He shrugged again, and his discomfort with the entire subject was both puzzling and endearing. “Well, yeah, but once you asked the question—what would I do if I had this kind of money—I had to tell you, because if I didn’t, it would be lying. And I don’t want to lie to you.”
The revelation of the Delaney family’s vast wealth was shocking and overwhelming. Gen didn’t know what to do with the information—how to process it. “But … your family. Your house.”
“What about them?”
“I just mean …” She struggled with how to put it. “It just seems like a regular house. They just … they just seem like a regular family.”
“It is a regular house, and they are a regular family.”
She shook her head as though to clear it. “I meant …”
“I know what you meant.”
He looked at her with those chocolate brown eyes and she could see from the expression in those eyes, from the set of his jaw, that he’d had this conversation before.
“The house doesn’t look like a rich person’s house,” he said, filling in her thoughts. “And my family—my mom with the football jerseys and the fuzzy slippers—she doesn’t look like a real estate tycoon.”
“Well … yeah.”
“We’re just regular people, Gen. We like to live simply. Who the hell needs all of this?” He gestured to encompass the Cooper House, the garden around them, the pool, the grounds. “I mean, it’s fun to visit. I’m enjoying this, being here, as much as anybody would. But to live like this?” He shook his head. “I don’t need it. My parents don’t need it. Breanna doesn’t need it. And I’ve got to think Lucas and Michael will grow up more well-adjusted without it.”
Yeah, she could see that. They probably would.
She took a deep drink from her wineglass—she needed it.
“So you … you run a big real estate empire? On top of running the ranch?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I just run the ranch. At least, I will when my dad finally decides to retire. My brother handles the real estate stuff.”
“Your brother.” There she went repeating things again.
“Colin. He’s a lawyer, lives down in San Diego. He handles the real estate. I handle the cattle. Me and my other brother, Liam.”
“Liam? He works on the ranch, too? I haven’t met him.”
“He has a ranch in Montana. Part of the family holdings.”
“The family holdings.”
He cocked his head at her. “You keep repeating the things I say.”
“I know. I’m just making sure that I really heard them.”
A trio of birds flew overhead, and the breeze rustled the leaves of an oak tree that stood sentry in the garden. The horizon was flaming orange as the sun dipped into the water.
“Look. I know this is a lot to take in,” he said. “You wouldn’t be the first woman not to take it well.”
She wondered what that meant, and as she thought about it, it became clear why Ryan was still single in his early thirties. She’d wondered about that. He was smart, sweet, kind-hearted, and handsome as hell. Plus there was the added sexiness factor of the whole cowboy thing. And yet here he was, still dating, still looking for his match. Why? It had to be hard, with the money added into the mix, she realized. The baggage the money represented.
“I’ll bet it complicates things, with dating,” she said. Now that the initial shock had passed, she realized she was still quite hungry, and she picked up her fork again and began to eat the garden salad.
He let out a puff of air in a way that suggested frustration and even disgust. “You could say that. The ones who are only interested in the money are pretty easy to spot. But the ones who are a little more complicated are the women who really do like me, but who think I should be living like a rich guy. ‘Why don’t you have a nicer car?’ and ‘You know, you should really tear down the house and build something new.’ That kind of thing.” He shook his head, clearly troubled by the memories. “It’s a pretty common reaction, and I can understand them wondering. But when they won’t let up about it, well, that’s when it starts to become clear that they think dating me is going to bring a certain kind of lifestyle. And they really want that lifestyle.”
“That’s got to be hard.”
“It is.” He nodded. “Well. Anyway. Now you know. So let’s talk about something else. Anything else.”
And so they did. They talked about Kendrick, and what it was like to run a ranch, and Gen’s gallery. At first it was weird, because the information about his wealth seemed to change who she thought he was, and the dynamic between them. But the more they talked, the more relaxed she became, and the more he seemed like just Ryan. They ate Jackson’s food and watched the sunset, and when the food was gone—including the cookies—they drank some more wine and held hands. Then, after they’d put away the remains of the meal—the leftovers, the plates, the napkins—they got up from the table and Gen stepped into his arms.
“What now?” she said.
“Well.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I was thinking that pool looks pretty good.”
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
“I was kind of counting on that.”
She’d never skinny-dipped before, in anyone’s pool, let alone in a tech tycoon’s pool, with marble statues of Aphrodite and Neptune looking down on her, probably with judgment and scorn. But who gave a crap what they thought? She felt giddy and free as she splashed nude through the water under the darkening sky. The pool was heated to a comfortable eighty degrees, and the night was warm.
“I hope Will’s not around,” Gen said, slicking her wet hair back from her face, bobbing at the surface of the water.
“Will needs to get his own date.” Ryan ducked under the water and swam toward her. He glided under her and playfully grabbed onto her thigh, and she squealed and laughed.
They swam and splashed, dove, and then floated with their backs to the water, soundless, staring up into the starry sky.
When they both were tired and breathing hard, they swam toward each other and embraced, their feet kicking gently to keep them afloat.
“This is fun,” she told him. “Really fun. I can’t remember ever having a date this cool.”
“It’s not over yet.” He kissed her deeply, his tongue caressing hers, and she could feel his arousal against her body.
“You’re really good at this,” she said when he broke the kiss, his lips just a breath away from hers.
“Money can’t buy this kind of skill.” He gave her the half grin again.
“How do I know that? How do I know you don’t have … I don’t know. Some kind of expensive coach or something.” Her words were playful but she was breathless with desire, with her need for him.
“If I did, would that be a problem for you?”
“God no. Results are results.”
He laughed, a low and husky sound that she felt through her entire body. Then he kissed her again and she clung to him in the water, tiny waves lapping against them, the scent of chlorine and warm man surrounding her.
Her body felt loose and hot, her heart pounding, the erotic center of her pulsing with urgent longing.
“You want to continue this inside?” he murmured. He kissed her mouth, her jaw, the soft, tender skin of her throat.