everything about him. “Did you need something, by the way?”
“Not really,” Galen said. “I got stopped on the way to my room by the mention of you bidding on me. I’m sorry you were disappointed.”
She raised a brow. “Did I say I was disappointed I didn’t win you?”
He grinned. “Maybe I was the one who was disappointed.” Then he kissed her, slowly and sweetly, and Rose felt her world shifting and changing. She leaned against him, curled her hands around his broad back and felt their bodies melt together.
A second later the storm that had been threatening all afternoon broke wide-open with a fierce thunderclap, blowing all the lights out without even a flicker. She gasped and stepped back from Galen.
Thankfully, it was pitch-black in the room, or he’d know just by looking at her face how much she wanted to toss that gown off her bed and drag him into it.
“Whoa,” Galen said. “Where’d you go, beautiful? Don’t leave a guy standing in the dark with empty arms.”
“I’m looking for a flashlight.”
“Don’t do that. I know where my mouth is. I can lead you right to it.”
His teasing finally coaxed away her nervousness. “Galen, don’t you have a match?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask. Now that you have,” he said, striking one and holding up the resulting flame, “I cannot by way of gentlemanly decree lie and say I do not have said match. But I liked what we were doing in the dark much better.”
“Maybe your aunt is right about you.” Rose groped in a drawer and found a flashlight, turning it on and setting it on the table with the beam upward. “Maybe you’re not raffle material.”
His laugh was low and sexy. “One thing you should know about my aunt is that she loves the theory of reverse psychology.” He blew out the match and took the flashlight. “Follow me. We’ll go make sure she has her flashlight. I worry about her and Burke falling.”
“You’re nothing if not a good nephew,” Rose said, following him down the stairs. “Maybe it was reverse psychology. That would mean she thinks you are worth bidding on.”
“Of course I’m worth bidding on. I’m the best catch at Rancho Diablo. Don’t let my aunt fool you, cupcake. She’s cast her line, and she’s trying to reel you in. My advice is run while you still can.”
Rose rolled her eyes behind Galen’s broad back. “Why ever would I want to run from the best catch at Rancho Diablo?”
“Because,” Galen said, “most ladies around here have found themselves with an empty hook.”
“That’s a shame,” Rose said. “But then, I’m not really worried about the quality of my bait.”
He laughed again, and she smiled, not worried at all.
“Jace,” Galen said, once they were in the den. “Glad you’re here. I’d like to call a family meeting tonight. We have a lot to discuss.”
“Like the fact that you’re planning to buy the ranch across the canyons?” Jace demanded. Rose heard the edge in his voice.
“Call the meeting if you have cell service,” Galen said tersely, no longer laughing and happy the way he’d been a moment ago, and Rose knew that after tonight, everything at Rancho Diablo was going to change.
The storm had brought in dark clouds and knocked out the power. It felt as if a lot of energy had left, and anger and resentment had taken its place. A cold chill ran over Rose. She took the flashlight Galen handed her, and murmured that she was going to find Fiona.
But in the kitchen she found Running Bear, standing there silently, dark and tense. She stifled a shriek. “Hi, Running Bear.”
He nodded.
“The guys are in the den, if you’re looking for them.”
He didn’t move. “You went in the cave last night.”
“Yes. I did.”
“Come with me.”
There could be no harm in going with Galen’s grandfather. She followed him to the door.
“Not without me, Grandfather,” Galen said from behind them.
“I knew you would come.” Running Bear disappeared,
“Not really,” Galen said. “I got stopped on the way to my room by the mention of you bidding on me. I’m sorry you were disappointed.”
She raised a brow. “Did I say I was disappointed I didn’t win you?”
He grinned. “Maybe I was the one who was disappointed.” Then he kissed her, slowly and sweetly, and Rose felt her world shifting and changing. She leaned against him, curled her hands around his broad back and felt their bodies melt together.
A second later the storm that had been threatening all afternoon broke wide-open with a fierce thunderclap, blowing all the lights out without even a flicker. She gasped and stepped back from Galen.
Thankfully, it was pitch-black in the room, or he’d know just by looking at her face how much she wanted to toss that gown off her bed and drag him into it.
“Whoa,” Galen said. “Where’d you go, beautiful? Don’t leave a guy standing in the dark with empty arms.”
“I’m looking for a flashlight.”
“Don’t do that. I know where my mouth is. I can lead you right to it.”
His teasing finally coaxed away her nervousness. “Galen, don’t you have a match?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask. Now that you have,” he said, striking one and holding up the resulting flame, “I cannot by way of gentlemanly decree lie and say I do not have said match. But I liked what we were doing in the dark much better.”
“Maybe your aunt is right about you.” Rose groped in a drawer and found a flashlight, turning it on and setting it on the table with the beam upward. “Maybe you’re not raffle material.”
His laugh was low and sexy. “One thing you should know about my aunt is that she loves the theory of reverse psychology.” He blew out the match and took the flashlight. “Follow me. We’ll go make sure she has her flashlight. I worry about her and Burke falling.”
“You’re nothing if not a good nephew,” Rose said, following him down the stairs. “Maybe it was reverse psychology. That would mean she thinks you are worth bidding on.”
“Of course I’m worth bidding on. I’m the best catch at Rancho Diablo. Don’t let my aunt fool you, cupcake. She’s cast her line, and she’s trying to reel you in. My advice is run while you still can.”
Rose rolled her eyes behind Galen’s broad back. “Why ever would I want to run from the best catch at Rancho Diablo?”
“Because,” Galen said, “most ladies around here have found themselves with an empty hook.”
“That’s a shame,” Rose said. “But then, I’m not really worried about the quality of my bait.”
He laughed again, and she smiled, not worried at all.
“Jace,” Galen said, once they were in the den. “Glad you’re here. I’d like to call a family meeting tonight. We have a lot to discuss.”
“Like the fact that you’re planning to buy the ranch across the canyons?” Jace demanded. Rose heard the edge in his voice.
“Call the meeting if you have cell service,” Galen said tersely, no longer laughing and happy the way he’d been a moment ago, and Rose knew that after tonight, everything at Rancho Diablo was going to change.
The storm had brought in dark clouds and knocked out the power. It felt as if a lot of energy had left, and anger and resentment had taken its place. A cold chill ran over Rose. She took the flashlight Galen handed her, and murmured that she was going to find Fiona.
But in the kitchen she found Running Bear, standing there silently, dark and tense. She stifled a shriek. “Hi, Running Bear.”
He nodded.
“The guys are in the den, if you’re looking for them.”
He didn’t move. “You went in the cave last night.”
“Yes. I did.”
“Come with me.”
There could be no harm in going with Galen’s grandfather. She followed him to the door.
“Not without me, Grandfather,” Galen said from behind them.
“I knew you would come.” Running Bear disappeared,
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