If only she knew what sort of club I managed. It wasn’t a normal club, but an elite, private club, where you could act out your fantasies in a secure, safe setting. And it wasn’t just about BDSM, lots of members of the club weren’t into BDSM, there were some who liked to share, others who just liked to watch. It just happened to be my particular kink.
It wasn’t just a job to me, it was my life.
I ran my hand over my bare scalp. “Don’t think many people would be coming to me, Teeny.”
“I don’t know, you’d be plenty popular with the ladies,” Mac commented. My youngest brother was generally pretty quiet.
“I already am,” I boasted.
Joel snorted. “I can see your ego hasn’t deflated any.”
I puffed out my chest. “Not ego if it’s the truth.”
Caleb let out a small laugh.
“You can reel them in but can you keep ’em?” Joel asked.
“Now where’s the fun in that?”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “Now that’s real nice since you’ve got a girl sleeping in your bed upstairs.”
I frowned at him. We’d just been playing around, hadn’t we?
“Are you serious about her?” Ariana asked. Now that question surprised me. Usually, Ariana just sat back and listened to our banter.
“Brought her home with me, didn’t I?” I said, smarting from Caleb’s comment. I always looked after the women I dated.
“Luke.” Joel gave me a disapproving look, and I turned to look at Ariana who was now staring down at her clenched hands. God, what an ass I was.
I reached over and unclasped her hands and rubbed my thumbs over the red marks she’d left on her palms. “Sorry, Teeny. Guess I’m a bit out of sorts.”
She nodded, then smiled up at me shyly. “U-u-understandable.”
My breath caught. Why had I never noticed how intensely green her eyes were? Or how creamy her skin was? And why was I noticing it now?
I ran a finger under her eye, not liking the dark patches I saw there. “You been getting enough sleep? Been eating properly?”
For the first two months, she’d lived on the ranch, she’d barely eaten. I don’t know why, but I suspected it had to do with some of those bitches in her class at school. Once, she’d been out in the barn with Van, and she’d fainted. I don’t know what had happened between the two of them, but since that day they’ve been tight. Van didn’t have many friends. He was a loner, but he’d always made time for Ariana.
Ariana rolled her eyes. “Same as always.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re always trying to look after everyone around you.” She laughed, and the low sound made my cock tighten. Christ, what would it feel like having her laugh while my cock was in her mouth or her pussy or her . . . fuck! I needed to stop. I had no right thinking about sex with Ariana. I moved back from her and tried to ignore the flash of hurt in her eyes. I needed to keep some distance before my arousal got out of control. And I worried I’d push her back on the couch and take those lips she was currently chewing on.
Distance. I needed distance. If she knew my true thoughts, she’d thank me for putting some space between us. The last thing she’d ever want is my attention. Ariana was an innocent. A little naïve, and that wasn’t a bad thing, but she was off bounds.
“So if Luke’s the caretaker, what are the rest of us?” Caleb asked.
I growled. “I’m not a fucking caretaker.”
“Joel’s the leader. The worrier.”
“I don’t worry,” Joel muttered even as he rubbed his hand over hair that was sprinkled with gray. He was only thirty-five.
She gave him a smile. “You’re also the backbone. The one who keeps everything together.” She turned Caleb, who was next in age to him. “Caleb’s the clown.”
“Hey!” Caleb protested.
“But in a good way,” she said soothingly. “If I was ever feeling low, I knew you’d always cheer me up. You’re a good listener, too. Much better than any of the others.”
I stared down at her, insulted. “I know how to listen.”
“Uh-huh.” She patted my knee. She didn’t even look at me as she touched me, and still, her caress swam through my bloodstream like fire melting ice.
“And me?” Mac asked quietly.
“You’re the thinker, the strategist. You don’t make a m-move until you weigh everything out.”
They all nodded. She had Mac pegged even if she was a bit off about the rest of us. Although she was right, Caleb could be a fucking clown. I hadn’t forgotten the time he’d glued everything to my desk, right before we were due to catch the bus. The old man had gone postal because I’d been late and he’d had to get one of the ranch hands to drive me into town.
Of course, Caleb had been sorry later, when the old man had taken his displeasure out on my hide. I frowned, trying to push that dark thought away. Joel gave me a look, almost as though he knew what I was thinking. I guess we were all making our way through dark memories of that bastard tonight.
I took another sip of scotch. “So, what about Van?”
She turned to look at the door, almost as though she expected him to walk through it. She’d be waiting a long time for Van to ever step foot on this ranch again.
“Van’s the protector.”
“Hey,” I protested, insulted. “Van? What about me? Van’s never here.”
“Neither are you,” she pointed out quietly. But those words hit me hard. She was right. I hadn’t been back there in years. Caleb was a firefighter in Kingsville, while Mac was in software development. I didn’t know exactly what he did because it all went over my head. But I knew he was good, and he made plenty of money. He’d bought a house near San Antonio.
We chatted for hours about old times—good and bad. Every time things turned dark, Ariana seemed to manage to steer the conversation back to something more light-hearted. She’d always been the peacemaker.
“Maybe we should call it a night,” Caleb said quietly. “Been a hell of a day.”
I nodded, seeing Ariana yawn. “I’ll walk you home, Teeny.”
She snorted. “I l-live a few yards away.”
I frowned at her rebuttal. What difference did that make? “It’s three in the morning, it’s dark as hell outside, and you shouldn’t be walking around at night alone.”
She patted my knee again. Christ, she had to stop doing that. “I walk around all the time at n-night. Who’s going to h-hurt me here?” She screwed her nose up then sighed. “Sorry. Tired.”
“Don’t apologize.” I gave Joel a dark look, and he shook his head.
“It’s pretty safe around here, brother.”
“Trust all the hands that much, do you? Know for sure they’d never hurt her?”
Joel rubbed his forehead.
“Stop picking on Joel,” she ordered, standing. “They’re n-not interested in me. All good men. Well, m-mostly.”
I noticed her sentences were growing shorter. I knew she did that when she was struggling to control the stuttering. She had to be exhausted, but I wasn’t about to let it go. “Mostly?”
She shrugged. “C-couple of the h-hands from Bear Ridge. Don’t like me. U-understandable.”
“No, it’s not,” I said. “You had nothing to do with what happened.”
“Has someone said something to you?” Joel asked sharply. Obviously, this was news to him.
Ariana looked at us both nervously then she turned to Caleb and Mac, but they were staring at her seriously. She’d find no help there.
“No. D-doesn’t matter. I a-avoid them. Problem solved.”
“I want to know what they’ve said,” I told her.
“No.”
My eyes widened with surprise. I knew there was a strong backbone beneath the shyness, but she’d always given me whatever I asked for. She’d never told me no.
“Ariana,” I said in a low voice that meant business.
“Luke,” she countered, not giving an inch.
>
Fuck, I was proud of her. Annoyed, irritated, and worried, but also proud. Still, she needed to learn I wasn’t to be ignored or avoided. I’d get what I wanted.
“Seems like Luke is jealous of Van’s protector status,” Caleb joked, breaking the standoff.
The others laughed, but Ariana didn’t. She just watched him. “This isn’t the end of it. And I’m walking you home.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
I followed her out, staring down at her bent head. “You don’t have to feel r-responsible for me anymore,” she said suddenly.
“What? What do you mean?”
“You had to p-protect me when I was young, and I appreciate that,” she spoke slowly. “But I’m an a-adult now. I don’t need protecting.”
Oh, no. Hell no.
I reached out and grabbed her arm as we reached her small cottage. I drew her around, clasping her shoulders. “I’ll always protect you. It doesn’t have anything to do with age. When we’re old, I’ll still protect you because that’s my job.”
“You feel r-responsible for me? I’m not y-your obligation anymore.”
What the fuck?
“What does that mean? Of course, I feel responsible for you. You’re family. You might see Van as the protector, but we all protect each other.”
She was looking up at me, but it was too dark to make out her features. “Why the hell don’t you have a security light?”
“What? Oh, the b-bulb is blown. N-need to get a new one.”
“I’ll do it. Joel installed a state-of-the-art security system at the main house, and you don’t even have a bulb for your security light? What was he thinking?”
“Luke.” She sighed.
“I don’t want to hear it, Ariana. I don’t know where this bullshit is coming from. But I’m always going to look out for you. Just like I always have. Now go. Get to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ariana
I watched as Luke walked away, sadness filling me. What he’d said had been sweet, even if he’d been irritated at the time. But I didn’t want him to feel like he was obliged to look after me. I didn’t want him to see me as that helpless, bullied child.
But perhaps that was all he’d ever see me as, a little sister in need of his protection. I suppose I’d just have to live with that.
Chapter Two
Luke
I pulled off my hat and wiped the sweat from my brow. I was hot, dusty, thirsty, and tired—and enjoying every second of it.
Joel rode up and stopped next to me. “Forgot what hard work was like, didn’t you, city slicker?”
I’d never admit it out loud, but I had. Whenever I’d slogged it out on the ranch as a teenager, it had been begrudgingly. I hadn’t wanted to help the old man. Plus, it meant less time with my friends. I’d never really noticed how beautiful the land was, or how much satisfaction you could gain from a hard day’s work.
“I know you city people need your rest. You want to stop for a nap? Maybe curl up with a blankie and some warm milk?”
I gave my brother my middle finger. I knew the jab was partly about Caroline. She hadn’t been up before noon since we’d been here. Nobody laid in bed during the day around here unless they were ill. Everyone worked hard.
Not that I’d noticed Ashlynn doing much in the three days I’d been here.
“Fuck you. I’m keeping up.”
“Just. I was shocked you could get back on your horse this morning.”
I had been as well. Truth was, I nearly hadn’t made it out of bed this morning. Only the thought of the hell I’d catch from Joel had kept me moving. Caleb had gone back to work. He had a four-day shift then he’d be back tomorrow afternoon. Mac was working in Joel’s office. I hadn’t intended to stay this long. But Joel had gotten a call from a law firm in Houston the day after the old bastard’s funeral. Some hotshot lawyer the old man had employed to do his will was coming out to visit, but he couldn’t get there until the day after tomorrow.
“Why do you suppose the old man employed some city lawyer instead of using ol’ Donny?” I asked.
Donny Francis was the only lawyer in Bear Ridge, and, as far as I knew, my father had always used him for everything.
“Don’t know. Who knows why the old man did anything? Listen, I’ve got to meet with the vet about Silkie.” Silkie was a pregnant mare. “Can you go check on Lyle? He’s putting up some high-tensile fencing in the pasture by the creek.”
“Sure.” Lyle was one of the guys who came from Bear Ridge who worked on the ranch. “How long’s he been working here?”
“About six months. He’s a good worker when he’s being supervised. Has a bit of a temper on him, though.”
I nodded and turned Tiddlywinks around. Hell of a name for a horse, but Ariana had named her years ago, and I hadn’t had the heart to change it. After all, I was the one who’d told Ariana she could name her. As I rode up to where Lyle was parked, I saw rounds of fencing wire on the bed of his truck, but I didn’t see him anywhere. Suddenly, he popped out from around the front of the truck.
“Luke, hey, man.” The words were friendly, but his gaze wasn’t. Lyle was a few years younger than me. I’d gone to school with his older brother, Wayne, and to say we hadn’t gotten along was putting it mildly.
I wasn’t sure what he’d been doing, but he sure as hell hadn’t been working.
“You haven’t gotten very far.” I thought Joel had said he was a good worker.
“Workin’ as fast as I can.”
Sure he was.
“I’ll help you.” I climbed down off Tiddlywinks and grabbed some gloves off the back of the truck.
“Sorry about your old man,” Lyle offered as he tightened the wire. “I liked him.”
“You’d be one of the few.” I moved towards the fence and crouched.
“He was a real man, you know.” Lyle continued to ratchet the wire tighter. “Knew what he wanted and how to get it and fuck everybody else. I admire that.”
“What?” I turned to look at him as I was pulling on the gloves. Just then the wire snapped. I reared back, putting my hand out to protect my face. The wire caught my still bare hand. If I’d been any slower, it would have hit me in the face.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I roared. “Weren’t you checking the tension indicator?”
“Oh fuck, sorry, man. I must have done it too tight. Are you hurt bad?”
I couldn’t tell if he was sincere or not. I grabbed the first aid kit off the truck, Joel insisted each of the ranch’s vehicles carry one, found a thick pad, and pressed it against my hand.
“Better let me drive you back.”
I held up my good hand. “Think you’ve done enough.”
“It was an accident.”
Yeah, sure it was. I managed to get back on Tiddlywinks’ back with only one hand, rode slowly back to the house, and handed Tiddlywinks over to the stable manager. As I walked to the house, my hand throbbed. I opened the kitchen door, figuring no one would be inside. But the scent of food cooking hit me immediately.
I removed my boots and strode into the kitchen, expecting to find Daisy there. I came to a stop as I saw the delectable little ass wiggling in front of me. I swallowed hard. It was like it was meant to be. Just a few steps forward and I could squeeze, caress, and spank . . . suddenly the owner of that tight ass turned.
Ariana placed her hand on her chest, gaping at me, her eyes wide. “Eek! Luke, you scared the bejesus out of me. What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” I countered, taking in the apron she wore over the ugliest blouse I’d ever laid eyes on. “Does that shirt have pineapples on it?”
“What? Oh.” She blushed slightly as she glanced down at herself. “It’s a Hawaiian shirt. It cheers me up.”
I pulled a chair out at the small table in the middle of the kitchen. The room had managed to escape Ashlynn’s decorating torture. Unfortunately, my bedroom had not. If anyone at WildeSide ever found out I’d slept under a d
uvet covered with pink and red roses, I’d never live it down.
“Pfft, who stuck a burr under your saddle?” She moved closer with a gasp as I removed the gauze from my hand. “Jesus, Luke, what happened?”
“Fencing wire coiled back at me.”
“What?” She grabbed a chair and started to drag it across the floor. “What were you doing with fencing wire?”
“Mending a fence,” I replied, watching her curiously. “What are you doing?”
“I thought you were bringing in some steers with Joel, and I’m grabbing the first aid kit.”
She climbed on the chair then actually stretched up on tippy toe to open the cupboard above the pantry. She swayed precariously, and I quickly stood, my heart nearly seizing as I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off the chair.
“Luke, I n-nearly had it.”
I set her down near the table. “Stay.”
She folded her arms and tapped her foot.
I reached up with my good hand and pulled the first aid kit down. “What is this doing up so high? It should be in easy reach of everyone.”
She shrugged and took the kit from me. “Ashlynn rearranged the kitchen. Everyone else can reach it just fine. I guess she forgot how short I am.”
“Forgot, or just didn’t care,” I grumbled under my breath.
“Come here, we need to wash it.” She stood next to me at the sink, and I didn’t pay any attention to my hand. I just let her take charge while I watched her. Her touch was soft and gentle as she cleaned the blood off. Then she patted it dry.
“Come. Sit down,” she ordered.
“You never used to be this bossy,” I complained.
“I was too much of a s-scaredy-cat to be bossy.”
I didn’t like that thought. But the fact that she was taking charge with me right now meant she felt secure.
“You weren’t a scaredy-cat.”
“No? Your memory going in your old age?” she teased.
“Watch it, brat.”
She opened the first aid kit, and I looked over at the chair she’d been using to reach the high cupboard.
Luke (Bad Boys of WildeSide Book 3) Page 2
