I couldn’t help but return his smile. God, he really was handsome. He was Native American, his flawless brown skin a bit darker than my own. His eyes were so dark that they were nearly the color of his long hair that he’d tied back into a ponytail. Looking down his body, I took in his lean but muscular body and his amazing ass.
“Hey,” he said. “You getting hungry?”
“I am,” I said, walking into the kitchen and surveying his work.
“Good,” he said softly. “I have a roast in the oven and will be adding some potatoes, carrots, and onions to it just as soon as I’m done cutting them.”
I inhaled, allowing the divine scent to fill me. “It smells wonderful. I can’t wait to eat.”
“Would you like to help?” he asked. “I swear I’m not asking you that because you’re a woman.”
Laughing, I replied, “Can I take a raincheck? I kind of wanted to talk to Ben.”
Seki nodded. “Do you want to just get the awkwardness out of the way?” he asked.
I sighed. “Yeah. I think it’ll probably be awkward no matter when I first see him, but I’d rather it be somewhere we can talk. I can’t lie, I’m pretty nervous.”
“I’m probably butting in where I don’t belong, but I think I should tell you that Ben has changed a lot since I first met him. He’s grown up a lot and is quite a bit calmer. Which isn’t to say he’s calm, but definitely calmer.”
“That’s good to know,” I said, mulling over Seki’s words.
“What I’m getting out is that I think he’ll be receptive to whatever it is you need to say to him.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
And I was.
* * *
I followed the directions Seki gave me to the barn Ben was likely in. While the tour had been helpful, I knew it was going to take some time before I remembered where everything was.
I walked toward the barn farthest from the house filled with trepidation. I needed to do this, but I was scared. Not necessarily because of Ben, but of how it would feel to see him again. Years ago, I’d been in love with him.
Walking in the bar, I saw him fiddling around with what I was pretty sure was an ATV. My eyes raked down his body, taking in how much it had changed since we were seventeen. Ben’s back was facing me and he was shirtless, hunched over the vehicle.
His once floppy black hair was cut short, buzzed close to his scalp and I could see a full, dark shadow of a beard that was once patchy.
Ben used to be lanky, but now he looked strong, muscular. No doubt working on the ranch was keeping him in great shape. Even through his faded blue jeans, I could see how toned his legs were. From behind, I could see that his shoulders were wide, his back sculpted and two tan plains that tapered off into his hips.
I saw that he had a tattoo sleeve down each arm, though I was still too far away to tell what they were. I’d been there with him when he got his first tattoo, a bird right over his heart. He’d gotten it for me.
It excited me to see that he’d kept getting tattoos, and I wondered just how many he had. How much of his body was covered in them. My mind tried to conjure up what Ben would look like naked, though there was no way it could be as sexy as the real thing.
Bad brain, I admonished myself. We aren’t here to ogle Ben, we’re here to talk to him!
Like I’d told myself in my room, I just needed to rip the bandage off.
Taking a deep breath, I walked farther into the barn. “Hey, stranger,” I said, hoping I sounded calmer than I felt.
Startled, Ben straightened his body and turned towards me.
The hurt I felt when I saw Ben wasn’t the raw and bleeding open wound I’d expected. Instead, it was an ache deep inside my chest, pulsing through my body, but it didn’t feel any better.
Ben’s eyes darted from my hair down my body and then up to my eyes. My breath caught as we held each other’s gaze.
“It can’t be,” he said softly, his eyes wide. Ben’s eyes were just as cloudy gray as I remembered. I’d never met anyone with eyes as intense as Ben’s.
He took a step toward me, disbelief on his face. “Jada?”
“Yeah, Ben,” I said, “it’s really me.”
I glanced down at the bird on his chest, expecting it to be faded after almost ten years, but it wasn’t. He’d clearly had it touched up at some point.
He ran his hand through his short hair, a gesture I remembered all too well, only now his hair was so short he ran his hand over his hair.
Ben looked lost. “I don’t understand,” he said. “What are you doing here?”
“I work here now,” I replied, shrugging.
“What?” He still looked dumbfounded.
“I’m the new ranch vet,” I explained.
“You always did want to be a vet,” he said, walking closer. “Ever since you were little and found that bird with a broken wing and nursed it back to health.”
I didn’t know what to say, but thankfully Ben did. He laughed, and said, “The universe is a strange place.”
I cracked a smile. “It really is.”
Ben opened his arms and raised his eyebrows, a silent question. I went to him, wrapping my arms around him again. His body felt so different yet he smelled the same, like sage and musk.
When we pulled apart, Ben gestured to a couple of chairs off to the side. Disappointingly, he put his shirt back on and we sat down.
“So how did you know I was here?” he asked.
“I didn’t until I was in the car with Seki after he picked me up from the airport. He was telling me about everyone that worked here. When he said your name and that you were from Las Vegas, I knew it had to be you.”
“This is so nuts,” Ben said, laughing again. He held my gaze. “It has to mean something. Right?”
Under Ben’s attention, I felt an old longing for him, the need to bury my face in his chest while he held me close, our bodies flush. It didn’t surprise me that the spark was still there. I wondered if he felt it too.
I wanted to keep things between us professional. I couldn’t jeopardize my new job over a boyfriend who’d once dumped me and left town. I wouldn’t do it.
Rather than answer Ben, I said, “I think dinner will be ready soon,” and left the barn.
* * *
End of Sneak Peek!
Four Ranchers’ Bride: Coming Monday, 11/18!
>> Pre-Order “Four Ranchers’ Bride” HERE <<
Author’s Note
Dear reader, thank you so much for taking the chance to read Three Bosses’ Assistant - Book 2 in my new Reverse Harem Romance series: Love by Numbers.
I have to admit, that I personally find office romance very hot. Sure, everyone knows office romances are a workplace taboo, but what happens when you find yourself victim to temptation? Or, even worse, when you fall in love with all of your bosses? Would you consider dating someone at work? More than one? LOL
I hope you have enjoyed Sascha and her three bosses’ story, and I suppose most of you have guessed who will be the next lucky lady in this series. Jada, who’s fed up with the city life in Vegas, just moved to Montana to live in a ranch for some fresh air. But the four ranchers working there, including her high school boyfriend, Ben are all there to make her new vet job more challenging. Will she ever overcome her own issue?
>> Click Here Now to Pre-Order Book 3: Four Ranchers’ Bride
Last thing, if you enjoyed the book, I would appreciate it so much if you could leave a short review for the book. It doesn’t have to be long. Just a few words to let me and other readers know how you think about this book and the series so far.
It’d be such a big help!
Remember to continue reading the series. The next one, Jada and four ranchers’ love story is so smoking hot, you don’t want to miss out! ;)
Love,
Nicole
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About the Author
Nicole Casey is a Contemporary Romance Author born and based in The City of Angels. She writes steamy contemporary romance with a happily ever after.
When she isn’t penning sultry scenes, Nicole Casey loves getting lost in her daydreams, going for long nighttime walks, and fine dining. She is also a red wine aficionada and bookworm. Above all, she enjoys nothing more than spending quality time with her loved ones in both human and cat form.
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Three Bosses’ Assistant: Love by Numbers Book 2 Page 13
