Branded by Candace Havens Page A

just bared my soul to you, so it might even make me feel better.”
    “Hell, I don’t know much about ranching. But I do know how to run a business. I’ve been learning since I was a kid by working all kinds of odd jobs everywhere from in garages and pet stores to restaurants. I even spent a summer working at a call center for a cable company. But I’m good at organizing things, and that’s all the ranch needed. Well, the records were organized, but they needed an easier system than paper ledgers. The animals like me, which is sheer dumb luck.”
    He paused. “Sorry. This is about you. That was my long way of saying I can help. I promise. I also tutored on the side in school to make extra cash.”
    “You’re the only one who knows. I couldn’t even tell my friend Bethany.”
    He took my hands in his. “And you’re worried your grandparents are going to disown you if you fail a class? You’re just on probation, right? They didn’t kick you out?”
    I shook my head. “Nah. I’m not worried about being disowned. I just don’t want to disappoint them. They have such faith in me, and they want me to take over the empire some day.” I pulled my hands from his.
    “That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself.”
    “It is what it is. I’m privileged. No one knows that more than I do. I will live up to their expectations. I have to. My future has been planned out for me since my parents died.”
    “Huh. I get the feeling what they want and what you want are two different things.”
    He had no idea. “Doesn’t matter what I want.”
    “Yes, it does. Your grandparents would understand. They would want you to be happy.”
    “Again, I know. They’d be really sweet about it. But they’d also be disappointed. I can’t do that to them. I just have to suck it up and put my big-girl panties on.”
    He chuckled. “I like your panties just fine.”
    I slapped at his arm, and he leaned over and kissed my cheek. We ate in silence for a bit. But there was one more thing I needed to say.
    “Back to what we were talking about before I did my school confessional, I’m worried about causing trouble for you and Addy, or your Uncle Charlie, if anyone finds out. But then, part of me needs to see this through, whatever this is. It’s selfish. You were right about the caring part of me. I can’t just turn that off. And I care about all of you. So you’re going to have to be the one to end it. And we can still be friends. Though, it’s going to be tough for me to keep my hands off you.”
    He was throwing away the trash as I gathered up the dishes we’d used and put them in the sink.
    “When I signed the contract, I agreed to the risk,” he said. “But you aren’t the only one who is selfish. I can’t keep my eyes or my hands off you, either.” I was rinsing off the dishes to put in the dishwasher when he wrapped his hands around my exposed belly. “Been working my ass off all day and I’m tired as hell, and still I’m hard as rock for you.”
    I pushed myself against him and warmth spread through me. It was a powerful feeling that I could make him like this.
    That his body wanted me.
    He let go and popped me on the ass. It was light and didn’t hurt, but I had to give him a tough time, more because he’d backed away than anything else. I swatted him with a dishtowel. “Hey. No hitting.”
    “Oh, babe. When I really spank you, you’re going to love it.”
    Holy hell. My panties were already wet. I’d always thought that stuff was sort of dumb. I mean, why would anyone like pain when pleasure was so much more fun? But the idea of Cole’s hand on my ass…well, it did bad, bad things to me in a very good way.
    “But first, I’m going to help you with your homework.”
    “Le sigh.”
    “Come on. I’m going to rock your world with numbers.
    I snorted. “I’d rather the other kind of rockin’. But whatever.”
    “Oh, that will happen, but anticipation is a good thing.”
    An hour later, I jumped up off