Denim and Lace by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2016-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

CADE REGISTERED THOSE painful words with a sense of bitterness. He felt bad about the things he’d said to her. He’d been striking out at her because of jealousy, and yes, he’d said he couldn’t offer her marriage for all kinds of noble reasons. But when he’d come so close to losing her, reality had settled on him like a vulture. And now he felt more than a need to protect her. He wanted Bess. He especially wanted children. He was getting to the age where settling down wasn’t so frightening a thing. Money would be scarce with the family to think of, but they could manage. Anyway Gary and Robert were pulling their weight, and the ranch was pulling into the black. He could afford to start thinking about marriage now.

“I thought you’d been sleeping with Ryker,” he said after a minute. “I was jealous as hell and hurting. I lashed out because of it.” He saw her startled expression and he smiled faintly. “Shocked? I’ve always been jealous of you. Even now, having to watch Robert with you tears me apart.”

Her breath caught. So close to heaven, she thought, and she didn’t dare let herself be caught in that sweet web.

“Robert’s just being kind,” she said huskily.

“Hell. Robert’s halfway in love with you,” he said shortly. “Thank God Gary’s engaged. At least I don’t have to worry about him.”

She searched his face and almost smiled at the irritation there. “I’m not going to have an affair with Robert,” she promised.

“I’m glad, because an affair is out of the question,” he said shortly. His eyes narrowed. “Even with me.”

Her heart jumped. “You said in San Antonio that an affair was all you had to offer. That you wouldn’t ever want to marry someone like me.”

He sighed angrily. “Oh, I was eloquent, wasn’t I?” he muttered. “And you’ll never forget a word I said.” His dark eyes swept over her body in the gown, settling on her full, soft breasts, their tips suddenly hard where he was staring. His body echoed that hardness, and he clenched his teeth at the unexpected shock of pleasure before he forced his eyes back up to hers. “Look, you’re wearing that on your ring finger already,” he pointed out, indicating the silver ring he’d given her. He took a steadying breath. “So why don’t you just consider yourself engaged for a bit, and let’s see where we go from there?”

He said it a little clumsily, and she realized that he’d probably never asked a woman to marry him before. Her heart was in her eyes as she looked at him and dared to dream for a few precious seconds. He was asking her to marry him! Her pulse raced wildly as she stared at him, wishing. Wishing!

But she knew she couldn’t. Why he’d made the proposal puzzled her, unless it was out of guilt or to keep Robert from her. Probably, she thought miserably, it was the latter. He wouldn’t have wanted Robert marrying a woman he wanted.

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