She'd been on the ranch for less than five minutes, they'd exchanged remarkably few words, but when she mewed out the sentence<i>lead on cowboy </i>he was reminded of the spark he first felt when he was sitting at a little table with her surrounded by wedding guests. Thatcher's sexual résumé was decidedly not short. It was rife with ex-girlfriends, and Tinder hookups, and even the occasional stranger. In New York, Tanya had no doubt heard stories about the women who fell into his bed, his sexual prowess, and the trail of broken hearts he left in his wake. A few of her friends likely had firsthand accounts. But Thatcher would be the first to tell you that even the most skilled and vigorous of lovers can only have so much fun in bed without that elusive thing called<i>chemistry. </i>It always felt like a cruel twist of fate that the brightest spark of chemistry he ever felt was with a woman who, literally hours earlier, had exchanged vows with one of his closest friends.<br/><br/>But now he had a second chance.<br/><br/>"Well I wanted to build a true refuge," he explained, leading her through the expanse of the living room, "while also staying true to the spirt of the place." In lieu of small talk, he told her about the house; how it had once been a hunting lodge, how he rescued it from years of neglect, how he'd built the furniture and filled long hours reading the books that lined the walls. Of course, it wasn't without its amenities. Above the roaring fire place was a flat screen TV — explaining the eyesore of a satellite dish on the roof.<br/><br/>"Can I get you a glass of water?" he asked before flashing her a devilish smirk, "or some wine?" They passed into the kitchen, which was no doubt the crown jewel of the house. It had quartz countertops, navy blue cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and large windows looking out on the rolling hills beyond his house... which were quickly being blanketed in the ever-thickening snow. As he led the way, he looked repeatedly back at her... especially at her legs and hips wrapped in their denim.