High-Stakes Cowboy (WEST Protection)

by Em Petrova

  “We’re untrained too, bro,” Noah reminded him.

  “Exactly. It’s why I’m prepared to get us the training we need. There’s an academy out in eastern Montana run by a retired Navy SEAL. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to him. I even visited the training facility a few months back.”

  Boone, Josiah and Noah all stared at their brother. “You’re serious, Ross?” Noah asked.

  “As a heart attack. We could fill a big hole by providing security teams wherever we’re needed. But Landon and Silas have been discussing other branches of security—online accounts, firewalls and such.”

  Looking at the two buddies who’d earned degrees in computers, coding and program design, it was no wonder they’d already thought through all this.

  Noah shook his head. “You’ve kept us in the dark about this?”

  “Not in the dark. The entire idea’s been percolating, and you know me, I won’t talk about something until I’m sure of it. Tonight I’m sure of it.” Ross met Noah’s eyes. “You want in?”

  “What about the ranch, man?”

  “We’ve got enough hands to take up the slack if we’re away on a job. I know six businesses right now who are prepared to hire us.”

  Boone held out a fist. “Count me in. If I get to use my ropin’ skills on idiots, I don’t want to miss out.”

  Chuckling, Josiah extended his fist too. They bumped knuckles.

  “Guys?” Ross added his, and so did Silas and Landon. When Noah edged in last and completed the circle, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. If he was trained, he could protect his loved ones. He’d never have to worry about Maya Ray.

  “Fill me in about everything later. Right now, I got a woman waitin’ on me.” He shot Ross a grin and pulled away from the group. He strode to his truck and hopped behind the wheel, his mind shifting gears from what just went down and a new future on the horizon for the Wyntons…to the woman he was falling in love with.

  Chapter Seven

  Before Maya Ray even opened the door to Noah, she knew that something was wrong.

  With part excitement and part trepidation, she answered his knock. Cool night air blasted her face, but the sight of the cowboy standing on her front steps left her feeling a bit too warm.

  “Hi.” Why did she also sound breathless? This is Noah—your pretend boyfriend, remember?

  His hat was tugged so low over his eyes, making it impossible for her to see them in the combined shadow and darkness.

  “Can I come in?” His rumble edged through all her defenses, leaving her hotter, more breathless.

  She stepped back with as much casualness as she could muster. “Of course.”

  He crowded into her mudroom. Was he always this big? Maybe her apartment was small.

  He looked around, his stare latching onto the fishing rod in the corner. His dimple flickered but vanished again, along with whatever smile he almost gave her.

  “What’s going on?” Had he come to tell her he didn’t want to do this anymore? Relief started to trickle in—she didn’t want to either. But she didn’t want to stop seeing him.

  “You must be wonderin’ why I asked you to wait to meet with you. And why it’s so late.”

  She nodded. “I thought you would celebrate your ride—and win—with your family.”

  “We do. We will. It got too late, because something happened tonight.”

  She searched his eyes. “Come in and sit down, Noah. This doesn’t seem like a talk to have standing up.”

  He dipped his head. “That’s true.”

  She led him into her humble living room. He perched on the edge of the sofa, and she realized this might be heavier than she expected.

  “What happened? Was it Jake?”

  He blinked at her. “Jake? No.” She could tell his mind was far from her ex.

  She folded her hands in her lap and waited for him to speak.

  When he started by telling her about the men who approached the gate, her gut clenched. And after he added the part about the man carrying a weapon and how he had to tase one and wrestle with the other to get the gun away from him, she stopped breathing.

  “Maya Ray. Are you okay?” Concern lit in his eyes, and he latched onto her shoulder as if to hold her up.

  She sucked in a big breath. “Noah, that’s crazy!”

  He nodded. “Surprised the hell outta me. When Ross asked me to run security, I thought I might catch a few people trying to enter without paying.”

  She studied his handsome face. “Things could have gone so terribly.”

  “That’s true, but I guess we know how to handle ourselves well enough. Anyway, that’s why it’s so late and the celebration’s postponed. I didn’t want you to sit awake wondering, and it wasn’t something I could share over a text.”

  “No.” The urge to touch him and make sure he was safe flared strong, like a flame hit by oxygen. To hell with the pact—they were friends, when it came down to facts. She reached out and took hold of his hand.

  He made a soft sound in his throat and folded her fingers into his palm. They stared at each other for a moment. Her heart throbbed. Should she bring up the topic of their deal?

  It was late—after midnight. Talks at this time of night rarely went as planned, so she simply squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you’re all right. And I’m glad you came by to tell me.”

  “Will you still come celebrate with us tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Of course.” She smiled.

  “Want me to pick you up?”

  “I’ll drive.”

  “Okay, come around noon. Momma’s got a big lunch planned.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  He sat there a second longer, looking at her. The warmth in his eyes created knots in her core, and she found it hard to breathe again. After several more heartbeats, he stood.

  Still holding his hand, they walked to the door. Before he opened it to leave, he gathered her in as if to wrap her in his arms. He stopped short, holding her by the upper arms, hovering over her.

  Insides fluttering, she tipped her head to meet his gaze. Very slowly, he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes at the caress.

  He straightened. She squeezed his hand once, and then he walked out.

  She didn’t know how to feel about that goodbye. On one hand, the kiss had been the sweetest act. But maybe it was meant as a parting? They couldn’t keep up this ruse of dating forever.

  Why did it feel like the beginning of an end?

  * * * * *

  “Get out there and show us your buckle, Noah.” His momma flapped a hand toward the yard.

  Shaking his head with amusement, he strode out a short distance for the entire family gathered for the celebration to see the big gold trophy he wore on his belt. Applause broke out. Standing at the edge of the group, Maya Ray clapped along with them all—as if she had no doubt of her place here and that she belonged.

  His stomach hollowed. She did belong, dammit. She just didn’t know it yet. But he planned to tell her as soon as he could get her alone.

  Ross led a saddled horse over to Noah. “You know the drill, brother.”

  Feeling more ridiculous than ever, Noah mounted the horse. Ross took the lead rope and began walking them around the yard while all the little kids trailed behind on ponies in the Wynton family parade that seemed much funnier when it was one of his brothers at the center of attention.

  As he passed the line of family members, Boone wore a big old grin and Josiah doffed his hat in mock salute to the person of honor today.

  “This is a ridiculous tradition,” Noah called to Ross.

  “Yes, it is. But it’s what we Wyntons do.”

  “Embarrass the hell out of a family member?”

  “That’s right. You get double honors today since you won the buckle, bro. Suck it all in. Wave to your fans now and smile pretty.” Ross’s sarcastic tone pulled a groan from Noah, but he waved to his momma, his aunt Meredith and his three f
emale cousins of various awkward teenage years grouped together watching him go by like he was a celebrity on a parade float.

  His cousin’s daughter, Gwen, clattered along in a little wooden cart drawn by Bixby the miniature horse at the rear of the parade, and she got the most applause. When they passed, Noah saw Maya Ray clap the hardest for her and giggle until her cheeks flushed pinker.

  Hell, he really didn’t want to lose Maya Ray. She’d made this one of the most interesting and fun weeks that he could remember having in his whole life.

  But he was afraid to tell her. What if she didn’t feel the same about him? She still brought up Jake. Maybe her feelings for her ex hadn’t vanished as quickly as his did for Shana.

  Ross changed the course of the parade, widening the loop so the kids on ponies got more riding time, but little Bixby got too excited and took off in the wrong direction, dragging the cart with little Gwen bumping along behind at a fast pace.

  “Help! Someone help!” she cried out, which had the onlookers doubled over with laughter.

  Ross released his lead rope to run after the cart and rescue Gwen. Noah glanced toward Maya Ray, and then made a snap decision.

  He grabbed up the lead rope and then whirled his mount. As he trotted toward her, her jaw dropped. When he reached down for her hand, she didn’t hesitate to slip hers into his grasp.

  He pulled her up into the saddle behind him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist as he kicked his mount into action and galloped away from his own parade.

  Shouts sounded behind them, and he felt Maya Ray vibrate with laughter.

  Grinning, he directed the mount across the field and then to his favorite trail that led through the valley and by the creek. The sun cast the world in a golden glow.

  With Maya Ray’s arms around him and her cheek pressed against his spine, he didn’t want this to ever end. Maybe it didn’t have to.

  If he got up enough guts to tell her how he felt.

  He slowed the horse to a walk and then reined her in. He dismounted and looked up at Maya Ray. Damn, the woman was so beautiful she made his heart ache. With her long brown hair waving to her waist and rippling in the breeze, she almost stopped his heart.

  Their gazes locked. He reached up for her, and she slid out of the saddle into his arms. He held her a beat too long before he drew away to look at her again.

  “Maya Ray. We need to talk.” He smoothed a lock of hair off her cheek and then tangled his fingers into the thick mass, holding her in the perfect place for kissing. As he settled his other hand on her hip, a dozen ways to tell her how he felt paraded through his head like the Wyntons had across the yard a little bit ago.

  He lightly kneaded her hip, tugging her inch by inch across the ground until she was pressed up against him.

  “Maya Ray,” he whispered, skating a fingertip down the silk of her cheek to the point of her chin. She didn’t pull away, so he took it a step further by rubbing his thumb back and forth over her plump lower lip. Her eyes burned up into his, and his guts clenched with desire. Out here, they were alone. He could lay her down on the thick grass and make love to her.

  “Noah?”

  “I like you,” he said before she could say anything to stain the moment. “Really like you. Not actin’, Maya Ray.”

  She searched his eyes as if to find some hidden lies there.

  “It’s true. I’m an open book with you. You make it so easy to be with you. Touching you felt right from the start and the more I did it, the more I want it.”

  “Noah…”

  He cut off whatever she was about to say by slamming his mouth over hers. The sweet crush of her plump lips under his had him hard and aching at the first touch. He deepened it, angling her head with his fingers knotted in her long hair to swish his tongue across hers.

  She issued a low hum and gave in to him for a dizzying, ball-tightening moment. She brought her hand up to his chest and let it slide down, down his abs nearly to his belt buckle before she dropped it to her side and stepped back.

  “Noah, we do need to talk.”

  His guts clutched hard. From the expression she wore, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to hear what she had to say. He rushed on, “Maya Ray, what I’m trying to tell you is I feel more for you in a week than I did for Shana in a year. I need you to know this isn’t an act. You make me laugh. You keep me guessing. You kiss better than any woman I’ve ever kissed and fish better than most men I know.”

  Her eyelids fluttered. She stared down at her hands. “I-I don’t know if it will work, Noah. We started off all wrong, and that’s my fault. I’m the one who devised that plan to make our exes crazy by seeing us together.”

  “I don’t give a damn about our exes.” Then it hit him that she really might still be clinging to some hope of a future with Jake the D-bag. “Do you?” he grated out.

  She shook her head. “No. I’m done with Jake. It’s only that…where do you and I stand now? We met at a party. We slept together within minutes of knowing each other. We woke up to discover our exes left us for each other. Then we pretended to be in a relationship all week long.”

  “So we just stop pretending.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that easy to flip a switch on our thinking.”

  “It is for me. Maya Ray, I didn’t pretend I wanted you at that party. I wanted you more than any other woman I’ve ever wanted in my life. When you touched me, kissed me…orgasmed for me in the bed of my truck that night, that was all real to me. Are you saying it wasn’t for you?”

  She dragged in a breath so deep the force seemed to sway her. “I don’t know, Noah.”

  He bowed his head. She didn’t feel the same about him. He couldn’t push his emotions onto her and hope they were equal.

  “All right,” he said quietly. “I’ll back off. Give you some time.”

  She didn’t look at him when she bobbed her head in agreement. His guts sank to the soles of his boots. If there was any hope of changing her mind, he would have fought for it. But the flat expression in her eyes left him no question about it. Maya Ray didn’t want him.

  * * * * *

  Maya Ray locked the office door and waved goodbye to her uncle. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Have a good evening, Maya Ray.” He walked to his truck, got in and drove out of the small parking lot of his water testing business.

  She stared after him for a minute, considered unlocking the door and going back inside to do some work. Not that they were backlogged—but the thought of going home alone with nothing to look forward to but a lonely frozen dinner and a night of boring TV made her cringe.

  Three weeks had passed since she saw Noah. Three long, heart-wrenching weeks where she racked her brain for answers.

  When he told her how he felt down by the creek, she didn’t know how to react. Part of her felt he was jumping the gun—on the rebound. And the last thing she wanted to be was Noah’s rebound.

  The only answer was to gain some distance from him. But three weeks later, he was all she could think about.

  With a sigh, she climbed into her car and drove to the closest market to grab another frozen dinner. What would Noah be doing these past weeks? Had he gotten over her?

  She heard from her uncle that the Wynton boys and some of their buddies had formed a company to provide security services and would soon be training with a former Navy SEAL at his academy out east. She’d taken in this gossip without so much as a flinch at the mention of Noah’s name, and she didn’t let on to her uncle that she knew him as well as she did. Well enough to know that altercation at the rodeo with the armed man had affected Noah deeply—and must be the driving force behind his agreeing to form the security company.

  She knew how Noah’s eyes gleamed when he looked down at her. How perfectly rough his hands were on her body. How thorough his kisses.

  How much he loved his momma and respected his family traditions so much that he let them put him on a horse and parade him around in such a silly fashion w
hile the whole family laughed at him.

  She roamed the aisles of the market, looking for something new to get away from her usual frozen dinner. As she stopped in front of a canned soup display, a deep voice sounded.

  “Maya Ray.”

  She looked up at Jake. He offered her a million-watt smile that would have once curled her toes. “Hi, Jake.”

  “How are you?” He stepped closer.

  “Fine.”

  “You here alone?” He glanced around as if waiting for Noah to walk into the aisle.

  She nodded.

  “Me too. Shana and I broke up.”

  Her gaze flashed to his. She should feel smug, but she just felt sorry for all four of them too much.

  “Sorry to hear that,” she said.

  He shrugged. “Some things aren’t meant to be, huh?” His statement insinuated that her relationship with Noah was on the same level as his with Shana.

  Her brow crumpled. Was that true?

  “Wanna go grab some dinner instead of having a can of soup?” Jake eyed her with his bright smile in place.

  She reached out to skim her fingers over the label of a can. Then she retracted her hand. “Actually, no. Thanks anyway. I have someplace to go. Bye, Jake.” She hurried away, lengthening her strides until she was running to jump behind the wheel of her car and zooming off through Stone Pass to the outskirts of town where the Wyntons’ ranch sat.

  Jake had offered her another chance with him, but she didn’t want that. Not one bit. She was in love with another man.

  She bumped down the lane leading to the ranch as fast as she could safely go. When she slammed the car into park and ran up to the house, the door opened. Mrs. Wynton swung it wide and greeted her with a smile.

  “Maya Ray! How good to see you.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Wynton. I wondered if Noah’s around.” Please say yes. Please say yes.

  She didn’t know what she’d do if he wasn’t home or worse, already went off to that training her uncle told her about.

  The woman’s smile widened. “Sure is. He just came in for supper.” She ducked her head back inside and hollered out, “Noah! Someone here to see you!”