The Rancher's Surrender

'I'm not budging, Zoe. It's time to have this out.'

'Look, Ty, don't take this personally. But I don't have it out with anyone.'

'You have a terrible habit of hiding your feelings, Zoe.'

'That's a little like the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?'

'No. I have feelings and I show them. For instance, in case you haven't noticed, I'm turned on right now.'

'I've noticed,' she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

He cupped her jaw so she had no choice but to look at him. 'For weeks I've been trying to break through to you, struggling to get past that damn block wall you keep putting up. I'm tired of being patient.'

Incredulous, she stared at him. 'Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't want you to 'break through'? That I'm just perfectly fine and don't need you?'

'No.'

She let out a little laugh and gripped the front of his shirt in fistfuls, though whether to keep him at bay or hold him close he had no idea and suspected she didn't, either. 'I've been trying for weeks, too-to ignore you.'

'I know. And I'm tired of that, too, tired of you pretending you don't care when I can see the passion burning in your eyes-passion for me!'

She tried to laugh again, then tried to scoff at him, but failed at both. Instead, she clamped her mouth tight, looking suddenly vulnerable and nervous. 'You're mistaken,' she told him, pale now. 'I'm not a… passionate sort. I'm not the kind of woman to have it burning in her eyes, much less-' She bit her lip.

'Much less what, Zoe?'

'Much less cause it in you.'

He could see she wasn't kidding, so he held back his startled laugh. God, could she really believe that about herself? 'Zoe, I don't even have to see you to feel it. I just think about you and it happens. You're one of the most passionate people I know.'

Dropping her head back, she stared up at the sky. 'Why won't you just go away? I really don't want to talk about this.'

She'd been hurt, that was obvious. At least one person had taught her that to feel hurts, and at the moment be wanted badly to hurt that someone. Instead he gentled both his hold and his voice. 'It's time to let go, Zoe. Let go of what has hurt you. The past is over.'

'I feel, you know. I feel for this place.'

'Feel for me.'

Her eyes widened at the bold dare and she took a step back. 'I… can't do that.'

'Why not?'

'I just can't!'

She was miserable, but he couldn't let her hide, not from this. 'Tell me you feel nothing and I'll walk away right now,' he said rashly. 'Tell me.'

'I-' She closed her eyes. 'I want to tell you that. God, I really want to tell you I feel nothing.'

'Then do it.'

Her eyes opened and she licked her lips with a nervous little dart of her tongue. With just that small movement he became aware of their position and how close they stood. Her breasts brushed his chest. Her thighs met his. And between them was a heat that made him dizzy. 'Tell me,' he urged quietly. 'I have to hear it.'

They looked at each other, the air charged, and she said nothing.

'Zoe.'

'When you kissed me,' she whispered, staring at his mouth, 'I saw fireworks. That's never happened before.'

A smile crossed his lips before he could stop himself. 'Did you like it?'

'Yes.' She smiled, too. 'That's why I punched you.'

'If we try it again, just started with a little kiss, what would happen?'

'I'd probably still like it,' she admitted.

His smile widened as he leaned close. 'Don't slug me again.' And he came closer still, brushing his mouth lightly over hers once, then twice. 'No biting, either,' he whispered.

A soft sound came from deep in her throat, and the soft, mewling neediness was irresistible. His hands slid down her arms to link his fingers with hers, and he took her mouth one more time, deeper, hotter. She met him, straining for even more. Then, when his brain was exploding with pleasure, she pulled back, put a hand to his chest and drew in a ragged breath. 'Not good.'

In his highly aroused state, he could hardly place together a coherent thought. 'Felt good to me.'

'You want something from me I can't give.'

'Believe me, what I want, you can give.'

'No, you want me to admit feelings that I… just can't. And…' She let out a little sound. 'And never mind the rest.'

He stared at her. He knew the rest suddenly, sharply, as if she'd spoken. She wanted something from him, too, something he wasn't sure he was any more prepared to give then she was.

The front door to the house opened and Zoe jerked back guiltily, even though they weren't in direct sight. But Zoe didn't want to get caught in Ty's arms and have to explain it to a curious, meddling sister when she couldn't even explain it to herself. She bent for the roller she'd dropped and let out an oath at the dirt clumped to it.

Maddie called to them from the front steps. 'Dinner's on. You guys hungry?'

Ty hadn't moved an inch of his big, tensed body. He turned just his head and met Zoe's gaze. Something inside her chest tightened at his expression.

His slate eyes held lingering heat and frustration, equally mixed. That long, rangy body of his was tight with anticipation and irritation, also equally mixed. He was so… so overwhelmingly male.

In fact, he looked like trouble personified, and suddenly it struck her as poetic justice. He was aroused and angry about it, and that made two of them.

'Not funny,' he groaned quietly, reading her mind. 'A guy could die of this, you know.'

'So could a woman,' she told him, then regretted it when his eyes smoldered.

'I'll take that as an admission,' he told her bluntly. 'And it's a start.'

With that, he walked around her and headed toward the front door, where Maddie stood watching them both with clear curiosity.

Ty smiled at her, and when he got close enough for Maddie to hear, he murmured something that made her smile back at him in return.

Zoe drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Another kiss like that, she thought, and she was going to go right up in flames.

How did he do it? How did he draw her so completely out of herself? It was startling, and once again she used anger to ward off fear.

He had some nerve, demanding she stop hiding and live. She did live. She did feel. Yes, maybe she did both of those things conservatively, but he had no right to criticize.

Not when he'd so neatly neglected to tell her how he felt about her.

She watched him set a gentle hand on Maddie's shoulder and lead her into the house. Maddie's soft laughter drifted to her and Zoe shook her head in disgust.

He couldn't care, not really. Right? All he wanted was the land. But the uncertainty had Zoe's head spinning. He seemed sincere with Delia and Maddie. Then there was the way he treated her. He'd held her as if she were important and meaningful, with no intentions of fooling her in those eyes. The only thing shining there had been hunger and yearning.

Apparently he'd grown up with even less love and affection than she'd had. Could he be just as reluctant as herself? She supposed it was possible, but it was so much easier to think the worst of him.

Easier and far more simple.

Momentarily forgetting he had as much reason as she to fear entanglement, Zoe vowed to put a stop to this insanity now. She would regain control of herself. That's all there was to it.

Zoe stalked off toward the house, determined to do just that.