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

stomach, spreading throughout her body, building with each passing moment.
    His hands reached down and pulled her buttocks into him, and she could feel his hardened shaft pressed against her. For a moment she was frightened. She was slipping out of control.
    She pulled away and slowly opened her eyes. The raspy sound of her breathing was harsh in the darkened hallway.
    The thought of making love with Travis was such a tempting proposition, especially given the way he had treated her wounds and the way she responded to his kiss. But becoming intimate with Travis was out of the question.
    "I don't—I don't think your mother would approve," she said breathlessly.
    Moonlight streamed into the hallway from the bedroom windows, and she could see his chest rising and falling.
    He shrugged. "Generally, when I bed a woman, I don't tell my mother."
    "That's probably for the best," she whispered. She raised her brow. "Why did you want me? Just so you could put another notch in your bedpost?"
    He moved aside. "Take a look for yourself. My bedpost doesn't have any notches in it. It was a suggestion, that's all." He stepped around her. "I'll get you more linens."
    Rose crossed the hall to the door of her room, where she patiently waited for Travis, ready for this night to end. Why had she questioned him? Had she hoped for something more than a man who wanted a quick tumble? Wasn't that what most men wanted and expected from a girl like her? Especially the kind of man who would abduct her.
    But for just a moment she'd hoped for something different, and somehow she was disappointed. It was obvious that Travis was just as attracted to her as she was to him, and the thought of sharing a bed with him was tempting. Way too tempting.
    Travis appeared before her. "Here you go. Do you need me to help you put them on the bed?"
    "No. I can manage. Good night," she stepped back into her room and abruptly shut the door, closing the portal to the temptation of Travis and her own body's reaction.
    ***
    Travis jammed his fist into the soft, feather-filled pillow one more time before settling once again into the down-filled bed. If only the cock would crow the end of this eternal night. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind filled with visions of the cunning little con artist across the hall. Sleep was impossible for contemplating the bewitching Desirée and the kiss they'd shared.
    She was boisterous and exciting. She was courageous and intriguing. She was sexy and daring. And she was the most frustrating woman who had ever crossed his path.
    One moment he wanted to strangle her with his bare hands and the next to ply her with soft words and enticing kisses. Whenever she came near him, his senses seemed to explode; his mind became fogged with the sweet smell of jasmine, and his hands ached to caress her silken skin. Never before had a woman left him so perplexed, so curious, so completely intrigued, and so hard!
    Yet the need to resist her tempting flesh was strong. A woman like her could be dangerous—dangerous in the art of seduction, with her tricky ways and subtle lies. A man had to be careful or fall victim to her deceiving ways.
    Tonight had certainly proven that, when he opened the door and saw her standing there, her hair down around her hips. God, the urge to pull her into his room had been overwhelming.
    Vibrant and sultry, Desirée was a woman who could easily make him give in to his desire to take her at his leisure and much, much more. The kiss they'd shared had left him troubled. He'd wanted to lock out the rest of the world until he'd had his fill of her. But her words had left him anxious.
    His invitation had tumbled from his lips, yet he knew in reality it could never be. He assured himself that Desirée was more a pleasant flirtation than an obsession. An enticement rather than an actual wooing. Hell, who was he kidding? He simply wanted to bed her.
    Lay her down until he'd had his fill of her. Because then he'd find out she was just like any other woman, only a cheat and a liar to boot. Then he could let her go and be free of this persistent urge to find out just what it was about Miss Desirée Severin that drew him to her.
    For he was drawn to her in ways he'd never felt before.
    But sooner or later, he was going to take Desirée to his brother, the marshal. Sooner or later, she was going to either return his mother's wedding band or find herself sitting in the county jail for more than just a day or two.
    Regardless of