Mistletoe Match-Up (Romancing Wisconsin #3) (14 page)
Read Mistletoe Match-Up (Romancing Wisconsin #3) Online
Authors: Stacey Joy Netzel
A little flutter tickled her stomach, making her frown.
“Get a grip, idiot,” she muttered in the silent hallway. The man hated her; he’d made that clear for everyone to see. It wasn’t as if they’d share some romantic interlude out beneath the stars. And if she could learn to control her body’s reactions whenever he got too close, she’d be just fine.
She hurried to her room and stepped inside, closing the door firmly behind her. Without bothering to turn on the light, she kicked off her shoes, made her way to the bed and flopped down with a weary groan. Only her head hit something a lot more solid than her pillow.
“
Oomph
.”
With a shriek, Reggie shot back up and nearly fell off the bed.
“Shh. My God, you’ll bring the whole house running.”
Tripp’s low, irritated voice did nothing to ease her racing heartbeat. She clicked on the bedside lamp.
“The whole house consists of Grandma Rosie, and she’s…”
The words died on her lips at the sight of him in a tight white T-shirt, gray sweatpants, and bare feet, lounging on her bed as if it were his own.
“She’s…?” Tripp prompted.
Reggie brought her attention back to his face. Big mistake. With his rugged five-o’clock shadow and those piercing blue eyes, she had even more trouble pulling her thoughts together. She blinked to break the spell of his image.
“She’s already sleeping. It’s been a long day.”
A shadow crossed his face. “What took you so long, anyway? I’ve been waiting over an hour.”
“I had a few things to take care of in the office, and I cleaned up the kitchen.”
He shook his head, his expression skeptical. “See, now that doesn’t fit, either, Princess.”
“What are you talking about? Doesn’t fit what?”
“Your name.”
Reggie’s overtaxed mind couldn’t keep up, and he looked entirely too good on her bed. A flash of peevishness made her swat at his feet. “Get off my bed, would you? And what does my name have to do with anything?”
“Princesses don’t do dishes.” He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood in front of her.
“First of all…”
Damn, he’s tall
. She didn’t remember him being so tall eleven years ago. She took a step back. “My name is not Princess.”
“And second of all?”
“Second of all, this is my room, so get out.”
“Don’t kick me out before we get to the good stuff. I have a proposition for you.”
Her heart skipped a beat and honest to God, she couldn’t help it—her gaze went straight to the bed. Just as fast, she snapped her attention back up to his face.
“A what?”
He lifted one nicely muscled shoulder in a careless gesture that didn’t fool her one bit when she considered the calculating gleam in his eyes.
“Maybe
competition
is the better word.”
“And what exactly would we be competing for?” she asked.
“The ranch.”
Reggie would’ve laughed, except he was dead serious. She crossed her arms. “What have you got in mind?”
“Whoever catches Mason wins everything, simple as that. Loser leaves.”
Her stomach heaved with a sickening lurch.
So, this is why he agreed to the terms of the will.
She knew he’d flipped to the other side too fast. But Ernesto hadn’t lied when he said she’d been trying to catch the stallion for years, though how the older man knew about it, she’d love to know. Still, no way did she want to go up against Tripp like this, not with the ranch at stake. Mason was smarter than any horse she’d known.
Tripp stepped closer, crowding her personal space as he leaned in and taunted, “Afraid you can’t catch him?”
~~~
CHASIN’ MASON is available wherever ebooks are sold, and it’s also available in print.
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