Page 4 of Fool's Gold

"Try me."

"You win, but you don't play fair, cowboy." She glared at him.

He turned and started to walk away. "I don't play at all."

"So, when do you want to begin this great deception?"

He turned back, a few steps away from the door. "There's no time like the present."

She raised an eyebrow. "How can I convince people we're a real couple?"

He smiled triumphantly. "For starters, you're going to be a perfect ranch wife. Or, at least, as perfect as you can be with your limited abilities. You're also going to act like I'm the hottest thing in pants."

"That's a stretch." She ignored his disapproving glower and hopped off the desk.

"That brings me to item number two," he said. "You owe me a wedding night. I intend to collect."

She poked his chest with her index finger. "No way. There is absolutely no way I'm going to sleep with you!"

Rafe smiled at her like a cat with a bowl of cream. "Sure, you are, sweet Sarah. You want me as much as I want you. You won't be able to resist the temptation."

Chapter Two

"Where do you think you're going?"

Sarah stopped in her tracks halfway to the study door and turned toward Rafe. She noted the challenge in his dark eyes and how a muscle twitched in his tight jaw. Even if she wanted to escape, there was no way he would let her. It was a good thing she had no intention of doing so. "I'm going out to the car to get my things."

Rafe took a step toward her. "I'll help you."

She turned away, avoiding his penetrating gaze. "No thanks, there isn't that much to carry."

The thud of his boots on the wood floor as he followed her was in sync with her heartbeat. He didn't even trust her not to run away again. The knowledge she'd caused him so much pain appalled her.

She grabbed her duffel bag out of the passenger side of the Jeep and glanced toward the house. Rafe was leaning against a post in the shadows, watching her. He probably thought she was going to flee. She could see it in his eyes. And he had good reason to doubt her word. He conjured up the image of a coiled lariat, prepared to reach out and snag her. She hesitated for a moment, suddenly unsure of her ability to handle him.

He pushed away from the porch railing as she walked up the steps.

"So, I see. I'll show you to our room."

He picked up on her quickly indrawn breath because his focus became her.

"Our room?" she asked, eyes narrowed. He didn't think she would capitulate that easily, did he? She might be in love, but she wasn't stupid.

Rafe frowned. "What did you expect? We can't make people believe we're a couple if we sleep in separate rooms, can we?"

She studied his implacable expression for a moment. His line of reasoning was correct, even if it did irk her. "No, I suppose not. But I'm not sleeping with you. I told you that before. Remember?"

A smile played about the edges of his hard mouth. "I know what you said, and if you'll think back, you'll recall I said you won't be able to resist the temptation."

"Your ego is about to take a beating. You, sir, are very resistible. You don't have to show me the way to the bedroom. I remember where it is." Sarah strode past him, totally embarrassed by what she'd blurted out. Good heavens, she'd have to be careful around him. Reminding him of their wedding night was a dumb move.

She opened the door to the master bedroom, feeling caught in a time warp. This was where it had all gone wrong six months ago. Rafe had carried her into this room on their wedding night. He'd left her alone to get ready as he went in search of champagne. On the bed, she'd found an envelope addressed to her. It explained that Rafe had married her for her business connections. She didn't know who had tipped him off, but in the end, it didn't really matter.

Rafe had wanted to convert part of the ranch into a country inn, and Sarah was the granddaughter of Samuel Maxwell, who owned a worldwide consortium of hotels and inns. It was a match made in Heaven.

Then, she’d noticed a rolled-up blueprint on the dresser, and unrolled it to find the conversion drawings. She’d gone to confront Rafe, and overheard him telling Zeke his plan to adda dude ranch would move forward. In that cold moment of realization, her dream world had shattered.

So, she’d run off into the night, just as Rafe had said. She'd run as far and as fast as she could go, using her credit cards to buy an airplane ticket. She even fell so low as to allow her grandfather's lawyers to brush off Rafe's inquiries. She was told Grandfather said he was disappointed she'd taken up with a common rancher, but it was understandable, considering the stock she'd come from.

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