by Callie Croix
"I'm in charge of guest services here, so if there's anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, just let me know."
"That's very sweet of you."
Dusty winked, and his aw, shucks-all-the-women-love-me smile made Deke want to roll his eyes. And for some reason he didn't like the way Dusty's appreciative gaze swept over Jessica's body. He narrowed his eyes at his brother, but then Jessica glanced up at him. “I guess I'm all set then. Just need to get my suitcase."
"I'll get it."
Dusty cocked a brow at him. “Really?"
Deke shot him a hard look. “Yeah, really. I'll take her to the cabin.” Least he could do, since he felt like an asshole for how gruff he'd been on the drive over. “This way,” he told her and slid a hand against the small of her back, wishing he could feel her bare skin.
Her head jerked up, her eyes full of surprise as they met his. So maybe the gesture was bold and bordering on territorial, but it was still respectful. And she felt good beneath his hand. Keeping his palm firmly in place, he guided her outside into the warm night air. Down the path, her cabin was pitch dark. “Everyone else is out for the night, but the lodge is always open if you need anything."
She nodded, her long curls blowing in the slight breeze. A few steps down the path, she suddenly stopped. He glanced down at her to find her head tipped back and her eyes closed, a little smile on her full lips. “Hmm,” she sighed.
Damn, she was sexy when she let herself relax. “What?” He could practically feel her unwinding inside, her muscles loosening. Something in her expression pulled at him.
"Crickets. Hear them?"
Of course he heard them. “You don't have any crickets up in Seattle?"
"Not in the city.” She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, the contentment on her face making him wonder if she looked the same way after spending a satisfying night in a man's bed.
His fingers flexed against her spine in response, enjoying the resilient feel of her flesh. He'd bet the rest of her was just as supple. Judging by her shape, she took good care of herself, and it wouldn't surprise him if she went to a gym three or four times a week. He pictured all the firm curves hidden under her clothes and pretty underwear. It made him hard just thinking about it.
"Let's get your bags.” He pressed on her lower back, and she followed him obediently to the truck. Deke opened the tailgate to pull out her large suitcase and braced himself for the inevitable pain when he lifted it. It grabbed him in the small of the back in the same place he'd touched Jessica and radiated down the rear of his right hip and leg like a nightmarish toothache. Holding his abs tight, he hefted the thing out of the truck bed and set it down, careful not to twist or bend over.
She reached for the handle, tilting her head and running that golden brown gaze over his face. “Are you all right?"
"Fine.” So much for hiding it. Slamming the tailgate shut, he nodded over his shoulder. “Cabin's over there.” Without touching her this time, he took the handle from her and rolled the suitcase behind him, trying to ignore the deep ache in his leg. Now that he'd irritated his injury, it would stay flared up most of the night and he'd be lucky to get any sleep at all.
The joys of suffering crushed vertebrae and ruptured discs.
He eyed Jessica's firm ass as she walked up the path. At least he'd have something pleasant to remember to distract himself from the pain tonight.
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Chapter Two
Jessie woke from a dead sleep when the cabin door flew open. Someone flipped on the light, and she threw up a hand to shield her eyes, blinking in the sudden glare of the bedside lamp.
"Jess!"
She barely had time for Bridgette's excited squeal to register before her friend landed on top of her.
"You're here!"
Jessie managed a sleepy smile and patted Bridgette's back. That excited greeting made all the day's trials and tribulations worthwhile. “Yeah.” Though she could have done without the exuberant welcome until the morning. Or maybe it was morning. She checked her watch over her friend's shoulder. Almost three.
Bridgette let her go and stood up, dragging a hand through her long blonde hair on her way to her bunk. “I just got back from the campfire with my cousin, Shannon, and her cousin, Sara. Charissa isn't here yet, but you'll meet her tomorrow when she gets in.” She threw her a grin. “Did everything go okay with Deacon?"
"Yeah, fine.” Though she wasn't sure he liked her much. He'd been civil enough, but beneath the manners she sensed a steely edge to him. He definitely wasn't hard on her eyes though. “I met Dustin, too."
"Aren't they something?” Bridgette sighed. “If I wasn't getting married, I'd be all over the chance at hooking up with one of those boys for the weekend."
Jessica raised her eyebrows but kept quiet.
Bridgette crossed to her bunk and started going through her suitcase. After grabbing something, she disappeared into the tiny bathroom and on the way out, spotted Jessie's laptop. Heaving a sigh, she propped a hand on her hip and gave her an accusing glare. “Seriously? You're going to work this weekend?"
"Not for long,” she answered, feeling defensive. This trip had been a last minute thing, and she still had responsibilities to take care of.
Bridgette made a sour face. “You take your job way too seriously."
"I do not."
"Yeah, honey. You do. Lucky for us, you might have trouble getting phone and Internet access."
"Dustin already told me that."
"Did he? And did he tell you that he used to date Shannon?” Bridgette wagged her eyebrows. “I don't know about you, but this weekend is going to be very interesting and I plan on having one hell of a good time. Those Dumen brothers are hot."
No argument here. “As hot as your fiance, you mean?"
"Nearly.” She climbed into bed. “Shannon spent a lot of time here back in the day, so maybe she can show us around tomorrow."
"Sure.” As soon as I get my work done.
Bridgette yawned and grinned. “Thanks for coming, babe. Sweet dreams."
"You, too.” When Bridgette turned off the lamp, Jessica rolled over and pulled the covers up, thinking of Deacon. The memory of those knowing blue eyes and his commanding touch heated her all over. If he starred in her dreams tonight, they'd be sweet ones for sure.
The next morning Jessie slipped from the cabin while Bridgette was still sleeping and walked through the thin veil of mist to the lodge. Several horses poked their heads over the far corral fence and nickered at her as she passed. The heavy wooden door wasn't locked but a few lights were on, so she went in and made herself comfortable at one of the tables set up in the main room.
The inside was done all in natural wood, with thick beams holding the roof up. A Longhorn head was mounted over the stone fireplace and wagon wheel lamps hung from the ceiling. Cozy and comfortable, and for the moment, empty. The perfect spot for her to get some work done. She booted up her laptop, optimistic she'd be able to get a connection.
"Morning,” a feminine voice called out.
Jessie glanced up to see a tall, thin blonde woman walk through the office door. “Morning."
"I'm Ashley,” the woman said. “I'm the office manager, plus I help out the boys when they need me. Which is pretty often.” She grinned and tossed her honey-blonde locks over her shoulder.
"I'm Jessica."
"Nice to meet you. Coffee's on if you want some."
"Oh. That'd be great.” God knew she could use the caffeine. She rose and followed Ashley into the dining room and helped herself to a steaming mug.
"The boys like their coffee strong and first thing when they show up,” Ashley said, passing her some cream.
Jessica made a polite noise to indicate she was listening, then footsteps sounded from the back door.
Ashley gave a happy sigh and rested a hip against the table. “And there's one of my caffeine-deprived men now.” Over the obvious affection in her voice, Jessica det
ected a wistful note.
She turned her head as Deacon and another man strode into the room, and her stomach did a funny little flip when their eyes met. His dark hair was damp from a recent shower, and he filled out his jeans and T-shirt to perfection.
He crossed the room toward her, his lips curving slightly. Not really a smile, but close. “Mornin'."
"Morning."
"Sleep okay?"
"Fine,” she lied. After Bridgette's wake up call, she'd lain awake until almost dawn.
"This is my little brother, Dane,” he said, nodding over his shoulder to the handsome man with sandy blond hair that brushed his collar.
They exchanged hellos, then Jessie looked back at Deacon. “Thanks again for picking me up last night."
"No problem.” He stepped up beside her to snag a mug for himself, his muscular arm nearly brushing her shoulder. “Smells good, Ash."
The blonde beamed and moved away from the table to lean into him and rest her head on his shoulder. “I made it just for you, darlin'."
Jessica spun around to hide her hiked eyebrows and started to walk away, feeling like she was intruding. Either they were together, or the woman wasn't very subtle about her interest in her boss. Not that it was any of her business. She'd taken two steps back to the main room when Deke's voice stopped her.
"How come you're up so early? Aren't you still on Pacific Time?"
Unfortunately, yes. “I wanted to get a jump on things."
He gave her a funny look and followed her back to her table. When he saw her computer, his eyebrows shot up. “You're working?"
Her jaw tensed. What was everyone's problem with that? She took the responsibilities that came with her job very seriously. Aside from taking pride in her work, she had no one else to rely on to help pay her bills. Being single and financially independent demanded certain sacrifices. “Yeah, trading in New York starts any minute now."
He seemed surprised. “God, don't tell Dane what you're doing. He'll talk your damn ear off."
"Why, is he a stock broker, too?"
"Nah, but he's got a business degree and always wanted to work on Wall Street.” He straightened and took a sip of his coffee.
Assuming the polite conversation was over, she sat at her computer, relieved to see she had three bars of reception. And voila, the Internet seemed to be working. She opened her e-mail account, eager to get everything buttoned up and ease some of the guilt she felt for taking time away from the office.
In the middle of reading her first e-mail, a big hand planted itself on the table next to her laptop. Strong and long-fingered, the kind that would make a woman purr and sigh when it stroked her bare skin.
"You are planning on having some fun while you're here, right?” His voice held a note of amusement.
She swung her gaze up to look at him and got an eyeful of sculpted muscles beneath his skin-tight T-shirt before continuing up to his clean-shaven face. His closeness unnerved her because it awakened feminine interest that had been buried for a long time. Was he doing it on purpose? She couldn't tell, but obviously the man didn't lack confidence with the opposite sex. He smelled deliciously clean, a mix of soap and some sort of woodsy cologne.
She leaned back in her seat, trying to subtly put a few more inches between them. The cowboy was way too handsome for his own good, and something told her he knew it. His self-assurance bordered right on arrogance, but so far he'd balanced it with enough manners that he managed not to come off looking like a jerk. Until he opened his mouth and made her feel defensive, that is.
"I've just got a few things to take care of,” she said, fighting to keep her tone civil. If she had to explain herself one more time to anyone this weekend, she wasn't going to be as polite. “I'll have this wrapped up by the time everyone else gets here for breakfast anyway."
His dark blue eyes swept over her face and down to her cleavage, and the heated desire in them made her breath catch. Men didn't look at her like that. “Suit yourself."
He left her staring after him, a hot blush rising in her cheeks. Had she imagined that interested look in his eyes?
Oh, stop it. Like you'd do anything about it anyhow.
Still, she couldn't help but sneak a peek at his butt as he sauntered away in those snug jeans. Mmm, the man looked as good going as he did coming. In another lifetime, she might have been daring enough to flirt a little and see where things went, but not anymore. She had too much to do and had never been into flings anyway.
And wasn't that a shame.
Decaon didn't mind helping his brothers out with the ranch while their parents were away, but since his task master big brother had ordered him to accompany the group to the bar tomorrow night, this afternoon was pretty much his only free time for the whole weekend.
A run into San Antonio was exactly what he needed to shake off this feeling of restlessness. Besides, he was uncomfortably attracted to a certain little brunette staying at the ranch, and Dillon had given him the okay to take off for the night. Truth be told, he could use a break from the both of them.
With Toby Keith turned up and the AC cranked in the comfy leather cab of his new truck, he got onto the long road that led to the main gate. The sun was already sinking behind the hills, bathing the ranch in a blaze of orange and scarlet. Pretty, but somehow it didn't feel like home anymore. Nowhere did.
About a quarter mile from the gate, he saw someone walking ahead of him on the road. A woman in complete silhouette against the setting sun, and she had one hell of a figure. One of the guests? What the hell was she doing all the way out here by herself, on foot? She carried some kind of bag over her shoulder, and her head was bent so he couldn't see her profile.
He slowed as he pulled up behind her, and she turned when she finally heard the truck. “What the...” Jessica?
Deke rolled down the passenger window and stopped beside her, tipping his sunglasses up onto his head so she could see his face better. Christ, she had her phone in her hand and her damn briefcase with her.
"What are you doing?” he demanded before he could temper his words.
She ignored his curt tone and waved the phone around in frustration. “I couldn't get a signal at the ranch house, and Ashley said she always gets reception near the gate."
Good God, she was serious. She'd walked all the way from the ranch house in ninety degree heat just to get a cell signal. In some sort of flip-flops with a little flower nestled between her pedicured toes. The woman was a piece of work. “Get in,” he said, popping the passenger door open.
Jessica hesitated a moment, then climbed in. “Thanks."
He shot her a sidelong look as he headed for the gate, taking in her snug tank top and jeans. She filled them out real nice, and with her long dark curls framing her flushed cheeks, she made a very sexy picture sitting there in his truck. What kind of lingerie was she wearing today? “I thought you came here for a vacation."
She scowled. “You sound like Bridgette."
"Just sayin'. It's not real common for our guests to spend their weekend here working.” Let alone at the end of the driveway. God knew she'd paid enough to be here, with the flights and all.
Her expression turned almost mutinous. “I tried to get everything done this morning before breakfast, but it didn't happen. I have some important things to finish up, then I'm free for the rest of the weekend."
"Why didn't you just ask someone to drive you instead of walking all this way?"
She shrugged. “I didn't want to bug anyone, and I needed the exercise."
If she wanted exercise, he'd gladly help her out. Orgasms burned up a lot of calories. He'd love to muss her up a little, make her let go of her inhibitions.
Her gaze settled on his face. “What about you? You aren't going to the shooting range with the others?"
He almost laughed. “Not likely."
"How come?"
"I got my fill of shooting in the Air Force."
Her eyes brightened. “You were in the Air Force?"
He nodded. “For twelve years.” And he missed it like hell. Likely always would.
"My favorite uncle's an Air Force vet. A pilot. What did you do?"
"A bit of everything, except flying,” he said evasively, but it was the truth. A jack of all trades, master of none, went the Pararescue saying.
She studied him for a long moment. “You seem...harder than the average military guy. There's an edge to you."
Her scrutiny made him uncomfortable because she was dead on. He shrugged. “I did some time in Special Ops."
"Ah. Thought so."
He had to admit her analysis impressed him. But he wasn't going to say as much.
The gate loomed ahead, the black iron slats backlit by the sunset. Someone had yanked the “N” down again, making the sign read “Dume Ranch.” Do Me Ranch, as the local kids liked to tease. Dillon was going to shit a brick when he saw it. Deke grinned at the thought and decided to leave it for his hard-ass eldest brother to find in the morning during his daily perimeter check, or maybe later tonight. No doubt he was still out doing chores somewhere on the property.
Pulling up at the gate, he was surprised when Jessica grabbed her door handle and started to push it open. “Thanks for the lift."
Without thinking, he shot out a hand and caught her forearm. Her skin was warm and silky smooth beneath his encircling fingers. She looked over her shoulder at him with startled amber eyes. “What?"
"What are you going to do, sit by the gate while you make some calls and finish up your work?"
"Yeah, why?"
Jesus, the woman was as relentless as Dillon. He put the truck into park. “Get back in here, and shut the door."
Her chin lifted, and a spark of irritation lit her eyes. “No thanks. You carry on to wherever it is you're going."
He firmed his grip on her arm. “I'm not going to drive off and leave you sitting out here in the dust all by yourself. Get back inside."
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you this rude to everyone, or do I just annoy you more than most?"
It took him a moment to shut his open mouth. “No,” he bit out and felt like shit for being so curt. “Sorry. It's not you.” He drew a deep breath. “I meant you can finish up in here where there's air conditioning, then I'll drive you back to the lodge."
