Her Cowboy Lover (Pleasure Ridge Ranch) Read Online Free PDF Page A

girl, but she couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed how he’d made her feel. Wasn’t that what she’d come to the ranch to feel, desired? Even if it was a fantasy, did that make the physical enjoyment any less real?
    The more questions she asked herself, the more confused she became. Shaking her head and opening her eyes, she picked up her paintbrush and got back to work. Maybe by the time she finished the painting, she’d have come to a decision about Connor and the rest of the week.
    * * * *
    Connor searched the online job ads but couldn’t find anything that would pay him anywhere near what he made at the ranch. He rubbed his hand over his face, silently cursing that damn bull that had ended not only his hopes for a national bull-riding title but his career altogether. If he could have gotten that title, more money would have come from being a spokesman for certain brands even after he couldn’t ride anymore. Money he could use to provide for his mother’s care.
    Unable to stay inside any longer, he left the small interior of his old RV behind and walked toward the creek that ran at the edge of the campground where he lived. Once there, he picked up a few stones and tossed them absently into the trickling water. What the hell was he going to do? Two jobs were always an option, but the sad fact remained that even that probably wouldn’t bring in the kind of money he was now. Whoring brought in the dough. Always had, always would. But it came at a price. Each time he was with a woman he didn’t care about, didn’t even know, it ate away a little more of his soul.
    He thought of Lily and how he didn’t even know what she looked like. He couldn’t decide if that was better or worse than all the others.
    There was something about her though, something different. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he’d thought of little else since he’d left her sniffling in her bathroom that morning.
    His phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting his mental meandering. The ranch’s number showed on the display.
    "Hey, Heidi," he said in answer.
    "Hey. I just talked to Lily, and she’d like to see you again tonight."
    Surprise hit him square in the gut. "Really? I would have bet good money this morning she’d be gone from the ranch before the end of the day."
    "She just wants to talk." Heidi paused. "I’m pretty good at picking up things people don’t say. She’s skittish, and I don’t think it’s just because she’s embarrassed. I also think she’s conflicted."
    "Conflicted?"
    "She didn’t say anything bad about you. In fact, she wanted to make sure that you knew that you’d done nothing wrong. She said it more than once. I think she may have even enjoyed herself as much as she could."
    "But something is standing in the way of her truly letting go." He could understand that. He’d never had complaints from any of the women he’d been with, either before his time on the ranch or during, but he’d never given all of himself with any of them either. He’d harbored the crazy idea of finding someone to settle down with, maybe have the type of loving relationship his parents had enjoyed before his father passed away and his mom started her slide into dementia.
    Of course that would never happen now. He couldn’t imagine any good woman being okay with what he’d done, no matter the reason.
    With a sigh, he ended the call and trudged back to the camper to get ready.
    Once he arrived at Lily’s cabin, he sat in his truck for a moment, trying to get himself in the right frame of mind. He noticed movement in the darkness and saw Lily walk out the front door. With a deep breath, he got out of the truck and walked toward the porch.
    She was largely hidden in shadow so he couldn’t tell what her facial expression was, how she might be feeling. They stood in silence for a few seconds before they both started to talk at once.
    He chuckled a little. "You go first."
    "I just wanted you to know that this morning, it was