Southern Comfort: Compass Brothers, Book 2

by Mari Carr

  Jody sighed. “That’s just it. I’ve known about his preferences in the bedroom for years and I can’t stop thinking about them. My body aches wishing he would—”

  “Hogtie you to his bed and have his wicked way with you?”

  A burst of laughter escaped her at Paul’s attempt at a southern accent. “Ooo, nice use of the word hogtie. I’ll make a cowboy out of you yet, city slicker. And to answer your question, yes. But Seth still looks at me like I’m some little girl he has to rescue.”

  Paul shook his head. “I always find that assessment of your relationship with him shocking. Clearly you should have invited him to visit you at the university. I’ve never met a fiercer woman. He should have been with us the night you pulverized Mark Robyns.”

  “He called you a fag.”

  Paul bent forward and kissed her on the end of the nose. “I am a fag, Jody.”

  “It was the way he said it. Like he had a mouth full of fuckin’ manure.”

  Taking her hand and lifting it over her head, Paul spun her like they were dancing. It was a familiar move and one the two of them did often whenever something she said struck Paul as funny. Apparently he found her southern drawl and her penchant for bad words hilarious. “I love southern girls,” he teased as they laughed.

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  Jody stopped pirouetting as Seth came back into the room. The lighthearted feeling Paul never failed to evoke in her disappeared as fast as pigs at slaughter time.

  Paul turned and smiled. “Nope. Just dancing with my girl.”

  Seth studied her, his face a mixture of confusion and—she paused—jealousy? He’d never been possessive before, though God knew she’d tried to provoke that feeling in him. She propped her hands on her hips, defensively. “Do you have a problem with us dancing? It’s not like we’re fucking on the living room floor.”

  If she could have bitten her tongue off, she would have. His eyes darkened. If she still gave a shit what he thought, she would have banked her attitude, but for some reason, tweaking his temper made her smile. She’d spent a decade trying to stir some emotion in him. If anger was all she could rouse, so be it. Some petty, small part of her wanted him to hurt as much as she did. She wasn’t proud of that fact, but it was there and she couldn’t seem to stop it.

  Paul put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. His soft tone soothed her rankled feathers. “Be nice, Jody. He doesn’t strike me as a man you want to piss off.”

  She flushed when it was clear Seth had heard her fiancé’s warning. “You should listen to Paul. I’m not real fond of this sassy tone you’ve acquired since you’ve been away.”

  She rolled her eyes and untangled herself from Paul’s grip. “Oh my. Seth’s unhappy. I’ll probably cry myself to sleep worrying about that. Come on, Paul. Tour time.”

  She hoped her snarkiness would deter Seth from coming, but as she crossed the yard toward the stable, she looked over her shoulder and discovered him right on their heels.

  As she took Paul around the property, showing him all the buildings, introducing him to the new hands and letting him catch up with the guys he’d met on previous visits, Seth was there. He answered all of Paul’s questions regarding the ranch in a cool, though friendly manner. Paul toned down the flirting with Seth, but when they ran into Chase, she knew they were in trouble.

  Chase Webster was sex in cowboy boots, and she had it on good authority he didn’t have a preference about who he slept with either. Male, female, one, two or even three lovers at a time, Chase could be counted on to be in the middle of the fun, stirring up the local gossips for days and making hearts race with just a wicked smile and quick nod. Unfortunately, Paul was far from immune to the handsome man’s charm and the two of them engaged in a conversation that skirted the line between friendly conversation and foreplay. She looked around, trying to avoid catching Seth’s eye. She didn’t want to know what he was thinking.

  Glancing back at Chase, she was reminded of last summer and a flush heated her face before she could stop it. She figured there must be a Don’t Do list somewhere on the ranch with her name written across the top because Chase had never once offered her a night of raunchy fun, though she’d fought like the devil to get his attention in hopes of making Seth jealous.

  Toward the end of last August, she’d decided to go for broke. She’d donned a too-tight tank top and her Daisy Duke’s and headed to the stable in search of Chase. There was very little the man did that wasn’t discussed at length by every person on the ranch and she’d felt certain if she could tempt the man to make out with her, Seth would hear of it. She hadn’t made it two steps into the stable when she’d heard laughter coming from the tack room. Sneaking to the doorway, she’d listened to Chase and Seth laughing at her antics.

  “She’s relentless when she wants something,” Chase had said.

  “Jody’s always been stubborn.” She struggled to figure out if Seth sounded entertained or annoyed, but she couldn’t tell. “Guess the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  They laughed.

  “She leaves in a few days,” Chase said.

  Seth sighed loudly. “I know. Not much longer.”

  Was he sad she was leaving or glad? Jody inched closer, wishing she could see Seth’s face.

  “Bunch of us are goin’ into Preston tonight. Hitting the strip club. You wanna come?”

  Seth chuckled. “Yeah. I think I do. Lap dance might do just the trick.”

  Envy flowed through her, and Jody swallowed back tears of anger. Even a woman he had to pay for was preferable to Seth. He’d never choose her.

  She’d run out of the stable, packed her things and returned to college three days early. She simply couldn’t stand to wait in the wings while Seth found his pleasure with every woman in the county. She’d left without saying goodbye, a fact he’d taken her to task for the following week when she’d finally caved and answered one of his calls to her cell phone. Hearing his voice, listening to him tell her about home, had thawed the ice around her heart.

  She glanced over at him, surprised to find his gaze on her as she reminisced. He jerked his head toward the barn entrance. “Hey, Chase, Paul, you guys mind hanging out here? I remembered something I have to show Jody in the barn. Won’t take a minute.”

  Paul and Chase both nodded quickly before continuing their conversation. Jody had to kick some sense into her best friend. He wasn’t taking this situation seriously enough at all. There was no way her father would consent to her entering a marriage of convenience, even for only a year. He had to think they were in love. Paul was seriously messing up the plan.

  She followed Seth and took several deep breaths, trying to hold on to the memory of him cavorting with erotic dancers last summer. Anger would help her survive the next few minutes. “What do you want?”

  He continued walking deeper into the barn and she glanced around, hoping to discover someone else around.

  “There’s no one here to save you.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I wasn’t aware I needed to be rescued.”

  Seth turned and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. She squeezed her legs together in hopes of cutting off the trickle escaping her pussy. Why did he have to make her so horny?

  He grinned. “Oh, you definitely need protection.”

  His words rankled and reminded her of Christmas break. They’d met up under the mistletoe. In typical Seth fashion, he’d offered her a quick peck on the forehead. Still a bit miffed about the summer before, she’d taunted him, called him a monk and a coward and dared him to give her a real kiss.

  For the first time in her life, he’d taken her up on it. His kiss proved to be her final undoing. His lips had burned an imprint on hers and there were times when she still thought she could feel the mark. “You said at Christmas the only protection I needed was from you, so maybe I should—”

  She pivoted to leave, but hadn’t taken two steps before Seth grabbed her. He turned her to f
ace him, his eyes narrowed. “Quit screwing around.”

  Her temper broke. “I’m serious.”

  He snorted out a laugh. “Like hell.”

  She shook her head. “It’s true. I’m moving on this time.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I’m done with the come-ons, the schemes to capture your attention. I’ve tried all I can think of. You made it abundantly clear at Christmas you aren’t interested, so I’m bowing out of the race. You don’t have to worry about my relentlessness anymore,” she said, using the same description he’d uttered last summer. She’d made a vow that she would move on with her life, put Seth Compton in her past. It had been easier thing to do at school. Distance helped her forget how strongly he affected her.

  “It’s not like your attention was exactly a hardship.”

  She sighed. “God, you sure acted like it. You’ve swatted me away like a gnat buzzing around your face for years. I. Get. It. I’ll leave you alone.”

  “You’ve never bothered me, Jody.”

  “Yeah, right. I heard you talking to Chase right over there last summer.” She pointed to the tack room. “Are we finished in here? I really need to find Paul.”

  “Paul’s fine. Come here.” He crooked a finger at her, and she fought the urge to follow him without question. “Is that why you bolted before the going-away picnic I’d planned?”

  “What? No.” Her gut cramped. He’d planned a picnic?

  Seth closed his eyes before opening them again and giving her a look that practically demanded her acquiescence. “Damn stubborn fool.”

  His words infuriated her. “I’m hard-headed? Me?” She flung her hair over her shoulder. “Is this a cruel case of reverse psychology? I tell you I’m moving on and you think you can just crook a finger and I’ll come running. Fuck you!”

  He reached for her before she could even think to run. “I’m damn sick and tired of your mouth. I’m trying to talk to you, but you’re too busy biting my head off to listen.” He tucked her close, his hands closed firmly against her upper arms, holding her captive. “You tell me to fuck myself one more time, and you’re gonna find yourself with a mouthful of something big and hard to keep you quiet.”

  She laughed in his face. “You wish you had that much power over me. You ever try and I’ll cut your dick off and shove it down your throat.”

  He pulled her closer and did the last thing she expected. He kissed her. She tried to shove away from him, tried to break free of his implacable hold, but he merely tightened his grip. When she started to angle her face away, he wrapped one arm around her waist, while the other pinned her head, keeping her lips glued to his.

  Shock held her immobile for a moment as she tried to figure out what the fuck was happening. She’d begged for this for years to no avail.

  Why now? The question burned in her brain.

  She opened her mouth to tell him to stop, but his tongue seized control, robbing her ability to speak, to protest. When it became obvious she couldn’t break free, she simply froze. Played dead.

  She refused to kiss him back. Her mind screamed for her to stay strong. It took every ounce of strength in her body not to melt into his arms, not to soften her lips and sample more of the heaven he offered.

  His grip lightened, and he retreated a mere fraction of an inch. “Kiss me,” he demanded.

  She shook her head. “I can’t.” Her voice broke on the last word.

  He studied her face. She dropped the barriers, allowing him to see her pain. He’d broken her young woman’s heart one time too many. She wasn’t coming back.

  He looked toward the rear of the barn, then spoke softly. “Dammit. You make me forget myself, lose my resolve.”

  “I’m not doing a thing. I’m home to plan my wedding and—”

  Seth shook his head, stopped her words. “I don’t want to hear another peep about that.” He rubbed his hand over his face, and she wondered about the dark shadows under his eyes. He was different this time. She wasn’t sure what had changed, but it was clear something had.

  “I didn’t bring you in here to fight…or to kiss you.” He pointed to a basket tucked into a corner. She could barely make out the image of three wriggling puppies.

  She smiled, kneeling next to them. “Dusty’s litter?”

  He nodded. “She had them last week. Knew you were coming home some time this week, so Thomas and I thought we’d surprise you.”

  She reached down to stroke the soft fur of the little puppies, trying to forget how badly she was screwing everything up.

  Seth crouched next to her. “I miss you.”

  She looked at him, confused, until he continued. “I don’t know this Jody. You’re mad at me. I’m not saying I don’t deserve it, but—”

  She started to speak, to refute his words with a lie, but he raised his hand to stop her.

  “I understand why. I’d be a jackass not to get it. I’ve known about your crush on me forever.”

  She winced at the word crush. It had been so much more than that to her. He’d been her first love. Hell, her only love.

  “I haven’t been careful with your feelings, Jody, even though I’ve always considered you mine to protect. How’s that for irony?” He shrugged. “It’s just you’re so damn young.”

  “You’re only six years older than me, Seth. That’s not much of an excuse.”

  He shrugged. “It seemed like a hell of a lot when I was eighteen and you were twelve.”

  “Well, it was illegal at that point,” she joked. They shared a chuckle before she sobered up.

  He stared at the barn door, trying to find a way to explain. When he faced her again, his eyes were sadder than she’d ever seen them. “I know that. I guess it became a habit to convince myself your flirting was more infatuation than true attraction. I didn’t take your feelings for me seriously and I was wrong. I think if I’d admitted they were genuine, I couldn’t have forced myself to do the right thing.”

  She closed her eyes and suddenly regretted her past actions. When she wanted something, she went after it with a relentlessness that could be scary. She hadn’t made things easy for Seth. “I sort of did the same thing to you. I’m sorry for that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You must’ve shown me a million different ways that you weren’t interested. I ignored you time and time again. My dad always says I’m too hard-headed for my own good and a bulldog to boot. I got it in my head that we were destined to be together and I held on to that idea, never thinking for a minute that you might not feel the same.”

  She blinked against the tears gathering in her eyes. She wasn’t about to cry in front of him. She rose quickly.

  “Jody,” he stood and stopped her. “I’ve missed you these past few months.”

  After Christmas, she’d gone back to school and into a No Seth Zone. She’d severed the close friendship they’d always shared despite her—she paused, then forced herself to think about the word he’d used—crush, convinced it was the only way she could protect her heart and force herself to move on.

  “I missed you too. I’ve been acting like such a bitch since I got home. What do you say we call a truce?” She held out her hand, praying she could survive the next thirty seconds without breaking down.

  He stared at her hand and for a moment, she thought he might reject her gesture. Then he reached out and wrapped his hand around it. He didn’t shake it, as she intended. Instead, he merely held it, held her gaze with his. He nodded once, but she couldn’t help but doubt his sincerity. He didn’t agree at all.

  Forcing a light smile, she edged away from Seth. “I need to find my fiancé. My life is good now, Seth, I swear. I hope you can accept that and be happy for me.”

  Turning, she left the barn, separating Paul from Chase before Seth could catch up with them. “I have a little bit of a headache,” she said. “Mind if we finish the tour later?”

  Paul gripped her hand and strode with her to the house. �
��Of course not. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  She nodded, resisting the urge to turn around. When they reached the front porch, the temptation grew too strong and she glanced over her shoulder. Seth stood outside the barn, staring at her. His hungry expression said it all. He wasn’t accepting anything, and they definitely weren’t friends anymore.

  Chapter Three

  Seth felt like a spider stalking his prey, waiting for the fly to land in his web. Jody had feigned a headache and hidden in her room last evening, refusing to come down for dinner. Paul had joined him and Thomas and the ranch hands for the meal, and Seth had to begrudgingly admit he liked the man. However, hell would freeze over before Paul stole Jody from him. There was something fishy about her so-called engagement, and he intended to find out exactly what it was.

  He also planned to set Miss Kirkland straight on a few other things as well. He’d seriously fucked up, and he was determined to find a way to make things right again. She’d thought her attention to him was unwanted? She thought he wasn’t attracted to her?

  Jesus. He’d tossed and turned all night last night as he realized how badly he’d handled everything. When she’d been younger, it had been easy to dismiss her flirting as harmless. It wasn’t until she came back home the summer between her freshman and sophomore years in college that things had gotten hard…literally. She’d stepped out of her daddy’s pickup that summer in a sky blue, sleeveless blouse that showed too much cleavage and accentuated her pretty eyes far too well. Add to that her skintight jeans and his cock had inflated to dangerous proportions pretty fucking fast.

  Jody might not have noticed his ogling, but Thomas had. Seth’s boss had informed Seth in no uncertain terms that his little girl was going to finish her damn education and he’d forbidden any complications that might keep her from returning for the fall semester. Seth had agreed Jody needed to go to college, so he took the warning to heart and managed—just barely—to bank the fires that summer and the next.

  Before she’d left Texas to attend Cornell, she’d experienced very little life outside the ranch. Seth encouraged her to enjoy the opportunity to see more of the world and to meet different people. Hell, he’d moved to Texas for the same damn reasons.