Bad In Boots: Colt's Choice Read Online Free PDF

railing to land with a loud thump on the wooden floor. She pulled her hat off her head and glared up at Colt.
    “What’re you doing lazin’, Elise?” Colt demanded. “There are plenty of things to do around here. If you don’t have enough to do, I’ll be glad to find you something.”
    She looked up at him, letting the rebellion she felt reflect in her gaze. “I’m taking a much-needed break.”
    Colt gave her a hard look. “A break?”
    She sat back in her chair and put her hat back on her head, staring pointedly at him. “Yes, seeing as how I was doing the work of several of the ranch hands while they leisured over breakfast, I felt I deserved an hour to myself.”
    Silence greeted her. Colt’s jaw started ticcing again. Good. Let him be mad. The rat!
    “You need to know what ranch life is like.” His stubborn expression told her he wasn’t about to apologize for his subterfuge. He picked up her hand and turned it over. The blisters on the palms of her hands had started to heal. He ran his thumb across the small scar that had formed on her wrist from the barbed wire. His brief touch sent shock waves radiating through her arm. Her stomach fluttered when he pressed his thumb against her pulse and met her gaze. “Ranching is a way of life, Elise. It’s not a nine-to-five job.”
    Elise jerked her hand away from his heated touch. She was annoyed with him. She didn’t want to feel anything else at the moment but anger, certainly not desire.
    “I know that. And as mad as I am at you right now, I appreciate the lesson.”
    Realization at his motives dawned. “And that is what it was, right? A way to try to get me to leave?” Colt didn’t bother to answer. His silence spoke volumes.
    Elise looked out over the plains. She knew her eyes held a stubborn glint. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, Colt. What I have learned will come in handy.” She turned and locked eyes with his. “When I’m needed to pitch in, I’ll be right there with the best of them.”

* * * * *
    Colt walked away from Elise, noting the obstinate tilt of her chin, the determination in her eyes. The woman was serious. She had no intention of going anywhere. Now what was he going to do with her? He knew what he wanted to do with her, but it involved getting up close and personal and that’s the last thing he needed. He rubbed the back of his neck in pent-up frustration at the fireball sitting on his porch.

Chapter Three
     
    Elise arrived at work early the next morning. She awoke at the same time she had the prior two weeks and couldn’t go back to sleep. So she got up, showered and headed for the ranch. As she pulled into the parking lot, Colt was leaning against his truck with a horse trailer hooked to the back of it.
    She hopped out of her car, said a merry, “Good morning” to him and walked past him toward the office.
    Colt put a hand on her arm. “Where are you going?” He raised an eyebrow.
    Elise cocked her own eyebrow at the hand on her arm. “I’m going to work on the website.”
    “No, you’re coming with me.”
    She sighed. She didn’t mind learning with the best of them, but not when it seemed to be more about a battle of wills than learning for learning’s sake. “No more lessons, Colt. I’m all tapped out right now.”
    Colt dropped his hand from her arm and as she turned to go, he continued, “Suit yourself. I thought you might like to go to a horse auction with me.”
    Elise stopped dead in her tracks. A horse auction? She turned back to face him. “Now that I wouldn’t mind doing.” She noted his satisfied grin and chose to ignore it as she rounded to the passenger side of his truck.
    Climbing in, she snapped the seatbelt around her. He was in the process of getting in the truck when she said in an impatient tone, “Let’s go, Colt.”
    Colt laughed at her exuberance.
    He started the truck and headed down the long drive. Once he turned out of the drive, he leaned over and picked up his cup of coffee from