Page 22 of The Brothers at Horseshoe Ranch

“So you’re serious about wanting to get married to Beau?”

“Well, I figured if we have a connection and we find each other attractive …” I shrugged.

“So you want to marry him?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Do you find him attractive?”

“Yes, I do.”

He glared at my answer. “Yet, you were kissing me at the bar not even a couple of hours ago?”

“I wasn’t kissing you. You kissed me—”

“You didn’t stop me. I’m pretty confident that you kissed me back.”

“Well, you didn’t really give me a chance to stop anything. I—”

“Don’t you think I’m attractive?”

“I mean … you’re okay.”

“Do you think I’m more attractive than Beau?”

“I don’t know.” I did not want to be having this conversation. The last thing I needed was for everyone to find out that I had also kissed Austin.

“So you’re determined to see if it’s going to work with Beau?”

“I mean, I don’t know. We’ve hardly spoken.”

“So if I were to kiss you again, you’d say no?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” He leaned in towards me and my legs suddenly felt weak. Austin had a sexual magnetism that most men didn’t, or at least not that I felt. He took a step closer to me, and I swallowed hard.

“So, Lucy,” he said, his eyes staring into mine. They were twinkling and daring me to resist him. “Lucy, I said your name,” he said again.

“I’m waiting to hear what you have to say.”

“I’m going to kiss you again.” His lips moved closer to mine. “Unless you say no.”

I opened my mouth to say no but no words would come out.

“I’m nearly there, Lucy,” he said, his lips a mere inch away from mine. “This is your last chance.”

I tried to say no again, but I couldn’t. And then his lips were on mine, pressing gently at first and then more forcefully. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I groaned against him as he wrapped his arms around my waist. We kissed for a long, languorous moment, my body melting into his.

And then he broke the spell by pulling back. “So I’m going to ask you once again, Lucy Kensington.”

“Yes?” I squeaked out.

“Do you really plan on marrying my brother?”

Chapter Nine

Austin burst into laughter. I turned and went into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind me.

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