the open. She could jump on Joy and ride away.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Lane asked after returning to his position by the window.
Alex let out the breath she had been holding. She could talk to him when there was distance between them, she thought hopefully.
“I’ve been busy,” s he repeated. She was glad her voice was steady because her nerves were a jumbled mess.
“Yes, I realized something the other day. I had a little talk with Jack about your duties on this ranch. Are you aware you have none?”
“I take care of my animals,” s he said defensively.
Lane crossed the room to her, closing the safety net between them. Alex checked the urge to back away.
“Are you aware that you work close to seventeen hour days?”
“It’s not work to me. It’s my life.”
“What about friends? Do you have any?”
She thought of Lindsay Preston, her childhood friend and Sam Brewster, the father o f her child. “I have friends,” s he said stiffly. “I don’t see how any of this is relevant.”
“It isn’t. I’m only curious. You ’re very young to be so jaded, s o mysterious.” He fisted her hair into his hand and held it. “You’re a puzzle that I can’t help but solve, Alex.”
“I’m not a puzzle. I’m a person.”
“You are that.” His gaze skimmed down the length of her body and back up to her face before his lips curved. “A very beautiful person.”
Alex swallowed and tried to back away then , but he only tightened his hold on her hair. “Do you want to know why I’m going to marry you, Alex?”
“No.” It came out in a raw whisper. The finality, the certainty in his tone sent chills down her spine.
“I want you. But you know that. I also want this ranch. It occurs to me that this place is indeed special to you. If I were to give you my name, you would own this ranch with me.” He released her hair and laid his hand on her shoulder. Her heart thudded in her ribs. “I need a wife and have already been through one horrific marriage and don’t intend to do it again.”
“What makes you think I won’t turn out like your last wife?”
“You’re nothing like her to start. And I won’t tolerate the type of behavior I allowed Roxanne to have.” Again, there was underlying steel in his voice.
Alex shuddered before she could control herself.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you, Lane.” She tried to leave again , but he tightened his hold where his hand had slid down on her arm. The firm grip reminded her belatedly that any man was capable of anything. Her father had such big hands. The thought of her father sent ice skidding up her back.
“Tell me you’ll think about it.”
“I can’t.” The knot in her stomach began to tighten. If he really wanted to keep her in there, he could. It was all she could think while his leaf green eyes seared into hers.
“Why?”
“I just can’t. Please let me go.” Her voice was strong. She held onto that.
“No,” h e bit out. “You’re not running away from me this time. I need an answer and I need it now.”
When she remained silent , his jaw tightened with his anger. Alex dimly remembered her father shouting at her after she had told her parents she was pregnant. You’re not going to run away from me. You whore! Take what you’ve earned! Then he had raised his belt.
Lane felt her body shaking under his hand. Raising a brow, he looked into Alex’s eyes to see they weren’t wide and innocent, nor were they darkened and brilliant. They were dull and flat and not a little terrified .
She looked to be in a trance. Lane reached out his hand to touch her cheek. Alex jerked backwards with such force, she slipped out of his slackened hold and rammed back against the wall. She made no sound, only shoved herself up and braced her back up against the wall.
Her breath was co ming in jerks. As Lane advanced slowly and cautiously to her, he noted that her eyes were no longer dull and unfocused. They were glassy with terror.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Lane asked after returning to his position by the window.
Alex let out the breath she had been holding. She could talk to him when there was distance between them, she thought hopefully.
“I’ve been busy,” s he repeated. She was glad her voice was steady because her nerves were a jumbled mess.
“Yes, I realized something the other day. I had a little talk with Jack about your duties on this ranch. Are you aware you have none?”
“I take care of my animals,” s he said defensively.
Lane crossed the room to her, closing the safety net between them. Alex checked the urge to back away.
“Are you aware that you work close to seventeen hour days?”
“It’s not work to me. It’s my life.”
“What about friends? Do you have any?”
She thought of Lindsay Preston, her childhood friend and Sam Brewster, the father o f her child. “I have friends,” s he said stiffly. “I don’t see how any of this is relevant.”
“It isn’t. I’m only curious. You ’re very young to be so jaded, s o mysterious.” He fisted her hair into his hand and held it. “You’re a puzzle that I can’t help but solve, Alex.”
“I’m not a puzzle. I’m a person.”
“You are that.” His gaze skimmed down the length of her body and back up to her face before his lips curved. “A very beautiful person.”
Alex swallowed and tried to back away then , but he only tightened his hold on her hair. “Do you want to know why I’m going to marry you, Alex?”
“No.” It came out in a raw whisper. The finality, the certainty in his tone sent chills down her spine.
“I want you. But you know that. I also want this ranch. It occurs to me that this place is indeed special to you. If I were to give you my name, you would own this ranch with me.” He released her hair and laid his hand on her shoulder. Her heart thudded in her ribs. “I need a wife and have already been through one horrific marriage and don’t intend to do it again.”
“What makes you think I won’t turn out like your last wife?”
“You’re nothing like her to start. And I won’t tolerate the type of behavior I allowed Roxanne to have.” Again, there was underlying steel in his voice.
Alex shuddered before she could control herself.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you, Lane.” She tried to leave again , but he tightened his hold where his hand had slid down on her arm. The firm grip reminded her belatedly that any man was capable of anything. Her father had such big hands. The thought of her father sent ice skidding up her back.
“Tell me you’ll think about it.”
“I can’t.” The knot in her stomach began to tighten. If he really wanted to keep her in there, he could. It was all she could think while his leaf green eyes seared into hers.
“Why?”
“I just can’t. Please let me go.” Her voice was strong. She held onto that.
“No,” h e bit out. “You’re not running away from me this time. I need an answer and I need it now.”
When she remained silent , his jaw tightened with his anger. Alex dimly remembered her father shouting at her after she had told her parents she was pregnant. You’re not going to run away from me. You whore! Take what you’ve earned! Then he had raised his belt.
Lane felt her body shaking under his hand. Raising a brow, he looked into Alex’s eyes to see they weren’t wide and innocent, nor were they darkened and brilliant. They were dull and flat and not a little terrified .
She looked to be in a trance. Lane reached out his hand to touch her cheek. Alex jerked backwards with such force, she slipped out of his slackened hold and rammed back against the wall. She made no sound, only shoved herself up and braced her back up against the wall.
Her breath was co ming in jerks. As Lane advanced slowly and cautiously to her, he noted that her eyes were no longer dull and unfocused. They were glassy with terror.
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