Cowboy-Sexy

by Donna Michaels

  “Sorry, bro, no can do. Mom’s already expecting her, going on about how nice it’ll be to have another woman at home.”

  Son-of-a—

  He closed his eyes and lowered the phone, resisting the urge to hurl the device into the closest wall.

  “Look, I wouldn’t have sent Cammie if I didn’t think she could handle the work,” his brother insisted. “I promise you, you’ll thank me in the end.”

  Finn’s eyes shot open. “Fat chance.”

  “I’ve got to go, bro. I’ll try to call next week. Cammie?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  She grabbed the phone, her knuckles unceremoniously scrapping Finn’s palm.

  “My brother’s going to try to push you around. Don’t let him.”

  “Like you said, sir,” she paused until their gazes locked, “He can try, but he won’t succeed.”

  “Very good, Lieutenant. I’ll check in with you next week.”

  “Brett, wait!” Finn reached for the phone as if that would stop his fool of a brother.

  “Sorry. He hung up.”

  Finn clenched his fists. “Damn, stubborn jarhead.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He refocused on the brunette. She slapped the phone onto the bar, jammed her hands on her hips and raised both brows. She looked like a woman about to speak her mind.

  They were the worst kind.

  “Look, Miss...?”

  “Ms. Walker,” she supplied.

  A small smile softened her expression and hardened his resolve.

  “Camilla Walker, but my friends call me Cammie.”

  “Look, Ms. Walker,” he said deliberately, dropping an arm around her shoulders as he ushered her toward the door. He had enough friends. “Why don’t you just walk to your car and go back wherever you came from because, despite what my brother said, you’re not coming with me.”

  She stopped dead, leaving him no choice but to turn and face her. Whisky brown eyes sparkled up at him. Finn released his present and stepped back. The woman was up to something.

  “You poor, misguided cowboy.” She drew close enough for him to feel her breath. “I can’t go back to my car.”

  His brain warned him to move, but his stubbornness overruled and he stood still. Lieutenant Commander Finn Brennan never backed down from a Marine and wasn’t about to start now.

  “Why not?”

  “I took a taxi from the airport.”

  Of course she did. Why should this be easy? He shrugged. “Not my problem.”

  “True, but you seem to be forgetting something.”

  “What?”

  “I’m a Marine, and it doesn’t matter what hat you’re wearing—cowboy or Navy cover.” She flicked his Stetson with her finger. “Only your brother can order me to leave. Since he said he wouldn’t be calling for another week, you’re stuck with me until then.”

  “Hell no.”

  “Hell ya,” she corrected, stepping back, one hand on her hip, the other pointing to the ceiling in a twirling motion.

  “Oorah,” Win called from the kitchen again, followed closely by the idiot, pool-playing cowboys echoing the sentiment.

  Finn blinked. This was not happening.

  “I’m sorry, Finn.” She ripped the bow off her shirt and shook it between them. “Believe it or not, I tried to talk your brother out of the silly stunt, but he insisted it was the only way you’d allow me to help you.”

  “Let’s get one thing straight, lady. I don’t need your help.”

  “Yes, you do,” she stated quietly. “You just don’t want it.”

  “Well, I do,” his foreman spoke up. “And since Josh worked for me, I’m only too happy to take Brett up on his offer.” His friend strode toward them, hand outstretched. “I’m Terry Hawkins, Ms. Walker, and I’m glad for the help.”

  She smiled and shook the older man’s hand. “Hi, Terry. Please, call me Cammie.”

  Finn would rather call her a cab.

  “Well, Cammie, let’s get your things before my friend here decides to leave without us.” Terry nodded in his direction.

  As much as he’d like to, Finn knew he couldn’t. Thanks to his brother’s thoroughness, if he showed up at the ranch without the woman, his mother would box his ears.

  A small shaft of admiration broke through his anger. Well played, Brett. But remember, payback’s a bitch.

  “I’ll get my bag.” The woman twisted on her heel, then marched toward the kitchen and disappeared through the swinging door.

  “Pretty thing,” Terry mused.

  Finn grunted, trying not to notice, but damned if he could keep his eyes off her perfectly formed backside.

  “Terry, your pulled pork sandwich is ready to go.” Gus held up a white bag.

  When the hell had his foreman ordered that? I really am slipping. Damn Brett and his pretty Marine side-kick.

  Terry retrieved his lunch. “This will hit the spot on the ride back.”

  The kitchen door creaked and his unwanted passenger emerged with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Finn momentarily thought about helping, then crushed the idea. He wasn’t exactly in a generous mood.

  “Win, thanks for the use of your satellite phone,” she said, glancing at the cook still visible through the window. “It was good to see you again.” She nodded to her Marine buddy then turned around. “It was nice to meet all of you.”

  “You, too, Cammie,” echoed around the room.

  Jeez. What? She running for president?

  Now she was shaking hands with Gus. “Thanks for everything.”

  “My pleasure, hun. Come back anytime.” He winked at her before turning his attention to Finn. “You sure I can’t get you anything for the road?”

  “No thanks.” He shook his head then added, “Sorry my brother dragged you into all this.”

  The old bartender waved a hand and chuckled. “Don’t be. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Leave it to your brother.”

  Yeah, leave it to my brother, Finn thought as he turned and marched to the exit, Terry and the Marine on his six. I’m going to kill him.

  ****

  Captain Brennan is a dead man!

  Cammie didn’t know what was worse, being sandwiched between both men in the pickup or the fact it started to rain once they hit Oklahoma. She hoped the tarp her duffle bag was rolling under would keep her things dry.

  Finn reached between her legs to shift gears, his tanned, muscular arm brushing the inside of her left thigh, affectively cutting off her air.

  Why couldn’t the pickup be an automatic?

  “It’s a shame Texas didn’t get any of this rain,” Terri mused.

  “Yeah,” her tormentor agreed. “It never seems to go where it’s needed.”

  Kind of like her. She couldn’t be with her unit. Her mom was dead. She’d been a Marine without a mission until Brett called. But why hadn’t he warned her about his brother’s aversion to the Corps? She’d never felt more unwanted in her life. The cowboy gave new meaning to the phrase cold shoulder.

  She shifted in her seat, her left side tingling while her right remained normal. There was nothing cold about his shoulder. She glanced at him from under her lashes; in fact, the man was hot, with just the right amount of muscle to his arms and chest, all nicely outlined by a snug black T-shirt.

  He may resemble Brett with the same height, dark hair, and blue eyes, but her body had a completely different reaction to the twins. She felt safe and comfortable around Brett. He was reliable, loyal, and funny. He saved her ass on more than one occasion, and she respected the hell out of him. He was like family. Finn on the other hand garnered absolutely no sisterly feelings whatsoever. His gaze mesmerized. His attitude annoyed, yet challenged. He kept her on edge. The cowboy was intense and sexy.

  Intensely sexy.

  Cowboy-sexy.

  God, it’s going to be a long three months.

  His grip tightened on the wheel. No doubt the former SEAL was aware of her scrutiny. Still, she
couldn’t stop watching the way his muscles flexed all the way down to his wrists. Her thoughts turned curious when she caught a glimpse of ink peeking out from under his right sleeve. She’d seen a lot of tattoos during her time in the service, even had one herself. What would the Navy cowboy have?

  “See something you like?”

  Affirmative.

  “I was curious about your tattoo,” she told him, determined to keep things honest. “Your brother has a bulldog.”

  “That’s because he’s a Marine.”

  She turned to face him, noting the blue of his eyes matched the sky, which had miraculously cleared since they’d crossed into Colorado. “I’m a Marine, but that’s not what’s on my tattoo.”

  His head snapped in her direction. “You have a tattoo?”

  She smiled. “Yes, but it’s nowhere you’re ever going to see, cowboy.”

  His gaze darkened, then ran down her form. He said nothing, but she knew he was calculating the location. He could try. She swallowed a grin and watched as he eventually gave up and returned his attention back to driving.

  “This is fun. I wish I had some popcorn.” Terry chuckled. “Too bad we’re almost at the ranch.”

  Thank God.

  Cammie wasn’t sure how much more she could endure. Between the heat from Cowboy-Sexy and the pain radiating down her back, her body was on automatic.

  She had a high tolerance of pain, but since her operation seven months ago, coupled with her mother’s death, Cammie wasn’t yet up to par. Something her new host didn’t need to know. Brett understood she wanted to stay busy, his brother would not. Her instincts told her Finn would use her operation as an excuse to keep her from working or send her packing.

  “So, the ranch is a dude ranch?” she asked no one in particular.

  “Yes,” Terry answered. “We offer horseback riding, fly-fishing, rock climbing, hiking, just about any outdoor sport.”

  Excitement tripped her pulse. “How wonderful.”

  “You won’t be doing any of that. You’re helping Terry in the stables,” Mr. Grouchy grumbled.

  “Yes, sir!” She saluted, but Cowboy-Sexy didn’t find it as funny as Terry. He scowled and tightened his grip on the wheel.

  “Brett said something about there being two ranches?”

  Again, it was Terry who answered, “Yes, the main ranch is for the guests. It accommodates twenty-five. You’ll be staying in the house I expect.”

  Navy stiffened beside her, and she waited for him to countermand his foreman, but he remained silent. She held back a sigh. He was going to be a barrel of laughs. At least she didn’t have to work with him. Heck, she probably wouldn’t see much of him. According to Brett, his brother was a guide or something. He took guests trail riding and did cowboy stuff.

  She glanced around as they exited the interstate. “It’s beautiful here.” A mixture of pine, oak, and spruce trees cocooned the land.

  “You don’t have trees where you come from?” Finn asked dryly.

  A lopsided grin tugged his sexy mouth. Her pulse tripped again. What a transformation. And here she thought he was gorgeous when he’d been miserable.

  Warning bells went off in her head. The man was dangerous. She didn’t need dangerous. She did that once, never again.

  Cammie blinked and realized he was looking sideways at her, waiting for a reply. “Yeah, we have trees and grass and even mountains back east. Who knew?”

  But we sure didn’t have anything like this…

  They crossed under an ornate wooden sign with “Royal Pines” carved in the wood. A fitting name, she thought as they traveled down a long paved drive.

  On the right was a field full of wild flowers whose yellows and purples broke up the greenery that ran straight to the woods. Her mom would’ve loved it. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and glanced to the left. A wooden fence bordered land where horses grazed as far as the eye could see.

  Amazing. Cpt. Brennan had always gushed about his home, but she never expected it to be so beautiful.

  “Finn, I do believe the lady is speechless.” Terry chuckled.

  He was right. Even now, words swirled in her mind but didn’t measure up to what Cammie was seeing. And what little broke through disappeared as Finn stopped the truck in front of a very large, two-story structure, sitting at the foot of a mountain. The home was part log cabin and part glass with a huge deck running the whole length. She could imagine sitting on one of the many loungers, sipping coffee, watching the sun rise.

  Excitement increased her pulse. This was going to be her home for the next three months. She took Terry’s outstretched hand and eagerly followed him out of the truck, glancing at an oversized garage to her left, and a road that led to two very large stables in the distance.

  Just how many horses do they own?

  For the first time since accepting Brett’s offer, Cammie wondered what she’d gotten herself into.

  “Well?” Terry prodded.

  “This place is incredible. It’s more like a resort than a home.”

  “You should see the guest ranch. It’s three times the size,” the foreman proclaimed.

  Cammie narrowed her gaze. “You mean this isn’t it?”

  “No.” Terry chuckled. “It’s a half mile past the stables. We took the house road. The dude ranch has a separate entrance. Royal Pines has over 2,200 acres. Finn’s father wanted to keep his home private from the guests.”

  “Well, it’s incredible,” she repeated, twisting to look back down the drive. “And this view is breathtaking.”

  Was it the slight breeze or had she actually heard Finn agree?

  The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and a heat prickle slammed into her body. Finn was close. Unable to stop herself, she slowly turned toward him.

  Just then, the front door flung open and out rushed a pretty woman wearing jeans and an aqua tank top, her dark hair barely scrapping her shoulders.

  “Finn! You’re finally back.” The slender woman descended the four wooden steps in record time. “I didn’t think this day would ever go fast enough. Especially since Brett let the cat out of the bag and told me you were bringing your fiancée.”

  Chapter Three

  Fiancée?

  Cammie blinked and stared at Finn whose face had turned a deep red. He looked ready to burst. Terry’s belly laugh didn’t help.

  “Ah, Camilla, you are even more beautiful than Brett said. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  The woman pulled her into a sturdy hug. The kind her mother used to give.

  Once again, Cammie’s throat swelled, but she swallowed through the burn and had a smile ready when released. “It’s so nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Brennan. And, please, call me Cammie.”

  “All right, Cammie, as long as you call me, Rose.”

  “Okay, Rose, but I’m a little confused. What exactly did Brett say?”

  “It’s okay, hun.” The pretty woman grabbed her hand and gently squeezed. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Brett told me how you and Finn met through his web-calls last year and have kept in touch. Lots of romances blossom from the internet these days. I have a gentleman friend from Montana I converse with daily.”

  “Mom, look, about Cammie…wait. What?” Finn’s brows crashed into each other. “What man in Montana?” His gaze shot to his foreman. “Terry, did you know about this?”

  “No, I swear,” the older man said, hands raised as he frowned and stepped back. “I had no idea.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sakes, Finn. I have female friends, too, and another male friend up in Muskegon who sends me beautiful photos of the sunrise over Lake Michigan.”

  Cammie watched Finn wrench his hat off and run a hand through his short hair before slamming the Stetson back in place. “And this is supposed to make me feel better?”

  Rose laughed. “Honey, we just talk and share things like recipes, which you know I have a lot of, and pictures of their grandkids, which you know I have none of…bu
t,” she paused to place Cammie’s hand in Finn’s before covering them with her own. “Now that you’re engaged, I know there’ll be some in my future.”

  Pain shot through Cammie so furious their faces blurred and she fought to remain conscious. Children. A baby. She just couldn’t think about carrying a child right now.

  Half expecting to slam into the hard pavement, she was surprised to find herself cradled against a hard, unyielding chest instead. She blinked and sucked in air. The Navy cowboy’s tantalizing scent was much more potent and enjoyable than smelling salts. But it did the trick. She was fully conscious and completely embarrassed. She hated showing weakness.

  “Sorry. I’m okay. You can let go now.”

  Blue eyes, full of concern narrowed as he stared unblinkingly down at her. “Are you sure?”

  Damn, the man was gorgeous. She had the uncontrollable urge to melt into his magnificent form. The reaction was rare. She hadn’t felt that need in years, and now certainly wasn’t the time for a resurrection. The cowboy was a former SEAL and her C.O.’s brother; two things that made him off limits.

  She straightened her back and pushed out of his embrace. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cammie. I didn’t mean to make you feel faint.” His mother touched her arm. “I’m a fool…rushing the two of you when you’re barely even engaged.”

  Cammie patted the woman’s hand. “About that. I don’t know what Brett told you, but Finn and I are not engaged.”

  Rose glanced at Cammie’s left hand then to her son. “Oh, dear. Me and my big mouth, Finn. You haven’t had time to ask her and now I’ve ruined your surprise.”

  “Yeah, Finn.” Terry laughed. “Now what are you going to do?”

  Cammie couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of the situation.

  “He’s going to have some alone time with his…with Cammie now they’re finally meeting face to face,” his mother answered firmly, then turned to the foreman. “Terry, grab her things and take them inside. I’m going to start dinner. I want it to be extra special.”

  “Mom, you don’t have to do that.” Finn shook his head.

  “Of course I do.” His mother smiled, then lowered her voice as she lifted on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. “Congratulations, hun, she’s beautiful.”