The Secret Son's Homecoming - Helen Lacey The Cedar River Cowboys

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to deny it—but there was no denying the truth. He was hot for Connie Bedford. Raging hot. And he didn’t know what the hell to do about it. He’d never been at the mercy of his libido before.

      “I’ve always considered it a privilege to do things for others.”

      He laughed humorlessly. “God, you’re naive.”

      “Because I like to help people?”

      “Because you let people walk all over you.”

      She moved, taking a couple of long strides. “Like who?”

      “Liam,” he said pointedly.

      “He’s my employer,” she shot back.

      “Didn’t you look after his kid last night?” Jonah reminded her. “Is babysitting in your job description, too?”

      “They had trouble finding a replacement sitter on short notice and the whole family was at the rehearsal dinner.”

      “I know,” he said and moved to stand behind the couch, watching her, fascinated as her cheeks scorched with color. “I was there.”

      “So, you know the whole story.”

      “I know my brother takes advantage of you. I know you pick up J.D.’s dry cleaning. I know you do errands for Gwen O’Sullivan.”

      She moved closer, until there was only the sofa between them, her chest heaving. Jonah tried his best not to stare, but she was damned impossible to ignore. He’d had his fair share of relationships and lovers, but he couldn’t ever remember wanting a woman the way he wanted Connie.

      “Obviously you’ve never done an unselfish thing in your life.”

      “It’s not unselfish to refuse to become someone’s doormat,” he offered.

      Her hands jerked to her hips in dramatic fashion. “I think that’s the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to me.”

      “Then you’ve lived a sheltered life.”

      “I’d rather that than be mean-spirited and unpleasant. I can’t believe you’re actually related to the O’Sullivans.”

      Jonah rocked back a little on his heels. “You’re not the only one.”

      “You’re not fit to wipe their boots.”

      Irritation kerneled in his chest and Jonah was suddenly all out of patience. Her blind faith in the O’Sullivans was astounding. “No need to...not when you’re at their beck and call day and night.”

      She glared at him. “I don’t know how I ever...ever...”

      Her words trailed off. “How you what?” he shot back. “Ended up in my hotel room with your tongue in my mouth and—”

      “You’re such a jerk,” she said, cutting him off. “How do you sleep at night?”

      He raised a brow. “If you’d stayed in my bed that night, you would have found out.”

       Chapter Two

      Connie shook her head. “You’re such a conceited ass. Bailing was the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

      He scowled, clearly not liking the fact that she was laughing at him. “Speaking the truth doesn’t make me conceited, Con—” He stopped and she knew he fought hard to check himself. “I mean, Miss Bedford. Your dedication to the O’Sullivans might seem honorable, but it also makes me wonder why. Money doesn’t appear to be your motive. Or power, since you’ve worked for Liam for five years and the old man before that. I don’t know...maybe you’re infatuated with one of them.”

      Connie took a moment to absorb his words. And then she laughed. “Really? That’s your theory on my loyalty?”

      He shrugged, then tugged at his collar. “It makes sense. You and Liam spend a lot of time together,” he said quietly. “It explains your devotion and utter compliance to everything he says and does.”

      If she didn’t know better, she could have sworn that he was actually jealous. But that made no sense. They were nothing to one another. “Beside the fact that he’s married and that Kayla and your brother are very happy together, Liam is my boss. And my friend. But since you probably don’t have any friends, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

      Now he laughed, a soft, deeply resonant chuckle that affected her deep down. She hated that he could do that. In fact, she despised everything about him, deciding that sexual attraction definitely had nothing to do with actually liking someone.

      “Have I pushed a button?”

      “I wouldn’t let you close enough to push my buttons.”

      “Now, we both know that’s not entirely true,” he said quietly, his dark hair shining beneath the light, his blue eyes glittering brilliantly.

      “You’re insufferable,” she said in a huff. “If you must know, that night was completely out of character for me. I’d had a bad day and decided to have a drink after work. I didn’t expect to see you at the bar. And then one thing led to another and...well...you know the rest.”

      “You mean the part where you sprinted to my room?”

      Heat infused her cheeks. “I would hardly call it a sprint. Anyway, you weren’t exactly difficult to convince.”

      “I thought a beautiful woman wanted me to make love to her,” he said quietly, his voice as seductive as a caress. “I’m not made of stone, despite what you may think.”

      All Connie could think was the fact that he’d just said she was beautiful. The words rattled around in her head with the deafening power of a freight train. She’d never considered herself beautiful. Well groomed, maybe, with nice hair and an average build...but knowing Jonah thought she was beautiful made her belly roll over and over.

      “I don’t think you’re made of stone,” she said and shrugged. “It’s only that sometimes you can be so...so infuriating.”

      “Part of my charm.”

      “You’re not charming,” she assured him.

      “Not like Liam, eh?”

      She made an impatient sound. “Would you stop inferring that I have feelings for your brother? Because I don’t.”

      “Prove it,” he challenged. “Criticize him.”

      She scowled. “I’m not going to play stupid games to help inflate your ego.”

      “My ego is rock solid,” he said. “It needs to be around you, Miss Bedford.”

      Connie didn’t miss the insinuation—or his return to formality. “If it’s any consolation, it wouldn’t have mattered whose room I was in that night...the outcome would have been the same. I’m only thankful that it was someone as rational and considerate as you. I guess it could have ended very differently if I’d been with someone else.”

      His gaze narrowed. “Is that a compliment?”

      She shrugged. “An observation.”

      “No means no,” he said quietly. “Always. There are no half measures when it comes to a person’s choice about who they sleep with.”

      Connie’s suspicions were confirmed. Despite the rude way he’d dismissed her that night, he had integrity. No means no. Such a simple statement had more meaning to her than he could ever understand.

      “I don’t sleep around. I don’t have one-night stands. I’m a boring, stay-at-home girl who likes to read romantic novels and curl up on the couch with my dogs.”

      “I figured you’d be a cat person.”

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