The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride (BBW Romance - Billionaire Brothers 1) (9 page)

By the time the kiss ended, they both breathed heavily. “After lunch,” he vowed, kissing her one last time. Just a glimpse of the promise in his eyes made her panties damp. “I have to see to Farley, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you.”

Maddie thrilled at his words. “So I guess that means I won’t be cleaning the cabin this afternoon,” she teased, trailing her finger along the buttons of his red cotton shirt.

“You’ve got that right,” he growled, catching her hand and pressing a kiss on her palm. “I’ll pick you up at noon.”

###

M
addie blinked and rolled over. She smiled drowsily as she remembered lunch and what had happened after: more totally amazing sex with the man she loved.

Turning her head, she looked at the other side of the bed. No Garrett.  Wrinkling her brow, she looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand: five p.m. She couldn’t believe they’d spent most of the afternoon in bed - well, she had, anyway. Wishing she could spend every afternoon like this, Maddie got out of bed and looked at her clothes strewn all over the floor. Feeling greatly daring, she slipped on her bra and T-shirt, holding her jeans and panties against the lower half of her body.

Padding into the hall, she wondered where Garrett was. Deciding to look for him when she was fully clothed, Maddie quickly changed her underwear in her bedroom and wriggled into her jeans.

“Garrett?” She ventured into the living room, wondering if he was outside. Once she’d checked the kitchen, she made her way back to the hall. The faint rumble of Garrett’s voice reached her ears.

Maddie made her way to the study. Although she’d been here for more than a week, she hadn’t yet entered his inner sanctum. Whenever Garrett closeted himself in there, the door was always closed. Until today. The door ajar, she was just about to poke her head in when Garrett’s voice sounded again.

“I know it’s a good deal, Alex, but I’ve changed my mind. If you want a bigger stake in the project, then go ahead.”

There was silence for a few seconds, then Maddie heard him chuckle.

“I’ve decided to consolidate a few things, that’s all.”

After another few seconds, she heard him end the call with, “Yeah, you too.”

Another mysterious conference call? Burning with curiosity, she wondered if he’d just been talking to his brother, or other people as well. What was it about?

Should she announce her presence? She didn’t want Garrett to think she’d been eavesdropping, no matter how innocently. After all, if he wanted her to know what kind of business he attended to in his study, he’d tell her.

She instinctively knew that Garrett was a good man, and didn’t think he’d ever be involved in anything shady. In fact, she trusted him with her heart. But did he trust her with his?

Who exactly was Garrett Trask?

T
he next ten days flew by in a haze of lovemaking and ranch work. Maddie finally cleaned the cabins to her own satisfaction, Carol bestowing her praise while Garrett scolded her for working too hard. Once she’d finished the cabins, the rest of her time seemed more like a vacation on a dude ranch. She’d gone horseback riding with Garrett practically every day, and he seemed to spend as much time as possible with her, in and out of the bedroom.

At the end of the second week he’d paid her another fifteen hundred dollars, glowering when she refused to accept it. She’d asked him again how much she owed him for her new clothes, and once again he’d told her the bill from the store hadn’t arrived.

Now it was Friday, the end of the third week since she’d jilted Howard at the altar. Maddie sadly looked around her bedroom. True, she hadn’t spent much time in it since she and Garrett had become intimate, but she hadn’t felt she could move her clothes into his bedroom when she was leaving so soon.

Her clothes lay neatly on the bed. Why hadn’t she thought to buy a suitcase?
Because she hadn’t wanted to think about returning to Portland.
Biting her lip, she wondered if she had enough time to drive into town to get one. When she’d arrived here, she’d only had her wedding gown and a tiny purse. Now she had jeans, T-shirts, lingerie and a bedraggled wedding dress to take back to Portland. And no suitcase.

Looking at the clock, she realized the stores would be shut by now. She’d booked a flight for tomorrow morning, which would give her enough time to be ready for work on Monday. She’d grab some of her belongings from Howard’s, and either sleep on Lyndsey’s sofa or stay at her parents’ house until she found another apartment.

Although neither of them had spoken about her going back to Portland at the end of three weeks since they’d made love for the first time, she knew it was time to face reality.

“Maddie.” Garrett’s rich, masculine voice from the hallway still sent a shiver down her spine.

“In here,” she called.

He strode into the room, stilling when he saw her clothes laid out on the bed.

“Have you got a suitcase, Garrett?” She tried to control the wobble in her voice.

“Maddie?” He frowned, gesturing to her clothes. “What’s going on?”

“I’m due back at the library on Monday.”

He looked at her as if he couldn’t comprehend her answer.

“You hired me for three weeks.” She attempted to shrug. “It’s three weeks.”

“Stay.”

“What?” Maddie looked up at him. Hope sparked in her chest.

“Stay with me, Maddie.” He hauled her against him, as if he would never let her go. “If you want to work in a library, you could get a job here.”

“But Garrett—”

His molten-brown eyes glimmered with emotion. “I need you, Maddie.”

Before she could answer, his mouth descended, his lips commanding her to say yes. An electrifying shiver raced through her as she surrendered to his kiss.

“Move your stuff into my room,” he murmured, brushing his lips against the sensitive spot on her neck that drove her wild.

“Garrett,” she gasped, knowing he wasn’t being fair. He must know by now what his sensual kisses and caresses did to her. When he touched her like this she couldn’t think, only feel.

“Say yes.” His words of demand brushed her lips.

Her hands tightened around his back. She longed to stay here with him. Could she? Should she? The thought of returning to Portland made her miserable. It just wouldn’t be the same there now she’d met Garrett.

He pulled back from her, looking at her searchingly. “Marry me.”

Her mouth parted. She gazed at him, not sure if she’d heard correctly. Before she could speak, he repeated those two little words. “Marry me, Maddie.”

She finally found her voice. “What? Garrett, that’s crazy.” Her heart thudded in her chest like a galloping horse. Surely he wasn’t serious ... was he?

“So is your returning to Portland.” He cupped her face in her hands.

She melted at the passion and tenderness in his eyes. “But ... we’ve only known each other three weeks,” she whispered. It was hard to be rational when all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and shout, “Yes!”

He arched an eyebrow. “I think by now we know each other pretty intimately.”

Maddie’s cheeks flamed at his answer, loaded with meaning. Sex with Garrett was amazing; all she’d ever dreamed of. And she knew she loved him. But did he love her? Did he want her to stay so much that he would propose even if he weren’t in love with her?

Although she’d told him proposing was crazy, was she the crazy one if she didn’t accept? Garrett was offering her everything. All she had to do was be brave enough to start a new life with him.

Her smile lit up her eyes. Her heart had already supplied the answer. “Yes, Garrett Trask. I’ll marry you.”

He whooped, picking her up and spinning her in a circle. She laughed, breathless with excitement, realizing she no longer worried about being too heavy for him. He’d shown her more than once that he was perfectly capable of scooping her into his arms.

He grinned down at her, desire and tenderness gleaming from the depths of his eyes. “Then let’s you get settled into my bedroom.”

###

T
wo weeks later, Maddie reflected on her whirlwind romance with Garrett as she took a shower, standing under the powerful spray of warm water. As soon as she’d said yes to his proposal, he’d hustled her and her belongings into his bedroom. They hadn’t emerged for a
very
long time. In fact, at one stage Maddie had wondered if he intended to keep her there permanently, not that she would have minded -
at all.
Bliss flickered across her face as she remembered exactly what had transpired that night.

Now that she was engaged to Garrett, she seemed to have a permanent smile on her face. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind about marrying him. The day after she’d accepted his proposal, he’d arranged for her belongings to be sent there.

“I’ll take care of it,” he reassured her, before going into the study to make the necessary arrangements. Two days later, all her boxes from Howard’s place had arrived.

After Maddie informed her surprised mother she was engaged to a rancher, she called Lyndsey. Her friend had been startled into speechlessness for a few seconds before promising to be there for the wedding.

When Lyndsey asked her if they’d set a date yet, Maddie looked down at her bare ring finger and confessed they hadn’t talked about dates yet. They hadn’t even gotten around to an engagement ring. Not that she minded, Maddie told herself fiercely. Garrett had shown her in plenty of other ways how much he cared for her.
Although he hadn’t yet told her he loved her.

Turning off the water and picking up a soft, fluffy towel, she briskly dried herself. To be fair, she hadn’t told Garrett she loved him, either. It had been on the tip of her tongue numerous times, but she always chickened out at the last minute.
Not for much longer
.

Maddie looked around the bedroom for some clean clothes. She’d just been horseback riding with Garrett, and although he’d had to attend to some fencing that he’d spotted when they’d been riding along the north pasture, he’d told her to go home and relax.

She smiled. The ranch really did feel like home. Maddie flipped through the stack of clean lingerie. Her sexy blue bra and matching panties weren’t there. She frowned, trying to think when she'd worn them last. She remembered Garrett’s eyes lighting up in appreciation when he slid them off her one night, but his eyes always seemed to be appreciative when he helped her undress, no matter what kind of underwear she wore.

Maybe she’d somehow left them behind in her old bedroom. Maddie sashayed into the hall without a scrap on. Garrett had shown her many times just how much he admired her, and her body, with and without clothes. She now felt confident to walk around the house naked if she felt like it. And it was silly to wear a towel that just met around her curves when it would only take her a minute to look in the guest room for her lingerie.

Checking the back of the drawer in her old bedroom, she held up the silky blue scraps in triumph. Maybe tomorrow she’d drive to town and see if Donna had any more pretty under-things. She laughed softly to herself, wondering what Garrett’s reaction would be if she bought an incredibly sexy nightie as well.

###

T
he following day, Maddie’s fingers hovered on the keyboard of her laptop as she composed a resignation letter for her old job. When she’d accepted Garrett’s proposal, she’d called the library and told them she wouldn’t be able to return to work. Since she had some extra leave, her boss had suggested she take it, and send a letter of resignation.

Now it was time. This morning, Garrett had shown her an ad in the paper for a job in the small library in Elk View Corner.

“But you don’t need a job.” He looked as if he were biting back a secret grin. “I can support you.”

Maddie hesitated. She enjoyed helping out on the ranch. Even cleaning those dusty cabins had been fun in a way. But she was used to earning her own living. And he still hadn’t shown her the store account for her new clothes, although she supposed it didn’t really matter now they were engaged.

“I’d like to apply for it,” she said firmly.

He pulled her to him and kissed her until she was breathless. “Then go for it
.”
His hand stroked her hair, his lips meeting hers once more until he wrenched himself away with a groan of frustration. “I have to go and check on Farley.”

Maddie frowned. “Is he any better?” The bull hadn’t been well for the last few days, and she knew Garrett was worried about him.

He shook his head. “No. I’ll call the vet to come out again today.”

She reached up to give him a reassuring kiss, which turned into a make-out session, before Garrett reluctantly left the house and Maddie sat down to continue composing her resignation letter.

###

“H
i Carol.” Maddie smiled at the housekeeper the next morning as the older woman trudged into the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Not right now, thanks, Maddie,” she replied, distress evident in her tone.

“Is something wrong?” She gazed at the housekeeper in concern. Carol was usually a cheerful, bustling soul and had appeared pleased at the news that she and Garrett were engaged.

Carol sagged on one of the kitchen chairs. “It’s that bull.”

“Farley?”

“I just saw the vet when I drove up to the house.”

Maddie bit her lip.

“The doc had to put him down.”

“Oh no.” Maddie’s hand flew to her mouth. What would happen to Garrett’s breeding operation? He’d been so pleased and satisfied with his purchase of Farley.

Carol sighed heavily. “Maybe I will have that cup of coffee after all.”

“Sure.” Maddie turned to the machine. As soon as she made the coffee, she’d go outside and see Garrett.

“I’ve worked for Mr. Garrett for the last three years. He’s a good man and he pays well. But now...” She shook her head. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be working for him.”

Maddie’s hand stilled on the button of the appliance. “What do you mean?” she whispered.

“That bull cost a lot of money.
A lot
. The rancher who sold it to Mr. Garrett bragged about it all over town. And now that Farley’s gone ...”