Rescue Me by Teri Fowler Page B

coffee cup before taking a breath, or at least, that's how it felt.
    "Damn, woman. Don't tell me you cook, too?"
    Maya grinned and nibbled at the edge of a rasher of bacon. Her plate was
still half full. "Mom insisted I learn how to cook. I could feed an army
with a bag of cornmeal."
    "I can do the basics, but I don't enjoy it."
    "I love cooking. I thought about becoming a chef for a while."
    "Well, I'm glad you didn't. We would never have met."
    Seth kissed her and went to take a shower after locating his travel bag
in the hall. He washed his hair with some of the complimentary bottles from the
hotel that he'd thought to bring with him and dug through to find clothes
suitable to travel in.
    He put on a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt and wondered if Maya had
realized he wouldn't be able to stay for more than a few hours longer. He
wasn't happy about it, but fear of how Maya would react outweighed his sadness.
    But when he got back to the bedroom, he found Maya fully dressed and
throwing clothes into a large suitcase.
    "Going somewhere?"
    She stopped packing and turned to look at him. "I hope so. There's
this ranch I've heard about in Texas. Turns out, the guy wants to set it up as
a dude ranch, and I'm hoping he could use a little help for a few weeks from
someone who knows how to sell an idea and make something attractive to the
public."
    Seth stared at her without speaking at first, afraid to believe life
could suddenly become so easy and uncomplicated. She looked sincere. In fact,
she looked terrified, as if she thought there was a chance he'd turn her down.
"You know I can't pay you?"
    Maya nodded, hope shining in her eyes. "I know."
    "And you know I won't take any money from you?"
    "I know that, too."
    "What about your career?"
    She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. "Ben is
probably badmouthing me all over LA for walking out on his show, and it's time
for a change anyway. I'd love to come help you set
things up and maybe get involved with the orphanage, if that's okay with
you?"
      "It's more than okay. I'd
love it. My father is gonna be real happy about the fact I finally brought a
girl home."   Seth kissed her.   "Are you sure this is what you want? A
week ago, you couldn't get far enough away from me."
    Maya leaned back to study his face. "You sure you're not trying to
talk me out of this, Mr. Coulter?"
    "Just making sure you know what you're letting yourself in for,
Miss Franklin."
    "I'm letting myself follow my heart for the first time in my life, and
you taught me how to do that." Maya pressed her hot little body against
his, and Seth was reminded, one more time, just how crazy he was about her.
"Besides, it's gonna take me a while to thank you properly."
    "You don't need to thank me for anything. I should warn you though
that once I get you on my land and in my bed, that makes you my woman."
    Maya smiled. "Who are you kidding? I've been your woman since the
day you walked into that audition."
    "Damn straight." Seth grinned and picked up his Stetson, pulling
it down low over his eyes and drawing Maya in close. "And I don't intend
to let you forget it."
     
    The End
     
     
     

     
     
    Evernight Publishing
     
    www.evernightpublishing.com