blue work shirt. Dark Ray-Bans blocked the penetrating sun. As he rode his mare up the dirt path to the barn her breath constricted in her chest. Every nerve ending pulsed.

If Tagg seemed surprised to see her, he didn’t show it. He kept his expression blank as he swung his leg up and dismounted the gorgeous bay mare; her coat was glistening with sweat. Callie put a hand on the horse. “You’re such a pretty girl,” she said, taking hold of the bridle and stroking the mare’s forelock. She had a soft spot for all animals, but she loved horses and considered herself an expert horsewoman.

Tagg stood several inches taller and she had to look up to see his face. He folded his arms across his body and leaned back. “I could say the same to you.”

She couldn’t see his eyes, but was fairly sure he’d just complimented her. “Hi, Tagg.”

“Callie.” He looked her up and down through his sunglasses, making her wish she’d worn something frilly and feminine instead of blue jeans. “You looking for me?”

“I am.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and let go a deep sigh. “Listen, I’m glad you showed up here—”

“You are?” Callie couldn’t help herself. She’d been afraid Tagg wouldn’t want to see her again. So this was good news and she couldn’t hide it in her voice.

He removed his sunglasses and dark silver-blue eyes narrowed in on her. Excitement raced in her veins. Those eyes had seen every ounce of her, had traveled over her body with admiration and desire. Callie would never forget the hot gleam and what it had done to her.

Growing up, Callie had been forbidden to have anything to do with the Worth boys. Her father’s rules. The Worths hadn’t been worthy of the Sullivans. In her father’s mind, no one was good enough for Callie. But she’d known Tagg at school, had seen him around town and later had watched him bust broncos in the rodeo.

Simply put, Taggart Worth had owned her teenage dreams. She’d thought the sun rose and set on his broad shoulders—the chisel-jawed, dark-haired, handsome neighbor boy she wasn’t allowed to get to know. Six months ago, when she’d returned home from Boston to care for her father after a slight heart attack, nothing had changed except that Callie was her own woman now. And her father’s staunch restrictions no longer applied.

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about you.”

Callie held her breath and on to the hope that surrounded her.

“You have?”

He wrestled with his words. “I’m … sorry. About Reno. Shouldn’t have happened.”

She deflated faster than a birthday-party balloon. Her stomach clenched tight and a slow burn began inside her belly. She’d been bold with Tagg that night. She’d never be sorry for taking what she wanted. For giving Tagg all she had to give. She’d relinquished more than her body in Reno. And now he was apologizing? Telling her it shouldn’t have happened?

Pride and anger replaced her disappointment.

“I don’t walk out on women like that, usually.”

How many women? How many one-night stands? She wished they’d woken up in each other’s arms that morning and declared undying love for each other. But she wasn’t foolish enough to believe that would happen between them.

“You left a note,” she reminded him in a tone that made him wince.

His look of deep, honest regret overpowered her. He regretted everything while she held close to her heart those wonderful memories.

“I should have stayed and explained.”

“Nothing to explain, Tagg. We both got what we wanted.”

Tagg shook his head. He didn’t believe it.

Unable to stomach his remorse another second, Callie looked away, glancing at the mare. “Are you going to comb her down? She’s breathing hard.”

Before he could answer, Callie took the reins and walked the horse inside the barn. “Come on, girl,” she cooed. “Let’s get you out of the hot sun.” The familiar musky scent of straw, feed and dank earth wafted in the air. She’d grown up around those barn smells.

Tagg stood there a moment watching her, his expression tight, giving nothing away. Then he strode into the barn behind her. Callie had never felt so raw inside. So unnerved. But she came here to tell Tagg something and she wouldn’t leave until she did.

She took off the mare’s bridle while Tagg began removing the saddle.

“You don’t have to do that,” he snapped.

She’d annoyed him. Good. “It’s second nature with me. I grew up on a ranch, too.” She shot him a smile.

“Kind of hard to forget our biggest competitor.”

She set the bridle on a hook and grabbed a grooming brush. “Is that the problem? I’m The Hawk’s daughter?”

Tagg’s mouth twisted. “No.”

She handed him the brush and their fingers touched. Briefly. For a split second. It was electric, a jolt that tingled down to her toes. She saw a flicker in Tagg’s eyes, a gleam that lit up before fading into his unreadable expression once again.

“I wasn’t expecting flowers and candy,” she said quietly.

“You got less than you deserved.” He set the brush on the mare and began grooming her with long sweeping strokes.

“I knew what I was doing, Tagg. It was … pretty amazing. Are you going to deny that?”

Tagg stopped brushing the mare and turned to her, his eyes dark and hard. “No, I won’t deny that, but it can’t happen again.”

“I don’t want it to,” she said quickly, her pride taking hold. “Just so you can get your ego through that barn door, I’d better say what I came here to say. I thought you’d care to hear this from me rather than from your brother. You’re going to see me around Worth Ranch from now on. I’m volunteering at Penny’s Song. It’s a worthy cause that I’m fully behind and I can’t wait to get started working with the children.”

“You?” Tagg silently cursed. Callie Sullivan was the last person he wanted to see on Worth land day in and day out. He couldn’t believe she’d shown up here today. He’d been thinking about that night in Reno for weeks now. Remembering how good it was with her. His blood pressure escalated the second he’d spotted her on his property. And in that instant when they’d touched, memories of hot sweaty mind-numbing sex had rattled his brain.

“Yes, me.”

“Why?”

“I told you. I want to work with children. I’ve got a degree in psychology and I know I can be an asset at the facility. Clay thought I’d be perfect, since I’m good with horses, too.”

Clay? He was going to have to talk to his brother. Never mind that Callie Sullivan was Hawkins Sullivan’s daughter and they’d already beat Worth Ranch out of one big cattle deal this year, Tagg didn’t need the temptation Callie posed to him.

He resumed brushing down the mare. Clay had no clue about Tagg’s one-night stand with Callie and he wasn’t going to bring it up. If word got out, the family would try their hand at matchmaking. Lord knows, they’d tried before. But Tagg wasn’t shopping for a relationship and he’d made himself very clear. “Well, thanks for telling me.”

“It’s a pretty wonderful charity. Your brother is a good man for doing this.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I told him to forget I’m The Hawk’s daughter while I’m on the ranch. My focus will only be on helping to get Penny’s Song off the ground.”

“I’m sure he appreciates that.” He patted the mare’s rump then turned to fill a steel bucket half-full of oats. He’d ridden the horse hard while on the range.

Before he could get the oats to the mare, Callie stepped up, bumping him slightly. He caught a whiff of her perfume—flowery but earthy, as if she’d stamped her own unique scent on it. Memories flooded back instantly. That sultry dance in the bar. Her long black hair flowing wild and free. The way her moist skin tasted when he’d kissed her.

“I bet she’ll like this more.” Callie reached into her front pocket, coming up with half a dozen sugar cubes. She opened her palm to the mare. A pink tongue came out to lap up Callie’s treat. She slid her hand along the mare’s mane. “Are we friends now, girl?” Her tone was soft and soothing, as if they’d just shared something intimate. “Yeah, I think we are.” She turned to Tagg, her eyes bright. “What’s her name?”

Tagg set the bucket down in front of the horse and moved to the wall to hang up the brush, leaving Callie and her tempting scent behind. “Russet.”

Callie smiled wide. “That’s perfect.”

Tagg nodded, watching Callie interact with his horse. She wore jeans and a soft cotton shirt, nothing daring, nothing that would raise a man’s temperature. Except that he knew what was underneath her clothes: soft creamy skin, hips that flared slightly and perfect breasts that when freed of constraints could bring a man to tears.

She knew horses. Knew how to talk to them, how to treat them. That didn’t surprise him as much as please him. He leaned back against the wall watching her until Callie realized what he was doing.

Her brows lifted, a question in her expression as she looked at him.

“Why’d you do it, Callie? We barely knew each other. Why me?”

Deep in thought, she studied him, and Tagg wondered if she would tell him the truth. A moment ticked by and then she tilted her head slightly. “When I saw you sitting on that bar stool … you looked how I felt.” She stood with set shoulders near his mare. “Lonely. Disappointed. Wishing things in your life were different. I thought we needed each other. That maybe we could help each other.”

Tagg hadn’t expected that much honesty. Callie had looked into his soul and really seen him. He never spoke of Heather to anyone. It was as though if he didn’t say the words aloud, they wouldn’t be true. They wouldn’t hurt as much. Except now, with Callie, he felt a need to explain, if only this one time. “It was the anniversary of my wife’s death. She was everything to me. I went to Reno on the pretense of business, to forget.”

Callie cast him a sympathetic look, her eyes filled with under standing. “I’m sorry.”

“No sorrier than I am.” He looked away, gazing out the barn doors to the land that had belonged to the Worths for generations, not really seeing any of it. He pushed images of that fiery split-in-two plane on the tarmac out of his mind. He’d seen it enough in his nightmares. He turned to her then, looking deep into her pretty brown eyes. “When I said that night shouldn’t have happened, I meant it. Nothing’s gonna come of it, Callie. It’d be best if we put it out of our heads.”

“Agreed,” she said instantly, her eyes firm on his. “Like I said, I’m here to break the ice. In case we should bump into each other at Penny’s Song. I’m not good with awkward.”

Tagg smiled. “Me, neither. Never had any social skills.”

She chuckled deep in her throat and nodded in agreement. He almost took offense but then Callie’s lips parted slightly and she spoke soft words that couldn’t be misconstrued. “You make up for it in other ways.”

“Do I?” Always nice to know a female companion had no complaints when he took her to bed. Tagg’s mind drifted to the beautiful brunette with soulful caramel eyes moaning his name as he drove deep inside her. Oh, man. He shook those thoughts free before Callie caught a hint of what he was thinking.

He wondered what she needed to forget. What kind of loneliness and pain had she been clinging to that night? But Tagg wasn’t going down that road. He didn’t want to know. He didn’t want any more involvement with Callie Sullivan, pretty as she was.

Callie pursed her lips and nodded. They stared at each other silently.

“I should go.”

“Probably should.”

“Okay, then.” She walked out the barn door and Tagg followed quietly behind her.

But then she stopped, turned on her heels abruptly and he nearly mowed her down. Their bodies connected; his chest knocked her backward. On impulse, he shot both arms out to keep her from falling. “Damn, woman. Give a man some warning.”

And there he was, holding soft, pretty Callie Sullivan in his arms. Her hair fell back, and when he righted her, the shiny strands came forward and tickled his fingers.

She blinked. Looked up into his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Why’d you stop so quickly?”

“I had something else to say.”

“Say it.” That musky flowery scent invaded his senses and reminded him once again about their night together. He released his hold when he was sure she was on level footing. Callie set her hands on her hips, the exact place where his hands had been. It was an unconscious gesture on her part, but one that tugged at his cold heart.

“I don’t usually pick up men in bars.” She shot him a bold look that dared him to doubt her.

Tagg arched his brows.

Color rushed to her face. “I mean to say, I’ve never had a one-night stand before. It’s not my—”

“Got it.” He wanted out of this conversation and the reminder of that night.

“You do? You believe me?”

“Doesn’t make a bit of difference if I believe you or not, but yeah, I do believe you. I may not have social skills but I’ve got good instincts.”

“It makes a difference to me. I’m glad you believe me. I mean, since we’ll be seeing each other from now on. Your opinion matters.”

It shouldn’t, he wanted to say, but kept his lips sealed.

His cell phone rang and he was glad for the interruption. Callie had a vulnerable expression on her face and Tagg was a sucker for a female in distress. He lifted up the phone. “Gotta get this.”

She smiled weakly and nodded. “Goodbye, Tagg.”

He watched her walk to her car and get in. Once she started the engine and circled around to the gravel road, he answered Clay’s call. “What in hell were you thinking hiring on Sullivan’s daughter?”

“I’m so glad you called, Sammie. I really needed to hear your voice today.” Callie leaned back on her bed, resting her head against the daisy pillow sham, speaking on the phone with her best friend and onetime college roommate.

Her bedroom on Big Hawk Ranch looked the same as it did when she was a child. The pale yellow and cornflower blue walls spoke of a brightness that Callie didn’t feel these days. She’d come home from Boston because her job there had ended just about the same time her father’s health had taken a turn for the worse. She felt the timing was right. She’d missed living in Arizona. She’d missed the ranch. But once she’d returned, she’d found that while everyone else had moved on with their lives, Callie’s life had remained stagnant. The room her mother had decorated when Callie was just a girl was one of many perfect examples. The Hawk never wanted the room changed and Callie had acquiesced.

“Yeah, you sound down this morning. There’s something wrong. So what’s going on?” her friend asked.

“I … I just miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” Sammie said. “And you know there’s nothing holding you there. You can come back to Boston anytime. I’ve got an extra room in my apartment that has your name on it. But, hon, I know that missing me isn’t what’s putting that tone in your voice. What’s up?”

“You know. The usual. My father.”

“The Hawk? He’s at it again? What did he do this time?”

“It’s a little complicated right now.”

Callie wasn’t ready to share everything with Sammie, especially the guilt she felt about her secret. But she could tell her the most basic truth, which was that she’d reached her boiling point with her father last month. She’d thought that having a college degree, having lived off the ranch for several years and having reached her twenty-sixth birthday would have made a difference with her father. But she’d come to the bitter realization that he would never change. Oh, she did love him. In many regards he was a good father, but his need to control the outcome of her life had gotten out of control lately.

“You know I was dating a man named Troy, right?” she asked.

“Right. The tall, blond carpenter.” He’d come to the ranch to build a new pool house and Callie had hit it off with him. “I thought you were still dating. I mean, the last time we talked you didn’t say you weren’t.”

“I didn’t tell you what The Hawk did because I was so furious with him, I needed some time to let it sink in. My daddy just doesn’t get that I can make decisions for myself.

He can’t see it as a control issue. He thinks he’s looking out for me the way a father should.”

“He’s overcompensating for you not having a mother. Trying to be both parents at once.”

“I’ve always understood that. I cut my father slack because I knew he grieved for my mother. But Mom’s been gone eleven years and instead of him moving on with his life, he tossed all of the love he had for her onto me. I’m on the receiving end of a doting, controlling, overpowering father. Lucky me.”

“Oh, Callie. Sorry. I thought he’d lighten up after you got home from Boston.”

“Just the opposite. He wanted me to work for him when I got home. Laid the guilt on pretty thick too this last time. The Sullivan legacy will die if I don’t take the reins at the ranch. All that he’d built up will go to ruins. The sky will fall and crush everything he’s worked so hard for. Finally, I gave in. I worked with him for months. And I tried, Sammie. But The Hawk and I just don’t see eye to eye on things.”

Which was a nice way of saying her father was too ruthless a businessman for Callie. She had strong professional ethics that he didn’t understand. They’d butted heads over business decisions constantly. “I finally told him no, not at this time. I want to work in the field I’m interested in, the field I studied for four years. And he backed off, a little. And then he pulled his Hawk maneuver with Troy.”

“What did he do?”

“Troy’s a really great guy. I liked him, but it wasn’t earth-shattering or anything.” Nothing compared to how she felt about Tagg Worth. Especially now, but she had to hold those feelings close to her heart for the time being. She was purposefully deceiving Tagg with a sin of omission, but it couldn’t be helped.

Restless, Callie rose from the bed. She moved over to the window and smiled when she looked down from the second story to find her palomino, Freedom, prancing around the perimeter of the corral. When her mother was alive, living on Big Hawk Ranch had given Callie so much joy. She still loved the ranch, but couldn’t abide her father’s way of doing things.

“I’d only dated him for a month. Daddy kept asking questions, hinting that Troy wasn’t good enough for me, just because of what he did for a living. Apparently, blue-collar workers aren’t good enough for a girl raised on a cattle ranch,” she added with sarcasm. “I was really beginning to like this guy and then he stopped calling. I couldn’t reach him by phone, so one day I stopped by his office trailer outside of town and asked him what happened. And you know, I have to give Troy credit for telling me the truth.”

“Which was?”

Before Callie could respond, Sammie sighed. “Oh, your father threatened him?”

Callie turned from the window, tempering the anger she felt at her father’s manipulation. “No, no … nothing that blatant. He offered Troy a lucrative job doing a remodel for a friend’s ranch in Flagstaff. Would take about six months at the very least. The only stipulation was that he break off all contact with me.” Callie laughed without humor. “Can you imagine? I about died of mortification and whatever I had building with Troy had been sullied, ruined by The Hawk, even though Troy had turned my father down flat.”

“Oh, wow, Callie. That’s too bad.”

Callie thought so, too. After that humiliating experience, Callie had packed her bags and driven to Reno to blow off steam. Her cousin, Deanna, lived there and she had an open invitation to visit. For the first few days, Callie could barely see straight for the anger and humiliation she’d felt and she vented to her cousin, who’d lent a responsive ear. She was on her way back home when she’d stopped at the Cheatin’ Heart and spotted Tagg sitting on that bar stool.

Callie’s fantasy man.

And her father’s worst nightmare.

Callie took the opportunity presented to her. No, that wasn’t entirely true. She had to be totally honest with herself—she’d made things happen with Tagg. Because she wanted him and because she’d been sorely exasperated with her father. She wasn’t sure if one or the other alone would have sparked her bold move, but the combination of both was too tempting to resist. She couldn’t possibly have predicted how that night would end.

Because Callie hadn’t planned on falling in love.

Or conceiving Tagg’s baby.

Yet, both had happened.

Callie finished her conversation with Sammie and placed the receiver back onto its cradle. With a hand to her belly, she marveled about the new life growing inside her, wondering whether it was a boy or a girl. Wondering if the baby would have her brown eyes or Tagg’s beautiful silver-blue ones. Would the child have a golden bronze complexion like the father or be fair-skinned like Callie?

In only her most selective, perfect fantasies did she entertain thoughts of a future with Taggart Worth. She wouldn’t use the baby as bait to lure him into a relationship. She wouldn’t trap him into marriage. Yes, he had a right to know about the baby, but not yet. Shoving aside the guilt that burdened her by not revealing the truth to him, Callie held firm to her convictions. She needed a little time and a chance to win him over. She’d fallen in love with him and wanted nothing less in return. Before she told him she carried his child.

Callie had set the wheels in motion. Tomorrow she would begin working with the Worths at Penny’s Song.

Two

Tagg’s eyes nearly crossed as he stared at the computer screen. He’d been intent on doing an inventory of Worth Ranch holdings and had spent the better part of the morning staring at numbers.

Tagg’s office space, which was an appendage of his main house, consisted of three rooms. The room where Tagg would conduct business if need be, he had designed himself. Rough wood beams angled across the ceilings, wall-to-wall walnut bookshelves and cabinets spread across the entire perimeter, and his wide desk faced the door. The other two rooms were smaller with walls painted in rustic gold. One he used as a makeshift lounge area, complete with a wet bar, built-in refrigerator and a chocolate leather sofa. The other room was where he kept old file cabinets and outdated equipment. All of the Worths’ business machines and electronics were state of the art now, upon Jackson’s insistence.

“Enough,” he muttered as he shut down the computer. He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment. At the age of thirty-one he was too damn young to be feeling so weary before noon.

“You’re doing too much,” his brother Jackson said as he walked into the office. “Why the heck don’t you break down and get yourself some help? A secretary, for Pete’s sake. You know, someone who can answer phones and file, crunch those numbers you’re staring at too long.”

“When the hell did you get here?” Tagg asked, baffled. He was concentrating so hard on his work, he hadn’t heard Jackson drive up and walk into his office.

“Don’t change the subject. You know I’m right.”

Tagg glared at him. His brother was two years older and a whole lot more polished than Tagg. He wore six-hundred-dollar snakeskin boots and dressed like a fashion model for Cowboys & Indians magazine. He operated the Worth offices in downtown Phoenix.

“I’m thinking about it.” He hated to admit it. His brothers were always on his case about hiring someone to help out. The trouble was that Tagg liked the solitude of the ranch. He liked keeping his own hours without answering to anyone. He liked being alone with his thoughts. An employee would cramp his style.

In his younger days, he’d spend all-nighters with the rodeo boys, drinking whiskey until the sun came up without one iota of sleep. But his eyes never burned like they did now, spending hours in front of the computer screen. Of course, after a long bender like that, he’d felt no pain anywhere on his body.

Tagg smiled thinking about his crazy rodeo days and the friends he’d left behind. But then, dark memories immediately flooded in, reminding him why he left the rodeo.

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re thinking about it,” Jackson remarked. “I can have Betty Sue take a look at the list of résumés we have at the main office. That woman is great at hiring the right employees for the company.”

Tagg waved him off. “Maybe. But not now.”

Jackson persisted with a coaxing smile. “There’s no time like the present.”

Tagg rose from his seat and shot his brother a look. “Give it a rest. I said I’ll think about it.”

Jackson took Tagg’s suggestion and shrugged with nonchalance. “Fine with me. So, are you helping this afternoon with Clay’s project?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. He wants me to pick out the right horses for the kids coming to the ranch. You going?” He gave the tailored suit his brother was wearing the once-over.

“Not today. I have a meeting in the middle of the day. Gotta get back to Phoenix.”

“Something important?”

“Maybe. I’m thinking the Worths should get into the restaurant business.”

Tagg shook his head. “What?”

“Could be a really sweet deal. We could franchise, eventually.”

Tagg shook his head. Jackson was the go-getter in the family and had done very well for himself outside of Worth Enterprises. He had a gift when it came to making money. “That’s out of our comfort zone a tad bit, isn’t it?”

Jackson smiled wide. “Nah. I’m thinking it’s time to broaden our horizons.”

“Cattle, land development and now restaurants? You’ve got too much time on your hands, Jack.”

“Not true, I’m busier than ever.”

“Then maybe you need some outside interests that don’t include work.”

“Look who’s talking,” Jackson said with a grin. “This, coming from a man who doesn’t step foot off Worth land. Maybe you need to get a life.”

“I’ve got a life, right here. I’m not a recluse. I go out.” Rarely. But he did venture out on occasion. The last time he left town, he’d gone to Reno and had a sizzling hot night of sex with a sultry brunette.

“Okay, whatever you say. You got some time to feed me before you head over to Penny’s Song?”

“Yeah, I think I can wrangle us up some lunch.”

An hour later, Tagg got into his Jeep Cherokee and drove over to the Penny’s Song site. He had to hand it to his brother. Clayton Worth, country-western superstar, had retired from singing at the ripe old age of thirty-seven to live a simpler life on the ranch. Along the way, he’d had the inspiration for Penny’s Song and was making it a reality. All three brothers had pooled their resources and invested in its development. But Tagg felt close to this project for his own reasons.

He climbed out of his Jeep and studied the construction site. At least a dozen workmen applied their trade, though most of the major construction was complete. Shingles were being nailed down, barn doors were being set on hinges and new buildings forming an old-town-style street were wet with paint announcing Sheriff’s Office and General Store. The Red Ridge Saloon had an attached kitchen where the meals would be served. The bunkhouse where the kids would sleep would be run by well-screened volunteers.

“It’s coming along,” Clay said, walking up to him. He pushed his hat back on his head.

“It’s looking better than I imagined. The kids are gonna love it.”

“That’s the plan.”

Tagg captured his brother’s attention. “So, no hard feelings about the other day?”

Clay chuckled and shook his head. “You mean when you barked at me for not turning down The Hawk’s daughter? Nah. No hard feelings. I’ve never held Callie responsible for her old man’s doings. Even after you explained he’d just beaten us out of a big deal, I can’t fault her. She’s capable and more than qualified. Our mama didn’t raise no fool,” he said with a grin. “I know a good thing when I see it.”

Tagg held his tongue as Clay continued, “Fact is, she came up with a great idea for the general store. The kids are gonna get tokens every time they complete a chore. And then they can barter them for something in the general store. She’s donating little prizes and gifts to put in there.”

“That so?” Tagg had to admit it was a good idea. What child wouldn’t feel a sense of accomplishment being given a little reward for a job well done? His own father had instilled in all three of his sons the idea that hard work paid off. If you do a good job, you reap the benefits. “You should’ve thought of it.”

Clay’s eyes gleamed. “Maybe, but I was smart enough to hire on a pretty gal who knows child psychology. I’m taking full credit for that.”

Before Tagg could respond, his thoughts were interrupted by a burst of laughter coming from behind him. He turned around to find Callie Sullivan in the midst of a group of workmen by the barn, her head thrown back in amusement. All of the men in on the joke had their eyes on her, laughing along with her.

Something churned inside his gut. Seeing her again, smiling and happy around the crew, put him in a foul mood. She looked beautiful, even in faded jeans and a soft plaid work shirt with her hair pulled into a ponytail. She didn’t need frills to get him hot and bothered. Didn’t need her hair wild and loose to remember how soft those strands felt falling through his fingers.

She turned her head and caught him staring, then smiled wide, her dark eyes still glistening with mirth. She lifted her hand in a slight wave.

“There she is,” Clay said. He immediately gestured for her to come over. “I was darn surprised when she landed on my doorstep the other day inquiring about Penny’s Song. I hadn’t seen her in years.” Clay narrowed his eyes and shot a glance Tagg’s way. “But then, she stopped by your place, too, didn’t she? Enough to get you riled.”

Tagg bit his tongue. He’d seen enough of Callie Sullivan to occupy his dreams. “She didn’t rile me,” he said through tight lips. With Callie fast approaching, he couldn’t say much more to his brother.

“Hi, boys.”

Callie smiled at him then focused her attention on Clay. A piece of straw was stuck to her hair and Tagg had an uncanny urge to pluck it free. He focused on that strand of gold sticking out while Callie engaged in conversation with his brother.

“I’m so proud to be a part of this, Clay. Don’t forget, I’ll be happy to help with fundraisers, too. I’ve got some ideas that might bring the community together on this.”

“That’s real thoughtful, Callie.” Clay reached up and pulled that piece of straw from her hair. Tagg ground his teeth, watching Callie touch her hair and smile at his brother, like he’d just cured world hunger.

“Oh, thanks.”

Clay nodded and continued, “We’re depending on volunteers right now, but eventually, if all goes well, we’ll need more funds and have to hire on permanent help.”

“Keep me in mind.”

Clay smiled. “I surely will.” He turned to Tagg. “Actually, I’m glad you’re both here. I’ve got a job for the two of you.”

Callie shot Tagg a quick look then focused back on Clay. “Okay, I’m ready for whatever you have in mind.”

“We need to decide which horses will work best for the kids. Their ages range from six to thirteen. We need the tamest of the string, the horses with the most patience. We can’t afford to give up too many of our own trained cutting horses, but if you could select a few for now from our stables then we’ll go from there.”

Tagg could do this with his eyes closed. There was no need to involve Callie.

“I’d love to,” Callie said immediately.

“I can get this done, Clay,” Tagg stated. “If you need Callie for something else.”

Callie turned his way and he sensed her stare. He kept his gaze trained on his brother, not willing to see the recrimination in her eyes.

Clay shook his head. “No. I need you both for this. You each know horses, but Callie’s worked with children. And since none of us Worths have been around kids much, the two of you will make a good team.”

Tagg shrugged, giving up. Wasn’t as though he couldn’t spend an afternoon with Callie without jumping her bones. “Fine. We’ll pick out a few gentle mares from the string.”

Clay glanced at his watch and winced. “I’m running late. I’m gonna have to leave the crew in your hands today. I’ve got an appointment in town. Tagg, keep those boys in line for me. Seems every one of them is already smitten with Callie.” Clay winked at her and the sound of her sweet throaty chuckle set Tagg’s nerves on edge.

“Something tells me Callie can take care of herself.”

Clay narrowed his eyes and the conversation quickly died.

After a few seconds of silence, Callie chimed in, “Now, don’t you go worrying about me. Those boys are treating me just fine.”

“Glad to hear it.” Clay darted them each a curious look as if trying to figure out something.

Tagg set his jaw, waiting for his brother to leave.

“I’ll be in touch,” Clay said finally, then bid them farewell.

Tagg stood alone with Callie in front of the general store. They stared at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds until Callie’s smile brought him up short. “Well, I’m glad I stopped by your house the other day to break the ice. Because that wasn’t awkward.”

Callie’s remark broke the tension. Tagg relaxed and sent her a smile. “Do you always blurt out whatever’s on your mind?”

Callie smiled back and her caramel eyes lit up. “Yeah, most times I do.”

“What about those other times, when you don’t? How does that work for you?”

Callie thought about it for one second then replied, “It works fine. When I keep my words in check, it’s usually to keep the peace with my father.”

“The Hawk,” Tagg bit out.

“My father.”

“Are you afraid of him?”

“Heavens, no. Let’s just say it’s usually easier to deal with him without hysterical drama. Which is what it would be if I really let loose on him.”

“So you hold back.”

“I deal with him in my own way and, most times, I’m successful at making my point. What about you, Tagg? Do you always hold in your feelings?”

Tagg didn’t like speaking about feelings. What man did? “What feelings are you talking about exactly?”

Callie got a distant look on her face and then blinked it away. “Scared feelings. Like leaving a girl a note on the hotel bed instead of facing her.”

Tagg wasn’t going there. He chose to ignore Callie’s comment. It was safer that way for both of them. He put his hand to her lower back and applied slight pressure. “Let’s get to those horses. I’ll drive.”

They strode toward the Jeep in silence, Tagg aware of Callie right beside him. Her unique scent wafted up to tease his nostrils and remind him of things he wanted forgotten. His foul mood kicked up a notch. When they reached the vehicle, he opened the door for her before he walked to the driver’s side and got in. He turned the engine key and gave it gas, but didn’t put it in gear. Hesitating, he stared out the dashboard window.

They’d both entered into the one-night fling. Callie wasn’t completely off the hook. She’d done her part in tempting him beyond his willpower. But Tagg never shied away from his responsibilities. And he had felt responsible for what had happened between them because he knew going in that Callie Sullivan was off-limits for more than one good reason. She was the daughter of his biggest competitor. She was his neighbor and a woman he’d be bumping into at times. But perhaps most importantly, Tagg knew Callie wasn’t the one-night stand kind of woman. She didn’t play loose and fast, which was the only kind of woman Tagg ever got involved with these days.

After mulling it over in his mind, Tagg figured an explanation was exactly what was needed. Basically, he was an up front kind of guy. He liked to lay things on the line. “Callie, I wasn’t afraid of anything. I had to leave and didn’t want to wake you. That’s the truth.”

“The whole truth?” she asked.

With an inward sigh, he rested his arm across the steering wheel and turned to probe deep into her eyes. “Look, I don’t want to be a jerk about this. But that night wasn’t about feelings.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Okay, it was about feelings, but not my feelings for you.”

“I know that. You were hurting.”

“Yeah, I was and you were there. Easy. Convenient. Beautiful.”

Callie’s eyes grew round with stunned surprise and then they squeezed shut. “Oh.”

Tagg cursed under his breath.

She squeezed her eyes even tighter as if to ward off the pain he’d just caused. When she opened them she nodded quickly. “Got it.”

“I didn’t say that right.” He felt like a heel and hated every second of this conversation. Moments like this one were the reason he didn’t get involved with women anymore.

“Oh, no. You made yourself perfectly clear.”

Callie refused to look at him. She stared straight ahead, her body as rigid as an ancient statue. Tagg put the Jeep in gear and drove toward the Worth stables. About five minutes into the ride, Callie shocked him when she began making small talk, seemingly fully recovered from his callous words. “You know I went to Boston College for four years. I only came home for short summer stays and holidays.”

“Yeah, I know.” He glanced at her. She appeared more relaxed and looked him square in the eyes.

“You know?”

He shrugged. “Nothing’s a secret in a small town. We all thought The Hawk’s only child couldn’t wait to get as far away from him as possible.”

“He’s not that bad, Tagg. He loves me. And I love him. But I really liked having a life without a lot of meddling.”

“Can’t imagine he could do too much meddling from over two thousand miles away.”

“He managed some, but overall my stay in Boston was wonderful. It’s a very quaint city in many regards.”

“So why did you come back?”

“I missed Arizona. I missed the ranch. Silly me, I’m not a city girl after all. And my father had a little health scare. He’s really the only family I have. Except for my mother’s side. I have an aunt and a cousin who live in Reno.”

The Jeep barreled over some rough patches in the road and tossed them both forward. On instinct, Tagg threw his arm across Callie’s body to keep her from hitting the dashboard. The back of his hand connected with her chest as he pressed her back to safety. His knuckles grazed her breast and met with resistance, the contrast of firm giving way to soft, so female, so Callie, that his blood pressure elevated. Instant images flashed in his head of touching her there, pressing his lips to her perfect pink tips and filling his mouth with her taste.

He swallowed down and slid her a glance. “You okay?”

Her lips curved up in a soft smile that unnerved him. A smile that seemed to suggest touch me anytime, take me anywhere. “Yes.”

He turned to face the road and kept on driving, obliterating that memory, denying the inviting look on her expression and refusing to acknowledge that he was damned attracted to Callie Sullivan.

Three

Callie bounded out of Tagg’s vehicle, keeping her spirits up. Tagg’s cutting words a few minutes ago had hurt, but she couldn’t let them discourage her. She’d known Tagg was a loner when she’d approached him that night. She’d known about his past heartache. She couldn’t expect him to claim undying love for her at this point, not when he’d been wallowing in grief for years.

They’d had a great night of sex in Reno. But she also believed that it wasn’t just sizzle between the sheets. Tagg had been sweet and thoughtful during that time and they’d talked and shared intimacies that she’d always remember, in between their bouts of lovemaking.

She hadn’t planned on conceiving his child that night. But she’d never say that her baby was a mistake. She wanted this child, now more than ever. She knew she was on shaky ground at the moment. The quake that was Taggart Worth could topple a less determined woman. But Callie had nothing to lose and everything to gain so she wouldn’t allow Tagg’s sharp tongue to stop her.

Once they arrived at the stables, just a stone’s throw from the Worths’ main house, Callie got out of the car and crossed to the corral to take a look at half a dozen horses.

“Not those,” Tagg said. “They’re too high-strung.”

Callie could tell that already, just by their stance, the way they held their heads and the way they seemed too aware of their surroundings. Like they were ready to bolt any second. Callie nodded. “They’re spirited.”

“Our best cutting horses,” Tagg said, nodding in the direction of another corral behind the stable. “Over here.”

Callie followed Tagg as he marched over to another fenced-off arena. He opened the gate and entered. At least six horses were scattered about. He waited for Callie to walk through the gate and then closed it behind her. Upon entering, a few of the horses lifted their heads, giving them a casual perusal before going back to grazing. The others didn’t seem to notice them, or if they did, they didn’t seem to care.

“I think we’ve found our candidates,” Callie said, approaching a light chestnut mare whose coat gleamed under the afternoon sun. The horse looked healthy and didn’t seem to spook easily. Callie knew enough to move slowly, especially when advancing on an animal that didn’t know you. “Hey, girl,” she said. “What’s your name?”

Tagg strode to her side. “This here is Sunflower. She’s done her part on the ranch.”

Callie studied the horse. She had kind eyes. “She’s what, ten or eleven?”

Tagg nodded. “She’s eleven.”

Callie stroked along her nose, all the while looking into Sunflower’s eyes. “She might be a good choice. She’s not too tall, either, and she’s a good age. I’d like to spend some time with her. Maybe take her for a ride. See how she does out in the open.”

“Good idea.” Tagg nodded. He walked toward a black gelding with four white socks and a long white stripe along his nose. “This here is Tux.”

She grinned and acknowledged, “Because of his black-and-white coloring.”

Tagg stroked the horse’s mane. “Yeah. He was so fine in his day. He’s about twelve now. I used to ride him when I came home from the rodeo. He’s got a lot of life left in him.”

Callie walked over to Tux, admiring him. “Do you trust him?”

Tagg looked the horse over and nodded. “About as much as I trust any one thing. Which sometimes isn’t all that much. I want to take him out and see how he does.”

Callie wondered about Tagg’s comment. Was he only speaking about horses? Or did he have other issues with trust. “Today?”

Tagg glanced at her. “No, not today. Since Clay’s put me in charge, I’d better get back to Penny’s Song before too long. We’ll have to do it another day.”

“Okay.” Callie glanced at the rest of the horses in the corral and found some to be far too old and lazy, some to be a little bit too jumpy. Tagg agreed, doing a calculated assessment, much the way Callie had.

“Let’s take a quick look in the stable,” Tagg suggested. “Might as well see them all while we’re here.”

Callie followed behind Tagg and wished she’d been a little quicker in her stride. Because the view from here was too darn good. His dark hair, jutting out from under his hat and curling at his nape, made her wish she had free reign to run her fingers through those thick strands. Wide shoulders tapered down to a waist that accented slim hips and a perfect male butt. Taggart Worth fit into his jeans like nobody’s business.

With an unsteady breath, Callie sighed as she moved from bright sunlight to near darkness inside the stable. It took a while for her eyes to adjust. Once they did, she spotted Tagg inside a stall beside an old mare. She looked gaunt and weary. “This here is Sadie. She was … mine.”

Tagg looked at the mare with admiration and devotion. Something soft and warm tugged at Callie’s heart. She’d never seen Tagg’s emotions so raw, so real. His eyes gleamed with pure love. He spoke softly to the mare, stroking her, and Callie kept her distance for the time being, allowing the two of them to reconnect.

After a moment, Tagg added, “She’d probably be good around children. She’d welcome the attention and I think the kids would love her.”

The way you do, Callie wanted to say.

“She’s not too long for this world.” The horse nuzzled his neck playfully, looking more alive.

“She heard that. She’s gonna prove you wrong.”

He glanced at the mare. “Maybe. We’ll try her out and see how she holds up.”

Callie stepped closer to Tagg, removing the distance between them. “The horse I had growing up is gone. I wish I still had her.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Callie spoke softly. “I was only eight when she was born. I watched her birth. I’d seen other mares foal, but this time it was special for me. I knew the little filly entering into the world that day would be mine. My daddy promised and I had to swear to take care of her myself. I was eager to do it. When she struggled up on those skinny little legs to take her first steps in the barn, I cried. It was love at first sight.” Callie smiled and glanced at Tagg.

He’d moved closer to her, too. She saw another gleam in his eyes. This time aimed at her. Sadie moved back a step but the slight rustling of straw didn’t interrupt, didn’t suspend the intense look on Tagg’s face. It didn’t stop his approach. “Tell me more.”

“Her name was Jasmine. Named after the fairy-tale princess. I had visions of flying off on a magic carpet with her.”

Tagg smiled. “Or she’d fly you around on her back.”

“A little girl’s daydreams can’t be messed with.” She relished the smile Tagg offered her. He was so darn handsome … still her fantasy man.

The light was dim in the stable and cool enough when she’d first walked inside, but now the stable heated up and familiar musky scents of earth and straw closed in on her. She stood toe-to-toe with Tagg. “I don’t suppose you had daydreams.”

Tagg seared her with a hot glance and arched his brow. “I’m having one now.”

She looked at his mouth with longing. She wanted him. She always had. “So am I, Tagg,” she said, breathless.

Tagg reached one hand out and pulled her close. She flowed easily toward him. His mouth came down on hers in a rush of heat. Instantly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and put everything she had into returning the kiss. Weeks of yearning, desire and uncertainty all rolled up into one ignited when his mouth met hers. A deep rugged groan escaped Tagg’s throat and fueled those flames as their bodies brushed. The magnetic pull was something neither could fight. It was just there, driving them closer.

Tagg deepened the kiss, opening his mouth and wetting her lips with his tongue. She parted for him immediately, inviting his tongue inside her mouth. Holding her breath, she prepared for the onslaught, the intense mating that swept fiery heat through her body.

Tagg pulled at her hips, jutting them up against his. His erection pulsed between their clothes, solid and strong.

“Oh,” she moaned, barely able to breathe. She gave herself up to him, to the power of his kiss. She went weak-kneed and Tagg’s strong grip was all that held her upright. He put his arms around her waist and then in one quick move, removed the rubber band from her hair. The strands were released, and he shoved his fingers through, spreading her hair out.

She thought to do the same to him, remembering her wish of just minutes ago. She grabbed his hat and tossed it aside, garnering a deep-rooted chuckle from him. Then, as he continued to kiss her, she ran her fingers into his long dark locks, playing with his hair just as she’d fantasized.

Callie pulled back just enough to catch her breath. “Easy?”

Tagg’s lips curled up. “Anything but.”

He continued to kiss her.

She pulled back slightly one more time. “Convenient?”

Another chuckle. “You’ve got to be kidding.” He swept his tongue one last time inside the hollows of her mouth before breaking the kiss and flashing her a sincere look. “But beautiful is a fact.”

Callie smiled and breathed out, “Thank you.”

Tagg reached for her again, but voices from ranch hands approaching outside stopped him. Instantly, he stepped away and grabbed his hat from the ground. With a look of regret, he darted a glance her way and plopped his Stetson onto his head. The ranch foreman appeared in the sunlit line of vision from the wide stable door and Tagg cleared his throat. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, keeping his voice down.

She saw him reach for her hand and then think better of it.

With their arms to their sides, they walked out of the stable together and got into the Jeep. Tagg waved to the men who’d returned to the stable area without stopping to talk.

They drove back to Penny’s Song in silence. She was grateful for the quiet ride. At least Tagg wasn’t telling her how that kiss shouldn’t have happened. At least he wasn’t denying that something drew them together like a force of nature.

Callie could only hope that she was making headway with Tagg.

She’d caught him in a weak moment, is all, Tagg thought as he pulled up to Penny’s Song. One minute it had all been about Clay’s request to find horses. Then he’d seen Sadie and gotten sentimental. There was nothing worse than having a woman see you when you’re vulnerable. And then Callie’s soft looks of understanding and commiseration did him in.

The kiss just happened. And he wasn’t going to apologize for it. He wasn’t going to deny it was good. Hell, it had been great. But Callie was a dangerous woman to be around and the one thing he swore he wouldn’t do was to get involved with her. He wouldn’t forget who she was, or who he was. He’d already had his one chance at love and had blown it.

He climbed out of the vehicle and walked around to the other side, but Callie had already opened the door herself. She got out and they looked at each other. Tagg spoke first before she said something he didn’t want to hear. “I’d better check on the workmen. See if they need anything. Are you sticking around here?”

“For a little while. I have some things I want to finish up.”

“Okay, then. I’ll let you get to your work. See ya.” He tipped his hat.

He’d only gotten a few feet away before Callie called him back. “Tagg?”

He turned around, bracing himself for what she had in mind. He didn’t like to analyze things the way most women did. He’d kissed her. It was great. Period. He doubted it would ever happen again. “Yeah?”

“I think we did a good job picking out the horses today.”

“Yeah. We did.”

“I’d still like to ride Sunflower. I’ll ask Clay if I can do that tomorrow.”

Tagg scrubbed his jaw. “Don’t think I can make it to morrow.”

She frowned and shook her head. “I’m not asking you on a date, for heaven’s sake. I can ride the mare without you and make a determination on my own.”

He held his expression blank to keep from blinking his surprise. Callie had put him in his place. “Okay, the sooner we accomplish that, the better.”

“That’s what it’s all about.” Tousled, well kissed and rosy cheeked, she faced him from a few feet away. He’d put that look on her pretty face. Sensations whirled. Unsettling possessive instincts took hold in his gut. He stood there for several minutes, well after she’d turned on her heels and walked away.

Jed Barlow rode up on his horse and dismounted just a few feet away. “Hey, Tagg. I’m glad I found you here. Clay thought you might be available for the game tonight. Diamondbacks are playing. Then after the game, we’ll be happy to take your money at the poker table. We need to fill a seat. Brett Williamson’s daughter is getting married, so he’s out of commission for the week.”

Baseball and poker were just what he needed to take his mind off Callie for the night. He wasn’t a regular, but when the boys needed a substitute, Tagg didn’t mind filling in. “Sure. Why not?”

“All right then. We’ll see you at seven.” Jed led his horse toward the stable, but turned after taking just a few steps. “Hey, was that Callie Sullivan I saw you jawing with just a minute ago?”

“Yeah, that was Callie.”

“Never thought I’d see her around here.”

Jed had gone to the same high school as the Worths. His father owned a small ranch ten miles north of their property. After years of struggling, unable to compete with the bigger ranches in the area, Kent Barlow quit the cattle business. The Worths had always liked the Barlows and Clay hired Jed straightaway. He knew ranching like the back of his hand. He’d been a trusted employee going on five years now. “That makes two of us,” Tagg answered.

“She sure is pretty.”

Tagg nodded. He didn’t need a reminder.

“I remember a time when I liked her, back in school. She was book smart and I was flunking out of English. I must’ve been sixteen or so. She offered to help with my homework one day and I showed up at Big Hawk Ranch.” Jed stopped talking to shake his head and grin. “I think I had a death wish or something. I didn’t get one foot on the porch when her daddy comes up behind me holding a big ole shotgun, telling me Callie wasn’t seeing any visitors that night. He told me if I knew what was good for me, I’d turn around and keep on going.”

“Had you shaking in your boots, did he?”

“Had me pissing in my boots was more like it. That man was mean.”

“He never scared me.”

“You ever try to date his daughter?”

Tagg shook his head. What had happened between him and Callie couldn’t be called dating. “No. She was younger. I barely knew Callie in school.”

“Good thing, too. The Hawk’s got no use for the Barlows, or the Worths, either, I hear. Callie once told me she wasn’t allowed to speak to any of you. Looks like that’s changed.”

“She’s volunteering here, going to work with the kids at Penny’s Song. I don’t think her father has much say in what she does anymore.” Tagg didn’t know why he felt the need to explain that to him.

“She married?” Jed searched the area, presumably to catch another glimpse of Callie.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Okay, then.” Jed got a big smile on his face. “Maybe I’ll just reacquaint myself.”

Tagg watched him enter the stable, tempering his irritation and talking himself out of being angry at Jed. He had no reason to be annoyed. What Jed did in his spare time wasn’t any of his business. What Callie did in her spare time wasn’t, either.

But later that night, Tagg got immense enjoyment out of cleaning Jed’s clock at the poker table. The victory gave him such great satisfaction that he wouldn’t allow himself to believe it was motivated by anything more than his strong competitive drive.

“Hi, Daddy.” Callie kissed her father on the forehead before taking a seat adjacent to him at the dining room table for dinner. Her father insisted on taking his meals in the formal room rather than breaking bread in the kitchen. He said he paid a cook and housekeeper good wages to keep the house and he damn well was going to enjoy it. Before her mother died, they used to eat breakfast and lunch in the kitchen. So Callie had a feeling it was less about formality and more about not dealing with the memories that drove her father.

“Callie, honey. Where’ve you been lately? Seems I got a ghost instead of a daughter. I only hear you rattling around. You’re up and out early every day.”

It had only been three days since she’d begun working at Penny’s Song. “I’m home every night for dinner,” she reminded him. “And you promised me you’d give me some space.”

“Space,” he muttered, reaching for a glass of iced tea. “You and your psychology mumbo jumbo. I’ve been letting you do what you want, haven’t I?”

“Dad, I’m nearly twenty-seven years old. I’d hope so by now.”

“You’re still mad about that Troy fella.” He forked a bite of his salad, swallowed and made a sour face.

Callie smiled inwardly. She’d been harping on her father for months to eat better. He hadn’t known what a green leaf was until Callie came home and insisted he lose weight. He wouldn’t agree until she played the orphan card. He didn’t want to die and leave Callie without a father, did he? He knew he hadn’t been eating right and even though he griped about the food she’d introduced, he had finally relented. And Callie even believed he’d enjoyed it somewhat, but more because she cared enough about him to want to keep him healthy.

“You have no right interfering in my private life. You know how I feel about that. And another thing, if you don’t want me changing my room, I won’t. But I will be moving into another one. One I can decorate myself. I’m not twelve anymore, Daddy.”

“You got that right. You never sassed me like this when you were younger.”

“I’m not sassing you now. I’m just telling you how I feel.”

“If decorating your room will keep you at home more, fine. Change the room any way you want.”

Callie knew her father ached inside with loneliness. He’d al ways been overbearing, but her mother knew how to temper him. With her gone, Hawkins had become even more demanding. She reached for his hand and covered it with hers, squeezing gently. “I won’t change my room. I’ll do up another one.”

He glanced at her with those big brown eyes that she’d inherited and nodded. “Whatever makes my little girl happy.”

Oh, if only that were true.

“So, where have you been off to every morning?”

“I’ve been volunteering my time for a worthy charity.”

Hawkins stared down at his bland broiled chicken, unable to work up any enthusiasm for the fare. He’d been eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes topped with sour cream and gravy until Callie had come home. She had to stifle a chuckle seeing him look like a little boy who didn’t want to eat his vegetables. He set his fork down and glared at her. “That charity have a name?”

“Penny’s Song.” The entire community knew about Clayton Worth’s pet project. He’d started it on his own, but when the news got out, he’d received a good deal of support and a long volunteer list from the town.

Her father frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. “You mean to tell me you’ve been going over to the Worths every day?”

She wasn’t nearly as intimidated by him as he wanted her to be. She reminded herself that she was living here to make sure he didn’t dig himself into an early grave. She could move out anytime she wanted. She didn’t have to put up with his ruthless, conniving ways. But he was her father and she loved living on Big Hawk Ranch.

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying, Daddy.” She kept her voice calm. She wouldn’t argue the point. “I’m going to work with the children that come there. I hope to make a difference in their lives.”

“The Worths aren’t—”

“It’s not about the Worths. It’s about the children and what I want to do.”

“You’d rather go there and give away your services for free than work beside your own father?” He raised his voice with condemnation.

“That’s your point of view, Daddy. Not mine. I’m—”

He slapped a hand down onto the table and it shook. “This ranch is your legacy, damn it.”

Callie didn’t jump at his theatrics. She cut into her chicken and took a bite.

He pushed away from the table, his face flushed with anger. “You can’t be going over there. I’m forbidding it. You know those Worths, they’d do anything to put me out of business. Been trying to for years.”

“What I’m doing has nothing to do with the cattle business.” Callie took a steadying breath, determined to get through this meal without a fight. At least, on her part. Her father was chomping at the bit, ready to argue his way through their fruit salad dessert. “And you can’t forbid me to do anything anymore.”

“Callie,” he warned in a tone that used to make Callie cringe. He rose from the table. “You know how I feel about those Worths.”

She looked up at him. “I never understood that, Daddy. Yes, you’re competitors but you’re neighbors, too. And neither one of the ranches has been hurting. You’ve managed to keep Big Hawk Ranch on top. There’s room for everyone, isn’t there?”

“With thinking like that, you’d have us in the poorhouse before I turned around.”

Callie tried a smile. “So maybe it’s best I don’t work for you.”

Her father’s face flushed with even more color. “Callie, you’re trying my patience.”

“Daddy, I don’t want to fight with you. Sit down. Eat your meal.”

He glared at the food on his plate and wagged his finger. “You call that a meal? That’s horse feed.”

Callie closed her eyes. Frustration mounted. She thought about the baby she carried—a Worth. She didn’t even want to think about her father’s reaction when he found out about his grandchild. But it wasn’t the right time to tell him. Tagg had to be the first to know. She hadn’t told a soul yet and it would have to stay that way for now.

Callie rose, her appetite gone. “Well, then, we’ll have some really healthy horses in our stables. Because they know what’s good for them. They won’t be dying of a coronary anytime soon.”

She walked past her father and out the front door.

Before she was out of earshot, she heard her father call to the cook. “Mattie, make me a steak. A big, fat, juicy one and I want gravy to go with it!”

Callie inhaled a sharp breath and got into her car.

She revved the engine and drove off, happy to be away from Hawkins Sullivan. Happy to be anywhere but on the ranch she loved so much.

Callie stood with Jed Barlow by the Worth stables the next morning combing down Sunflower in the shade of a mesquite tree. “It was a good ride. I think Sunflower is tame enough for children. I just had to be sure.”

“The same goes for Tux. He’s pretty gentle,” Jed said. “I’m glad I was able to take the ride with you this morning.”

Callie smiled at Jed. They had been friends in school once, but she hadn’t seen him since she’d returned to Red Ridge. She brushed the mare’s mane while Jed combed down Tux. It was nice taking the horses out together before the heat of the day. Since her return to Big Hawk Ranch she hadn’t had a riding partner. She’d wanted to ride out on the range with Tagg today, but he’d flat-out refused. Maybe he really did have plans this morning. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a job. He ran the Worth empire from his house. He had responsibilities.

“It’ll be real nice getting to know you again, Callie.” Jed smiled.

“Same goes for me. I haven’t reconnected with too many people since I’ve been home. Some of my high school friends moved away and some are married and have their own lives. So this is great.”

“I think so.” He stopped brushing down Tux to look at her. “You know I had a crush on you back in high school, don’t you?”

She furrowed her brows. “No. I didn’t think boys got crushes.” Jed was tall and blond and relatively nice looking but Callie didn’t like where this conversation was headed.

“We do. Uh, did. But we’re always too macho to admit it. Your daddy took care of that, though.”

Callie rolled her eyes. Everything always went back to her father. “How?”

“He ran me off your property once. You’d offered to help me with my studies and I came over.”

“Shotgun?”

Jed got a startled look on his face. “You know?”

“It’s a wonder I didn’t run away from home. He chased off quite a few guys that way.”

“I was a little young to know he was bluffing.”

Callie laughed and put her hand on his arm, shaking her head. “The sad part is, he wasn’t bluffing. He’s fiercely protective of me.”

He glanced at her hand and smiled. Callie removed it instantly, self-conscious. “Even now?”

“I try not to let him get away with anything anymore,” she offered, feeling sorry for Jed. Maybe she would have liked dating him back then. She could only imagine how her father had intimidated him. “Sorry. I didn’t know. Of course, my father kept that from me.”

“So maybe we could make up for that. Would you like to go out sometime? Maybe Saturday night?”

Callie hadn’t entirely seen this coming. She’d been so wrapped up in her feelings for Tagg that she’d mistaken Jed’s friendliness. Oh, God, what to say? How to answer without hurting him or making him feel foolish?

“She’s not available,” said a voice from behind them.

They turned and found Tagg leaning against the shade tree, arms folded. “Tagg, what are you doing here?” Callie asked.

“Hey, Tagg.” Jed looked confused, darting them both glances.

“I came to ride Tux,” he said to Callie, giving her a recriminating look.

But that didn’t stop her heart from fluttering like a trapped butterfly. Just one look at him standing there, despite his sullen expression, and she was toast. He was handsome times ten. The whole cowboy getup wasn’t outdated on a man like Tagg. He wore his chaps well.

“How long have you been here?” she asked, wondering if he’d overheard their conversation.

“Just got here.”

She thought that was a lie. Tagg looked too comfortable against that tree to have just walked up.

“Looks like Jed beat me to the ride.”

“Hell,” Jed said, “at least I can beat you at something. You wiped me out last night.”

“Wiped you out?” Callie shot them both a glance.

“At poker. Remember, when I bumped into you? I was on my way to meet up with Tagg and the boys for a card game.”

“You bumped into her?” Tagg asked, his gaze focused on Jed.

Jed nodded halfheartedly. “Well, not like that. I was driving down the road and she passed me in her bright red convertible. She was barreling down the highway at eighty miles an hour.”

“I was not,” she defended herself.

“You were,” Jed said with a big grin. “Lead foot, my mama used to say. And then all of a sudden she stopped the car by the side of the road.”

“I would’ve never seen that downed calf if I was going that fast, Jed,” Callie pointed out. She turned to Tagg. “It looked like the calf got tangled up in some broken fencing. Jed stopped his truck and helped me get her on her feet. She turned out to be all right.”

Jed shrugged. “Callie’s got a soft spot for animals.”

Tagg didn’t seem pleased with either of them. Callie recalled what he’d said when she’d first spotted him.

She’s not available.

Not that she wasn’t glad to see him. He’d interrupted her having to refuse Jed’s offer for a date, but her curiosity got the better of her. “Why am I not available?”

Tagg moved away from the tree and approached her. He stopped when he got close enough for her to see the quicksilver surrounding his blue eyes, the ticking of his jaw. Ignoring Jed, he peered at her. She swallowed and met his gaze. “Because we have an appointment to look at some horses on Saturday.”

“Ah, well, that’s okay,” Jed said, with his good nature. “It won’t take all day.”

Tagg slanted Jed a quick look, then focused back on Callie. “In Las Vegas.”

Four

Callie’s mouth dropped open. She stared at Tagg. “In Las Vegas?” She shook her head, trying to understand. Endless possibilities entered her mind. “Why there?”

“I have a friend who’s offering us the pick of his string for the charity. They’re thoroughbreds and mustangs that have served him well but are a bit older, like Sunflower here.” Tagg stroked the horse gently. “All we have to do is choose the ones we want and arrange transportation. He’s giving us a dozen horses.”

Callie immediately thought of how the children would benefit. She pictured a dozen children riding the mares with smiling faces. “That’s fantastic. Are you sure you need me to go?”

Tagg glanced at Jed, then redirected his gaze back to her. “Clay wants you in on this.”

What about him? Did he want her in on this? The idea of spending alone time with Tagg appealed to her on so many levels. But was his disgruntled mood because Clay had insisted Tagg take her along? Or was it something else?

“We’ve got plans to discuss, Jed,” Tagg said. “Suppose you could see to the horses? I’ll walk Callie back to her car.”

“Sure,” Jed said, looking at Callie. There was no disputing who the boss was here. The employee had just been ordered away.

“Bye, Jed,” Callie said with a smile.

“See ya, Callie.” He swatted each horse’s rump and they trotted into the stable. Jed followed behind.

Callie ran a hand through her hair and inhaled deep. Tagg had just saved her from an awkward situation with his ranch hand.

“Were you going to go out with him?” he asked, gesturing toward the stable.

“Jed? Uh, no. I wasn’t.” She lifted her chin a notch. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

A spark of mischief entered his eyes. “Granted. None of my business.”

“I don’t have too many friends around here. Jed and I used to be friends in school. It’s nice getting reacquainted.”

“He had it bad for you.” Tagg smiled.

“You did hear! You were listening to our conversation!”

“It was fascinating. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“But you managed to. The minute Jed asked me out.” She looked at him with suspicion.

“Don’t pretend I didn’t save your butt just then. You were stumbling … looking for a way out.”

Callie opened her mouth to protest, but Tagg was right. And he’d recognized her dilemma. “True.” Though she hated to admit it.

“Then it’s not a problem going to Vegas?”

“You mean I have a choice?” She sent him a teasing smile.

“You don’t have to go. But you are the ‘kid expert.’”

“So, it’s a request?”

He nodded.

“From Clay?”

Tagg shifted his gaze to the ground. He scratched the side of his cheek. “I haven’t told Clay about this yet.”

“But you made it seem …” Callie stopped for a second and eyed him. Could it be possible that Tagg wanted her to go? That this was all his idea?

“We need to leave by five tonight.”

Callie blinked. “We’re leaving tonight?”

“John’s an old rodeo buddy. He invited us to dinner. Under the circumstances, I couldn’t refuse. Are you in?”

Yes! “I’m in. I’ll be ready at five.”

With bells on.

“You are one lucky girl, Callie Sullivan,” she muttered later that afternoon as she packed. She folded her jeans and a plaid no-nonsense blouse into the suitcase before closing it shut, grateful that her father had left for Houston that morning. There would be no arguments about where she was going and no repercussions when she got home. If she were really fortunate, she’d return before her father this weekend and he’d never have to know she’d been gone.

Fate had a way of looking after her. At least, this time. When Tagg had called a few hours ago arranging to pick her up at home, she’d been happy to inform him that her father wasn’t around and it wouldn’t be a problem.

“You mean, I won’t face a shotgun?” Callie had laughed at his joke, though she’d never have let Tagg on Sullivan property to face her father’s wrath had he been home. She would have made other travel arrangements to save them all a nasty confrontation.

In truth, Callie had been looking forward to having the house to herself for the entire weekend. But nothing topped this turn of events—even if it was just an overnight business trip.

Because she’d be with Tagg.

Callie zipped up her suitcase, leaving it on the bed and strode into her walk-in closet, searching for just the right outfit to wear tonight. She came up with a black dress that crisscrossed over the chest but wasn’t too revealing. The dress hit her knees in a flow of material and gathered at the side with a bit of rhinestone bling. It was appropriate for a dinner invitation and yet nothing too provocative.

She’d tossed ankle-high boots in her suitcase for tomorrow. For tonight’s dinner she chose a pair of strappy black heels.

Callie combed her hair, applied light makeup to her eyes, glossed her lips and then slipped into her dress. She was ready by four-thirty.

At exactly five o’clock, a black Lincoln pulled up to her front door. She watched from the window as Tagg got out of the backseat and straightened next to the limo. Her breath caught and she whispered, “Oh, wow,” grateful he couldn’t see her initial reaction.

He looked deadly handsome wearing a white shirt under a stunning black suit coat with wide Western lapels. A dark felt Stetson sat low on his head and his jeans were brand new. He strode up to the front entrance and knocked.

Callie opened the door. “Afternoon, Callie,” he said.

He looked even better up close. A whiff of his cologne wafted over to her. His scent alone was enough to send her over the edge but the whole Tagg package got her heart pumping hard and heavy.

She smiled tentatively, realizing this was her big chance to dazzle him. She wanted to be smooth and elegant tonight. She wanted to know the right thing to say, to keep him intrigued and interested.

Then the reminder came.

They were checking out horses on a ranch.

Not having a romantic rendezvous.

Tagg looked her over, his gaze resting on her hair, which she’d put partially up and away from her face. Loose tendrils flowed down her back. A gleam of approval shone in his eyes. Then his gaze shifted down to her neckline and even farther down to her chest. Her nipples hardened under his scrutiny and she wondered if the arch of his brow meant he’d noticed. He finished his perusal by checking out her legs and then returned to her face with a slow nod. “Nice.”

Inside, she sighed with happiness. “Not so bad yourself, cowboy.”

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, I’ll just get my—”

“Got it.” Tagg reached past her to pick up her overnight case. He clutched it easily and glanced inside the house before turning around. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it.”

“Then let’s go.”

Callie locked the front door and moved silently alongside Tagg as they strode down the inlaid stone pathway leading to the car. In many ways Big Hawk Ranch was situated the same as any other wealthy ranch, including the Worths’. The sprawling two-story ranch house that glistened with pristine paint and wood sidings was the centerpiece. A barn, stable, bunkhouse and storage buildings made up the backdrop of eighty thousand acres of prime grazing land. Cattle roamed off in the distance and the slight sweet scent of wildflowers and tall grass mingled with earth and cattle smells.

A chauffeur stood waiting by the passenger side of the car and Tagg handed him the suitcase. “Thanks, Emmett.”

Tagg allowed Callie to get into the car first, then climbed in after her. It was spacious in the backseat with room to stretch her arms and legs. Yet she couldn’t mistake Tagg’s formidable presence inside the car. He took up space with confidence, as if he had a right to it. The door slammed shut from the outside and the driver got behind the wheel. “I’ll get you to the airstrip in good time, Mr. Worth.” And soon the car was moving off Sullivan land.

Tagg the CFO was just as formidable as Tagg the rodeo champion and equally as cool and distant. Callie wondered if she could penetrate the walls he’d erected. She wondered if Tagg would ever let her get close enough to try. Before she had to tell him about the baby. Keeping her secret from such a man could prove dangerous, and she prayed every day she wasn’t making a colossal mistake.

She slid a glance his way and caught him looking at her legs. When their eyes met, he smiled then turned away to gaze out the window at the passing scenery: miles and miles of the same, pastures and cattle, horses and fences.

She hated that his smile alone could wilt her.

He’s your fantasy man, she reminded herself.

Hang in there, Callie.

Tagg didn’t like airports. He didn’t like flying. But he never let that stop him from getting where he needed to go. It wasn’t fear, but a deep-rooted loathing of anything related to planes. Heather’s crash came too easily to mind when he was near a small airstrip. After that fateful day, he’d stopped taking the Worth family jet and, shortly thereafter, his brothers had decided to close down that piece of land in his wife’s memory.

They boarded a commercial airliner at Sky Harbor International Airport. Tagg made sure they had secluded seating in first class. He didn’t want Callie to be cramped or uncomfortable. And he wanted her to have a good time, but he wouldn’t delve too deeply into why that mattered to him.

Once they were settled and the plane had taken off, Tagg unfastened his seat belt and turned to Callie. “I get how you know horses. You pretty much can’t not know about them growing up on a ranch. But I’m puzzled. How are you an expert with children?”

He watched as she tried to undo the seat belt, her slender fingers fumbling with the stubborn latch. “I, uh, oh, this is really impossible,” she said, her mouth creasing down.

Tagg grinned. “Here.” He leaned over and worked the clasp. Without the slightest resistance, he managed to free her. He was close, leaning in so that his shoulder brushed hers. The subtle female scent he’d resisted while on the drive over invaded his nostrils and he breathed her in fully. Was it her hair, her skin, her perfume that made her smell so damn good?

Tagg slid her a glance and looked into her soft dark eyes. They glistened like melting caramel as she met his gaze softly. “Thank you,” she said.

Tagg looked at her for another second before righting himself and leaning back in his seat. “No problem.”

She relaxed a little, the frustrated frown gone from her face now. “To answer your question, I went to Boston College. I earned my degree in psychology and I worked for some time for the Department of Social Services. It was dry, boring work, not what I really wanted to do. But then something happened to me. I got … mugged.”

Tagg blinked. That was a word foreign to small towns and big ranches. “You got mugged?” he repeated.

“Yeah, I did,” she said, and then her expression turned soft. Almost dreamlike. “It was sort of strange. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

“Did he hurt you?” Tagg asked. He didn’t understand her wistful expression.

“Oh, no, nothing like that. And it wasn’t a he. It was a she. And she was all of eleven years old.”

“A little girl mugged you?”

“Yes. I could hardly believe it. One minute I’m walking down a crowded street in an upscale part of town, and the next, I feel my purse being yanked off my shoulder. She caught me so off guard that even as I watched her run away, I didn’t understand what had just happened. She was so young and obviously neglected. I could tell from her clothes and the way her hair spiked in ten different directions, like she hadn’t seen a bath in weeks.”

“Did you call the police?”

“No. I ran after her.”

Tagg narrowed his eyes. “You?”

“Of course me. Hey, I was raised chasing dogs and riding horses. I climbed fences with the best of them. And there was something so … I don’t know … so vulnerable and almost apologetic in that girl’s expression that I knew I had to find out more. I had to catch up to her and, well, I had to get my purse back.”

“And did you?”

Callie smiled quickly. “Yes. She led me on a wild goose chase for blocks and blocks. I ended up in a bad part of town. Rundown buildings and all. Finally, she stopped and turned to me and we stared at each other. Both of us were completely out of breath. She flung my handbag at me and told me to take my dumb stupid purse.

“When I thought she’d run away, she started sobbing big, uncontrollable tears.”

Callie shifted in her seat and faced him. “Her name was Amber. And she had a little brother named Georgie. Her mother had been ill for a long time and they had very little money. Amber told me she’d never stolen before and I believed her.”

Callie went on to explain how she’d gotten Amber’s mother the medical help she needed. And how she’d begun working at a foundation for underprivileged children in her spare time. Amber and Georgie were the first of many children she’d counseled at the foundation. “From then on, I knew I wanted to work with children.”

“But, if you loved it so much, why did you come back?”

Callie smiled. “I never intended on living back East. I’m really a country girl and when my father had a scare with his heart, I knew it was time to come home.”

Her lips pulled down and she spoke with frustration, “But nothing I do seems to matter. He’s like a tornado. I can’t stop him or slow him down. And he thinks he knows what’s best for me. Even now.”

From her tone Tagg could tell it was a sore subject. He didn’t want to get into a conversation about Callie’s old man, so he let the subject drop.

The plane landed right on time and the taxi drive to the hotel took less than fifteen minutes.

Callie turned to him when the taxi pulled into a long driveway on the Las Vegas Strip. “The Bellagio? I assumed we’d stay with your friend at his ranch.”

Tagg shrugged. “We own a suite here. On the top floor. I like to stretch out when I’m in town.”

“Okay.” Her eyes flickered over the length of him but he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

Stretching out was the very least he wanted to do tonight. And he’d finally admitted that to himself when he saw Jed drooling all over Callie today. He’d declined John’s invitation to stay at his house in North Las Vegas. He wanted Callie. Alone. If she was willing. He was through denying it.

“Do you come here often?”

“A few times a year. On business and for the rodeo finals.”

Tagg helped Callie out of the taxi and with a hand to her lower back he escorted her through the lobby. As they strode toward the elevator, Tagg gestured to the ceiling adorned by a chandelier sculpture made up of thousands of multicolored glass flower blossoms catching and reflecting light. “I always get a kick out of those petals up there. Feels like a scene out of a fairy tale,” he said.

Callie stopped and lifted her gaze. “They are sort of surreal. I’ve heard about them. Seeing them is something else.”

“So, you’ve never stayed here?”

She shook her head. “No, never. I’ve only been in Las Vegas for the rodeos, but not for years.”

They rode the elevator to the top floor and Tagg walked her to the Worth suite. It was an indulgence, something his brothers had wanted, and now he was glad they’d insisted upon it. He opened the wide door and let her enter first. She walked in slowly, glancing about. The square footage of the suite was bigger than some people’s homes. Roomy and elegant with richly appointed furniture. The view from the expansive window looked down onto the Strip.

“This is nice, Tagg. I see what you mean about stretching out.”

“The Worth men like space.”

Tagg showed the bellboy where to deposit the luggage, directing Callie’s bag to the master suite and his to the bedroom beside it. Then he glanced at his watch. “We have just enough time to get settled before dinner.”

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at a small hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant that only the locals knew about off the Las Vegas Strip. The second Tagg walked in, the rich scent of olive oil and garlic and freshly baked bread perked up his appetite. John had raved about the food and Tagg was grateful to get away from the crowd of tourists in hotel row.

He found the Cosgroves sitting in a corner booth lit with candles and decorated with a flower arrangement. Tagg made the introductions and helped Callie to her seat before taking his. John Cosgrove and his wife, Sadie, were in their early sixties but could keep up with anyone half their age. Tagg had always considered John not only a friend, but also a mentor back in his rodeo days.

They talked horses and rodeo and Penny’s Song. Callie and Sadie had both grown up on a cattle ranch, so they had a good deal in common.

“Not only is John a horse rancher, but he owns his own rodeo,” Tagg said to Callie.

“That’s how I met Tagg here,” John said. “He busted a few of my prize stallions in his day. He knows horses. And what about you? How did you get involved with this guy over here?”

Callie’s face colored. “Oh, uh …”

Sadie sent her husband a warning look. “John.”

“Callie is a neighbor. She’s Hawk Sullivan’s daughter,” Tagg announced.

John grinned. “Is that so?” He darted a glance at both of them.

Callie nodded. “Yes, that’s right,” she said, then turned to glare at Tagg.

He returned her look with a simple smile. He liked honesty. He wasn’t into pussyfooting around an issue.

Callie cleared her throat. “I’ve just returned home from going to school and working in Boston. I found out about Penny’s Song and knew I wanted to be a part of it. Tagg and I, we are … are working together on the project.”

“I’ve had some dealings with your father,” John said, catching Tagg’s eye before focusing on Callie. “He’s a smart negotiator.”

Callie blew out a breath. She was uncomfortable talking about her father. “Thank you for that. I know you’re being kind.”

Sadie steered the conversation back to a more amiable subject. “Tagg, did you know that Blue Yonder sired a stallion? I hear he’s a beauty, too.”

“Is that so? I bet he’s spoken for already.” Tagg inhaled deep. He’d wanted to buy that Arabian for the past three years, but the owner wasn’t selling. The stallion had pure bloodlines and ancestry that could be traced back to Spain. “The Kents refused to even talk to me. Can’t say as I blame them. If I had that horse, I wouldn’t let another horseman get within a hundred yards of him.”

“There’s a list a mile long and an acre wide bidding on the foal.”

“What’d they name him?”

“Wild Blue,” John said.

Tagg pursed his lips. “Great name. I guess that ship has sailed. I’d bet my last dollar they keep him themselves.”

Sadie shook her head. “You never know.”

Tagg shrugged it off. He didn’t think so, but he wouldn’t argue with her.

The food was delivered to the table—pasta with scallops and shrimp and about a dozen other things in a lemon wine sauce. There was no shortage of garlic, either. Tagg couldn’t remember eating a better meal.

He glanced at Callie. She’d ordered an antipasto salad that overflowed the plate. He was glad to see she’d eaten more than half of it already. She wasn’t shy when it came to eating, but she did tend to eat lighter fare. And she’d refused the red wine that flowed into everyone else’s glasses.

He watched her sip a glass of water carefully, then say something to Sadie. Callie looked elegant tonight. Dressed in black, her creamy skin glistened under candlelight and the play of light skin against dark hair and eyes made him stir with desire. He remembered how she looked minus the dress. It was a memory never far from his mind—a memory he’d like to duplicate.

After dinner the Cosgroves drove them back to the hotel and bid them both good-night. They made arrangements to see the horses after breakfast the next morning.

He entered the penthouse suite after Callie and walked straight to the bar. “Are you tired?” he asked.

“Not really.” She set her purse down on the sofa and looked out the window to the bright lights below.

He remembered Callie had been drinking rum during that time in Reno, so he poured her a rum and cola and spilled two fingers of whiskey in a tumbler for himself. He brought the drink over to her. “You should be. It’s been a long day.”

She turned from the window and stared at the tumbler in his hand. “Oh, no. No, thanks. I’m not … thirsty.” Her shoulders stiffened.

Tagg raised his brows. She seemed pensive and nervous for some reason. “Okay.” He set the drink down on the cocktail table behind him and when he turned back to Callie, she was staring out the window again. “Everything all right?”

She nodded.

He edged up beside her and glanced out the window, sipping his drink. “You’re not drinking tonight. Is that because you don’t want a repeat of Reno?”

She turned to him, her gaze warm and soft. “I didn’t sleep with you because I’d been drinking. If that’s what you think.”

He furrowed his brows. “Seems I wasn’t doing much thinking that night at all.”

A low self-deprecating laugh escaped her throat. “So I’ve been told.” She turned back to the window, her arms folded around her middle. “You’ve made that very clear,” she said quietly.

Tagg grinned. “That wasn’t an insult, Callie.”

“Was hardly a glowing review, either.”

He set his glass down and walked in front of her, blocking her view from anything but him. He lifted her chin with his thumb and gazed into her beautiful eyes. She flinched, not in fear but with surprise, then lowered her arms to her sides. The anticipation on her face gave him pause. She blinked and inhaled a sharp breath.

“It was a compliment.”

She searched his eyes. “How so?”

“You made me forget things I’m damned determined not to forget.” He glanced at her mouth and saw her tremble. “Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not,” she blurted, lifting her chin up and taking a step back. “I have nothing to be nervous about.” She turned then and reached for her purse sitting on the sofa. “You know, I think I am tired. I’m going to bed.”

Tagg reached his arm out and snaked it around her waist, pulling her close. Her intoxicating scent destroyed his patience.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Are you really tired, Callie?”

She shook her head no. Then gazed deep into his eyes.

He set both hands on her waist, enjoying the lush feel of her hips in his outspread palms. Silence filled the room. Fading dusky beams of starlight filtered through the window to cast them in shadows.

He angled his head and moved closer. His legs met with her thighs. An ache of need began growing. He gave in to the sensation and brought his mouth down on hers. She froze, her lips refusing to respond for a second, and Tagg was ready to back off, lest he seduce an unwilling woman. But then she moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, crushing her breasts to his chest. She gave into the kiss then with effort and passion, the way he remembered her. The way they’d kissed before.

She was sweetly alluring, tentative yet fiery. Tagg relished having her in his arms.

They came up for air a full minute later, both breathing hard. Callie reached her arm around to move her hair to her right side, the locks falling freely on one nearly bare shoulder. It was a reflective move, one to give her time to think, he surmised. Their lips still close, she softly spoke. “I didn’t think you wanted this. You said it would never happen again.”

Tagg closed his eyes briefly. He had said that. And he’d meant it at the time. “I guess I was fooling myself.”

She shook her head slightly, her eyes questioning. “What changed?” she asked.

You, he wanted to answer. Or rather my perception of you. He’d gotten to know her, and liked what he saw. She loved horses. She loved Arizona and small-town life. She even begrudgingly loved her miserable father. Her story about Amber and Georgie tugged at something primal and protective in him. But he wouldn’t tell her that. He wouldn’t tell her that she’d gotten to him. That maybe meeting up with her in Reno had been the best thing that could have happened to him.

There’d be no purpose in that. He had no place in his heart for another woman. He’d closed himself off emotionally. There was no going back. So he told her a half truth and one she would understand. “Jed.”

Her eyes snapped up. “Jed?”

“He was panting after you, plain as day.” He lifted a curl that rested on her chest, watching it fall from his fingertips. “I came to the rescue.”

“And you stepped in to save me?”

Tagg looked away before peering into her eyes. “Yeah, something like that.”

She seemed a little baffled. “Were you jealous?”

“No,” he lied. He’d seen more green than his pasture after heavy rains.

She narrowed her eyes, a skeptical look on her face. Then with determination, she moved closer to him and brushed an air kiss to his mouth. His groin tightened. “Not even a little?”

He shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on her mouth.

She came even closer, until their mouths were almost touching again, then licked at his lips with her very skilled tongue. “Are you sure?”

Tagg smiled. This was the bold, sexy woman he remembered from Reno. They’d done wild things together. “Callie,” he warned and then didn’t give her a chance to protect herself.

He hauled her hips into his, making his point with one flush move against his straining erection. His hands went into her hair and he planted his mouth on hers in a rough, desperate kiss that brought a soft moan of pleasure up from her throat. Their openmouthed frenzy sped his heart rate, and when Callie whimpered again, it was all he could do not to rip her dress off. They fought with each other’s clothes, unfastening, unbuttoning, unzipping, hands clumsy but efficient until she was naked in his arms and he was almost there. He picked her up, carried her to the master bedroom and set her down on the oversize bed. He took a minute to look at her, beautifully bare, her hair spreading out like a glorious fan around her upper body. Her breasts round and full enticed him with two inviting upturned peaks.

She smiled coyly and turned on her side, her hip curving up from her waist, shadowing the V between her long shapely legs. He rid himself of his briefs and Callie beckoned him with a look at his manhood, her gaze bright with anticipation, ready for their long sexy ride.

Tagg reached into the bedside drawer and came up with a condom packet.

A tremble ran through Callie’s body. She stared at the silver packet as Tagg ripped it open. They didn’t need protection. They’d already made a baby. But Tagg didn’t know that and the cold, hard reality came crashing down on her. Guilt coiled in her stomach and pounded in her brain. What was she doing? She hated deceiving Tagg. Hated that the condom itself signified her deception. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him. To lay out the truth, that she’d conceived a baby with him in Reno. That she’d been lying to him all along.

Could she be that brave? Could she ease her guilt and own up to her pregnancy? Tagg was going to be a father, yet she had withheld that information from him for weeks. One little mistake, one slip of the tongue and she could lose Tagg forever. If she told him now would it be all over between them, before it really had a chance of beginning?

She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, wishing that everything would just turn out okay. Somehow. She needed a miracle, but she wasn’t that big an optimist to believe she’d be granted one.

The bedsheets rustled and she sunk into the mattress when he lay down beside her. His warm breath caressed her cheek. “Callie? Did you go somewhere?”

He smelled of whiskey and lust and Callie’s body reacted, her bare nipples pebbled at the sound of his voice. She opened her eyes. He was there, his beautiful face against hers, his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent.

“I’m here, Tagg,” she whispered, losing her nerve. She couldn’t tell him. She had to give them more time. It wasn’t selfish on her part, she told herself. The baby’s future was at stake. Was it so wrong to hold out for the brass ring? To hope that given time, Tagg would come to love her? Was it so wrong to hope for a happy ending?

He nibbled on her throat, his lips drawing moist circles all the way down to the hollow between her breasts. “That’s good. Stay with me.”

That’s what she intended. To stay with Tagg. To be his for the rest of her life. But at the moment, the goal seemed out of reach and the guilt she felt also stayed with her. Even as he kissed her. Even as he ran his hands along her body, making her moan with pleasure. Even as he parted her thighs and stroked her with deft fingers, until her first orgasm slammed into her with enough force to make her cry out.

“You came so quickly,” Tagg said with a note of male satisfaction.

Callie let go of her mental fight and gave herself up to physical bliss. Her remorse would have to wait. She was with Tagg, naked on his bed, and there wasn’t anywhere else she’d rather be. She gave him a little shove and he fell onto his back, a deep chuckle coming up from his throat.

“You do that so easily to me,” she whispered.

“You saying you’re easy?”

Callie lifted up on her knees and straddled his lower legs. She took his penis in her hand. “Only with you.”

Tagg gazed into her eyes. His were pure liquid fire as she stroked his erection. “Nice to know,” he gritted out.

Callie loved bringing him satisfaction. Tagg’s grunts of approval as she slid her hand up and down his shaft again brought shivers of heat to her body. She wasn’t through with Tagg. She’d make love to him all night.

She watched his face twist and contort with pent up desire as her hand ran up and over the length of him, her thumb pressing the sensitive tip. A rumble emanated in his throat and Callie smiled. “Let’s see how easy you are.” She bent her head and licked the moisture off with long fluid strokes, circling the tip like she would an ice cream cone.

Then she took him into her mouth.

His body stiffened; his erection went rock hard. She set her hands on his thighs and drank him in. She sensed his eyes on her, watching. She remembered from the last time they’d been together that Tagg never closed his eyes during sex. He liked to watch. It turned him on. Through the curtain of her hair resting on his belly, she looked up and their eyes met for an instant. The delicious expression on his face stilled her. She loved him so much that she physically ached. All she could do was show him. She slipped his erection back into her mouth and loved him with her tongue. She stroked him with both hands until she knew the exact moment he was ready for release.

They were in sync that way.

She moved off him slightly. He grabbed the unnecessary packet, ripping it open and she helped him slide it down onto his erection. He reached for her then, lifting her up on her knees so that she was directly over him. With skilled hands, he guided her hips down and impaled her with his swollen shaft.

“Tagg,” she breathed out. The first initial thrust filled the tip of her. She wanted more. She moved on him then, undulating her hips, grasping him, letting him fill her slowly, taking in one pleasurable inch at a time. He felt so good, so warm, so right. She’d dreamed about this, about having him inside her again, feeling his body rock under hers.

She heard him curse in a way that brought a smile to her lips. He watched her, she knew, and that turned her on as well. She sank farther down, taking him in fully, and moved without thinking now, lifting her hair off her shoulders and letting it fall back down again. His eyes followed the flow of her hair. And then she touched her breasts for him, cupping them slightly, fingering the pebbled peaks once, twice. His eyes glistened with deep hunger and his expression was pure sin.

She rode him hard, sinking and lifting, both of them uttering deep throaty sounds of pleasure. She moved faster now, with his encouragement, the pressure building inside her. He reached for her breasts and caressed her with his palms, rubbing the insides of his hands over her nipples. The contrast of rough to delicate sent shooting jolts of electricity through her body. She loved his hands on her. She loved him touching her.

“Stay with me, Callie,” he whispered, barely getting the words out. “We’re … almost there.”

They were close. So close. “Hurry, Tagg.”

It was all he needed to hear. Splaying his fingers out, he grabbed her waist and pushed her down onto his shaft harder than she could have alone. He filled her completely now and took control, thrusting up with potent, powerful force. It felt good to let go, to give in to him fully and take the sexy ride.

“I’m ready,” she moaned, holding back the waves that wanted to shatter within her.

He lifted his body, coming half off the bed, and held her bottom with both hands, moving her forward and back hard, harder. Then with one last deep, powerful thrust, their release came, together, forcefully, each of them huffing out guttural sounds of completion.

He held her tight until the last shreds of pleasure were wrought out of both. It was beautiful and satisfying, but now that it was over, Callie couldn’t look him in the eye for fear of him seeing her every emotion.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded, then swallowed, but words wouldn’t come.

He kissed a path up her throat, working his way to her mouth. She kept her face turned away.

He put a finger under her chin and applied slight pressure to turn her toward him. She met his gaze finally. “Are you sure?”

She noted the concern in his eyes and managed to answer, “Yes.”

He let go a relieved sigh, cradling her to his body. “That was pretty damn good.”

She nodded again.

“Callie?”

“Just … good?” she blurted. She was in love with him and had given up her head and her heart for just good. It wasn’t about sex for her. It was about feelings and emotions and love. While she knew she should be thrilled and delighted that they’d made love, she only felt empty inside and guilty about her secret as well.

Tagg lay back, holding her as they fell onto the cool sheets. “Great. Awesome. Perfect. You don’t disappoint, Callie.”

“Neither do you,” she said. She lay her head down, snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. He stroked her head, running his fingers through her hair. “But do you think it was a mistake?”

The muscles of his arms tensed and he hesitated long enough to worry her. “I don’t think I could’ve stayed away from you, so no. Not a mistake.”

But he’d stayed away after Reno. He’d left her with a note and had gone home. And never called her.

“What about you? A mistake?”

She shook her head. “Definitely not.” Being with him could never be a mistake. Callie knew men always said nice things after a satisfying night in the sack. After-sex talk was usually warm and cozy, until the light of day shined through and reality set in.

Tagg didn’t want a relationship. And he was just trying to make her feel better. She also knew that men didn’t like to analyze their feelings after making love. So she bit her tongue from saying anything else that would destroy the moment.

“Do you want anything? A drink? Something to eat?” he asked.

“No, but you go ahead if you want something.”

Tagg chuckled and the muscles in his arms relaxed. “Really? I think what I want isn’t in the kitchen.”

Callie smiled and looked into his eyes. “And what is it that you want?”

“You, all night long.” He kissed her then, a warm brushing of his mouth, less hurried, less frenzied than before. Callie returned the kiss, agreeing to his plan.

Tagg woke up before dawn, with Callie sprawled halfway over him. Her long dark hair rested in waves on his chest, her head tucked into his shoulder. The unique erotic mix of musk and flowers that he couldn’t name drove him slightly insane as he breathed in. His hand lay atop the curve of her bare bottom, his palm filled with soft smooth skin. He’d convinced Callie not to put on her nightie last night. He’d wanted her naked next to him through the night and now he thought about the wisdom in that. He would have gotten a better night’s sleep if he hadn’t insisted. He’d woken up hard and ready twenty minutes ago. He wasn’t going to wait much longer.

His erection pulsed and ached like a sex-starved teenager.

She moved on him, stirring a bit, her breasts crushing into his side.

He swore under his breath, wincing at the pain and wondering if he’d made a colossal mistake taking her to bed.

Sure as hell didn’t feel like a mistake. It felt pretty damn amazing.

But he couldn’t forget who Callie was. He couldn’t forget that she wasn’t a woman he could turn away after a night of wild sex. He’d done that to her once and had regretted it.

Callie stirred again and Tagg held his breath, waiting for her to awaken.

He wanted her. She was an indulgence he couldn’t afford, yet one he couldn’t seem to resist.

Her eyelids lifted and she looked at him with a sleep-hazy gaze, her hair in a tumble around her face, her lips parted.

Tagg claimed her mouth in a slow easy kiss. “Morning.” It wasn’t quite. The early light of dawn hadn’t stolen into the room yet.

“Morning.” Her soft breath blew over his chest. She stroked her fingers into the scattered hairs there. “Did you sleep well?”

He ran his hand up and down the smooth sleek skin of her thigh. She cooed from his touch and his erection stiffened. “I’ve been awake for a while. Waiting for you.”

Callie lifted her head to look at him. Her gaze drifted down past his waist. Her smile was sweet, her words a little sassy. “Not my fault. You asked me not to leave. Or put on my nightgown.”

Stay naked. Sleep with me, had been his exact words. “Wouldn’t have mattered.” He told her the truth. “Just having you under the same roof is enough.”

Callie nibbled on her lower lip and a mischievous gleam brightened her eyes. “What are we going to do about that?”

Tagg rolled her over and set her shoulders against the mattress. He rose above her, his erection pressing into her flat belly. “I have a plan.”

Hours later, sated and holding Callie close, Tagg woke to dim sunlight pouring through the curtains. It was nearing time to get up and go about the business of the day.

Tagg could stay in this bed with Callie all week and that realization nagged at him. She was a fantastic lover, the best sex he’d had in a long time, if not ever. That worried him. He didn’t have a plan for this. The truth was, he didn’t have anything to offer her. Not a relationship. Not a courtship. He was done with those things.

So done.

And she was Hawkins Sullivan’s daughter.

He wouldn’t forget that.

When Callie stirred, Tagg draped his hand over her shoulder and rubbed her arms up and down. He felt her fatigue as her body went limp. “That feels … good. I’m … so tired.”

He brushed a kiss to the top of her head. “Go back to sleep. We have a little time.”

“I’m not going to wake up to a note, am I?” She spoke quietly, holding on for his answer before she drifted off.

“I’m here, Callie. I’m not going anywhere.”

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