Read Online That Night With the Rich Rancher by Sara Orwig - Free Book Online Page A

mouth closed as her blue eyes flashed. “Anything else you want to tell me to do?” she snapped, and his temper rose a notch.
    “Probably a lot, but I’m not going to,” he answered evenly.
    “Why was your truck parked right by my property?”
    He had been annoyed by her question, though he tried to hang on to his temper. “It was on my property and we can park the truck wherever we want on this side of that fence. If you want to know, one of the men was headed back in the storm and checking to see if the fences were okay. He’d been driving through high water in several low places and the truck quit running here. Unfortunately, near your tree.”
    She’d been silent a moment as if thinking about what he had said. “I know it was my tree on your truck. My word should be good enough for the insurance.”
    Impatiently, he shook his head. “No, it’s not good enough. Next time, remember to call your adjustor before you do anything else. You may have a hard time collecting.”
    He remembered her raising her chin defiantly and he’d wondered if she would argue, but then she looked around and seemed lost in thought until she turned back to him. “That isn’t a new truck. Get three estimates in Verity for the repairs and I’ll cover the lowest bidder’s charges.”
    “Look, I can’t get that kind of damage fixed in Verity. At least not at three different places and you know it. The truck will be totaled.”
    “I’m not buying you a brand-new truck.”
    “Tell your guys to stop working and then go home, Lindsay, and call your insurance company. They’ll tell you what to do next.”
    Her cheeks had grown red and fire had flashed in her eyes, but he hadn’t cared if his instructions made her angry. She had already annoyed the hell out of him.
    Yes, Lindsay Calhoun had that unique ability to boil his blood.
    Right now, though, as he reined his thoughts back to the present and looked down at her naked body, she had the ability to heat his blood in a different way.
    Tony pushed aside the past to gaze into her big blue eyes. He didn’t expect what they’d had this weekend to last much longer because the real world was settling back into their lives.
    Last night he hadn’t cared what she wanted from him. He’d been totally focused on her as he adjusted to his new discoveries about her. Now, though, curiosity reared its ugly head and he wanted to learn her purpose behind the evening.
    “You should know what I want to talk about,” she said, scooting to sit up in bed and lean back against pillows, pulling the sheet demurely high and tucking it beneath her arms. Her pale yellow hair spilled over her shoulders. She looked tousled, warm and soft, and he wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her again, but he refrained. It was time he heard her out and learned what was so important to her that she would pay several thousand dollars just to get his attention.
    “Two things, Tony,” she said, and he sighed, trying to be quiet and listen, to be patient and talk to her calmly. He had already given her the solution to her water problem, but she didn’t believe him. He could deal with this in a civilized manner, but underneath all her sex appeal, breathtaking beauty and their dream weekend, there still was the real woman who was mule-stubborn and did not take advice well.
    Lindsay was all he avoided in women—stubborn, far too serious and constantly stirring conflict.
    The irony of the fact that she was now sharing his bed was not lost on him. But he ignored it as he focused on her.
    She continued her explanation. “First and foremost I hope that we have some sort of truce where we can be civil to each other, with no tempers flaring.”
    “I’d say we can be mighty civil to each other. You should have some of your money’s worth there,” he said, caressing her throat, letting his fingers drift down lightly over her breast.
    “I hope so,” she said solemnly.
    “I’m willing,” he said. “So