The Rancher Takes A Bride (The Burnett Brides Book 1)

too hard on her."
    Travis knew how a dog felt being jerked on a leash. "She stole your wedding ring, and you're worried about me being too hard on her?"
    Tucker started to snicker and quickly changed it into a cough at his brother's frown.
    "Well ... I'm sure she had a good reason," his mother said.
    "There's no good reason for stealing." He gazed at his mother in amazement and then shook his head. Sometimes he thought the disappearance of his brother and the death of his father had caused her mind to slip.
    ***
    Later that evening, Travis burst into the coach house, his eyes quickly scanning the room. "Where is she?"
    "Who?" the stage driver asked, his eyes large, his fork midway between his plate and his mouth.
    "That French séance woman. Where's she hiding?"
    "There was only one woman on the stage, and we gave her the bedroom," the stage driver said.
    Travis stormed across the room.
    "Sir, we don't want any trouble," the station house manager called.
    "Don't concern yourself," Travis responded as he strode quickly to the door the stagecoach driver had indicated. "This won't take long."
    He didn't bother knocking, but kicked open the door, startling Miss Severin, who whirled around to face him. She stood before him, clad in only her corset, chemise, and stockings.
    The material scarcely covered her ample bosom, leaving her creamy shoulders visible through the thin material, her breasts peeking over the top of the garment.
    She yanked up a dress that was lying on the bed and tried to cover herself. Her eyes went wide with fright as she shrieked, " Merde! Not you! Get out!"
    A kick in the teeth could not have hurt worse than the sight of her curvaceous body clearly outlined in her underwear. For a moment Travis didn't think he could breathe, but slowly the oxygen returned to his brain, sending blood, rushing through his body like a speeding train.
    "You took something of mine!" he demanded, trying to keep his eyes focused on her full lips, wanting only to taste the core of her mouth.
    "It must have been your mind! You certainly don't have any manners. Have you heard of knocking before you enter a lady's room?"
    "I have to be in the presence of a lady first," he spat, his fingers curling to a fist and then relaxing, over and over again.
    "Honey, from what the girls in the city jail told me, I'm probably more lady than you're accustomed to."
    He slammed the door closed and took two steps into the room. With a yank, he pulled the dress away from her and tossed it on the bed. She took several steps back, her green eyes wide with fright.
    "I'd be more than happy to give you a sample of what the girls in the city jail are accustomed to receiving from me," he acknowledged, a little less harshly.
    She looked like a frightened doe, and then suddenly she lifted her chin and thrust out her chest. "You're really not my type, cowboy." She pointed her finger and poked him in the chest, painfully. "I've spent the last two days in jail planning your murder and how it would be slow"—she trailed her finger down his chest—"and painful."
    Her finger left a trail of fire. He resisted the urge to grab her hand and bring it to his mouth.
    "But when you couldn't find me to extract your revenge, you took advantage of my mother," he said. His voice belied the fact that right now all he wanted to do was throw her on the bed and bury himself deep within her body, despite his fury.
    She looked at him oddly. "Why are you here? I left town just like the deputy warned me."
    He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her within inches of him. "Let's go right to the problem. You took my mother's wedding ring, and I want it back."
    "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, twisting in his arms trying to get away.
    "Yeah, and next you'll be telling me you're Florence Nightingale."
    "Look, cowboy, I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't take your mother's wedding ring."
    Grass-green eyes met and held his gaze unwaveringly. Damn, she was so good at lying that he almost believed her.
    "Your mother paid my fine and got me out of jail. She followed me home, and while I packed, she tried to persuade me to move out to your ranch."
    She was definitely lying. "My mother would never ask you to move to our ranch."
    "You and your mother obviously need to sit down and get to know each other. You don't agree on anything."
    "We agree on one thing. Where's her wedding ring?"
    Travis shook Desirée hard enough to make her head shake and then quickly