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

released her, her soft skin leaving his hands warm, the smell of her causing his blood to flow like hot lava.
    She took a deep breath, the tops of her breasts straining against the material of her chemise, the outline of her nipples peeking through the white material. "I don't have your mother's ring. I didn't steal anything!"
    He looked around the room and spotted her reticule lying on the bed. Quickly he grabbed her bag and started rifling through it.
    "You're welcome to search through my belongings, but you're not going to find the ring. I suggest you start with my trunk."
    Blood heated his already flushed skin. God, she was beautiful, standing there proudly in her chemise and stockings defending herself, even though he knew it was a lie. Her glossy brown hair hung loose and curling wildly down her back, urging him to run his fingers through her locks. Her skin was flushed with anger, her green eyes flashed with annoyance, and like a Gypsy queen she wove a spell around him.
    If only she wasn't a cheat and a liar. If only she was a good, honest whore, he'd already have her on the bed and be seeking his release.
    He paused and let his eyes roam over her body long enough to get her attention. She tilted her nose in the air disdainfully, yet her cheeks had a rosy tint to them that belied her proud defiance. God, he wanted her.
    "To hell with the trunk. What if I start with you?"
    Travis watched her swallow and noticed a spark of unease in her eyes. He took a couple of steps toward her. She retreated until her back was against the wall.
    He placed his hands on either side of her, touching the wall, trapping her. "I could run my hands inside your clothing and let my fingers slide into the crevices ..."
    "Stop!" Nervously, she licked her lips, then placed her hands on his chest and pushed away from the wall, propelling him back. Thrusting her breasts out, she placed one hand on his chest and firmly pressed. She stared into his eyes. "I can talk to you till we're both older than dirt, and you aren't going to believe a word I say. So I'm saying it for the last time. I didn't steal your mother's ring."
    He froze. Her creamy white breasts lay before his eyes, and like a man drowning, he swallowed, trying to regain control. He hadn't been with a woman in months, and he'd never been tempted the way this woman was tempting him.
    Why shouldn't he take what she offered?
    His arms wrapped around her, his gaze drawn to her luscious mouth. He watched as she ran her tongue across her bottom lip, and the urge to follow its path overcame him. What did she taste like? Was she honey and sweetness or something more exotic?
    "Like I was saying," he drawled. "I think I'll start with your lips."
    His mouth covered hers, and he molded her body against his, letting her feel his response to her teasing display of flesh.
    What started out as a simple press of lips soon changed into a melting. He nibbled on her bottom lip, teasing until she reluctantly opened her mouth for him and he poured himself into his kiss and into her. They shared the breath of life between them, as he tasted her sweetness, feeling the blood pulsing through her as his hand gently brushed her neck.
    When had he ever kissed such a sassy, tempting morsel who left him craving more?
    Travis found himself quickly losing all sense of control. The urge to pick her up and carry her to the bed pulsed through him, like the fire coursing through his veins.
    Abruptly, she broke off the kiss. For a moment they both stood there, stunned, until the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile.
    "Nice work, cowboy, but I still don't have the ring."
    She thought she had the best of him. She thought she could get away with stealing from him. She thought he'd go away and leave her alone. But she was wrong.
    He took a deep breath and quickly tried to regain control. "Get dressed."
    "I tried, but you told me to stop," she said breathlessly. "Make up your mind."
    "Honey, if you don't get dressed in about thirty seconds, I'm going to take you up on your offer, and the people sitting outside this room are going to be blushing at the sounds coming from in here."
    "Yes, sir," she said mockingly but scrambled to put on the dress that she'd recently discarded. It took her several minutes to button the garment while he stood back and watched, trying to recover.
    When she was finished, she turned around and smartly saluted him. "What other commands, sir?"
    "You've got one minute to grab some personal items you