won’t work you so hard.”
“Megan, I love playing with all the babies. I never had brothers and sisters. It’s been fun.”
“I know, but—Oops, there’s one of the twins calling. I’ll check on you in a minute.”
Maybe a minute would be long enough to come up with a reason to avoid Griffin Randall.
GRIFFIN HAD REMAINED at the barn after Camille’s riding lesson. The smell of hay calmed him. And he needed calming...and time to think.
He was an experienced man. Because his mother had preached at him to avoid love didn’t mean he hadn’t had relationships. But always on his terms. He’d always been in control. He’d always been up front with the women with whom he’d been intimate.
With Camille, he wasn’t in control.
And he certainly didn’t intend to tell her that. When a man lost control, a woman thought she gained it. That wasn’t going to happen.
As long as he could avoid touching her again. Because something happened when he touched her. A powerful hunger seized him, a hunger to feel her flesh, to bring her body against his.
After he got her on the horse, he’d retreated, stepped back, done his teaching through words. He’d put her through a grueling hour, not knowing if he was trying to punish her or himself. At the end of the lesson, she couldn’t even dismount alone. She would’ve fallen on her face.
So he’d moved to her side, giving her his strength as she’d slid off the saddle. Her body, in those sexy jeans, had slid down his, lighting it up like a pinball machine everywhere she touched. Her scent filled his nostrils, and his arms had tightened around her. He’d considered picking her up. But he knew he would have headed for a clean pile of hay rather than the house. He’d have removed every inch of clothing she wore, until nothing was between them.
What was it about Camille Henderson that attracted him more than any other woman? She was beautiful, of course. But he’d had beautiful women. She could be charming, her smile warm and tender, her eyes lighting with humor.
Stop! His body was reacting predictably. He didn’t want to—The sound of horses increased his need to avoid showing any reaction. These men might be his cousins, but he wasn’t about to reveal his vulnerability to anyone.
After a deep breath, he moved out into the sunshine. Jake was the first to arrive, greeting Griffin with a big smile.
“Everything all right?”
“Fine,” Griffin muttered. He offered to take care of Jake’s horse, but his cousin refused.
The other three Randalls arrived together.
Chad immediately got to the heart of Griffin’s problems. “Did you give Camille her lesson? How did it go?”
“I’m afraid I overdid it, Chad. I don’t think I’m the right person for the job. How about I ride out with the others tomorrow and you stay here and give her a lesson? I think she’d prefer that.”
He watched Chad look at his three brothers, silently communicating something. He wasn’t sure what.
“Well, we’ll see. But I planned to take a couple of the boys and comb the foothills, in case we missed any of the cattle in the roundup we just finished. You wouldn’t know where to look.” He unsaddled his horse without looking at Griffin.
“Wouldn’t your hands know where to look?” Griffin was feeling pretty desperate to avoid Camille.
“Not like me,” Chad assured him with a grin. “I’ve been riding those foothills all my life.”
“Pete, you could come with me,” Griffin suggested. “That would free up one of the cowboys to do something else.”
Pete cocked one eyebrow. “I’d enjoy that, Griff, but tomorrow I’m getting a new gelding for the rodeo string. In fact, I was hoping you’d be around to help me with him.”
Griffin eagerly leaped at the opportunity to be busy with something else besides Camille. “Sure. I’d be pleased to help. Camille will understand I’ve got to help you.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem. The animal will be here in the
“Megan, I love playing with all the babies. I never had brothers and sisters. It’s been fun.”
“I know, but—Oops, there’s one of the twins calling. I’ll check on you in a minute.”
Maybe a minute would be long enough to come up with a reason to avoid Griffin Randall.
GRIFFIN HAD REMAINED at the barn after Camille’s riding lesson. The smell of hay calmed him. And he needed calming...and time to think.
He was an experienced man. Because his mother had preached at him to avoid love didn’t mean he hadn’t had relationships. But always on his terms. He’d always been in control. He’d always been up front with the women with whom he’d been intimate.
With Camille, he wasn’t in control.
And he certainly didn’t intend to tell her that. When a man lost control, a woman thought she gained it. That wasn’t going to happen.
As long as he could avoid touching her again. Because something happened when he touched her. A powerful hunger seized him, a hunger to feel her flesh, to bring her body against his.
After he got her on the horse, he’d retreated, stepped back, done his teaching through words. He’d put her through a grueling hour, not knowing if he was trying to punish her or himself. At the end of the lesson, she couldn’t even dismount alone. She would’ve fallen on her face.
So he’d moved to her side, giving her his strength as she’d slid off the saddle. Her body, in those sexy jeans, had slid down his, lighting it up like a pinball machine everywhere she touched. Her scent filled his nostrils, and his arms had tightened around her. He’d considered picking her up. But he knew he would have headed for a clean pile of hay rather than the house. He’d have removed every inch of clothing she wore, until nothing was between them.
What was it about Camille Henderson that attracted him more than any other woman? She was beautiful, of course. But he’d had beautiful women. She could be charming, her smile warm and tender, her eyes lighting with humor.
Stop! His body was reacting predictably. He didn’t want to—The sound of horses increased his need to avoid showing any reaction. These men might be his cousins, but he wasn’t about to reveal his vulnerability to anyone.
After a deep breath, he moved out into the sunshine. Jake was the first to arrive, greeting Griffin with a big smile.
“Everything all right?”
“Fine,” Griffin muttered. He offered to take care of Jake’s horse, but his cousin refused.
The other three Randalls arrived together.
Chad immediately got to the heart of Griffin’s problems. “Did you give Camille her lesson? How did it go?”
“I’m afraid I overdid it, Chad. I don’t think I’m the right person for the job. How about I ride out with the others tomorrow and you stay here and give her a lesson? I think she’d prefer that.”
He watched Chad look at his three brothers, silently communicating something. He wasn’t sure what.
“Well, we’ll see. But I planned to take a couple of the boys and comb the foothills, in case we missed any of the cattle in the roundup we just finished. You wouldn’t know where to look.” He unsaddled his horse without looking at Griffin.
“Wouldn’t your hands know where to look?” Griffin was feeling pretty desperate to avoid Camille.
“Not like me,” Chad assured him with a grin. “I’ve been riding those foothills all my life.”
“Pete, you could come with me,” Griffin suggested. “That would free up one of the cowboys to do something else.”
Pete cocked one eyebrow. “I’d enjoy that, Griff, but tomorrow I’m getting a new gelding for the rodeo string. In fact, I was hoping you’d be around to help me with him.”
Griffin eagerly leaped at the opportunity to be busy with something else besides Camille. “Sure. I’d be pleased to help. Camille will understand I’ve got to help you.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem. The animal will be here in the
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