Rough Stock by Dahlia West

Author:Dahlia West [Dahlia West]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cardinal Points Publishing, LLC
Published: 2016-02-29T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

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Rowan stood watching Seth leave and resisted the urge to touch her lips—or any other part of herself. It had been a while since she’d been kissed and never, ever quite like that. It had been thrilling and satisfying to know he wanted her in the same way she’d been wanting him.

Seth had masterfully conquered her mouth while showing her how he’d lay claim to other parts of her.

Tomorrow.

Oh God. Never before had one word held so much meaning for her. It was both a promise and a warning, she was sure of it. Because Seth Barlow was a man of his word, and apparently his tongue was not forked but coated in pure silver. He had tasted so sweet, yet so forbidden.

He didn’t care, though.

Tomorrow.

It had rolled so easily off that talented tongue, and Rowan had to take a deep, steadying breath to keep herself upright. So much had gone wrong in her life, so much was beyond her control, but this…Seth…was almost too much to hope for. Rowan had all but given up on love in her life, and even, at this point, great sex, but that kiss…that kiss had revived feelings inside her that she’d have sworn were as dead as the winter landscape that surrounded them.

But spring was coming, and with it new life and new hope, and Seth had promised her more.

She closed the barn door and headed back up to the house, where inside, Emma had put on a pot of spaghetti and Willow was busy coloring at the kitchen table. Despite the little girl’s proximity, Emma shot Rowan a reproachful look.

Rowan’s eyes darted to her daughter, who was oblivious to everything but the picture she was working on. “Don’t,” Rowan told her older sister. “Just don’t.”

“He’s sure over here a lot,” replied Emma, ignoring the plea.

“He’s helping,” Rowan snapped.

“Yeah? What are we paying him?”

Rowan’s mouth dropped open. “You think…you think I would do that?” she hissed. “Or that Seth would?”

“I think he’s either using you, like his asshole brother, and going to end up ruining your life, or he’s not using you…and he’s going to end up ruining your life.”

“Emma—”

“Didn’t you learn the first time, Rowan? I mean, all these years, all this heartache, and you didn’t learn anything?”

“Seth isn’t like that,” Rowan whispered. “He’s not…” She couldn’t say the name out loud, for Willow’s sake.

“How do you know?” Emma demanded.

Rowan stared at her.

“You haven’t known him that long. In fact, you don’t know him at all.”

Rowan shook her head as she thought about Seth’s tired yet kind eyes, how hard he’d worked to help them out. She couldn’t believe he was doing all that just to get her in bed. “He would never do that,” she declared.

“Mama?”

Rowan groaned and looked at Willow.

“Seth would never do what?”

“Oh, honey, we’re just talking about ranch work, that’s all. Seth is our very, very good friend.”

Emma gave Rowan a sharp look. “Yes, he is, Willow. He’s our friend.”

Rowan moved to the living room, out of ear shot of Willow, as Emma as followed.

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