After a full day of working on the books for Timber Bear Ranch, Sylvia was ready to be done. She squeezed her eyes closed and rubbed her temples. She’d never seen a business with such disastrous accounting. Part of her wasn't sure if she would ever get to the bottom of the Kincaid family’s debts at this rate. There were too many years of loose ends. But she knew that if she couldn't work it out, Leland and his brothers would be in far worse trouble than they were now.

Leland had gone out to tend to his cattle and to track down a vet, leaving her at the dining room table to work out how much he really owed. She wasn't even a fraction of the way through the job by the end of the business day, and she knew that there were many days remaining of just as much work ahead of her.

Leland wanted to go out for a date, but she felt so exhausted she didn't know if she could make it. She walked through the parlor and glanced out the window. Leland was in a side yard, squatting in the grass, petting a dog. The sight of such secret sweetness made her heart thump. She let out a long quivering sigh and decided that it didn't matter how tired she was, she still wanted Leland to take her out for dinner. She went outside and walked around the house, meeting him in the side yard. He stood and tipped his cowboy hat at her when he saw her.

"I'm done for the day," she said. "I'm going to head back to my hotel and get ready for tonight."

"I made a reservation at the Lodge for seven. Is that going to give you enough time to get ready?" he asked, walking across the yard to stand right in front of her.

She could feel the heat of his body, and the waves of his dominant Alpha nature, rolling off him. It was so exhilarating to have him focused on her. It was a feeling she had always longed for but had never quite experienced. Now he was giving it to her without holding back. And she didn't want it to ever end.

"That should be plenty of time," she said.

He stepped closer and reached out to touch her arm. A chill wind blew down from the mountains and ruffled the collar of her shirt, sending a shiver down her spine. He drew closer and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his warmth. He cupped her cheek with his rough hand and tilted her face toward him. Their eyes met. The connection between them required no words. Leland bent down and brushed his soft full lips over hers, sending a tingle of desire down her spine.

She let out a sigh and accepted his kiss. He pressed his lips to hers so gently, so lightly, it felt like butterflies tickling her lips. It left her wanting so much more.

He stepped away with a smile and said, "I'll see you soon, darling."

"I can't wait," she blurted out.

Sylvia wasn't used to being able to express her feelings with the men she dated. Usually there was so much restraint required when dealing with the average blind date from a dating website or a random guy she had been hooked up with by her mother. But with Leland, she didn't have to hold back at all. In fact, she knew he wanted so much more than she was even ready to give, and that knowledge made her quiver all over.

“Neither can I," he said, grabbing her bicep gently one last time before he turned to go back to the paddock where several sick cows were mooing for attention.

Sylvia drove back to her hotel room and jumped in the shower, feeling sticky from a full day of concentration. After her shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and headed to the closet where she chose the prettiest outfit she'd brought with her.

The dress was a perfect color for the early spring, soft purple with yellow accents. It reminded her of a crocus pushing up through the snow. She slipped into her nicest bra and panty set and then pulled on the dress before slipping into a pair of nude pumps. She did her hair and makeup more carefully than usual, dabbing on deep matte red on her lips to go with the delicate cat eyes that she’d carefully drawn.

She stepped back and looked at herself. Her big brown eyes tilted up at the corners and the lines of mascara and eyeliner accentuated the tilt even more. Her curves looked good in the flowing purple dress. She couldn't wait to see the look on Leland's face when he came to get her.

As she was spraying on her perfume, there was a knock at her door. She slipped into her jacket and grabbed her purse before answering it. There he was on the other side, wearing all black: shirt, jeans and cowboy hat. The sight of him in his polished outfit made her heart flip-flop. She had only seen him in flannel shirts and blue jeans, and his straw cowboy hat with the ring of sweat around the headband. He was obviously wearing his more formal attire, coupled with a tailored western suit jacket. Her knees almost buckled at the sight of him.

"You look amazing," they both said at the same time.

They both started to laugh. He offered his arm to her, and she slipped her fingers around the crook in his elbow and followed him out of the hotel room. Sylvia had never felt like such a lady before. Leland's tall, broad, strong body guided her down the hallway and the stairs to the parking lot where he held open the door of his big red truck for her and helped her climb inside.

He shut the door behind her and she slid on her seatbelt as he went around and climbed in the driver's seat. Her heart was slamming in her chest at the knowledge of his presence. They had already made love the first night they'd met. But now that they were going on a proper date, her nerves were getting the best of her.

This man seemed to have walked out of a dream. There he was, sitting beside her, turning the key in the ignition and driving her down the road. She felt so safe under his protection, with his hands on the wheel of his big truck. He was taking her to a beautiful place to be together and to connect even more deeply than they had before. It had all been his idea.

She hadn't expected a single thing and he was giving her everything. It almost made her feel as if she didn't deserve it. They turned off onto a road that led to the Lodge and parked in the parking lot.

Fate Mountain Lodge was a three-story log mansion with a huge wraparound porch, sprawling lawns, and a view of Lake Fate. The lake waters gleamed in the fading daylight, silver and blue and yellow as the sun set over Fate Mountain.

Leland was there, opening the car door for her before she could do it herself. His big strong hand outstretched, offering to help her down to the ground. She knew of course she could do it on her own, but having him there to help her step down from the raised truck made her feel so very safe.

As they walked arm in arm down the pathway toward the front entrance of Fate Mountain Lodge, Sylvia's mind ran a million miles a minute. The critical voice inside her kept asking her how she expected to have a relationship with a cowboy on Fate Mountain when she worked almost a hundred miles away. It would never work out. They were from two different worlds. How could she possibly balance her career and a relationship with this man?

He needed a woman who would be there for him, to take care of his home while he took care of the ranch. How could Sylvia possibly be that person? She had prepared herself to be a career woman, to give back to her family the way her father had. She couldn't possibly turn her back on her career. After all the sacrifices her dad had made to get her there.

By the time they were greeted by the maître d', Sylvia was so confused, she squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head to make the thoughts go away. When she opened her eyes again, the host was guiding them through the dining room of the five-star restaurant.

"Our specials today is poached Pacific salmon with a lemon sauce, potatoes au gratin, and fresh spring greens."

"That sounds delicious," Sylvia said, feeling her stomach rumble at the thought of dinner.

"That's what I'll have too. And a bottle of your best Chardonnay."

The waiter took their menus and hurried off to bring them back their wine. Sylvia gripped the stem of her wine glass in her hand and brought the crystal to her lips, looking over the rim at Leland as he did the same thing.

It was still hard for her to believe that she was out on a date with a man like him. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this moment. He was everything she had been looking for, but now that she was confronted with it, she didn't have any idea how to accept him.

She was supposed to take care of herself and be an independent strong woman. Sylvia knew she was capable of anything. She didn't really need a man. She made a good living, had a nice apartment, and was happy with her cat. But when she gazed into Leland's eyes, she knew that life could offer so very much more.

His love washed over her like a soft warm blanket. It comforted her, like a cocoon. The fear of losing everything she'd worked for made her want to kick the feeling as quickly as she could. The critical voice inside her mind kept telling her they could never be together; that a man like him simply didn't want a woman like her. She worked as an auditor. She had a degree in accounting. She didn't know how to do any of the wifely things he needed. Why would he ever want her?

"You look so beautiful tonight, Sylvia," he said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand as it rested beside her silverware.

His words made her cheeks heat up and her core tingle.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she said, not sure how to return such a sweet compliment to such a sweet man.

She didn't know how to reconcile her feelings. None of it was fair. Why was her mind playing tricks on her?

The waiter returned not long after with a basket of French bread cut into little slices and a tub of sweet cream butter.

Sylvia and Leland nibbled on the French bread and sipped their wine while they waited for their meal.

"Did you get very far with the books today?" Leland asked.

"I was able to get halfway through last year’s," she said.

"I still don't understand how my dad could have let himself get so far behind. When I lived at home. He was a stickler for organization. It's so unlike him."

"When was the last time you were home again?" she asked curiously.

"It was seven years ago," he said, taking another sip of wine as if he needed it just to face the memory. "Right after the war.”

"Did you look at his business dealings back then?” she asked.

"God, no. My dad never let me into the business like that. It was one of the reasons we disagreed so much. And exactly the reason I chose to go work in Texas on someone else's ranch rather than to stay here and tend to my own family's land.”

"Sometimes family secrets can be at the root of financial problems. I've seen it happen more than once."

He squeezed her hand and looked up into her eyes sympathetically. The waiter arrived just then and set their hot dinner plates in front of them.

"This is supposed to be our night,” Leland said after the waiter had left.

“I honestly can’t believe this is happening,” Sylvia said with a small giggle as she cut into her salmon.

“Why not? It’s perfect.”

“That’s exactly why. My dating history has been a series of one disaster after another. Then you came along. I didn’t expect it. Not at all.”

“You know, Sylvia, they say strange things happen on Fate Mountain,” Leland said. “I’ve been looking for my own special someone for a long time. I signed up for Mate.com years ago, but no one ever came along. Until now. Until you. And it couldn’t have happened at a better or worse time. That’s all part of how fate works, I guess.”

He let go of her hand and took another bite of salmon. Sylvia watched him as he finished his meal. The look in his eyes was distant and strange. She could only imagine what he was going through right now. Time would only tell the fate of his family and their land. Her heart contracted in her chest and she took a deep breath, wanting to reach out to him.

“I never believed in fate. I always looked at life as a series of cause and effect events. Now I am beginning to change my perspective. It might take me a while to fully comprehend.”

“That’s what they say about human mates,” Leland concluded. “It takes time. We should have waited the first night.”

“I’m not sorry we didn’t,” Sylvia said, almost too loudly.

Her heart started beating faster. She hadn’t wanted to wait the night they’d met. Did he regret being together? She hoped not because she didn’t regret it. She’d felt things she’d never felt before, with any man.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said in a low voice. “It was the best night of my life.”

She could see the color in his face rise and his Adam’s apple bob when he swallowed.

“Mine too,” she said softly.

The waiter returned asking if they wanted dessert. They both ordered the lemon tarts with sweet cream. When Sylvia took the first bite she could barely hold back a moan. It was so good. She savored each bite of the rest of the tart just as Leland was finishing his.

After he paid for dinner he asked her if she wanted to go out for a walk on the grounds. She pulled her coat around her shoulders and followed him out of the dining room onto the back patio that overlooked the lake. It was dark outside, but there was still a glow in the western sky.

Sylvia shivered slightly in the cool air, and Leland reached to her and took her hand. His warm hand on hers sent heat up her arm and down her back, warming up her entire body. She followed him down the patio, under the draping lights. They walked around the corner of the building and away from the windows of the dining room.

He turned to her under the twinkling lights and took her other hand in his. His eyes were bright and a smile curved on his lips. Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned in to kiss her. His lips where soft at first but he quickly pulled her to him, pressing harder against her. She groaned as his tongue tasted her mouth. She reached out to greet him, sliding into the heat of him.

He cupped the back of her head and held her close, her body like burning hot coals that had just sprung back to life. Everything she’d felt the first night they were together came rushing back in a burst of hunger and need.

“Oh, Leland,” she gasped when he let her up for air and held her to him, kissing her neck and cheeks.

“Baby,” he whispered in her ear, holding her against his taut body.

The feel of him against her, pressing hard over her every soft curve, made her moan and melt, growing more wet and languid with each movement of his rough hands.

“I’ve been waiting to kiss you all night,” he said, raining kisses over her forehead, cheeks and lips.

“Yes,” she said, as he kissed her mouth.

“I want to take you home so bad,” he said, crushing her to his chest.

“We should,” she said, growing bold and cupping his ass with her delicate hands.

He growled in her ear and held her closer. She could feel his erection, rigid against her. She ached to have him inside her again. She squeezed his ass tighter, encouraging him.

“Oh baby, yeah. I want this.” He kissed her and held her face in his hands. His eyes twinkled in the moonlight that had come out from behind the clouds. It hung bright and round above them.

“I do too.”

He kissed her softly and rested his forehead against hers.

“We’ve already gone too far too fast. I don’t want to scare you off with all this need inside me. My bear is growling and scratching inside my head and my loins. I can barely control him, Sylvia.” His hot breath brushed her ear as he spoke. “But I’ve got to protect you from all this. I know you’re feeling things too. But I don’t want you getting confused. It’s all in for me. All the way. You’re a human. You need time. You might not think you do now when the heat is on you, but later, in a few days... Your human consciousness won’t be able to keep up with the instinct that’s coming over you now. I don’t want you to regret it later.”

“I won’t,” she said timidly.

“I know, baby, I know. I know you won’t. But I’ve got to be gentle with you. Take my time. Give you all the things you need. I’m more of a gentleman than I appeared to be at first. On the first night, my animal won control. Taking over as Alpha of the clan, my brothers’ anger. Sick cattle. Then finding my mate. It was a lot. I lost control. But that’s not the man I want to be. Not for you. Not for my sweet Sylvia.”

“Oh, Leland. I want you just as much as you want me.”

“We both want it, baby. I know we do. I’ve just got to ease you into it. You’ll understand later.” He backed up and took her hands in his, bringing them to his lips. “I’m going to take care of you forever if you’ll let me, lovely woman, but we need to do this right. Trust me, darlin’.”

“I do, Leland.”

He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her again, hard and passionate, making her melt. He touched her body with his big hands, awakening her, letting her know how much he wanted her tonight. Then he let her down gently and led her back to his truck.

When they pulled up in front of her hotel, he helped her out of the truck and walked her to her room. He gave her an affectionate kiss before pulling back and wishing her a good night.

“I want you to get a good night’s sleep tonight. We’ve got a lot of work to do in the morning,” he said, tipping his hat with a smile.

“You’re right,” she said, hurt, but understanding what he was doing. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

He watched her go in as they said their last goodnights. She stood on the other side of the door, letting out a deep sigh. It was so hard to close the door on him and not pull him into her bedroom. Her body ached with need, throbbing between her legs. Her nipples felt so tight they pressed against the soft fabric of her bra. She turned and looked through the peep hole, hoping that he would still be there. She saw him for a split second before he started to walk away.

She groaned and turned to the bed, trudging over and falling on her back. She groaned and pressed her palms to her eyes. She wanted to understand where Leland was coming from, but it was so damned hard. Why didn’t he come in? They’d already been together, what difference did it make?

But on the other hand, she knew he wanted to marry her and mate with her. They’d already gone over the line on the first night. Suddenly, she understood why Leland didn’t want to push her too far too fast.

She still had a huge job to do with him, and that might not have a happy ending. It certainly wasn’t looking good so far. Maybe it was best not to get too attached to him. That idea hurt her heart. She wanted to be all in with him. But she knew he was right. For both of their sakes. She might have to hurt him and it could be too much for either of them to get over.