by Claire Adams
“What kind of fiction does she write?” I asked. I’d asked Hailey this same question over dinner one night, but her answer had been all over the place, leaving me with more questions than answers. She was a lot less direct than I was used to. Not that it was a bad thing, just different. Everything about her was different. It was refreshing and aggravating, but in a good way, if that made any sense. She kept me on my toes, always guessing at what was going on in that curly blonde head of hers.
Lulu thought on that for a moment, her eyes rising to the ceiling like the answers were up there, and she just needed to find them. All of a sudden, she was staring at me again, her lips rising into another sunny smile. “I guess the best way to describe her style is to say it’s pretty intense. She writes mostly dramatic stories with a romantic subplot.” She must’ve seen the way my nose curled, because she held up a hand and hurried to add, “Not bodice-ripping romance stories! But there’s always a romantic subplot between two strong, dynamic characters. It’s well-written and believable. She doesn’t write tons of steamy scenes that are unnecessary, just the right amount for the story. The one we have is about a guy who’s trying his best to get out of a violent gang because of the woman he loves. It’s really good, Cash. I know that’s not the usual kind of thing you read, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
I was a bit taken aback by the description of the book. You looked at Hailey—a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman no taller than about 5-foot-6 and sweet as molasses—and didn’t expect her to be writing books about gang members in Los Angeles. Those just didn’t seem like the topics that would fire up her imagination. Now I couldn’t help wondering what kind of dramatic scene unfolded in her head when she looked around the ranch. What she’d seen so far hadn’t been terribly interesting. Just a man going through daily chores and going to bed early every night. I loved Wyoming and agreed it would make a great setting for a book, but I couldn’t see a dramatic story unfolding on a ranch like mine. But Hailey seemed excited enough about whatever she had cooking in that brain of hers that I was sure she’d found a topic to fire her up.
“What’s got you interested in Hailey Young’s books?” Lulu asked, one light eyebrow raised, her fingers still resting on the keyboard.
I shrugged as I thought of a decent-sounding excuse. I wasn’t about to tell her that Hailey was staying out at my place, especially after hearing what a fan she was. I didn’t think Hailey was out here to meet and greet readers. Seemed like she wanted to keep a low profile.
“Someone in town mentioned reading a few of her books and that I might like them.” I had to hope she didn’t ask after who’d mentioned it. I’d be up a creek then. I hardly talked to anyone in town besides Eric, and everyone knew he hadn’t spent much time reading since we left school. “They’d mentioned her being a sweet lady from the city. I’m surprised at the theme of her latest book.”
Lulu put a small hand on her hip as she cocked it to the side, her expression turning critical, though she was still smiling. “Women can write edgy stuff too, Cash Ogden.”
I put up my hands in surrender, smiling sheepishly at the hard look she was giving me. “I didn’t say they couldn’t.”
She giggled and sounded even younger than she was, that critical expression just melting away. “Anyway, Hailey Young is known for her extensive research. She really dives into every aspect of her stories, spending months at a time on location and using the inspiration she finds to power her novels. She might be sweet, but she’s a damned good writer too. And I appreciate a dark story with a little romance on the side. It’s something different than a lot of the other stuff that’s being published right now.”
“Imagine if she came out to Jackson to stay at one of the ranches around here and ended up writing some dramatic, dark book about a cowboy with a drinking problem or something.”
That got Lulu laughing so hard her face turned red. She wiped at the tears in her eyes, her fingers coming away smeared with eye makeup. “She really could do something like that, and it would be amazing! Wait until you read her latest novel.” She stared at me a moment when I didn’t respond, her light eyebrows lifting slowly as her blue eyes widened. “You are buying it, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll give it a try since it comes so highly recommended.”
Now her cheeks were red for a different reason. Even though Eric had been her favorite, she still got all giggly when I came around. It tended to make me uncomfortable. She was younger than my little sister, who I still considered a baby. I’d kill a man my age who was going after Rita. She’d probably turn around and kill me right afterward, but it’d be worth it.
“You won’t regret it.”
She went to fetch the book while I waited at the counter. She rang it up, and I paid for it.
“Thanks, Lulu,” I said, tipping my cowboy hat to her the way I would to any lady I met.
“Let me know what you think. We can order the rest of her books if you like.” She flashed her sunny grin again.
“I’ll do that. Take it easy, L.”
“You too, cowboy.”
I left the shop with Hailey’s book tucked under my arm. I couldn’t wait to get started on it, though that would have to wait until the end of the day after all my chores were done, and I’d had dinner tonight with the author of the book now resting on the passenger seat of my truck. I decided not to mention reading it until after I’d finished. If it was good, we could talk about it over dinner. If not, I’d never mention it one way or the other. Shit. I’d still have to discuss it at some point with Lulu, who I knew wouldn’t let it go after the conversation we’d just had. But that wouldn’t be as bad as telling Hailey how much I’d disliked it.
Shaking my head at how damned complicated my life was all of a sudden, I started up the truck and got moving in the direction of the ranch.
Chapter Fifteen
Hailey
That Evening
I stretched my back and rotated my head on my neck, rubbing just underneath the back of my skull with my fingers, trying to work out the kink that had settled in from spending too much time cross-legged on the bed going over pages and pages of notes. I’d written down a lot more than I realized since arriving here, nearly filling half the pages in one notebook, not to mention several loose sheets of paper that had been handy when a thought or idea occurred to me. I was trying to get them organized and typed up so I could get started with a loose outline. Once I had that, I’d be able to start the actual story. With any luck, I’d have most of the first draft done before I returned to New York.
I leaned forward over my crossed legs, pushing the glasses up my nose so I could review the final pages in this notebook. I had plenty of great stuff here, enough to get started on an outline, but it still seemed like something was missing. It didn’t feel like I was really connecting to the environment out here. All these notes were so superficial. I needed to go even deeper. I was only skimming the surface right now. Having so much access to Cash had been a huge help, especially now that he had begun to really open up. Just watching the way he talked about Jackson and his ranch had given me tons of material to work with. He’d even invited me to accompany him more as he went about his daily tasks. Unfortunately, most of the more interesting tasks were done before I even got up in the morning. There was no way in hell I was going to get up at the butt crack of dawn to watch him feed and water the animals and muck out the stables. Not that I didn’t want to, but it was so early! I still hadn’t learned how to ride a damned horse, and I’d been here for weeks. Maybe that could be an easy place to start. I made a mental note to bring that up to Cash the following night over dinner. He seemed really open to helping me any way he could. And I desperately needed to know more about what it was like to actually work on a ranch, not just stay in the guest room of one. That might mean some early mornings, as much as I might not like it.
Sighing, I sank back onto the pillows I’d propped up against the headboard, just staring at the screen of
my laptop next to me and the notebook lying on my lap. I had so much damned work to do, but it was getting late, and I was tired. All the words were so fuzzy I had to blink constantly to keep them in focus. I’d been at this for hours and was starting to feel a little delirious and on edge from all the coffee. I tilted my head against the wall and let my eyes drift shut. Maybe I could just snooze a little and then come back with a second wind to power through the rest of this.
The door to the guest room opened slowly, and I started upright at the creaking sound it made. Cash was standing in the doorway, dressed in boxers and a white T-shirt that was straining over his broad chest. My eyes drifted right to his crotch. I couldn’t help it. He was visibly excited, and the shape of his erect cock made my heart race and the breath catch in my throat. I had to swallow back a moan at the sight of him.
“I was hoping you’d still be awake,” Cash said, his deep voice purring so the twang in it got my heart going even more. “I’ve been having so much trouble sleeping lately. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t find a single word to say.
He stepped into the bedroom without another word, moving around cascading piles of my crap, his green eyes laser-focused on mine. I couldn’t move a muscle as he sat down on the edge of the mattress. He closed the laptop and moved it to the foot of the bed, then he took the notebook from my hands and threw it to the ground to join the rest of the chaos.
“Do you want me as bad as I want you?” he asked in a whisper that set off a luscious tingling sensation between my legs.
I nodded and managed to breathlessly whisper, “Yes.”
He leaned to remove my glasses, tossing them onto the ground near the vicinity of my notebook. Before I could even think to protest, he pressed his lips against mine, and I opened my mouth to him, moaning at the feeling of his tongue playing with my own. He tasted just as good as I imagined, sweet and musky, and I couldn’t get enough. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my tongue into his mouth, wanting to taste every inch of him.
He pressed himself into me, and we tumbled back onto the bed, his hips fitting neatly between my legs, his hardness rubbing against the wet, needy heat of my sex. He worked his hands under my nightshirt, pushing my sports bra out of the way so he could run his fingers over my breasts. I arched my back into him, moaning and kissing him, begging him silently not to stop. It had been so long since I’d been with a man and I’d wanted this for weeks.
I wasn’t wearing any shorts, just panties beneath the long nightshirt, and he pushed those out of the way, his fingers probing past my lips and into the dripping wet heat that was waiting for him. My entire body reacted, and he moved his lips to my neck as he continued to toy with the throbbing heat between my legs, his fingers entering me as I cried out, begging him out loud not to stop.
He looked at me, his green eyes as hot as the air in the room. “Do you want this?” he asked, and I nodded, my cheeks flushed and trembling.
“I want it so badly, Cash.”
He smiled, and that only got me more excited for him. He pushed his boxers down his hips and settled on top of me again, the hard shape of his cock pressing into the hungry, wet inferno igniting my sex. He thrust his hips and entered me in one stroke, the pleasure exploding inside me as I cried out again.
My eyes flew open, and I couldn’t breathe at first. My muscles were locked up tightly. The air was stuck in my throat, and my fingers were between my legs, where the crotch of my panties was soaked. I looked around me in a panic, eyes wide, expecting the hulking shape of Cash positioned above me, his sexy mouth curved into a heart-stopping smile. But I was alone.
Slowly, I regained the ability to breathe normally again, and my body relaxed, the muscles letting go one by one so I could sink into the blankets and pillows. Blinking, I checked the room again, expecting to find Cash hiding in a corner or something. He wasn’t here. It had all been a dream—kissing him and feeling the long, hard shape of him entering me.
Oh, God.
I pulled my fingers from between my legs when I realized how busily they were moving back and forth in that wetness. I’d never been so turned on by a dream before. If Cash burst through the door right now, I’d strip off every bit of my clothing and let him have his way with me. Hell, I might have my way with him instead.
I pushed the notebook onto my lap and closed the computer, still breathing heavily at the thought of Cash between my legs, his hands up my shirt, and his hot mouth on mine. I needed to get some real rest. I had to face this man in the morning after having a dream about us having sex.
I burrowed into the covers and turned off the lamp on the bedside table, my cheeks on fire, though there was no one here to witness the embarrassing scene. How was I going to keep living under the same roof as this man if I kept having these kinds of X-rated dreams about him? It was only a matter of time before I slipped and acted on them or, worse, forgot how to act around him altogether.
I needed to get it together. That started with some sleep. Hopefully, my mind could manage to stay out of the damned gutter this time.
Paige was right. I needed a date. As soon as I got back to the city, I’d set up one of those dating profiles and start looking around. Clearly, I was in need of some intimacy. But, right now, I needed to keep it professional. Cash had been nothing but the perfect gentleman, which meant he wasn’t interested. If I couldn’t keep my hands to myself and my mind on my work, I was going to have to find somewhere else to stay. That was all there was to it.
Chapter Fifteen
Cash
Early Evening, Early August
I slid the alleyway door shut on the barn after finishing with the horses for the night, closing them in until morning. The cows were taken care of in the field, and everything else had been done for the day. The sun had dropped out of the sky, though the light would linger in the glowing clouds for another few hours. This was my favorite part of the day, when all the chores were done, and my muscles were aching from another job well done. My belly was growling already at the thought of whatever Hailey had cooking in the kitchen. I was filthy from a day of hard work in the summer heat, so I headed inside to clean up before I sat down at the table.
I poked my head into the kitchen to find Hailey standing over the stove, taking a taste of some sauce she was cooking on one of the burners. She had other things boiling on another burner and something baking in the stove. She’d really gone all out on meals lately. I couldn’t help but be impressed by her efforts. She could slap something simple together, and I’d be just as pleased, but I liked that she was making an effort. It made me want to open up more, to really help her learn whatever she had a mind to learn while she was here. This shift in our relationship was nice, like we were really becoming friends instead of just landlord and tenant. I definitely wanted something deeper than friendship, but if that was as far as things went, I’d be disappointed but satisfied too.
“I’m getting in the shower,” I said, and she looked up to smile at me, her glasses sliding down her nose the way they always seemed to. “How long do I have ‘til you’re done?”
“You have a good 20 minutes.”
I nodded. “I’ll be done in 15.”
She laughed as I walked away. I had to admit; I loved hearing her laugh, especially if it was due to something I’d done or said. I couldn’t help the way I was feeling about her, but I could certainly help the way I acted. She was being professional about our arrangement, which meant I needed to do the same. She clearly wasn’t interested in me in any way past being friends. I had to respect that, even if I wanted more.
I stripped off my clothes as soon as I closed my bedroom door behind me, threw them into the hamper in the closet, and jumped into the shower. I scrubbed my body clean, washed my hair, and cut the water off, just wanting a quick rinse so I didn’t stink up the kitchen. I dressed in fresh jeans and a T-shirt, keeping it casual right before bed. Normally, I’d put on boxers and a shirt
to eat and lounge on the couch with a book before bedtime, but that wasn’t appropriate with Hailey here.
I stepped out of my room and was on my way to the kitchen where I could hear Hailey humming along with a song she had playing on her phone—she called it streaming, whatever that meant, and could never seem to be someplace without music playing—when there was a loud knock at the door. I went to answer it and was annoyed to find Eric standing on the porch, a big, shit-eating grin on his face.
“Hey, Cash,” he said, stepping past me to come into the house without waiting for an invitation.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, frowning. I shut the door and turned to face him, not returning his smile. He never just dropped by, especially at this time of night.
Before he could answer, Hailey came out of the kitchen to see what was going on in the foyer. Her face lit up with she saw Eric.
“Eric!” she said, and crossed to give him a good, long hug. “How have you been?”
He smiled down at her, turning on the charm the way I’d seen him do a thousand times with girls in town, starting at about the time we’d turned 13. And they always ate it up the way Hailey was now, their cheeks turning red as their eyes were unable to look away from his.
“I’ve been good, Hailey, thanks for asking,” he replied, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his hands lingered on her arms a few seconds longer than was necessary after the hug ended. I wanted to slap them away, but how would that look?
“What brings you up here?” I asked, my voice a lot harder than I’d meant it to be. I didn’t appreciate him just coming out here and didn’t want him to start making a habit of it.
He looked at me, seeming reluctant to tear his eyes away from Hailey. “Oh, I just thought I’d drop by to say hello.”
“Without calling first?”
He laughed and shook his blond head. “You never answer your damned phone anyway.” He and Hailey shared a laugh at my expense.
