Cowboy-Sexy

by Donna Michaels

  The cowboy looked down at her, his gaze clouded with what, she wasn’t sure. He blinked, and a second later his trusty shroud returned.

  “Now we can eat,” his mother announced.

  Happy to put some distance between her and Cowboy-Sexy, she let Rose lead the way to another large room in the back of the house. More wooden floors, log walls and beamed ceilings. Cammie found the dining room to be as open and pleasant as the rest of the home.

  Floor-to-ceiling glass doors took up the whole back wall, showcasing a stunning view of the mountain in the background. A beautiful red and cream woven rug centered the large solid oak, hand-carved dining set.

  “What a beautiful table.” Cammie ran a hand over the glossy surface.

  “Finn’s father made it for me for our first Christmas.”

  Rose’s expression turned wistful. “Bill would’ve liked you, Cammie.”

  Guilt gripped her stomach tight. “Thank you,” Cammie said, and because she felt obligated, she glanced at the cowboy and added, “My mother would’ve liked Finn, too.”

  At least that much was true. Her mother had met Brett twice and she had liked him. Under other circumstances, surely her mother would’ve felt the same about his twin.

  “You know, Rose,” Aunt Lettie began, her over-bright gaze bouncing from Finn, to her, then to her sister. “It’s supposed to be rain-free this Sunday. I think it would be the perfect day to throw Finn and Cammie an engagement party so the rest of the family and friends can meet her.”

  Ah, hell.

  “What a great idea!”

  A big smile lit his mother’s face. Finn hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time. A pang of guilt washed over him. He knew his grim moods had been partly to blame.

  “I don’t want you to go through all that trouble,” Cammie told his mother.

  He swallowed a grunt. The Marine was wasting her time.

  “It’s no trouble at all, dear.”

  He watched his fake fiancée palm the table as she leaned toward the women. “But it’s only five days away.”

  “Don’t you worry none, Cammie. We’ve planned bigger parties in less time, haven’t we, Rose?”

  Aunt Lettie’s grin soured his already dour mood.

  “Sure have.”

  “But I…I think Finn’s too busy, right?”

  Those whiskey brown eyes gazed at him, imploring as if she thought he could do something to stop his mother and aunt. When these two women got together, they could take on a tank and win.

  Still, he had to at least give it a shot. “Yes, being short handed has put us behind with the dam repair.”

  “No problem.” Uncle Bo shook his head, helping himself to a generous amount of mashed potatoes. “I’ll send some of my guys over. You can use them for the rest of the week. That should help get you caught up. This way the ladies can have their party and it won’t interfere with the ranch.”

  Damn it. Finn didn’t want his uncle’s help. He didn’t want a party. Hell, he didn’t want to be engaged…at least not to this woman.

  She was nothing like Heather.

  The brunette was too headstrong. Opinionated. Worst of all, a Marine.

  Still, he hadn’t expected her to taste so good. He glanced at her mouth. The kiss they shared may have been brief, but there was the promise of a fire and vibrancy he’d never experienced before.

  Apparently though, the only desire he invoked in the damn woman was one of amusement. Why the hell had she giggled?

  “So, what do you say, Finn?”

  His uncle’s voice brought his attention back to the conversation. Finn quickly weighed his options. Having none, he forced a smile, hoping it appeared sincere. “Thanks. I appreciate it, Uncle Bo.”

  “You’re more than welcome, son.”

  His uncle’s weathered expression was earnest.

  “Good, then it’s settled,” his mother said. “Sunday around two we’ll have the engagement party. It’ll be so nice to see this place lively again.”

  Lively. Funny his mother chose that word because right now, Finn was contemplating murder.

  Two hours later, company gone, he found himself walking hand in hand upstairs with his new fiancée while his mother wished them goodnight. Once inside his room, he released Cammie’s soft hand, and his patience.

  He ripped the hat from his head and whipped it across the room. “Brett’s really done it this time.”

  How the hell was he going to get out of this mess now that there was more than his mother and Terry involved?

  Finn clenched his fists and bit back a slew of curses. On top of that, now he had to accept help from his uncle so they could have a party he didn’t want. His cracking knuckles echoed in the silence. He needed to hit something. Preferably his brother, but he’d settle for the heavy bag in the weight room.

  But, how would it look if he left his fiancée alone? Bad.

  He picked the Stetson up off the floor on his way to the couch, tossed the hat on the table and watched it skid across the surface.

  “I’m sorry,” Cammie said quietly.

  That was rich. He stiffened and slowly turned to face her. “You should be sorry. Why the hell are you even here?”

  Chapter Five

  The Marine blinked. Marine. That was the last thing Cammie resembled in that damn sexy dress, giving him an extensive view of her bare shoulders and mouthwatering cleavage. Then there were her heels, granted they weren’t the stilts Heather used to wear, but they still drew his attention to those beautiful long legs. Cripes. He had enough trouble. He didn’t need the tempting display of his roommate’s assets.

  Nor had he needed to kiss her. She was supposed to taste hard and blah…like a Marine—not soft and hot with the ability to interfere with his pulse.

  Cammie tipped her head and stared right back at him. “I told you. I’m here to help your brother.”

  His brother. Right. Finn sniffed. A beautiful, headstrong woman like her committed three months to shoveling out horse stalls because his brother asked. He didn’t buy it for a minute. Unless…

  He stilled as a thought occurred. “Are you in love with Brett?”

  “What?”

  He studied her dazed look. “That’s it. You’re in love with my brother, aren’t you?”

  That explained a lot. Her willingness to live with people she never met, to do manual labor…to laugh when he kissed her. It all made perfect sense. She was in love with Brett.

  “Captain Brennan?”

  Merriment flashed through her gaze, and he watched as she held her stomach and laughed.

  “Oh, hell no. Brett and I have always been, and always will be, just friends.”

  Something rippled inside Finn. Couldn’t be relief. Must be his food digesting. He refocused on the lying woman. “So, you’re just doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

  “Yes.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Amusement slowly vanished in her narrowing eyes. “Excuse me?”

  “There’s more to it.” He walked to where she stood by the bench, their gazes locked. “I’ll ask you again, Ms. Walker. Why are you here?”

  Irritation skittered through her brown eyes. She blew out a breath and folded her arms across her chest. He tried not to notice the increased cleavage, but the pleasant valley silently beckoned.

  Damn woman was loaded with weapons, and for an instant, he longed to see the whole arsenal. He shook his head and tuned back in to her voice.

  “We’ve been through all this, cowboy. You’re trying to kill a dead horse.”

  He cocked his head. “We’re not talking about a horse. We’re talking about you, and why you’re here. There’s something you’re not telling me, and I want to know what it is.”

  “Fine.” Her arms dropped to swing at her sides. “Your brother was there for me during some tough times. I’m returning the favor.”

  That told him exactly nothing. He wanted details. So help him, if this woman was dishonorably discharged.
His heart dropped. “What tough times?”

  “None of your business.” She turned to walk away.

  He grabbed her arm and twisted her back around. “Wrong. It is my business. You’re under my roof, on my land, in proximity to my mother. I want to know what happened, and I want to know now.”

  For a split second, the Marine looked like she was about to pounce, but she blew out another breath and relaxed instead.

  “You’re right. I didn’t mean to alarm you.” Cammie held his gaze. “Your brother was there for me when my fiancé and our…” She paused to clear her throat. “When my fiancé was killed, and again this year when my mom passed away.”

  Pain flittered through her eyes, and he realized he was finally getting the whole truth.

  “Brett was a rock. A much needed rock, and I got through, so when he asked if I’d help out around the ranch until his tour was up, of course I said yes.”

  Finn felt like an idiot. Remorse slammed into him hard and fast. He loosened his grip, but not his hold. “I’m sorry, Cammie. I had to know if there was a threat in the house.”

  “No need to apologize.” She patted his hand, a tinge of a smile on her lips. “You have every right to look out for your mother. You’re lucky to have her, and I really hate lying to her.”

  “I know.” He released her. “But it looks like we’re stuck going along with this charade until Brett returns. Then we can have a fake breakup or something and get on with our lives.” He headed to the cupboard, fished out Heather’s ring and tossed it on the bed. “You’d better start wearing that. Let me know if we need to get it adjusted.” He sank onto the bench, running a hand through his hair. Her words had taken the fight right out of him. “It’s been a hell of a day.”

  “Sure has.”

  His mind was still digesting the fact she had been engaged to a real fiancé and the man had died, when she dropped down next to him and proceeded to shove the diamond on her finger. Surprisingly, it fit. He expected the ring to be too small. Cammie was more…solid.

  “This was Heather’s.”

  His head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes. “Brett?”

  “Yes, he told me about her. I’m sorry, Finn. What she did was wrong.”

  He nodded, then dropped his gaze. He didn’t want to talk about it. Wasn’t important.

  The woman apparently thought otherwise. He could feel her gaze on him, but he continued to stare at his boots. Eventually, she gave up and removed her shoes.

  The movement caught his attention and he couldn’t help but admire her legs, again. They were long and lean, with a hint of muscle under her curves. She was firm, and something told him, a formidable opponent in a fight.

  He found himself wondering about her fiancé. “What was his name?”

  She stiffened, then slowly sat up, shoes dangling in her hand. “Tom.”

  He vaguely remembered Brett saying something about a bomb, but it had happened a few days after Finn’s injury so the whole thing was fuzzy. “Kandahar?”

  “Yes. Poor Brett was beside himself with worry over you, then I added to the mix.” She shook her head. “Like I said, the man’s a rock.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  She was right. Brett had stood by him when he’d been medically discharged from the Navy. Finn had lost his career. The woman he loved. His reason for being. He’d been inconsolable and partially crippled.

  When his brother had returned stateside, he added a room to the ranch and loaded it with state of the art equipment. He even hired a physical therapist. The more Finn had felt sorry for himself, the more his brother had pushed, and within nine months, Finn had regained full use of his leg.

  “But I’m still going to kill him,” Cammie uttered, bringing his mind back to the present.

  Her mouth twisted into a small scowl.

  “I can’t believe he lied to your mother and told her we were engaged.”

  “I can,” Finn said. “He was always the mischievous one who left things for me to straighten out.”

  She laughed. “Now, that I can believe.” Her smile soon turned into a yawn as she stood. “I’m beat.”

  He nodded. “Most newcomers have a problem adjusting to the altitude out here.”

  “It’s probably that.” She walked to the closet, dropped her shoes on the floor, then rummaged through her belongings.

  Finn watched as she flicked her long brown hair over her shoulder and wondered briefly how the silky mass would feel against his skin.

  He stiffened. When the hell had he turned into a weak-minded fool?

  She twisted around with clothing in hand. “It could also be the fact I started out my day bright and early in Pennsylvania this morning.”

  Was that today?

  He watched her disappear into the bathroom. Seemed like three days ago. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He was definitely ready for bed, too. But not with her.

  He sprang to his feet and strode to the closet to grab a blanket from the top shelf. That was one complication he did not need. He swiped a pillow off the bed on the way to the couch and regained control of his thought process.

  Besides, she was obviously still in love with her dead fiancé, and he still missed Heather.

  Finn pulled off his boots and socks, removed his shirt, then settled down on the cushions just as she emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a tank top, and shorts so short, he forgot how to breathe.

  “What are you doing there?” Cammie asked, one hand planted on her curvy waist while the other clutched her sundress.

  “What’s it look like, Sherlock? I’m going to sleep.”

  She shook her head, her long locks brushing her chest, giving him the briefest glimpse of her braless form. He stifled a groan. Heaven help him; he was only human.

  “Absolutely, not, Finn,” she stated firmly. “It’s bad enough I’m invading your ranch, your house, your room…I refuse to kick you out of your own bed.”

  He looked her up and down, enjoying the view. “Is that an invitation?”

  Why the hell had he asked that?

  Her mouth dropped open and she blinked. “I…ah…no, it’s not an invitation, Navy. You take the bed. I’ll take the couch.”

  He brought his arm down hard on the cushion. “You stubborn grunt. Just get in the damn bed.”

  Her eyes narrowed and flashed fire before dimming to a look of pure exhaustion.

  “Fine. It’s too late, and I’m too tired to argue. But tomorrow, all bets are off, cowboy.”

  Whatever. He waved her away and closed his eyes. The woman was a control freak.

  She probably liked top.

  His insides stirred. Heather wasn’t too adventurous in bed. She had preferred bottom, and Finn hadn’t minded. He only wanted to please her. But instinct told him the Marine would be quite happy to try any position.

  Now fully aroused, he groaned and turned toward the wall.

  “Sorry, I’ll get the light.”

  She mistook his outburst, but he didn’t care.

  A moment later it was dark, and he could hear the sheets rustling. The thought of the sexy woman lying in his bed, long hair fanned out around her nearly naked body did nothing to alleviate his condition.

  The night was going to be just as long as his day.

  ****

  In what seemed like minutes, the alarm went off, blasting rock music through the room. Finn staggered toward the nightstand, surprised at how well he had slept.

  He shut the alarm off and looked at the bed to see if the noise had awoken Cammie. He blinked.

  The bed was empty.

  Was she already downstairs? A slight movement on the floor caught his attention. He glanced down to find his roommate sitting, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.

  “It’s morning already?”

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  She stilled, then dropped her arms and looked up. Her tussled hair tumbled haphazardly down her back and shoulders, while her eyes and lips still wore
sleep’s kiss.

  His insides fisted. No woman should look that beautiful and sexy first thing in the morning.

  “What’s it look like, Sherlock?” she said, borrowing his phrase from the night before. “I’m getting up.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the alarm went off.”

  “No, I mean why did you sleep on the floor?”

  “Because there was a squid on the couch.”

  He closed his eyes and counted to ten. When he reopened them, Cammie was standing just a few feet away.

  “You were supposed to sleep in the bed.”

  “No, you were. It’s your bed.”

  “Damn it, woman. Listen to reason.”

  “I will when I hear it.” She turned around and marched to the bathroom.

  Finn stared after her.

  What the hell just happened?

  Chapter Six

  Cammie waited until there was no movement behind the door before she reentered the bedroom. This was Finn’s house, let him find another bathroom.

  Not normally one to act cowardly, she just wasn’t in the mood to face Cowboy-Sexy so early in the morning, especially given their state of undress.

  Heat washed through her body as she recalled the barefoot, shirtless cowboy standing over her. She had looked up past those incredible ridges into a mesmerizing blue gaze and forgot how to breathe.

  Thank God he’d closed his eyes.

  When she had stood, she’d noticed a small smattering of hair feathered across his chest, and her fingers had longed to do recon.

  They may not be happy with their engagement, or even like each other, but one thing was very apparent…their physical attraction was strong. Too strong. She was under no illusion it wouldn’t take much on Finn’s part to get her to share his bed. She would have to be stronger and inventive to avoid that snare.

  But right now, she needed coffee. Quickly donning jeans and tank top, Cammie braided her hair, pulled on her socks, laced up her boots and headed downstairs to find the kitchen.

  The smell of bacon made her search easy. She followed the aroma across the foyer, through the dining room, and placing her hand flat on the swinging door, pushed it open to find Rose standing near an oversized stainless steel stove.