LITMIR.BIZ

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      Barely considering his family, Olivia nodded stiffly while the amount of money spun in her thoughts. The sum dazzled her. Unable to stop herself, she speculated about the classes she could take, the freedom she could have, the dreadful job that she could leave. It was more money than she could ever earn at the bar. Her heart pounded, her palms had grown damp and it was an effort to resist accepting his offer blindly and instantly. She realized silence was stretching between them and he was waiting patiently.

      “You’re very different from your brother,” she remarked.

      “I hope to hell I am,” he said.

      She had seen Matt Ransome at the rib place hours before he had spoken to her. She had never met him, but she had seen him once when she was with Jeff and he had told her that Matt was his brother. Matt had none of Jeff’s easy charm or happy-go-lucky ways. He was perhaps a couple of inches shorter, more broad-shouldered, handsome in his own way with the same dark blue eyes and thick lashes. Matt’s hair was black. Jeff’s had been brown.

      That first moment of a close encounter with Matt Ransome had disturbed her. She had to admit that she’d had a physical reaction to him that she’d never had with Jeff or any other man. She didn’t know why, either, because Matt Ransome was too forceful, too determined to get his way to suit her. He was all business, but that first moment of looking directly into his blue eyes while he gazed back at her, had taken her breath, held her totally and had steamed with sexual tension. For a few seconds, she was certain that he had been locked into the same jolting awareness that she was.

      Now here was his proposition that she still found difficult to believe from a man who disturbed her physically in a way no other man ever had. With most men, she had always felt in control. But Matt Ransome demolished that sense of power. She didn’t like to acknowledge it, but she had to admit to herself that she was drawn to Matt in a purely physical way. She couldn’t explain why and she didn’t want to be. She never again wanted to be involved with a Ransome.

      At the same time, Matt’s offer was tempting beyond belief, but she wasn’t rushing into an agreement. She had given her trust to Jeff and he had trampled it.

      She cocked her head to one side to study Matt. “You know for the money you’re offering, you could adopt a child.”

      “Since this baby is a Ransome, I intend to take care of it and I want to get to know him or her. Do you know what you’re having?”

      “It’s too early. I haven’t decided whether I want to know or not.”

      “We’ll say a prayer for a girl. The males in this family haven’t turned out so good.”

      “I’ll think about your offer,” she said coldly, standing. “It’s time for you to go.”

      He stood. “Look, you can mull it over, but you know you need what I’m offering. In the meantime, you should move out of this neighborhood. Come stay at the ranch tonight.”

      “Tonight?” Again, he startled her. “I can’t possibly—”

      “Of course you can,” he persisted. “I’ll bet you don’t have more than two suitcases of stuff. Do you rent this furnished or is this your furniture?”

      “I rented it furnished. Look, if you’re taking charge of my life, then that settles it, I’m not going,” she said, hoping her voice was forceful and trying to keep her gaze from roaming down his long legs or across his broad chest.

      “I’m trying to improve your situation,” he stated patiently. “What’s holding you in this place?”

      Her face grew hot and she glanced away, unable to meet his direct gaze. “Nothing,” she admitted. “Except you’re a stranger.”

      “Not a total stranger. You knew Jeff, so you know a lot about me. You’re not safe here. This isn’t a healthy place for an expectant woman. You don’t need to be alone and you could be a hell of a lot more comfortable. All right?”

      Annoyed, she shook her head. “You’re taking charge. Back off and give me some room. I’ll think it over. I’ll come out in the morning and we can discuss your offer more.”

      He inhaled and looked as if he were trying to cling to what little patience he had. “All right, but resign and get away from the secondhand smoke. At least think of your baby.”

      “I do think of my baby.”

      “If you’ll get a pencil and paper, I’ll give you directions to the ranch.”

      She glared at him and knew he held his annoyance in check. She didn’t like him taking over, yet it was for the best. If she moved to the ranch, she knew she would be making a commitment from which it might be difficult to shake free.

      She didn’t like Matt’s forceful ways. Maybe that’s why Jeff had had such a rebellious nature.

      “I’m beginning to understand why your brother was like he was.”

      Anger flashed in Matt’s blue eyes. “My youngest brother wouldn’t take responsibility for anything.”

      She realized she had touched a nerve. Dropping remarks about Jeff, she hurried to get a pen and paper. As Matt wrote directions to his ranch, she looked at his well-shaped hands, his thick, slightly curly eyelashes and straight nose. A faint dark stubble showed on his jaw.

      “After knowing Jeff, who could not be relied on, I find it difficult to trust you,” she admitted.

      “I’ll keep reminding you, I’m not like Jeff,” Matt replied quietly. They stood only inches apart and he had focused on her with that intensity he had the first time they had made eye contact. Her insides got butterflies and her gaze lowered to his mouth while she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

      When she looked up to find him gazing at her mouth, her heart missed a beat. She drew herself up. “I want one point clear—you’re a take-charge person. If I move to your ranch, you agree now that you won’t try to run my life.”

      “I wouldn’t think of it,” he answered with sarcasm as the fiery clash of wills continued to snap between them. “But I am going to speak up when you do things that might endanger the health of your baby.”

      “Right now, you can forget about ever trying to take my baby from me.”

      “I know a child needs its mother. I don’t want to jeopardize that relationship as long as you are a loving mother. Your family has a history of neglect and abuse.”

      “I’m not like my parents,” she snapped while anger made her hot. “My folks drank, were into drugs. They were verbally abusive. They neglected me as well as themselves and were irresponsible and it killed them. I couldn’t wait to get away from them,” she said flatly. She studied him for a moment. “You know a lot about me. Especially for having just met me. More than Jeff knew, I think. How’d you find out so much?”

      “I wanted to know about you before I started dealing with you. I hired a P.I. to check into your life.”

      Her displeasure heightened that he would have her background checked, but then she knew if she were making the offer he was, she might do the same.

      “You don’t approve, do you?” he asked.

      “No, but I can understand why you wanted to know about my past. I’ll think about your offer to move into your home,” she said, knowing she should accept eagerly, but she was loath to relinquish her independence.

      “We won’t get in each other’s way. It’s a big house. Also, fall enrollment is open at the university in Fort Worth.” He reached into a back pocket and withdrew brochures and a catalogue. “Here, you can look at these,” he said and placed them on a table. “You can become a full-time student and graduate sooner,” he said.

      “You’ve been planning this for a while. How far from Fort Worth is your ranch? I’ve forgotten what Jeff told me.”

      “Thirty

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