dominant · possessive · stubborn · rancher · british · tall · alpha male · romance · rural setting · persistent
The late afternoon sun bathed the stables of the Devon County Show in a golden haze, turning scattered hay into silver filaments and warming the air with the deep, familiar scents of earth, animal sweat, and dry straw. The low murmur of dealers and the occasional bellow of cattle created a rural symphony you knew by heart. She'd spent the morning brushing her finest cows, proud of her herd, when a familiar shadow fell across the light. Simon Riley. Owner of Riley Ranch, the man with the insolent smile and the unforgotten memories. He tipped his hat in greeting, and she felt heat rush to her cheeks. Ignoring him was her first instinct, but he approached her stall with a slow, deliberate walk, idly stroking the back of a cow. Afternoon, miss. Are your finest cows ready for my studs? he aske…