Finding Honor

By Rhonda Lee Carver

Finding Honor

A forbidden tryst with the rich boss's daughter could land him in a heap of trouble…or with an unexpected future and a hankering for forever.

There's an invisible line at Sagebrush Rose Ranch. Sam Rose's beautiful daughters know it's against the rules to fraternize with the hands, a boundary Honor Rose has respected until she meets Cave McCoy.

Coming from the wrong side of the tracks, Cave's fully aware that Honor is both out of his league and big trouble, but sometimes a cowboy must take a risk to put out an internal fire. He thought he could dip in and dip back out unscathed, but Honor has a secret that will change their lives forever.

 

Forbidden romance, secrets, and second chances will set Sagebrush Rose Ranch on a tilt. Will Honor and Cave succumb to their feelings, or allow birthright to extinguish happily ever after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rhonda Lee Carver
• Release date: Dec 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223591085

Book preview

Chapter 1

Honor Rose’s stilettos clicked ominously on the natural stone floor of the hotel lobby as she made her way to the sleek gold trimmed desk. The tall, lanky man in a black suit and tie brought his attention up from the computer screen. Good evening, Ms. Rose, he said while discretely sliding a keycard across the polished marble. Your guest has already arrived. Room 430.

Guest?

Taking the key, she closed her fingers around the plastic and felt her knees shake. Nothing was forcing her to do this, but she had no other choice. Blood pounded in her ears, competing with the sound of the piercing instrumental tenderness of Bach playing from the lobby speakers. She found herself humming along which helped ease her restless energy some. 

Going up, ma’am? The bellhop gestured for her to step inside the elevator.

She crossed the threshold and the heavy doors closed, trapping her inside. There was no turning back now. She needed to stay on task.

The elevator quietly glided upward, taking her closer to her destination.

Goosebumps scattered across her skin and she felt exposed in the designer black dress with the open back that she’d worn to the annual charity auction for the library that her sister, Freedom, chaired. Honor had come straight from the event and hoped she found some answers to the questions currently plaguing her.

Checking herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror, everything about her appearance seemed in order. The dress. The hair. The pumps. Inside though she was a tangled mass of nerves. Her mother always said, If you look like a star, you are a star.

Who was waiting in Room 430?

Was she crossing a line by coming?

The bell dinged and the doors hissed open. The bellhop offered her a reassuring smile. Did he sense her uneasiness? Here we are, ma’am. Have a good evening.

Her senses shifted into high gear as she stepped into the corridor lit by a row of gaslight sconces and antique glass chandeliers which added to the old Hollywood ambiance.

Following the patterned Nylon carpet, she looked over her shoulder as the elevator doors closed with finality. Her palms were sweaty and she felt a little woozy. She stopped long enough to gain her bearings.

For the hundredth time, she changed her mind about following through. And for the hundredth time, she squared her shoulders and put one foot in front of the other. She and Liberty might have agreed to give each other space, but there were boundaries to that agreement.

Swallowing back a lump in her throat, she continued to her destination.

Staring at the shiny knob like it was inoculated with poison, she paused.

There must be another way...but this was the quickest way. She needed to know where her sister had gone. Whomever was in the room must know something.

Starting to knock, she caught herself. She had a key for a reason.

Tapping the keycard, the lock beeped and the light flashed green. She slowly pushed the door open a scant few inches and peeked inside. Cast in shadows, the only source of light came from the moonlight flowing in through the large window.

Her knees knocked as she took a step across the threshold. Her heels sunk into the thick rug and the whirling of the air conditioner made her temples ache. The intoxicating scent of sandalwood clung to the air.

A mixture of curiosity and fear raced through her, making her dizzy. The hair on the back of her neck lifted. 

She gave a little jerk when she heard the scraping sound of denim behind her. She swiveled and the fibers of the rug caught her heel, but she managed to keep her balance. Searching the shadows, she could make out the large silhouette of a man. Hello?

You’re late, came the husky voice—a familiar voice that made Honor’s stomach lurch.

It couldn’t be possible. Could it?

Her voice wouldn’t  work.

I don’t like waiting. The low gruffness of his words penetrated her skin.

No doubt. It was him!

Cave McCoy. She was in a hotel room with Cave McCoy of all people! The cowboy who worked as a hand on her family’s ranch, Sagebrush Rose. The man who she couldn’t look at, think about, without feeling every possible emotion on. Every hour, every second, of their secret affair came back like a wave from a massive tsunami. A part of her wanted to rush into his arms, and a bigger part wanted to unleash all her hurt and pain. She reminded herself that she didn’t come there to see him.

Of course, she didn’t...

What was he doing meeting Liberty?

Was Cave why she sent a vague message a week ago telling Honor that she needed time and space and not to search for her? Why hadn’t Honor honored the request? Because they were twin sisters and she’d always been there for Liberty. 

He took a step closer. She could feel his warmth and his heady scent filled her nostrils, making her feel weak, and yet alive at the same time. Her eyes drifted closed. Would he touch her? Kiss her?

She opened her eyes when the bedside light flooded the room with incandescent light. She blinked rapidly as her vision adjusted until finally, she managed to focus. His narrowed eyes locked on her. She couldn’t quite read his expression.

Cave...?

He came to stand before her, his expression so powerful that she didn’t know if she could control the tears.

The AC unit made a popping sound as it shut off, causing her to jump.

She couldn’t do this. Not now. I shouldn’t have come. She brushed past him and let out a tiny squeak when his strong, muscular arms folded around her waist, delicately trapping her against the hard lines of his body. She knew firsthand how good it felt being with him. She still wanted him even now.

Reality swarmed in like a silent deadly killer. Wake up, Honor! He was expecting to see Liberty.

When she started to question him, nothing came out of her mouth but a feeble whimper that sounded very much like an invitation, even to her own ears. Her sense of logic went right out the window.

The rigid bulge behind his zipper pressed against her bottom causing an avalanche of desire in her. Her treacherous body needed to cool its jets!

Honor shouldn’t want Cave. They’d found themselves on different paths in what they wanted for the future. She should be horrified to be here with him after his ultimatum...

Oh, but she wasn’t.

She hadn’t managed to eradicate him from her mind like she’d hoped she could after being away. The flame was reignited and burning hotter than ever.

Finding herself in the center of her wildest fantasy, an unexpected excitement swirled through her. She needed to press the pause button, but it appeared as if her body didn’t quite agree.

A frustrated sigh escaped him, and he dropped his arms.

She bit her lower lip to stifle the moan that worked its way up into her throat and she turned to face him, feeling warmth crawl up her neck. He wore his usual button-down chambray, frayed Wranglers, and dusty boots but he looked different. Three months couldn’t have changed him that much, but they had. Or maybe she’d changed.

He had the resemblance of a Viking examining his prey. His rolled-up sleeves revealed the intricate ink design of a tree that covered his bicep and the roots wrapped around his elbow. His thick peppered whiskers didn’t hide the hard set of his jaw.

Tension filled the air, making it hard to breathe. Her lungs ached. There were so many questions left hanging between them, and she hated that her body craved his touch. Hated that a man could so easily blind her with lust—a man she once wanted more than her next breath.

She lowered her gaze to the floor, feeling both humiliated and sensitive.

He touched her chin. Look at me.

Cave...I... There was so much she needed to tell him.

Chills skittered over her skin and yet she felt like a fire kindled in her core.

A groan of impatience vibrated his chest. He scooped her up, embracing her in his powerful arms. She let out a moan of surprise. Wh—what are you doing?

In a urgent stride, he carried her to the massive king-sized bed, laying her in the center of the red satin comforter.

She could only stare up at him as her mind screamed like a sizzling hot pan. Her heart thumped faster as he slowly and deliberately undid the top button of his shirt, then the next, until the material opened to expose his massive, smooth chest that had more swirls and lines of ink that traced the defined planes of his torso. All the while logic demanded that she jump off the bed and flee from the room for a quick escape. But was it possible to ever escape what they’d shared? A commanding connection still existed between them.

Honor wanted to stay...just a minute longer to see where this headed.

He dragged the soft shirt down his shoulders and bared his torso to her hungry eyes. Her senses were in overdrive and her inner thighs dampened. How was she supposed to think rationally when she had a half-naked cowboy near her? Not just any cowboy mind you, but Cave. The man she’d fallen for the first day he came to work at Sagebrush Rose last year.

He gave the shirt a toss onto the floor. She bit down on her bottom lip to stifle an oh my God from finding its way to freedom. He’d always been confident. Not egotistical like many men, but self-assured. He’d grown up on the wrong side of the tracks which gave him grit, determination, and street smarts—everything she found attractive in a man.

And good sex.

They’d had