Branded by Candace Havens

come on in.” The challenge was there in his eyes, like he knew what I’d been thinking and he didn’t care. I was entering the lone wolf’s den, worried I might actually be dinner.
    “You’re late.”
    I glanced down at my phone, shaking ever so slightly in my hand. Warmth uncurled low in my belly.
    “Just barely. I was worried what might happen if someone saw my car.”
    “I saw you through the bay window.” He shut the door. “If anyone asks, just tell them you were here to see my sister. But no one ever comes out here. You don’t need to worry.”
    I took a deep breath.
    “I brought dinner.” I held up the basket.
    He took it from me. “Hmm. Your poor time-management might be forgiven if Rosalee threw some cookies in here.” I followed him into the kitchen.
    I’d noticed that he kept things pretty clean. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected, but even though some of the furnishings were kind of dated, it was well kept.
    “It’s a possibility,” I said about the cookies.
    “So why are you mad?”
    “I don’t know, maybe because you referred to what happened between us as scratching an itch.”
    He grunted. “Yep. I was tired and a jerk. I’m still tired, but I’m sorry.”
    I sat down on one of the barstools. “You’re probably used to this sort of thing, but I told you I…uh, don’t have a lot of practice with sex.” Truer words were never spoken. “What happened was more intense than— I’m making a mess of this. I want to keep going. I just felt like maybe, from the way you were acting, that I hadn’t— This is so embarrassing. Maybe you like women with a little more experience.”
    He’d been holding a bottle opener, and it dropped out of his hands. He came around the corner and put his hands on my shoulders. “Babe, you are more than enough woman for me. I was a jerk. It was intense, and it was more than I was expecting, too. It scared the hell out of me.”
    “It did?”
    “Yep.”
    I took a deep breath. “So does that mean we get to do it again?”
    “Oh yeah,” he said. “But first we’re going to eat. You need your strength.” He kissed my cheek. “Do you want a beer or a soda?”
    “Beer.”
    “So what are you studying?” he asked as he set out plates and silverware on the bar. Then he put the food containers on there.
    I sighed. “If I tell you, you have to pinky swear you won’t tell anyone.”
    He gave a slow grin. “Pinky swears are kind of sacred in the Keller household. Addy has to tell me the truth about everything if we pinky swear.”
    I shut my eyes. “Well, this is a secret that only one other person knows. It would kill my family if they found out.”
    He frowned. “You can tell me. Really.” He held out his pinky. “I swear.”
    It was silly, but I wrapped mine around his. “Thanks.”
    “I sort of messed up with school, especially with one class. It’s the first time I’ve ever failed at academics.” I threw my hands in front of my face. “It’s so embarrassing. Shit. I can’t even get the words out.”
    “Hey.” He came back around and took me in his arms. “I won’t judge you. No matter what.”
    “Finance. It killed me. I flunked the final and the class. It just didn’t click with me, and I feel so stupid. I always felt like I was someone who could learn anything from a book. Like I might not be perfect at it, but I could figure it out. But it’s like reading Japanese or something to me.”
    He guided me back to the barstool. “Well, that’s definitely something I can help you with if you want. My major, when I was in school, was finance and accounting.”
    “Huh. I figured you were into agriculture or something. You seem to know so much about running the ranch.”
    He coughed. “Can I be honest with you about something? And you swear you won’t say anything?”
    What could it be? “I signed a contract that says I can’t say anything about what we do or talk about. So whatever your secret is, it’s safe with me. And I