by Elle James
At the ranch, she changed out of the pretty green dress and into jeans, boots and a T-shirt.
By the time Dallas stepped out of the ranch house to perform her assigned chores, Viper had already changed and was outside.
He led one of the miniature horses into the barn and was scraping the buildup out of the animal’s tiny hooves. He glanced up once, a smile pulling at his lips.
Dallas’s knees weakened, turning to the consistency of melted butter. She tried to ignore him by getting into cleaning the stalls and feeding and watering the animals. Whenever she passed him bent over an animal’s hooves, she couldn’t help but admire how nicely his jeans hugged the muscles of his ass. Nor could she erase the image of his massive thighs when he squatted beside the small horse and ran a curry comb through his mane and tail.
Yup, her job got all the harder with her thinking about Viper, instead of the mystery villain they were out to discover.
As the sun set, they both finished their assigned duties and headed for the house. The scent of roast beef wafted through the air, making Dallas’s tummy rumble. “Smells good.”
“Sure does.” Viper climbed the steps beside her and held open the door for her to enter.
As she passed him her shoulder brushed against his chest, sending a rush of molten heat throughout her body. Her breath caught in her throat, and she fought to regain control.
Viper encircled her arm and pulled her to face him in the threshold. “Dallas.”
She stared up into his eyes, her tongue too knotted to make sense with words.
“About the kiss in the flower shop…”
She lifted her chin, her lips tingling all over again in anticipation of a repeat performance of that incredible kiss.
Loud laughter floated from the direction of the kitchen.
For a long moment, Viper stared down at her mouth. Another laugh made him draw in a deep breath. “Never mind.” He tilted his head toward the hallway and the bathroom. “You can wash up first. I’m changing into a clean shirt.” Pressing a gentle hand against her shoulder, he turned her away.
With no other choice but to move, Dallas forced her feet to carry her down the hallway at a slow, steady pace, trying not to show how much she shook inside. She would rather have run, but she was afraid her knees would buckle and she’d fall flat on her face.
What had Viper been about to say before the sound of others made him change his mind? Had he been about to say kissing her had been a huge mistake? Did he regret it?
Her heart fell to the pit of her belly. When had she become so damned female, worrying about what a man thought about the way she kissed? How well she did or didn’t kiss had no bearing on the mission. She had to keep that thought at the forefront.
Quickly ducking into her bedroom, she came out armed with a fresh blouse, clean jeans and underwear. Once in the bathroom, she slipped out of her prosthetic and hopped into the tub. For a glorious few moments, she stood beneath the shower’s spray, cleaning the horse manure smell out of her hair. Used to the quick showers she’d had to take when deployed, she was out in five minutes, toweling dry and slipping back into the prosthetic leg. Another couple of minutes to brush her hair straight back from her face and dress in the clean clothes, and she was done.
She didn’t wear makeup, and she wasn’t going on a date. A glance in the mirror confirmed she had done no more than the basics which would have to do.
Viper needed to wash up before dinner. The longer she remained in the bathroom, the longer it would be before he could eat.
Dallas flung open the door and marched out into the hall, right into a solid wall of muscles.
Strong hands reached out to catch her and pull her against a broad chest. “Hey, steady there.”
Viper’s deep, resonant tone wrapped around her and sent heat to her core. Once again, Dallas fought to breathe. This time, she didn’t have the excuse of Viper’s big body crushing the air from her lungs. Her response was all on her for her loss of lung capacity.
He laughed. “Hungry?”
Hungry aptly described the way she felt. But food wasn’t what would quell the kind of hunger building inside. “Y-yes.”
“Don’t wait for me. I’ll be out in less than five minutes.” He kissed her forehead and stepped past her into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
With Viper out of her sight, Dallas sucked in a huge lungful of air and let it out slowly between her teeth. She had half a mind to contact Hank and ask to be assigned to a different job. Working with Viper was proving difficult, if not impossible. The man had magnetism, and then some.
She returned to her room, reluctant to face the rest of the ranch hands when heat filled her cheeks. Dallas couldn’t be around the other men at the table, yet.
So, she paced beside the length of the four-poster bed draped with an old-fashioned quilt folded at the foot. Hell, she paced until the doorknob on the bathroom door twisted and Viper stepped into the hall wearing a white button-down shirt, crisp dark jeans and black cowboy boots. He’d slicked back his dark hair. His light blue eyes sparkled when he met her gaze. “You didn’t have to wait. But thanks.”
She shrugged without saying anything.
“Ready?” Viper asked.
“Sure,” she managed to squeak out.
He offered her his arm and led her toward the kitchen where loud voices and laughter indicated high spirits and the promise of good food.
“There they are!” Brody Franklin yelled and clapped his only hand on the table.
A cheer went up, shaking the rafters with the noise.
Dallas’s cheeks reddened. These disabled vets had welcomed her into the Brighter Days Ranch family, opening their hearts to another wounded warrior without question or judgment.
“We hear congratulations are in order,” Jimmy Young said from his wheel chair.
“You are inviting all of us to the wedding, aren’t you?” Vasquez asked.
Dallas swallowed on the wad of guilt knotting in her throat. “You bet.”
Another cheer rocked the roof. Vasquez and Franklin slapped the table while everyone else clapped with both hands.
Cookie supplied the men with more bottles of ice-cold beer and joined the group at the table. As one, they all lifted their bottles and toasted the happy couple.
Or so they thought.
Viper slipped an arm around Dallas’s waist, pulling her close to his side. He smiled and shook hands through the introductions and conversed with ease.
“So, how did you keep this secret from all of us?” Young asked. “We didn’t even know you were dating.”
Dallas shrugged. “We haven’t known each other long,” she admitted.
“But when you know she’s the right one for you, you don’t let her get away.” Viper leaned close and planted a kiss on her temple.
Another cheer went up and the men drank deeply.
Dallas offered to help Cookie carry the platters laden with roast beef, potatoes and carrots onto the table.
Cookie insisted Dallas and Viper be seated and let him wait on them. “You two are celebrating your engagement, for Pete’s sake.” He plied them with cold bottles of beer and made quick work of setting out the food.
Once everyone was seated at the huge kitchen table, Percy asked for a moment of silence in honor of those who’d fallen.
Dallas swallowed hard, memories flooding into her mind of the men who’d gone into battle with her and had returned home in body bags.
Viper reached for her hand beneath the table and held it until all heads lifted and the platters of food were circulated around the table.
Lori Mize returned that day from a trip to Helena to apply to the university there. “I wasn’t gone but a night, and I come back and find out one of us is engaged?” She shook her light red hair. “I’m so happy for you.” She ducked her chin and twisted her napkin in her lap. “It gives me hope that one day I can find someone who’ll love me, despite my disability.”
“Marry me,
Lori,” Vasquez said.
Franklin elbowed Vasquez in the ribs. “No, she’s marrying me.”
Vasquez rubbed his ribs and frowned. “Remind me to sit on Franklin’s other side next time.”
Everyone laughed.
Dallas enjoyed the camaraderie and jokes, her heart warming to the love and happiness emanating from the people around the table. Though she’d been angry when the therapist at Bethesda suggested she needed more time to adjust, and Brighter Days Ranch was just what the doctor ordered, Dallas realized how right she had been.
Brighter Days Ranch had saved her life. The people understood what she was going through. Caring for and helping to rehabilitate the rescued animals living on the ranch gave her meaning and courage to continue living. She reached for Viper’s hand.
He held it through several more toasts and Cookie’s dessert reveal.
When the meal concluded, Viper and Dallas were shooed out of the kitchen while the others cleaned up.
Viper led Dallas out onto the porch and sat on the steps. “This place, these people…” he said and shook his head.
“I know. They’re all amazing.”
“We’re lucky this place exists,” Viper said softly.
“Very.” Dallas sat beside him on the step.
A chill breeze rippled across her skin, raising gooseflesh. Dallas shivered.
Viper slipped an arm around her. “Cold?”
“A little,” she lied. Aroused, attracted, aware? Yes. Every nerve in her body stood at attention, awaiting Viper’s next move. Though their engagement was all for show, Dallas couldn’t help but wonder, if it were real, would Viper kiss her under the light of the rising moon? Would he hold her closer and tell her how much he loved her?
Would she know how to respond? Dallas shivered again.
Viper pulled her closer and captured her chin in his hand. “They’re watching us through the window,” he said, his mouth lowering to hers. “We can’t let them down.”
“No,” Dallas said, her voice nothing but air. “We can’t.”
Then his lips touched hers.
What started as a gentle kiss changed to a hungry, desperate connection that lasted long enough to steal Dallas’s breath.
When Viper finally lifted his head, Dallas could hear the sound of cheering and clapping from the kitchen window overlooking the porch.
Her cheeks burned, but not nearly as hot as her core. She wanted more of that kiss. Hell, she wanted Viper to make love to her like he really cared. Like they weren’t faking an engagement. Dallas wished, for a moment, what they were experiencing was real.
For her…even if the emotion was wrong…what she was feeling felt real.
Chapter 9
Viper lay for a long time in his bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering what had come over him. When he’d kissed Dallas, he’d intimated it was all part of their cover. To make others think their engagement was real, they had to show some indication that they liked each other enough to marry.
But that kiss. Holy hell. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was liking Dallas far too much for a mere partner. She made him feel things he thought long buried. Lust was a given. But tenderness, longing, protectiveness and…hope.
Dallas made him feel like his life had not ended when Emily and their baby girl died. She made him feel like a future waited for him and that he could fall in love again.
And that realization scared the ever-lovin’ crap out of him.
Thus, he’d spent the night staring at the ceiling until the wee hours of the morning when he finally fell into a fitful sleep.
He was up at the crack of dawn, dressed and feeding the chickens when Dallas stepped out on the porch, dressed in slim-fitting blue jeans, a mint-green pullover shirt and boots. Even in casual clothing, she couldn’t hide her shapely body, the muscles well-defined and solid. Her hair hung down to her shoulders, the auburn locks catching the sunshine and turning coppery-gold.
Viper stopped with his hand full of hard-kernel corn and stared at the woman with her face turned up to the morning sunshine, her shoulders flung back, her chin held high and proud.
She was strong, yet vulnerable. Hard-bodied, yet soft in all the right places.
Viper’s blood burned, and his groin tightened. He turned away and flung the corn a little harder than he’d intended. The chickens raced after the kernels, clucking and scratching in the dirt.
He dusted off his hands and strode to the porch. They had chores to do that morning then they’d head to Hank’s place for an update from Swede, his computer guru.
“Good morning,” Dallas greeted him.
“Good morning.” He stopped two steps below the one where she stood. “Did you sleep well?”
She nodded. “You?”
He dipped his head in brief agreement. Two could play the vague game. “Have you eaten?”
“Not yet. Cookie’s making breakfast now,” she said.
“Where are the others?”
“Hanging out in the living room,” she responded. “You’re up early.”
The scent of frying bacon and pancake batter cooking on the griddle reached Viper, making his stomach rumble in response.
Dallas smiled. “He was almost done when I dared to walk into the kitchen. Needless to say, he shooed me out.”
“Let’s go see if we can pilfer a pancake.” Viper climbed the remaining steps and held out his hand.
For a moment, Dallas hesitated. Finally, she placed her hand in his. “For the gig,” she muttered and allowed him to lead her into the house.
Viper found himself wishing Dallas wasn’t holding his hand because of the undercover aspect of the mission. He wanted her to hold his hand because the gesture felt right and good. His grip tightened on hers, even as he reminded himself they were on a mission, not a date.
Cookie had just laid a heaping platter of pancakes in the center of the large kitchen table. “Breakfast is ready.”
“I smell bacon.” Jimmy Young propelled his wheelchair from the living room into the kitchen, pulling up to his designated spot at the table.
Vasquez followed. He paused to pull out a chair for Dallas.
Viper frowned. He’d been about to grab the chair and hold it for Dallas, but the one-armed veteran beat him to it.
Franklin held a chair for Lori and then took the seat on her other side.
Viper sat at the head of the table on Dallas’s left. Close, but not close enough to lean his thigh against hers. The way he was feeling, that could only add to the rise of his desire. As it was, he bumped knees with her every time he shifted in his seat. His awareness of her was at an all-time high, and he vowed to tone it down before he found himself head over heels for the badass Army Ranger.
The meal was much like the night before, with the young veterans trading good-natured insults. For a few minutes, silence reigned as everyone dug into the pancakes and bacon.
Dallas consumed two pancakes and three slices of bacon, washing down the food with a cup of black coffee.
Lori leaned across the table. “Have you chosen your wedding gown, yet?”
Dallas shook her head. “Not yet, but we’re scheduled to go tomorrow. Our wedding planner said something about giving the seamstress a day or two to do the alterations.” She shook her head. “I don’t have any idea how difficult it is to buy a dress. Can’t you just pull one off the rack in your size and wear it?”
Lori laughed. “Oh, sweetie, you really don’t have a clue, do you?”
Even Viper knew not all women were the same shape and sizes. His wife had chosen a pretty wedding dress that fit her in the bust but had to be altered for her waist and hips. Like Dallas, he wasn’t exactly sure of all that work entailed, but it sounded like a lot more than a safety pin holding two seams together.
Dallas smiled at Lori “Would you like to go with me when I shop for my dress?”
Lori’s cheeks colored. “Oh, you’ll probably have Sadie McClain helping you choose the prettiest dress in the store. You
don’t need an old Army sergeant adding her two cents worth.”
“I’d love to have a not-so-old Army sergeant along to keep me straight and on time. Besides, what will a movie star like Sadie and I have in common? We’ll likely run out of things to say on the drive to Bozeman. I mean, I doubt she’s ever fired a M4A1 rifle.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she has. She married Hank Patterson. I’ve heard he has quite the arsenal for his Brotherhood Protectors.” Lori tipped her head to the side. “I assume you know about the brotherhood?”
Dallas nodded. She concentrated on cutting into her third pancake, her gaze avoiding Lori’s. “Yes, I’ve heard of them. Hank’s the boss, right?”
* * *
Viper bit back a smile. Dallas was doing a great job of keeping her new job as an agent for the Brotherhood Protectors under wraps.
“What’s on your schedule for today?” Lori asked as she looked at the end of the table. “I bet your head is spinning with the wedding preparations.”
“We’re making a trip to the caterer to select the kinds of food we want at the reception,” Viper answered.
“Steak,” Young piped in. “You can’t go wrong with steak.”
“And lobster,” Franklin added.
“Barbeque is cheaper, and the boys love it just as well,” Gavin Blackstock offered. “Throw on some ribs and a brisket and you’ll have them eating out of the palms of your hands.”
Vasquez sighed. “What I wouldn’t give for some of my mama’s tamales.”
“Mexican food sounds good,” Dallas agreed. “I did some training at Ft. Hood, Texas. They had the best authentic Mexican restaurant right outside the post.” She sighed. “I wonder if the caterer could conjure up fajitas with sour cream and guacamole.” Dallas popped a bite of syrupy pancake into her mouth and swept her tongue across her lips.
“Whatever your heart desires,” Viper said, his mouth watering, but not for fajitas. The way Dallas’s tongue moved across her mouth made Viper want to capture it and suck it between his teeth.
“I think Daisy said barbeque was the easiest to conjure up at short notice.” Dallas smiled. “Barbeque it is.”
