Page 55 of Ranch Rules

Natalie’s cheeks flushed. He was clearly poking fun, though he sounded far from amused. “Look... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left without saying something. I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“I just want you to explain it to me until it makes sense. I thought you and I had something good going on. I told you I’d see you later, and next thing I know, you’ve packed up and left without a word to anyone.”

“I know,” she muttered. She’d had her reasons—she could still remember that, even though, with him sitting right across her and a delicious mix of hot and stern, she couldn’t exactly recall what they’d been.

“Did you and Lora get into a fight of some kind?” The expression on his face dared her to lie.

“No, sir, it’s nothing like that.”

“Then what, Natalie? I’m losing patience.”

She squirmed, feeling her bottom tingle at the warning in his voice. “It’s hard to explain.”

“So I gathered.”

She giggled without humor. “I just... we... Lora and I got to talking. Just girl talk.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hoping she could explain, make him see it from her side. “We were talking about her and Nate’s relationship. And, well, one thing led to another.”

He nodded for her to continue.

“She said that you... you have feelings for me.” She looked away, then met his eyes once more, trying without success to read his expression.

“And you don’t have feelings for me.”

“No!” she protested immediately. “I mean, it’s not that. I... I don’t know what I feel, exactly.” But the way she avoided his gaze made even her wonder if she did and was afraid to admit it. “But even if I have feelings for you... and you have them for me... it’s not going to work.”

“It’s not,” he repeated, his voice expressionless.

She shrugged, feeling miserable. “We’re from two different worlds. I’m a lawyer...”

“And I’m a simple cowboy, is that it?” His voice still did not give any indication of what he was thinking, but his normally kind blue eyes had darkened.

“No, I just meant... I work hard, long hours... you’re so far away... and then there’s...”

“Yes?” he prompted.

Natalie shook her head. She couldn’t say it aloud.

“Come on, nothing can be worse than what you’ve already said.”

That’s what he thought. “I don’t think I can do it. The... the whole... you know. Daddy thing.”

To her surprise, he chuckled, causing her eyes to swing toward him. “Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just that you seemed to be doin’ just fine to me.”

She lifted her chin, insulted despite the fact he said she shouldn’t be. “I am a damn good lawyer.”

“So I gathered.”

“I can’t be someone I’m not.”

“I don’t recall ever askin’ you to.”

She gaped at him. “You’re trying to turn me into a little girl. How is that not asking me to? And when I go back to work, then what? I come out on the weekends and play pretend with you while going back into work on Monday in business suits like nothing happened?”

“Is that somethin’ that would be helpful to you?”

His calm was infuriating her and she slammed her hand on the dash in frustration. “I don’t think that’s how it works, Thomas. Is that how Lora and Nate do it? I can’t be your little girl a few days at a time and then go back to the real world.”

“Why not?”

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