The Rancher’s Royal Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 4) (4 page)

“I don’t think you need stitches,” he murmured, squeezing her thumb gently while it was still under the running water.

“Stitches?” Her eyelids flew open.

He turned her thumb this way and that. “No. No stitches.”

She relaxed slightly, her gaze fastened on her injured thumb and his strong, capable fingers. Long, tanned fingers. What would his hands feel like wrapped around her waist? Caressing her? Brushing back the hair from her face?

A trickle of blood ran from the wound but the water washed it away instantly, making it bearable to look at.

“Stay there for a sec while I get the antiseptic.”

She watched him go to the small cupboard opposite the basin and pull out a small clean towel and a bottle of antiseptic.

Logan opened the bottle and shook some of the liquid onto her finger. She flinched, the antiseptic stinging the open wound.

“Put some pressure on it while I find something for it.” He wrapped the white towel around her thumb, his hands lingering a few seconds longer than necessary.

“But I might get blood on it,” she protested feebly, unable to tear her gaze from his.

“Doesn’t matter.” He waited until he saw her press down on the towel, then rummaged in a drawer for an adhesive bandage.

His hands were gentle, as he wrapped the strip of plastic around her thumb. And then another one. “There. Let me know if it needs changing later on.”

“I can do that myself,” she demurred
.
As long as she didn’t look too closely at the wound, she was sure she could manage to replace the adhesive bandage. Although, she certainly wouldn’t object if he insisted …

His lips quirked. “Somehow I don’t think you like the sight of blood.”

“Not exactly.” She bit her lip.

“I’m supposed to be keeping you safe, remember?”

“I remember,” Ellie murmured. And he
had
kept her safe. Okay, she had a cut on her thumb, but she didn’t blame him for that. It was the first time she’d ever helped mend a fence, and her thumb had gotten in the way. Her thumb twinged, as if seeming to remind her of that fact.

But she couldn’t fault Logan on the way he’d taken care of her small injury. She’d seen another side to him, a gentle, tender side, and it only made him more intriguing.

She sighed inwardly. It didn’t seem fair that she found him attractive, when he probably didn’t think of her in that way
at all.
Just her luck to be staying here another ten days with one of the most attractive, interesting men she’d ever met, when all he felt toward her was a sense of duty.

The next day, Ellie collected eggs from the chicken coop. Even allowing for her awkwardly bandaged thumb, she managed quite well. A chicken scratched and pecked nearby, her soft clucking making Ellie smile.

Backing out of the coop, Ellie felt a cool breeze ruffle her hair. As soon as she took the eggs inside, she and Logan were going horse-back riding again. Perhaps this time, he would allow her to saddle and bridle Salt.

The faint grumble of a car engine caught her ears. Frowning, she stood still. The noise grew louder. It was the first vehicle she’d heard since she’d been here.

Despite threatening to go grocery shopping, Logan had done an inventory and announced they had enough food for a few more days - evidently going to the supermarket was a chore he disliked.

No visitors had shown up, either. Which made the encroaching vehicle all the more worrying.

She had to tell Logan. He was around the yard somewhere; he still wasn’t letting her out of his sight, but right now, she couldn’t feel his eyes trained on her like she had during her first couple of days here.

Ellie spun around, scanning the small garden. No Logan. She ran toward the garage, hoping he would be there.

“Oof!” Strong arms held her captive, her breasts pressed against a hard, masculine chest. She tried to control her breathing, unsure whether it was ragged because when she’d been running, she hadn’t expected to smack into a muscular torso, or because that torso belonged to Logan.

“Car.” They both spoke at once.

“Inside.” He took her arm and hurried her into the house. “I’m not expecting anyone.” He towed her into his bedroom.

Ellie watched while he took a handgun out of the nightstand drawer, then rummaged in his sock drawer.

“You keep bullets in there?” She looked at him incredulously.

He shrugged. “Do you think a bad guy’s going to look inside a pair of socks for some bullets? I usually keep the gun locked away, but thought it would be prudent to keep it handy while you’re here.”

She bit her lip, her gaze returning to the deadly weapon.

“Whoever it is should be here any minute.” He efficiently loaded the gun.

Nodding in agreement, she remembered the long drive along the dirt road until the farmhouse came in view. “What do we do?” Ellie looked at him with an anxious expression.

“
We
aren’t doing anything.
I’m
going to take a look from the study window and see who it is.
You
are going to stay right here.”

“Okay,” she murmured. Her heart hammered. Was her father right and she really was in danger? Trying to tell herself that it could be a lost tourist trundling along the driveway she took a deep breath and watched Logan leave the room.

Ellie twisted her fingers, her ears straining for any sound out of the ordinary. But all she heard was silence, interspersed with pretty birdsong. Breathing deeply, she told herself everything would be okay. Logan was here. With a gun. She wasn’t sure if that thought comforted her or not.

Besides, when she was a teen, her father had insisted she learn judo. She’d stopped taking lessons when she went to college and had only ended up with a blue belt. But Dad had made her practice whenever she’d come home from college, and these days, encouraged her to spar with him every month or so.

“You don’t want to get too rusty, Ellie,” he’d remind her.

Her body flowed into the natural stance. Just standing that way helped calm her. Her eyes flickered around Logan’s room. His large bed was made with military precision, while his pine nightstand was bare except for a digital alarm clock, the numbers glowing red. A wooden closet similar to the one in her bedroom was the only other piece of furniture in the room.

A knock sounded at the front door. Her blood pressure pounded in her ears. She heard Logan’s voice, deep and stern. “Yes?”

A pleasant sounding man’s voice answered. “I’m looking for a young woman called Ellie Sterling. I have reason to believe she’s staying here.”

“Sorry, I have no idea who you’re talking about. You must have the wrong address.” Logan sounded so sure of himself, she almost believed him herself.

“Are you sure you haven’t seen a young woman matching her description in the area?” the stranger persisted. “Strawberry-blonde hair, mid-twenties?
”

“I’d remember if I had,” she heard Logan reply. “Believe me.”

A pause, and then the stranger said, “Sorry to trouble you, sir.”

“No problem.”

She heard Logan shut the door. Relaxing out of her judo pose, she waited for him, although she was sorely tempted to rush out into the hall.

“He’s gone.” Grim-faced, Logan strode into the room.

“Who was he?” She looked at him worriedly.

He pulled the gun out of the back of his waistband and replaced it in the nightstand drawer. Still loaded, she noted.

Logan shrugged. “I don’t know. But we’re going to find out.”

“How?” she asked. Her knees started to tremble and without comprehending exactly what she was doing, she sank onto his bed. She’d managed to keep it together while Logan dealt with the stranger, but now …

His lips twisted into a semblance of a smile. “I got the license plate and make and model of his car from the study window. Cole should be able to tell us who we’re dealing with.”

“Cole?” She looked up at him.

“One of my brothers. He’s a PI.”

“Oh.” She watched him whip out his cell phone and punch the buttons.

A couple of minutes later, he ended the call. “Cole should get back to me in a few minutes.”

“That fast?” Her brow crinkled.

“Yeah. My brother’s good.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Four.”

“That must be nice.” Ellie tried to smile. She’d often wished for a brother or sister when she was younger, but Dad hadn’t shown any interest in women while she grew up. She’d asked him about it once, and he’d told her no woman could compare to her mother.

“Sometimes - most of the time,” Logan allowed.

“Do you see them often?” She couldn’t help being curious. Logan intrigued her, and learning more about him might stop her legs wobbling.

“Every couple of months. Apart from Mitch.”

“Why is that?”

He shrugged. “He says he’s busy with work, but everyone else manages to make the time. Even Alex, and sometimes he’s on the other side of the country checking out a new business opportunity - when he’s not busy spending time with his wife.” At Ellie’s inquiring look, he elaborated, “He got married a couple of months ago.”

“What does Mitch do?”

“He’s a writer.” Logan frowned. “He makes his own schedule, so he should be able to take a day off now and then and hang out with us. But he always says he’s got a deadline and can’t make it.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know if he realized, but Logan seemed annoyed when he spoke about Mitch. “Maybe he’ll be able to meet up with you next time.”

“Maybe.” He looked doubtful.

Suddenly remembering she was sitting on his bed, she jumped up. “Sorry.”

“Why?”

She tried not to blush. “I just needed to sit down for a second, that’s all. And your bed was the only …” looking around the sparsely decorated room, she finished with, “thing handy.”

“No problem.” He took a step closer to her. “How do you feel now?”

“Fine.” She pinned a bright smile to her lips. Then the situation really hit her. Her mouth crumpled. “What if Dad’s right? What if I
am
in danger?”

He gently placed his large hands on her shoulders. “Then we’ll face that situation together. When Cole calls back, we’ll know exactly who we’re dealing with.”

“I wish I could talk to Dad,” she murmured, unable to hide her distress.

“Remember, no news is good news.” He drew her closer to him and looked down at her. “Yeah, that saying stinks,” he said ruefully.

“I’m … I’m glad you’re here,” she confessed. Although his hands were just touching her shoulders, she felt safe in his loose embrace.

“So am I,” he muttered.

Their gazes met and held for a long second, then Logan’s mouth oh-so-slowly descended.

Ellie’s pulse skittered and she held her breath.

He kissed her lightly, softly. A tingle of electricity zipped through her. Then his lips claimed hers once more. Ellie sighed against his mouth as the kiss intensified. Just as her arms stole around his neck, he stepped back, wrenching his mouth from hers.

“Sorry.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

She stared up at him, her eyes wide. He was sorry? Slowly, she dropped her arms to her side.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he muttered, taking another step back.

“Like what?” She could barely get the words out. She knew she wasn’t very experienced when it came to men, only having a couple of boyfriends in the past, but that had been the best kiss ... ever. And he was apologizing?

“Like … that,” he gritted.

Now it was Ellie’s turn to back up. Obviously, he hadn’t felt anything when he’d kissed her. If he had, why would he be acting like this? She didn’t think she understood men. At all.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She tried for a nonchalant tone but suspected she failed.

He blew out a breath. “Fine. But for the record, it’s my job to protect you, not kiss you.”

“Fine.” She turned away. The memory of his lips on hers made a shiver run down her spine.
Was it because she had a curvy figure that he’d suddenly backed off? From the look on his face, she didn’t think she’d have to worry about him wanting to kiss her again. That was just
fine
with her. In fact, the whole situation was
fine
- not knowing how her father was doing, apart from “stable”, having a stranger turn up at the ranch where she was supposed to be safe, and now Logan kissing her and then apparently regretting it.

She should have known Logan wouldn’t have been interested in her. That was
fine
too. After all, she wasn’t here for romance.

***

Logan watched her stalk out of the room. He knew he should be right behind her, keeping her safe, especially after that stranger had just turned up, but decided to give her a minute. And himself one.

He shouldn’t have kissed her. He’d just blurred the line between professional and personal. But her lips had been so tempting - pink, soft and lush. She’d looked so distressed, not just about the strange guy turning up, but also about her father’s condition. And he’d done the first thing that had jumped into his head. He’d kissed her.

And once he started, he didn’t want to stop. But he had to. Knew he had to. Kissing her was the last thing she needed right now. And it was the last thing he needed, as well.

He just didn’t know how to explain it to her. Hell, he didn’t really know how to explain it to himself. He just hoped he hadn’t made a fraught situation worse.

***

From then on, Logan watched her even more closely than usual. It was annoying. Especially after that kiss that he’d tried to take back. Ellie told herself not to even think about what had happened. Repeatedly.

Unfortunately, the kiss played over and over in her mind on an endless loop.

Cole had gotten back to Logan a few minutes after the kiss. The car was a rental, hired to a private investigator by the name of Joe Mostin. Despite trying to dig deeper, that was all the information Cole came up with, besides the address of the PI’s office in Laramie, Wyoming, a couple of hours away from the ranch.

How a PI found out she was staying here, Ellie couldn’t fathom. But Logan’s reaction was a tightened jaw and eyes narrowed to hawk-like slits.

If she could get away from Logan for a while, go sketch or paint the scenery, maybe she could start thinking about something else. Like the gorgeous color of the sky. Not quite cerulean and not quite azure, but she itched to duplicate it with her paints.

Or go sketch Salt and Pepper.

Or sketch Logan.

His high cheekbones, firm jaw, gorgeous brown eyes. Just thinking about sketching his portrait, with him posing for her, made her pulse skip.

But she couldn’t. Because she might give herself away. Show him that although apparently the kiss hadn’t meant anything to him, it had to her.

She definitely didn’t want to draw anything with Logan breathing down her neck.
Not that he ever would,
she thought wistfully.
Not in a romantic way.
He’d made his feelings on the subject quite clear. He would protect her. Nothing more.

She just wished she could talk to her dad. Every morning she woke up, wondering if today he’d be well enough to talk to her on the phone. And every day her hopes were dashed when either she or Logan called the hospital to check on his condition.

Stable. But not accepting phone calls or visitors yet.

She tried to think positively, told herself that stable was good. But it had been Dad and her for so long, and now …

Ellie pushed the grim thought to the back of her mind. She had a decent job, wasn’t in debt and could take care of herself, apart from this threat her father worried about. If the worst came to the worst … Ordering herself to stop thinking like that, she made herself think of Logan instead. Not that it was difficult. Ever since that kiss, she’d found it hard
not
to think of him.

And now, she gave herself permission to do so, just for a few minutes.

Would he have tried to take back the kiss if she’d been tall and skinny? Or would they be kissing again right now, even blazing up the sheets, if she looked like a supermodel?

***

The day after the kiss, Ellie rang the hospital as usual. This time though, instead of being told her father wasn’t well enough for phone calls, she was put through to his room.

“Dad?” Her voice shook.

“Ellie.”

Her father’s voice sounded weak, but it was so good to hear him. She clutched the phone to her ear.

“Dad, how are--”

“Is Logan taking care of you?” Her father interrupted.

He still sounded like Dad, even though his voice sounded a little shaky.

“Yes.” She wouldn’t tell him about the stranger showing up. Since then, nothing else had happened.
Apart from that kiss.
And her father definitely did not need to know about
that
.

“Good.” He sounded relieved. “He’s a fine man, Ellie. You can trust him to keep you safe.”

“Okay.” She’d already come to the conclusion that although Logan might be grumpy and her feelings had definitely been hurt from his reaction to the kiss, it was a good bet she
could
trust him. 

Her father drew in a deep breath, as though the conversation was tiring him out.

“Dad,” she said quickly, “how are you?”

“I’m getting stronger every day, honey.” He sighed. “I’m sorry this happened.”

“When can you go home?” She could leave the ranch and take care of him at home. Or if her father still considered her to be in danger, he could come here. An impish thought struck her. Did Logan have any nursing experience?

“Very soon.” A pause. “The nurse is glaring at me so I’ve got to hang up now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Bye,” she managed to get in, before her father - or the nurse - ended the call.

Ellie wished she’d been able to talk to him a little longer, to find out exactly why he’d sent her to Logan’s ranch. But she couldn’t stop a smile spreading across her face. She’d talked to her dad!

Logan entered the kitchen. Although he’d been practically dogging her every footstep since the stranger incident, he’d given her some privacy while she made the daily phone call to the hospital. She swung around to meet him.

“I actually spoke to Dad!”

“That’s great!” he grinned, seeming genuinely happy for her. “What did he say?”

“That he should be going home soon.”

“Did he say why he felt you were in danger?” He looked at her intently.

Her expression fell. “No. We didn’t get time.”

“There’s always tomorrow. Now we know he can have phone calls, maybe we can get to the bottom of things.”

“Maybe,” she echoed. Dad recovering well and her leaving the ranch and returning to her normal life had been what she’d wanted. But now … She realized with a jolt that when this was all over, she would miss Logan. Miss his occasional smile, miss his hunky physique that somehow put all her senses on red alert, and miss his caring nature, that he seemed to hide beneath a sometimes gruff exterior. She still remembered the care he’d taken with her injured thumb, now almost healed.

“What’s wrong?” He took a step toward her.

“Nothing.” She tried for a bright tone but wasn‘t sure she succeeded. He stood so close … one more step and she’d be able to place her palm on his chest. She could just imagine the firm, rippling flesh concealed by his shirt. There was no way she was going to tell him she would miss him when she was back home in Virginia. Especially when she didn’t think he’d miss her. At all.

“Want to go for a ride this morning?” He lifted an eyebrow in inquiry. “I’d like to check on the herd in the east pasture.”

“I’d love to.” This time, her bright tone was genuine.

They walked to the barn, grabbed the halters, then she followed Logan to get the horses. To her pleased surprise, he allowed her to saddle and bridle Salt, her wounded thumb not being much of a hindrance. The only sound he made was an approving, “Hmm” when his gaze ran over the saddled horse.

Ellie mounted Salt. “Let’s go!”

Logan allowed her to set the pace. Although she would have loved to gallop full-tilt, she restrained herself, and settled for a comfortable canter. Logan and Pepper kept up easily, and by the time they reached the east pasture, Ellie’s cheeks glowed from the ride. And, she realized, by being in close proximity to Logan.

Entering the pasture, Logan rode among the cattle, seeming satisfied with what he found. She waited outside, still mounted on Salt, admiring the way he rode. His worn jeans and red-checked shirt made him look like one hunky cowboy. His short cut brown hair suited his tough good looks
and her pulse stirred. She didn’t think she’d ever been affected by a man she’d just met as she was with Logan. But, she guessed, he didn’t feel the same way about her, despite the kiss they’d shared. And then apologized for.

“The herd looks good,” he announced, when he rode out of the paddock to join her. “Want to ride a little further?”

“Sure,” she agreed, smiling. Usually, Logan took her straight back to the house after a ride
.

But perhaps the weather made him want to be outside a little longer today. The sun shone, a cool breeze ruffled the horses’ manes and it was just the type of day that made you want to relax and enjoy what nature offered.

And right now, she wanted to enjoy time with Logan.

They made small talk as they walked the horses past the east pasture. Ellie spied mountains in the distant, and drew in a deep breath, just happy to be outside on a gorgeous day, with Logan, and knowing that her dad was improving. Even if Logan wasn’t interested in her romantically, she could still enjoy his company, if that was all she could have.

Logan told her about the ranch. What he’d done so far in way of improvements, and what he planned to do in the next year. She didn’t know how much all the work involved cost, but it sounded expensive. Maybe ranching paid better than she thought it did.

“I also want to get the house into shape,” he said, as Salt and Pepper continued to walk side by side. “I’ve just been too busy with what needed to be done with the fences and the barn to be able to focus on the house.”

“I see what you mean,” she replied, glad that he wanted to do
something
to the house. She was far from a snob, but she had been a little surprised by the shabby interior of the farmhouse when she’d first arrived. Now, however, she was able to see its faded charm. While the outside of the house looked quite neat, inside needed a little work.

“Yeah, I was thinking of getting a new bathroom and kitchen for a start.”

“How about a dishwasher?” she teased.

“That too,” he admitted with a grin.

She smiled back. Despite claiming he wanted a dishwasher, Logan seemed surprisingly domesticated. He did the cooking and helped with the dishes as well.
It was just another facet of his personality that she found fascinating.

Ellie gazed at the scenery. “I’ve got to sketch this.” The words popped out of her mouth.

“How about now?”

She turned to him, surprised. “I haven’t got my sketch book or pencils.”

“Why don’t we go back to the house so you can get them?” Good humor etched his features.

“Really?” Her eyes sparkled.

He shrugged. “Sure. I can check the fence line nearby.” 

She wasn’t going to let his ever practical words detract from the pleasure his suggestion gave her. “Let’s go!”

Nudging Salt into a canter, she rode back to the barn. Today was the best day she’d had at the ranch so far, and wondered if this was the real Logan Trask. He seemed more relaxed around her, and she’d done her best to put that kiss two days ago out of her mind. Perhaps her father was wrong and she wasn’t in any danger at all. She’d talk to Logan about it once she retrieved her sketch pad.

Before arriving at the barn, Ellie slowed Salt to a sedate walk. It had been drummed into her from the first day she’d begun riding lessons that racing back to the horse’s stable was a big no-no.