Ropin' Trouble (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 2) by Rhonda Lee Carver Page B
Authors: Rhonda Lee Carver
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think—“
“Don’t think, handsome, just do. I have a spasm in my back. I’m either going to have to drink the rest of the bottle of tequila or someone’s going to have to rub it out.”
“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
Why couldn’t she just want riding lessons? Or a day of fishing?
“Just what I like to hear.” She reached up and tugged her robe from her shoulders, allowing the wispy material to fall at her feet. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Ben had to hand it to the woman. She had more bravery and self-confidence than most women her age, probably too much.
Ben had encounters like this before. He was a professional and he was back in his comfy spot—the one where he felt nothing, only a cowboy doing his job. There were no funny twitches in his chest. No aching in his groin. No thoughts of how he wanted to hold Sicily in his arms and hear her moan in delight. Nope, none of those things.
But when she stretched out on her stomach on the bed and Ben situated himself at her side, she handed him a bottle of lotion named Sex Kitten’s Juice, Cara came to his mind like a jagged sword. Would she be angry at him for sending Maverick? Or would she be glad that he’d made the decision because she couldn’t face him either?
“Ooh…you’ve found the spot. If it doesn’t hurt, cowboy, you’re not doing anything right,” Sicily purred.
Ben couldn’t wait to get his hands on the massage therapist.
****
Cara heard the soft rap on her door and excitement gurgle up inside of her, but quickly fizzled when she opened it to find a stranger on her doorstep.
“Hello, Cara.” He tipped his hat and grinned.
“And you are?” She searched the porch, looking for Ben.
“Maverick.” He tipped his hat. He had a friendly smile, but she couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything but her swirling confusion.
“What are you doing here? Where’s Ben?”
“Something came up.”
She swallowed the ache in her throat. “Nothing came up. Please don’t lie.” The last thing she needed was another lie, as if she was too weak to handle the truth. He stayed silent. “Oh, so he told you not to tell?”
Maverick scuffed the toe of his boot across the wood. “Look, ma’am, Ben’s a good man. If he felt he done you wrong in some way, well, he wants to do right by you. I don’t know what happened, just for some reason he felt this was for the best.”
His embarrassment was obvious by his concerned expression. She knew it’d be useless to try to get information from him. The cowboys probably had some brotherhood pact, protecting each other. She didn’t need to know what chased Ben away. He was too humiliated to face her.
Why did it hurt her that he didn’t come? It shouldn’t. She wasn’t here at Nirvana to strike up a relationship. She was here to grow. To learn new life skills. To enjoy nature—not a sexy cowboy.
Breathing in deeply, she exhaled and tried to push away thoughts of Ben. “You’re here to take me to my life skills appointment?” she asked.
“Yes. And you’re scheduled for a manicure right after.” He gave her a quick nod. “I’ll wait for you in the cart.” His smile was weak as he turned and headed down the stairs.
Cara closed the door and leaned against the cold wood. She was at a cross between two emotions, and neither was safe. She wanted to throttle Ben. Things got a little out of hand and he runs away? Or did he find touching her so disgusting that he couldn’t bear to see her again for risk that she’d expect more?
She made her way to the bed and sat down. Tears developed in her eyes and she blinked them away. She wanted to believe that Ben went away because he was scared of the attraction, and not revolted that things had gone so far.
Had she read too much in his touch? His kindness? She thought she’d felt the trembling in his touch, the reaction that proved he was turned on. He’d found her as exciting as she’d found him. Didn’t he….?
The poor
“Don’t think, handsome, just do. I have a spasm in my back. I’m either going to have to drink the rest of the bottle of tequila or someone’s going to have to rub it out.”
“Fine. I’ll see what I can do.”
Why couldn’t she just want riding lessons? Or a day of fishing?
“Just what I like to hear.” She reached up and tugged her robe from her shoulders, allowing the wispy material to fall at her feet. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Ben had to hand it to the woman. She had more bravery and self-confidence than most women her age, probably too much.
Ben had encounters like this before. He was a professional and he was back in his comfy spot—the one where he felt nothing, only a cowboy doing his job. There were no funny twitches in his chest. No aching in his groin. No thoughts of how he wanted to hold Sicily in his arms and hear her moan in delight. Nope, none of those things.
But when she stretched out on her stomach on the bed and Ben situated himself at her side, she handed him a bottle of lotion named Sex Kitten’s Juice, Cara came to his mind like a jagged sword. Would she be angry at him for sending Maverick? Or would she be glad that he’d made the decision because she couldn’t face him either?
“Ooh…you’ve found the spot. If it doesn’t hurt, cowboy, you’re not doing anything right,” Sicily purred.
Ben couldn’t wait to get his hands on the massage therapist.
****
Cara heard the soft rap on her door and excitement gurgle up inside of her, but quickly fizzled when she opened it to find a stranger on her doorstep.
“Hello, Cara.” He tipped his hat and grinned.
“And you are?” She searched the porch, looking for Ben.
“Maverick.” He tipped his hat. He had a friendly smile, but she couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything but her swirling confusion.
“What are you doing here? Where’s Ben?”
“Something came up.”
She swallowed the ache in her throat. “Nothing came up. Please don’t lie.” The last thing she needed was another lie, as if she was too weak to handle the truth. He stayed silent. “Oh, so he told you not to tell?”
Maverick scuffed the toe of his boot across the wood. “Look, ma’am, Ben’s a good man. If he felt he done you wrong in some way, well, he wants to do right by you. I don’t know what happened, just for some reason he felt this was for the best.”
His embarrassment was obvious by his concerned expression. She knew it’d be useless to try to get information from him. The cowboys probably had some brotherhood pact, protecting each other. She didn’t need to know what chased Ben away. He was too humiliated to face her.
Why did it hurt her that he didn’t come? It shouldn’t. She wasn’t here at Nirvana to strike up a relationship. She was here to grow. To learn new life skills. To enjoy nature—not a sexy cowboy.
Breathing in deeply, she exhaled and tried to push away thoughts of Ben. “You’re here to take me to my life skills appointment?” she asked.
“Yes. And you’re scheduled for a manicure right after.” He gave her a quick nod. “I’ll wait for you in the cart.” His smile was weak as he turned and headed down the stairs.
Cara closed the door and leaned against the cold wood. She was at a cross between two emotions, and neither was safe. She wanted to throttle Ben. Things got a little out of hand and he runs away? Or did he find touching her so disgusting that he couldn’t bear to see her again for risk that she’d expect more?
She made her way to the bed and sat down. Tears developed in her eyes and she blinked them away. She wanted to believe that Ben went away because he was scared of the attraction, and not revolted that things had gone so far.
Had she read too much in his touch? His kindness? She thought she’d felt the trembling in his touch, the reaction that proved he was turned on. He’d found her as exciting as she’d found him. Didn’t he….?
The poor
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