Wrangling His Sexy Assistant: Beckett Brothers Book Two

by North, Leslie

  But he was still an idiot and shouldn’t be doing it.

  Then a cloud of dust sprang up from the adjacent road, and soon he saw a sporty little red Honda Civic churning along toward him. Well, hell. It was too late to back out now.

  So he took a deep breath and climbed out of the truck.

  Kit used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as he approached her. She wore a pair of denim shorts with a light, flouncy top of some sort. Hunter was too nervous to pay attention to the details, but it showed her smooth, tan shoulders, and that got an A-plus from him.

  “Hi, there,” she waved as he came closer and then walked into the field to meet him. “This is really pretty out here…but I don’t see any animals. Are we collecting bugs or something today?” Her smile was bright, trusting, and so beautiful, it nearly undid him. Maybe this was a mistake. Dr. Marshall would have his head on a platter if he knew what Hunter had planned for this meeting.

  “Um…” he stalled, uncertain how to proceed and pretty much speechless.

  Kit’s brow furrowed. “Hunter? Are you okay?”

  He sighed. No. He wasn’t okay, and he hadn’t been since Kit had crossed the town limits into Gopher Springs.

  “I’m not sure,” he answered truthfully. “But I’m hoping you’ll be willing to have a discussion with me.”

  She cocked her head and studied him. “Of course. I’m sure whatever it is, we can find a solution.”

  He led her to the truck and opened up the tailgate.

  “I, uh, I brought some lunch. Do you want to eat while we talk?”

  Kit smiled. “That was so thoughtful of you. I’d love to.” They climbed into the truck bed and laid out the blanket and food he’d gotten at the grocery store deli. He left the bottle of champagne in the basket. It was too far. He’d gone too far when he’d planned this.

  “So what’s the big mystery, Doc?” Kit asked. She took a bite of a juicy plum and nearly sent Hunter running for the nearby stream. Dunking his head might cool him off for a moment, but he really needed to dunk everything south of his waist. Her pearly white teeth, her plump pink lips, that juicy fruit, it was enough to make a man lose all sense.

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he began. “And it’s probably a lot of stupid thinking, so feel free to tell me to go to hell.”

  She suddenly looked wary, and he didn’t like it.

  “See…” He fumbled on, because in for a penny and all that. “There’s something between us—at least, it seems that way to me.”

  She nodded in confirmation before taking another bite of her plum, and he let out a slow breath.

  “And I’m your supervisor, so we have that going on. But also, you’re leaving to go back home in a few weeks.” Seven weeks and two days, actually. Not that he was keeping track. “But I was thinking that we’re both adults, we seem to communicate and work together really well. I mean, we’re not in a position for anything long-term, but what if we just…” He didn’t know how to say it. He was lost.

  “Netflix and chill? Friends with benefits?” she offered.

  “Until you go,” he spit out.

  Kit was on top of him almost before the words left his mouth. She straddled his lap as she pressed her forehead to his, and his heartrate skyrocketed, adrenaline making his whole body tingle.

  “Yes,” she whispered, rubbing her nose along his.

  “Yes?” His hands found her waist, and triumph surged through him when he discovered her little flouncy top was loose at the bottom so he could slide his hands underneath to feel her silky skin.

  “Yes. Let’s Netflix and chill until I leave town.”

  “We’ll have to be discreet. If the staff at the office finds out, they might tell someone at the state board.”

  She pressed her lips to his throat, and he nearly hollered with pleasure. “Got it,” she murmured, touching his skin with the tip of her tongue. “Discreet.”

  “I just don’t want to…Jesus, Kit…”

  He could feel her smile against his cheek as her hands stroked over his pecs and then dug into his hair. The tug on his scalp was the kind of pleasure-pain he’d felt when he’d touched Kit at the bar—arousal, yearning, anticipation.

  She held onto his hair and pulled back to look him in the eyes. “I trust you, Hunter. I trust you not to jeopardize my residency. I trust you to keep your promises.”

  She was so earnest, it nearly undid him. How had he ever gotten so lucky? He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the lust enough that he could form words. When he spoke, his voice was husky with want.

  “I promise to protect your career and your reputation—even over my own. I promise to give you fun and adventure and some really great memories.” He paused. “And then I promise to be your friend after you’ve gone, and if you ever need anything with your dad’s practice—advice, a helping hand, a recommendation—I promise to give you that as well.”

  He watched her closely, hope in his heart.

  “And I promise to…” Then she leaned closer and made the kinds of promises that lovers kept, and Hunter’s mind went blank with white-hot passion.

  * * *

  Kit giggled as she and Hunter battled their clothes. His t-shirt landed on a nearby bush, her left shoe bounced into the picnic basket, it was frantic and silly, and by the time they lay on the picnic blanket, his chest pressed to hers, his fingers wandering to delicious places, she was out of breath, and half in love with him, which wasn’t, of course, what this was all about.

  “You’re sure?” he whispered as he slid his finger through the slickness between her legs.

  “Stop talking and get on with all those promises.” She gasped and arched into his touch.

  Hunter chuckled, then rolled and pulled her on top. “That metal truck bed will ruin your back if I put all my weight on you,” he said.

  She laughed low and sultry. “You just want me to have to do all the work.”

  He made a humming sound, closing his eyes in ecstasy as she ran her nails lightly down his chest. “But no one’s going to have any fun if you don’t have a condom,” she said, one eyebrow raised.

  He gestured toward his jeans that lay next to the picnic basket. “Rear pocket.”

  Once the basics were covered, Kit lifted up, wrapped her hand around his cock, and lowered herself onto him, going slow to feel every last inch as he slid inside her.

  “Fuuck, you feel amazing,” he said, opening his eyes just enough to look at her. His dark hair was ruffled around his face, and the smattering of hair on his chest was soft and warm. They stayed frozen for a moment, just gazing at one another. It was far more intimate than anything they were doing with the lower half of their bodies, and Kit nearly turned away, but then Hunter’s hips began thrusting, and her eyes drifted closed as she worked to catch the rhythm with him.

  They rocked and grinded, thrust and rolled, until Kit felt the blooming ache that grew and grew, finally exploding in a sea of fireworks and tsunamis. The waves of pleasure crashed over her again and again, and in the midst of it she felt Hunter tense, his rough voice growling, “God, Kit,” before he relaxed onto the floor of the truck, pulling her down on top of him, his hands settling in to stroke her back as murmured things in her ear. Things that made her giggle, things that made her blush, things that made her wish even more that her life hadn’t been planned for her years ago. Because Hunter Beckett was like the reward for a job well done, and she wanted to keep him even though she knew she never could.

  11

  The next few weeks flew by as Kit and Hunter kept up a grinding pace with work and a secret life outside the office. Surgeries on horses, physical therapy for Great Danes, and a cow with a serious kidney infection. But work was followed by dinners in Kit’s apartment, movie nights at Hunter’s house, and a few more of those very satisfying picnics on the empty acreage of Hunter’s family’s ranch. Every morning when Kit walked into work, she had a smile that couldn’t be erased, along with a new memory to hold on to when
she went back to Houston.

  “There’s the second most cheerful person I know,” the receptionist remarked one Thursday morning.

  Kit grinned as she picked up a stack of Hunter’s mail and began to sort it according to priority. “And who’s the first?”

  “The doctor himself. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so cheerful as I have recently.” She gave Kit an appraising glance. Kit sobered immediately.

  “He just has too many animals for a solo practitioner,” Kit said. “I think he’s been happy to have another set of hands.”

  The phone rang, and the receptionist answered it while Kit continued to the rear of the building where Hunter was at his desk preparing for the day’s appointments.

  “Good morning,” Kit said as she walked in and closed the door behind her.

  Hunter looked up, and even though he maintained a neutral expression, his gaze was so hot, it was all Kit could do to refrain from throwing herself at him across the desk.

  “Good morning.” His voice was deep, nearly as sizzling as his gaze. “Though it was a lot better two hours ago,” he murmured, looking back at his computer screen as if he hadn’t just reminded her of how he’d woken her up, his mouth between her legs, his hands on her breasts.

  She cleared her throat, one eyebrow raised, and sat in an armchair facing his desk.

  “You’re starting to make your staff suspicious, Doctor,” she said. “You’re too damn happy.”

  He scoffed, tapping rapidly on his keyboard before shifting his gaze back to her. “They used to complain I wasn’t happy enough. Can’t seem to please them.”

  She struggled to quell the urge to go to him, dig her fingers into his soft, thick hair, and kiss him witless.

  “They noticed I’m extra happy, too.”

  Hunter’s brow furrowed. “Do you think they’re on to us?”

  “Maybe? It was hard to tell, but I guess we should be more careful.” She sighed. Careful was a drag. Especially when someone as sexy as Hunter was part of the equation.

  Hunter outright scowled then. “I’m not sure how much more careful we can be. I sneak over to your place like a damn pervert in the pitch black every night. I even walk so no one sees my car parked outside. It’s ridiculous.”

  He stood and eased around the desk, grabbing her hand and pulling her up until she was pressed against him, head to toe.

  “I want to take you out to dinner,” he murmured, gazing at her. “Show you off at a bar. Make out with you in a dark corner while a good band plays.”

  “That sounds really nice.” She gasped as his lips traveled down her neck.

  “Mmhm.” He kissed her collarbone, then licked his way back up to her tender earlobe. Shivers wracked her body along with need.

  “But I don’t want either of us to get into trouble, Hunter. We have to be careful. Maybe even more careful.”

  He paused, then pulled back to look at her. “You’re right. I know you’re right. So here’s what we’re going to do. Pack a bag, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow after work at the Feed and Seed on the edge of town. I know the owner; you can leave your car there for the weekend.”

  “Where are we going?” Kit stepped away and smoothed her top before reaching out and wiping a dab of lipstick off Hunter’s jaw.

  “It’s a surprise,” he answered, “but it’s away from Gopher Springs, my staff, and all the sneaking around. For one weekend, we’re going to do whatever we want in broad daylight.” A wry grin stole across his face, and Kit’s heart kicked like a pony. “Well,” he continued. “Most of what we want.”

  * * *

  Hunter watched as Kit chatted with the woman who owned the bed and breakfast just outside of Shreveport. The three-hour drive had taken them across the state line and away from all the stresses that seemed to fill their normal days—work that never ended, friends who would put pressure on them if they knew about the relationship, brothers who would be disappointed in Hunter for sneaking around, a sister-in-law who would carve up his man parts and serve them for breakfast if she knew he was having a sex-only fling with her best friend—it all gave Hunter a headache, so he’d vowed to spend two days without work, without worrying about getting caught or what others might think. This weekend was for him and Kit, no one else.

  “Oh, Hunter?” Kit called. He set down the magazine he’d been perusing and went to the registration desk. “Look,” she said, eyes aglow. “They have a stable and trail rides just down the road.”

  Hunter glanced at the brochure she held out. “Would you like to go?” he asked, as if it wasn’t already a done deal. She was so gorgeous in her little cropped top and skinny jeans, she could have asked him to buy her a horse and he’d have agreed.

  “I would,” she said. “I mean, if you’re okay with it. I realize riding’s not as big a thing for you.” She looked at the owner of the B and B. “He grew up on a ranch.”

  “Really?” the woman asked. “Is it around here?”

  “No,” Hunter replied. “Texas. North of Dallas.”

  “Oh! I have some dear friends who live up that way. The Pearsons. Have you heard of them?”

  Hunter blinked.

  “I’m best friends with their daughter, and Ava’s married to Hunter’s brother!” Kit exclaimed in excitement.

  No. No. No. A voice in Hunter’s head screamed.

  “Little Ava and her husband?” the woman exclaimed. “What are the odds? I’ve heard such great things about your brother.” She smiled at Hunter and he gritted his teeth so hard, he was afraid one might chip. “I’ll have to tell them I met you two here,” the woman continued. “Pat and I email all the time.”

  That’s when Kit finally clicked. Hunter saw her expression tense, and her smile become plastic instead of happy.

  “Oh…” She opened and shut her mouth—twice—then looked at Hunter in desperation.

  “Well, if you have the information on the stables, we’ll get out of your way,” Hunter said with a wink.

  The woman blushed a bit. “Of course, here you go. It’s just about three miles down the road you came in on. I’ll call them and let them know you’re on the way.”

  Hunter hustled Kit out the front doors and into the truck, where she collapsed and let her head fall against the window in horror.

  “Oh my God, what have I done? I can’t believe it didn’t even occur to me until I’d already opened my big. Stupid. Mouth.”

  Hunter reached over and massaged the back of her neck. “It’s okay, hon, you were just having a nice conversation with a nice woman. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  She looked at him with a bleakness that made his heart ache. She wasn’t cut out for deception because she shouldn’t have to be. A woman like Kit was meant to be someone’s greatest pride, not his deepest secret. She deserved to be in sunlight, and candlelight, and all the light, all the time. Never in darkness—unless it was to make long, slow love.

  Fuck. He was a mess.

  “What if I’ve ruined both of our careers now? They’ll think you’re sexually harassing me. They’ll think I’m trying to sleep my way to a good residency evaluation.”

  “No, they won’t, because you’re going to call Ava and tell her the truth, and she’s going to let her mom know that this isn’t for public consumption. It would have been much worse if she’d known someone who wasn’t my sister-in-law and your best friend. We’ll be fine. You only have three more weeks as a resident. It’s all going to be just fine.”

  Kit seemed to settle at that. She pulled out her phone to text Ava that they needed to talk later that afternoon.

  But Hunter couldn’t help questioning his own words. Because he wasn’t sure everything was going to be fine at all. Kit deserved to be in the light with someone who cherished her. But she was leaving in three weeks, so Hunter would never be that man.

  And that’s when he heard the sound of his own heart breaking.

  * * *

  Kit soaked up the sun filtering through the leaves of the laurel
oaks along the trail she rode with Hunter. The stables had been more than happy to let two veterinarians ride out without a guide, and the trails on the property were extensive, moving from narrow and rocky alongside the river, to tree-covered on the bluff, to flat and open away from the water.

  Hunter had been wonderful the entire trip. He’d made all the arrangements, catered to her every whim, and had even talked her down after she’d made such a colossal mistake with the B and B owner. She still couldn’t believe she’d done it. Just chatted away with the woman as if she and Hunter were boyfriend and girlfriend out for a weekend together.

  But that’s what it had felt like ever since they’d left the Gopher Springs town limits. They’d eaten dinner at a little roadside barbecue joint on the way, sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant and joking with the waitress. Then they’d checked in at the B and B—real names, no shame. They’d met another couple at breakfast and had a great conversation about the best places to stay in New Orleans. And now they were on a trail ride, in the sunshine together.

  Hunter had been the perfect companion. She wasn’t sure if he’d even noticed that he’d started calling her “hon” and “babe.” It made her poor heart sing and her head spin. He touched her all the time, rubbing her neck, kissing her cheek, holding her hand. When they’d watched a movie in bed at the B and B, he’d settled her between his legs, her back resting against his chest. Then he’d whispered dirty things in her ear the entire time they watched a 90’s rom com until she’d had to turn it off and act on some of his suggestions.

  He waited patiently for her to get ready in the morning, fetched food for her from the breakfast buffet, and generally treated her like a queen. And all Kit could think was, What if?