After a soak, Rafe set Angie on the edge of the tub and tantalized her with his talented tongue. She shivered as he pleasured her, whispered against her flesh how good she tasted, how pretty she was. How would she live without this?

She had to. She had no other choice.

After he had given her several orgasms, he stood and thrust into her. She stared into his black eyes, her gaze never wavering, and dug her nails into his dark shoulders, her back arching, as he pushed into her again and again. Completion, total fulfillment.

Perfection.

“Baby, you feel so good.”

Thrust.

Thrust.

Thrust.

“God, so good.”

One final thrust, and his cock spasmed inside her. Filling her. Completing her. Making her whole.

He sank against her, his slick chest tantalizing her nipples, and then pulled her back into the water and crushed her against him. Their lips met in a gentle kiss, a soothing kiss.

A kiss that said goodbye.

She held back her tears until he was gone.

---

“Please? Isn’t there anything you can do?”

“I’m sorry, Rafe,” Lisa said on the other end of the phone. “It’s like Dallas said. A divorce takes about six months to finalize. I wish I could help you, but I can’t.”

“I understand. Thanks.” He hung up the phone.

What did it matter anyway? Angie had already decided what was important. Her inheritance. She’d marry a man she didn’t love to get it. She’d already made that choice. The fact that they ignited fires in bed didn’t matter. The fact that he was hopelessly in love with her didn’t matter.

Did she love him? She hadn’t said it, and he had no idea.

But their lovemaking was so full of passion, almost surreal. He’d never experienced anything like it.

He feared he never would again.

---

Angie awoke in a cold, clammy sweat. She’d dreamed of Rafe. Of their lovemaking. Of a future with him.

A future with him wasn’t possible. He was married to someone else. But perhaps somewhere, she had no idea where, another man existed whom she could love and who could love her in return.

Her parents hadn’t been in love. They’d married because Mama had been pregnant with her. While they had given her a wonderful life and she appreciated it more than she could ever say, hadn’t they deserved to be in love? Hadn’t they deserved to feel about someone the way she felt about Rafe? And hopefully would feel about another man at some point?

One thing had become clear as day.

She could not marry Frank Longhorn.

Her heart broke at losing her inheritance, but it wasn’t worth it. The old Angelina would have done anything for the ranch.

Not this Angelina.

Not the Angelina who had experienced what it felt like to love another human being with her entire heart and soul.

Before she changed her mind, she called her mother.

“I’m sorry, Mama. I just can’t do it. It’s not fair to Frank, and it’s not fair to me.”

“Are you sure, Angelina?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Frank deserves a woman who loves him. A woman who isn’t marrying him just to use him. A couple years ago I might have been able to do this, but now I can’t. I’ve changed. I’m not the spoiled brat I used to be.”

“I’m proud of you, Angie,” her mother said. “And you are right. Frank deserves better. And may God forgive me. Your father deserved better. Most importantly, you deserve better. You deserve love. I don’t want you to settle for anything less.” She sighed. “There may be a way out of this yet. I need to talk to Jefferson.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Angelina—”

“Mama, this concerns me. Anything you have to say to him can be said in front of me.”

“Yes, perhaps it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“I’ll be at your place in half an hour. Let’s go see your uncle.”

---

“Mia, and the lovely Angelina.” Jefferson Bay’s deep voice was laced with sarcasm as he opened the door to his hotel room.

“We need to talk,” Maria said.

“Perhaps you and I had best talk in private.”

Maria shook her head. “This is Angie’s business. After all, she’s the one who’s about to lose her inheritance.”

“So you didn’t find a suitable suitor after all?” He clicked his tongue. “How very sad. But how very lucky for me. I now own half a ranch.”

“You don’t own anything yet, Jeff,” Maria said, her voice shaking. “Angie still has over a month to get married.”

“Let me guess… She’s holding out for love, right? Love is overrated.”

“Is it?” Maria inched closer to him. “Is it really? Don’t you remember?”

“I remember only that you betrayed me by sleeping with my sainted brother. I may have loved you, but you didn’t return my love.”

Maria’s eyes misted. “That’s not true, Jeff. You know it’s not.”

Dear Lord. Mama and Daddy had never been in true love. They’d made no bones about that. Yet they’d had a good life. All that time, had Mama been in love with someone else? With Jefferson? Angie’s legs wobbled beneath her. What else would be revealed today?

“I know only your betrayal, Mia. You slept with my brother and had his child—this beautiful girl in front of us. It’s only fitting that I be the means to the end of your and Wayne’s love child.”

“Damn it, Jeff, you know I was never in love with Wayne.”

“Really?” He scoffed. “A marriage that lasted this long and produced three children? You’re lying.”

“You were going to prison.”

“I was innocent! I would have fought, Mia, if I’d thought there was even a ghost of a chance that you and I could be together.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He raked his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end. A wolf, Angie thought. He looks like a wolf in fear for his life. Strange.

“Because you made it clear you thought I was guilty. Dear Granddad had all but hanged me already.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were innocent? I would have believed you. I would have stood by you.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. You had already run to Wayne by then.”

“I ran to Wayne because—” She choked into sobs. “My God, I can’t do this.”

Angie regained the strength in her legs. Her mother needed her. She walked to the woman who had given her life and embraced her. “She just lost her husband, for God’s sake. Can’t you take it easy on her? I’m the one you’re trying to ruin. Your argument is with me, not her.”

“How little you know. You’ve told your children nothing of me, have you, Mia? Yet you stand there and tell me you had feelings for me all that time ago.” He glared at Angie. “I can hurt your lovely mother by hurting you. Icing on the cake.”

“No, Jeff,” Maria choked out. “I won’t let you do this to her.”

He smiled. Not a nice smile. A wicked smile. An evil smile. “I don’t see that you have much of a choice.”

“I’m sorry, Mama. I’ve already told you I’m not marrying Frank. And there isn’t time for me to fall in love.” She was already in love, but her mother didn’t need to know that. It hurt too much to talk about anyway.

Again the blurry vision of Rafe’s supposed wife invaded her mind. What might her face look like? Was she brunette like Angie? Or blond? Or red-haired like that horrible Lori at Deb’s?

She shook her head. Lori and Deb. She’d been awful to them. Absolutely bratty. Lori wasn’t horrible. Angie was.

No longer. Along with disinherited Angie came new and improved Angie. She’d make amends for all the nastiness she’d spewed in the past if it took the rest of her life. She’d begin tomorrow by boxing up all the clothes she never needed in the first place and donating them to charity. She’d be moving in with Mama soon anyway. The smaller closet in her old bedroom would thank her.

“You’re right, Angie.” Maria steadied herself, taking some of her weight off Angie. “You’re not going to marry Frank. You’re not going to marry anyone you don’t love just to get a piece of land.”

“Then I think we’re done here,” Jeff said, moving toward the door. “Nice to see you, ladies.”

Maria rushed forward and pounded her fists onto Jeff’s chest. “Damn it, Jeff, we are not done here!”

“Mama?” Angie said, inching toward her mother and uncle.

“You won’t do this to her. I swear you won’t!”

Jefferson gripped her mother’s shoulders. “I stand to gain everything by doing this.”

“But you can’t.”

“You keep saying that, Mia.” He shook her.

Angie inched forward a little more. She would not let him hurt her mother. He eased off, though his hands were still clamped onto Maria. Angie inhaled and stayed put.

“Why? Why can’t I?” he continued. “Why shouldn’t I take what should have been rightfully mine in the first place?”

Maria whipped her hands upward and grabbed both sides of Jefferson’s face.

“Because she’s your daughter, God damn it!”