Pick Me Up. Samantha Hunter

saved a few of them. I hope so, anyway.”

      Lauren felt her throat choke up a little bit, touched.

      “Last year we had a group of senior women come to spend their eightieth birthdays with us for two weeks. They were tough old broads and they taught us a few things.” He laughed, and she laughed with him.

      “Sounds like a lot of fun.”

      “It can be. But it’s a lot of work, too, though I love it. Can’t imagine life any other way. I’d like to share some of that with you, Connecticut. My treat, you can come as a friend of mine, stay in the main house and take part in as much or as little of the place as you want. Relax, sleep till noon, go swimming, riding, hiking—”

      “Swimming?”

      “We have one of those spring-fed ponds I was mentioning, and ours doesn’t go dry. Hang out as long as you want, and we can enjoy each other a little bit longer. Have some fun, and when you want to go, you can go.”

      She listened, not sure what to think. He was basically offering her a free vacation in exchange for carrying on their affair. A one-night stand was one thing, but this was a whole new level of casual sex she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

      “I don’t know, Brett.”

      “You aren’t heading anywhere in particular, are you?”

      “No. Not in particular.”

      “Then what’s the harm? Aren’t we good together?”

      She smiled, linking her fingers with his. “We’re better than good. But it was just one night—I don’t want to push it and lose what would otherwise be a wonderful memory.”

      “That’s not it.”

      “What do you mean? Of course it is.”

      “I can see it in your face—you think you’re paying for staying at the ranch with sex. I didn’t mean it like that. I wouldn’t insult you that way.”

      She cringed at hearing him say it so baldly. “I’m sorry, I know you weren’t trying to insult me, but isn’t that what it amounts to?”

      “Not to my way of thinking. I have friends, business partners, family stay for free at the ranch all the time. It’s my place, my home. I’m hoping we can spend more time together, but if you want to come just to spend a few days and leave, that’s fine, too.”

      He trailed a finger up the inside of her arm to the inner curve of her elbow, and she closed her eyes, wondering at the power of such a simple touch.

      “Wow,” she whispered, feeling overcome and knowing she wanted this more than just about anything, but was she ready? Was it right? Smart?

      Brett was a good guy who was asking her to spend some time with him, offering her a no-strings vacation. No strings, amazing sex, as well, if she wanted it. An opportunity to experience this wonderful place, and this wonderful man, for just a little longer.

      Her old, timid self was tsk-tsking at the very thought of accepting his offer, but the new, bold woman who’d had such fun last night wanted to take that finger that he was stroking up and down her arm and suck it into her mouth, among other things.

      Goodbyes were not really what she was thinking about.

      “Okay. Thanks,” she said in a rush, before she changed her mind. Brett nodded, not saying a word, then leaned forward to cover her mouth in a scorching kiss that easily rivaled the desert heat.

      BRETT NAVIGATED THE CANYON roads with ease, glad that Lauren hadn’t minded him taking the wheel up to the spot where he was meeting Pete to get his bike. They’d taken so long at breakfast and then getting out of the motel—they’d barely made it out of Lauren’s room at all—that he would never have met his brother on time if Lauren had been driving.

      He’d handled these roads in every conceivable type of vehicle since he was about fourteen years old. Because of Soul Springs, these curves had guardrails. Wait until they hit the dirt roads on the other side of the mountain, down to the ranch, where some edges were lined only with boulders, and some not guarded at all. He smiled, thinking of Lauren’s reaction. She closed her eyes every time they took a turn going over thirty miles an hour.

      “There he is,” he said, spotting Pete already loading the bike up on the back of a trailer.

      His younger brother straightened as they drove up, and seemed mildly surprised to see Brett get out of a strange car. Well, how else did he think he’d get up here? Angel wings?

      Lauren got out as well, but hung back by the passenger side of the car, keeping a healthy distance between her and the drop on the other side of the guardrail. Brett gestured to her to join them, and gave her credit that after a second of hesitation, she did. However, she didn’t come any closer than the edge of the car, keeping her thigh against the solid edge of the bumper. She was pale, and it struck him how severe her fear of heights was. He walked to her side, putting himself between her and the edge, as Pete wandered over.

      “I see you got the bike loaded.”

      “Yeah. You’re late,” Pete accused without any rancor, his eyes landing on Lauren and taking her in, maybe for just a second too long for Brett’s comfort.

      “Yeah, slept late this morning,” Brett answered offhand. What was between him and Lauren was their own business, and he sensed she’d feel a whole lot better if people didn’t know they were lovers. He would, too.

      He knew he wanted to keep his private life private—not that he had anything to hide, after all, he was a free man. His former fiancée was honeymooning in the Caribbean with Howie, and that was pretty much that. Things with Lauren were good, simple, and that’s how he wanted to keep it. Separate from the mess that was the rest of his personal life.

      “Pete, this is Lauren Baker. We met down in the Springs. I noticed her looking at a brochure of ours in the lobby of the Springs Motel, and so invited her for a stay.”

      It was a harmless white lie, and he saw the relief on Lauren’s face. Pete smiled, holding his hand out, and Brett held his breath that his brother wouldn’t make any comments about the wedding.

      “Nice to meet you, Lauren. Glad my brother convinced you to give the ranch a try.”

      “Thanks. It sounds like it will be…different.”

      “From your accent I’d say you come from New England, am I right?

      “Connecticut—how could you tell?”

      “I went to college out there. Beautiful state.”

      “Thanks. I’m enjoying Arizona as well.”

      Brett remained silent through the exchange, though perked up a bit on her response—was that slight bit of huskiness in her tone for him, or was she flirting with Pete?

      Surprised to find himself on the hair-trigger end of jealousy, he looked at Lauren and his brother, finding nothing but polite interactions between them. He was obviously going nuts—being jilted had affected him more deeply than he’d thought. Pete finally shook him out of it.

      “So, we getting moving, or are we standing here all day?”

      “Let’s go. I’ll drive with Lauren, if we want to get home anytime today.”

      Pete looked at them curiously, and Lauren filled in the blanks.

      “I’m afraid of heights. Makes it hard to drive these roads.”

      “You get used to them. I’ll see you back at the ranch—you go ahead, I’ll be slower with the trailer.”

      “Will do.”

      Lauren walked back to the car, sliding into the driver’s seat, and Brett hung back for a moment, following Pete to his side of the truck.

      “Listen, bud, do me a favor.”

      “Another