by C. M. Steele
“I didn’t mind,” he grunts. I can see. Damn, I want to reach out and touch it. What’s wrong with me? Have I lost my mind?
“I should go to bed.” I use my hands to stand and wince. Tobias doesn’t miss it. I don’t think he misses anything. He stops my movements and sets me back on the bed. “Let me see, Ava.” I lift my hand, and he turns my forearm to examine my wrist. It’s a little swollen. “Damn it, babe. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It’s okay. I think it’s just a sprain. It doesn’t hurt unless I apply pressure.”
“Stay right there.” Tobias leaves me on his bed and then rushes back to the bathroom. He pulls out one of those emergency kits. He takes out an ACE bandage and an instant ice pack, and then tends to my wrist. “I’m so sorry about this, Ava.” The touch of his strong hands sends a chill through me, and I let out a hiss. “Is it too hard?”
“No. It’s fine. Seriously, this isn’t really necessary.”
“It is. Don’t argue with me. I kind of know about injuries.” He gives me a crooked smile like there’s something I should know. Then I remember he owns a ranch.
“Oh yeah. I suppose working with livestock can be dangerous.”
“It’s not that dangerous, but wild animals have a mind of their own. There.” He’s bandaged up my hand to the middle of my forearm like he’s done it a dozen times before.
“Thank you, Tobias.” I look into his eyes, and that’s a big mistake.
“Any time,” he says, swallowing hard.
“I’m…I’m going to go to bed,” I stammer out.
“Okay.” He helps me to my feet, and I leave his room while he stands by the open door watching me until I slip inside and close the door. I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding. God, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Tobias Reynolds is not what I expected, but he’s someone I want. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone. Maybe too long. Then again, he’s just that sexy.
He gave me his shirt, and I can’t help bringing it to my nose. I’m officially nuts. I climb into bed, aching, and remember I don’t have water. Oh well.
I’m just tucked in bed when he knocks on the bedroom door. “Coming.” I stand and go to the door. As I open it, I smile. He’s holding a glass of water and a bottle of Advil. “I figured you wanted water and you could probably use some of these so you’re not too sore in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. It’s my fault anyway. Goodnight.” He turns on his heel and leaves. Could he be any more considerate? I lie down after drinking some water. I’ll take the pills if I start to feel lousy. Turning off the light from the side of the bed, I nestle under the covers and fall quickly asleep.
The blaring alarm wakes me up and I scoot my ass out of bed, planting my hand on the mattress and lifting. “Ouch,” I hiss. Now I’m regretting not taking the Advil. I won’t make that mistake again. I pop two and drink the rest of the water. With a quick trip to the bathroom, I’m almost ready to go downstairs. My hair needs to be managed because it looks wild, so I brush it, put it in a bun, and then head to the kitchen. The coffee’s the first thing I start brewing. Louisa showed me how to make it, so I repeat the cup to scoop ratio here. After it starts brewing, I grab the eggs and bread. It’s going to be a simple breakfast.
I’m just about to start cracking eggs when he comes into the kitchen. “Whoa, Ava. Good morning. Don’t bother cooking this morning. I’m still full from dinner last night. I’ll take some coffee, though. You need to take it easy. How’s the wrist?” Damn, how come he looks great so early in the morning?
“It’s okay. A little tender, but manageable.”
“Take it easy for the morning. I should have told you that last night, but I appreciate the coffee.”
“Okay. What would you like for lunch?”
“Just think about dinner. I’m going to eat with the guys in the bunkhouse.”
I twist my lip and question his motives. “All of a sudden you’re not interested in my cooking?”
“Honey, I’m more than interested, but I ate a lot last night, and you’re hurt. I don’t have much in here. I didn’t even know I had that.”
“Louisa and I made a quick run on Christmas Eve before the storm took hold.”
“Oh. We can get the rest tomorrow. So whatever we have that’s simple. I’m serious about that wrist. I’ll be examining it after I get home.” He arches his brow with a look of warning to behave.
“Yes, Doctor.”
“If you want to play doctor, we can save that for another day.” He winks and reaches behind me to grab a cup. “I’m teasing, Ava. Come out on the porch and have a cup of coffee with me before I go.”
“Okay.” I grab a cup and once it’s ready, he takes them and waits for me to get a coat and boots on.
“Here, you need this.” He slips a beanie on me. I catch my reflection in the storm door, and it’s a Bears beanie. “I take it you’re a Bears fan.”
“You can say that. Do you watch football?”
I gently shake my head. “Not really, but coming from Indiana, you are either a Colts fan or a Bears fan.”
“How did you find your way all the way to Cunningham Falls?” he asks as we step out on the porch. It’s chilly and still pretty dark. The snow seems to have stopped falling for almost a full day, which is nice. I don’t know how often it snows, but I wasn’t prepared for a blizzard on my first full day at the ranch house.
“Actually, it was Louisa’s sister who gave me her address if I was looking for somewhere to lay low.”
Instead of the chair, he sits on the swing, patting the spot next to him. “The sun’s about to rise.” As soon as I sit, he passes my cup to me. My heart jumps in my chest when his eyes meet mine. “I love the sunrises more than the sunsets. It’s beautiful.”
“It is. It’s the first thing I noticed when I woke up on Christmas Eve. It’s truly breathtaking.”
“It is.” I turn to look and see that his eyes aren’t on the sky but on me instead. I wet my lips and then take a drink of my coffee. I can’t do this. I can’t fall for my boss. It’s only three months.
I swear I hear him whisper, “Three months.”
I bring the warm cup to my lips again, loving the steam on my face as the morning chill envelops me. I create a little more space between us. “Here it comes.” The sun peeks over the trees, and a gasp escapes my lips. I might never get used to the beauty. We sit there until his phone goes off.
“Excuse me. It seems like my day’s starting.” I stand up and follow him inside. He ends the call after we get in the door. “That’s John, making sure I didn’t scare you away yet.”
“Not yet,” I say, smiling up at him. “Do you want me to take that?” I point to his mug. He finishes it off then hands it to me.
“Thanks, Ava. See ya around six.” His mouth brushes my cheek. He starts and turns as quick as he can and leaves.
“Bye,” I whisper, standing with the two mugs in my hands, completely dumbfounded. It takes me a few seconds to finally get myself out of the trance that Tobias put me in with just a gentle press of his lips on my skin.
Chapter 5
Tobias
What is wrong with me? She’s got to think I’m some sick pervert. I’m going on a day full of giving this woman the wrong impression. Technically it’s not the wrong one, but more like it’s not the right time to tell her how much I want her in my bed. It’s lust for sure. She’s sexy as fuck, but there’s more than that. So far, I’ve watched her handle some of the most embarrassing moments with grace and composure. I’ve seen her perfect tits. God, I stroked my cock to that vision at least twice since she left my room. I ached to paint my name on her chest with my load, letting every asshole know that she belonged to me. This is a first. I’ve never been territorial. As a teen, it was because I knew I had priorities. In college, I had dreams, and no girl was going to get in the way of them. I had a couple of lovers during my first year on the team, but that had been i
t. Women saw dollar signs and the opportunity to get pregnant. The last straw was when I overheard a girl I wanted to take out for drinks tell her friend that she planned to break the condom and she was ovulating. I skipped out, running as if a cornerback and safety were on my ass inches from the end zone.
I walk into the barn where the guys are congregating. They’ve started their daily routine, but at this time, we have a staff meeting to make sure there’s nothing else we need to tackle and how to get it all done by five. This isn’t the largest farm in town or in the state, but I do make a nice profit every year to keep it functioning.
I reach the guys at the back of the sixth horse stall when Dillon says, “Hey, Tobias. How was last night?”
“What do you mean?” I doubt John would spill what he witnessed and what I said about Ava, so he’s got to be talking about something else.
“Your new cook. Did you fire her already?” Dillon’s brows go up expectantly.
“No. I didn’t.” I do my best to act casual about it. They’re used to my temper when things don’t go according to my request.
“So John’s warning is serious? Are we not allowed into the main house anymore?” Jessie asks, coming out dressed to saddle up today.
The thought of any of these young men around her sets my teeth on edge. “Not unless invited by me. Understood?”
“Yes, sir. Do you all hear the boss man? We’re not allowed in the main house unless invited strictly by him.” They smirk and laugh.
“Well, I saw her. Her car isn’t the only pretty thing. She’s gorgeous.”
“Keep your eyes on your job, Mike.” I’ve had enough of ranch hands bedding my cooks. Anyone puts their hands on my Ava, and I’ll fucking bury them alive. Every single one of them is younger than me except Big John, and like he reminded me yesterday, he belongs to Louisa and only her. “I do have a request, though. No mentioning anything about her to anyone for the time being. Understood? Someone knocked her around before she got here and she’s afraid of them. She’s jumpy, and I don’t want you fucks freaking her out.”
“Of course.” He nods, tossing his hands up in surrender and laughs. “Okay. Enough talk about my new cook. What kind of car?” I ask, hoping they’ll drop my remarks as nothing more than I don’t want a repeat of what happened during the summer.
“It’s a sweet Lexus.” They all agree with Jessie.
“Well, keep it in the barn. If she needs a ride to the store or something, I’ll take her. I don’t want whoever’s looking for her to spot it. She could be in serious danger.” We have two barns with livestock in them and one for our farm vehicles.
“We’re all packing, Tobias. We got your back.”
I nod and get back to the standard morning check-in before we break off to get the projects done.
It’s almost noon when we head in for lunch. They’re all surprised to see me coming to the bunkhouse. “You’re eating with us? I thought you got a cook?”
“I’m letting her settle in. I’m having dinner with her.”
“Oh. So when’s the wedding?”
“Fuck off. Just because I don’t want you guys trying to get in her pants doesn’t mean I want her. She needs protection from the bastard and doesn’t need to be avoiding your advances.” Really, they know I’m mostly full of shit, but I’m already way over my head when it comes to this woman. Seriously, my heart’s pounding just thinking about her.
She looked so stunned when I kissed her cheek. It was dumb, but I’m not sure what she thought of it. Her eyes widened and her lips parted like they had yesterday when I scared her. I hope I haven’t just ruined my chances with her.
“Tobias, Tobias,” John shouts. I turn to see him shuffling toward me, huffing. “I’ve been trying to get your attention. I’m going to ride out and check that fence. I’ve already got the truck ready to take the supplies over there. Are you up for it?” He had to run out and get them this morning because we were out of a couple winches and the proper bolts to remove the tree and replace the boards. We’ll cut down the tree as much as possible and use it for firewood so the tree doesn’t go to waste.
“Yeah. Of course. Why?” My brows scrunch up at him. I’d never leave him to do the big project on his own while the rest of the guys were too busy to assist.
“You seem out of it.” Damn, I didn’t think it was that noticeable.
“I kissed her,” I confess. I need to gain control over these emotions I have for Ava. They came out of the blue, and I’m not sure if I can pull them back.
“Oh no.”
I sigh and bow my head. I can’t control myself long with her. “It was only on the cheek, but I might have scared her. Shit. I don’t know.” I pull off my hat and spear my fingers through my hair, letting the cold air attempt to knock some sense into me.
He grabs my shoulder and looks me in the eyes. “Take it down a notch and act like she’s there for one thing, and that’s to cook.”
“I don’t know if I can do that. I ache for her to tell me everything.”
“You need to give her time. She’s coming from a dark place and can’t just give you everything you want.”
“You’re right. I’ll give her some time to tell me.”
“That’s a good boy. You can’t win a woman keeping secrets from her.”
“Then I’m already in the hole.”
“What? Why? What lie did you tell her?”
“I gave her a couple Bears things of mine to wear, and well, let’s just say she asked about being a Bears fan.”
“And you didn’t tell her you played for them for years.” I shake my head, feeling like a jerk. “Damn it, Tobias.”
I attempt to shrug off the guilt, but I know I’m in the wrong. “I kind of liked that she thinks of me as only a rancher. It’s as if I’m just a normal guy.”
“I hope it works out for you, but you should tell her soon.”
“I will. At dinner, I’ll mention it.”
“Good. Now you’re learning.”
“Yes, wise sage. Please continue expressing your wisdom.”
“Laugh now, but I’ve been married for ten years now, and Louisa’s everything to me. I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth a couple of times.”
I’m betting it’s more than a couple of times. “She could seriously do better than you, but you know, there’s no accounting for tastes.”
We go into the field over to the broken fence and get to work on the spot. It takes two hours to remove the remainder of the debris, load it onto the flatbed of the truck, and then replace the wood with new pieces. All the time, my thoughts are getting back to Ava. This is going to be a long fucking day.
I walk through the front door in time to smell something incredible coming from the kitchen. I take off my boots and outer gear, hanging up my hat before calling out, “I’m home.”
She comes out of the kitchen. “I’m almost done with the food.”
“Okay, I’ll go wash up. I’ll be right back down.”
“Okay.” I want to reach over and kiss her, but I know that would be out of place. Completely out of fucking place. One day, I hope it won’t be. Hustling up the stairs, I wash up and come back down five minutes later.
When I push open the kitchen door, she hands me a beer. “Damn, reading my mind.”
She shrugs and blushes. “I figured you could use one after a long day. You have a case of bottles in the fridge.”
“I’m not an alcoholic, Ava,” I inform her. I don’t want her thinking bad of me in any way imaginable.
“I didn’t say that.”
“I just don’t want you to be worried.” She nods, understanding what I mean. Alcohol can turn someone into a completely different person.
“Well, considering how far the grocery store is, picking up just a six pack seems a bit silly to me. So we’re having ribeye with baked potatoes and corn on the cob.” She changes the subject to one of my favorite topics—food. Ava’s truly proving to be something special.
“Dang, woman. You
’re going to spoil me.” I lick my lips and she takes note, blushing again. Does she know what she’s doing to me?
“Just doing my job.”
“Yeah. I wanted to apologize earlier.”
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”
I itch to close the distance, but if I get closer, I might have to apologize again. “I do. You’re here running from someone, and I’m letting my attraction to you get the better of me.”
“Same here. How about we do our best to ignore it?”
“I don’t know if I can, but I will try. Do you still love this guy who did that to you?”
“I used to love him.”
“Not anymore?”
“I’m not sure.” I nod because that actually fucking hurts more than it should. I can’t just walk away.
“You can tell me about it when you’re ready.” I don’t want to hear about her and some other bastard, but I want her to feel safe here and with me.
“Thank you, Tobias. Now enough of the heavy. Let’s have our dinner.”
“Sounds good to me.” It doesn’t. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. She serves our food, and we sit at the kitchen table to eat. It looks and smells great so even though I have a massive knot in my stomach, I take a bite. Fuck, it’s better than it smells and so perfectly tender that it falls apart in my mouth. This woman is driving me nuts.
“Dinner was delicious.” I stand and take my plate to the sink. “I need to handle some paperwork. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Have a good night.” I nod and leave the room. I completely forget about John’s edict to be honest because she’s in love with her fucking abuser. I’ve seen many shows. Women like that may take forever to move on from that emotional entanglement.
As soon as I close my office door, I call the one person I know who can help me and keep everything discreet. “Hey, Tobias, everything okay?”
