“No, but I have a college degree.”

He sat back. “You went to college?”

The shock on his face rankled her. Just because she knew nothing of ranch life was no reason to think her dim-witted or incapable of working with numbers. “You don’t have to look so surprised!”

“It’s just…I’ve never met a woman who’s gone to college,” he said. “Come to think of it, I’ve never met anyone who’s been.”

Reminded of how little they knew of each other, Emily felt encouraged by the note of admiration she detected in his voice. “I’m quite good in chemistry and excelled at bookkeeping. I even know how to use a typing machine,” she added, though it was apparent the ranch still relied on pen and ink. She didn’t mean to brag, but she wanted to prove she wasn’t the spoiled, inept woman he’d accused her of being.

“That’s impressive,” he said and looked like he meant it.

Irritated at being so easily placated by his praise, she lifted her chin. “So, what do you say? Do you want me to help with the books?”

“Let me think about it.” He stood. “Right now, I say we get some shut-eye.” He turned off the lamp, throwing the room in darkness. “Chemistry, eh?”

She smiled to herself. A lady was taught not to brag about her accomplishments, but in this case, it had paid off. “And did I mention calculus?” She hated the need to impress him but couldn’t seem to help herself.

“Is that right?”

It was too dark to see his face, and it was hard to tell by his voice alone what he was thinking.

Together, they walked out of his office, through the parlor, and climbed the stairs. The closer they came to her room, the more nervous she became. Senses heightened, she was fully aware of his every move, his every breath, the very nearness of him.

Chase opened the door to her room with a flourish and ushered her inside with a brush of his hand on her back. Had anyone been looking, she and Chase would have passed as a normal married couple. Only after the door had been firmly shut behind them did they drop the pretense and quickly move apart.

His height alone made him better suited to the great outdoors. In the confines of the room, he managed to dwarf everything around him except the bed.

Mouth dry, Emily increased the distance between them, but the bed still loomed large in front of her. Turning away, she caught his gaze in the mirror. Tension stretched across the room like a barbed-wire fence. His luminous eyes pierced the space between them as if to reach into her thoughts.

She turned to face him. Big mistake. Her securely tied dressing gown was a modest affair, but still, she felt naked beneath his studied gaze.

“Thank you for the candy,” he said.

“Thank you for…coming to my rescue today.”

There really was nothing more to say. Still, he lingered, and the tension between them threatened to snap.