Page 40 of Her Bachelor Cowboy Billionaire

CHAPTER9

Aweek later

Jessica triedto get around without her crutches, but it hurt too much. Regardless of how much it hurt, she needed to get back home. She enjoyed being close to Roark, but she disliked being waited on hand and foot.

Roark entered the den where Jessica now slept so she wouldn’t have to do the stairs.

She looked up. “I’m glad you’re here. Take a seat.”

He sat in the chair behind the desk instead of the chair near the sofa. She thought that was telling. He always needed to be in charge. “Roark. I want to go home.”

“You’ll heal better here. We can get you anything you need.”

“That’s the point. I don’t want to be waited on. I need to do things by myself, and I need to sleep in a proper bed. My bed.”

He stood and walked over to her. “I can take you to PT. How will you do that at your home?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out. It’s my left ankle. I can probably drive myself. Or I can take a cab. The point is, I’ll do it on my own.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like you being alone.”

She patted the seat beside her on the sofa. “Sit.”

He did and placed his left arm around her shoulders. “I’m not going to win this one, am I?”

“Nope.”

“What can I do, to help you?”

“Nothing. Just take me home.”

He squeezed her shoulders. “All right. I’ll arrange it for tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

He turned her toward him. “You’re good for me, Jessica Kirby.” He lowered his head and took her lips with his.

The kiss was passionate, and she felt it deep, all the way to her toes. Her insides turned liquid and pooled between her legs. She was hot. He surrounded her and held her tight. She raised her arms and placed them around his neck, pulling him tighter to her. She needed him…needed this. It had been so long since she felt like this, felt like someone really wantedherand cared abouther.

But it was so soon. This couldn’t be happening now. They’d only known each other for about two weeks and for half of that, she was laid up with a sprained ankle. How could this be? How could she feel like this? Were these feelings real or was she just enamored with him because he was with her andwantedto be withher, not someone he imagined her to be? She hadn’t trusted anyone since Joseph’s betrayal and death over three years ago.

But now she knew she was in love with Roark. How could that be? But if it wasn’t love, what was it? Lust? Would this feeling go away if she slept with him? No. She was sure it wouldn’t and the feelings might even grow stronger, but she wasn’t ready to find out either way.

Roark pulled back. “I think I lost you somewhere.”

“I’m sorry. Arguing with—never mind, it’s silly.”

“I’ll get you home tomorrow. Today, Mannie, Jubal, and I are looking for rustlers in the copter. A couple of my cowboys were shot at, and I want to know if it was because someone is rustling my cattle. After that, we’ll get back to this conversation and what you were quarreling with yourself about.”

“It wasn’t very interesting. Go on and find the rustlers. They need to be stopped. Not only because they are stealing from you, but you know they are stealing from little ranchers, too. Ranchers who can’t afford the loss, like you can. So, go get them. Stop them.”

He gave her a kiss, a light one on the lips. Then he stood. “I’ll be back.”

* * *

“I’m telling you,someone cut the fence. On the north side ‘bout as far from the house as you can get.”

“We’re taking the copter to see if we can spot any rustlers,” said Mannie.