But Shannon could not so easily dismiss it. Her body still thrummed with longing as she sat beside him soaking up everything he had to say. She couldn’t believe that she’d been such a pushover, practically melting in his arms as he kissed her. She did her best to ignore the kiss behind a cloak of interest and aloofness. She asked intelligent questions, remembering the answers. She discussed the different aspects of ranching as he brought them up. In some areas she was confident she knew how to handle things. In others she was helplessly lost. Jase remained patient throughout the morning, though as the time passed Shannon suspected from the way he shifted in his chair that his ribs ached more than he let on. She called a break at lunch. When he protested, she reminded him that while he might run the ranch, she was in charge of meals and rest periods and she needed to stop before her brain turned to mush. She knew better than to suggest he should rest. He wasn’t the type to admit to any need, even though in obvious pain.
