by Marla Monroe
“You know I’ve never wanted to get married at all, Dexter. It wasn’t anything personal. I just didn’t want the complications or to answer to anyone. Things have changed, and I’ve come to realize it takes more than one to keep a family together these days.” Sierra had worded her answer carefully, having practiced it for hours in different ways to match whatever he might have said.
He sat on the corner of the desk after releasing her throbbing hands. She wanted to rub them to remove the feel of his slick, soft grasp and sooth the burn he’d left from squeezing them. He enjoyed hurting others, and Sierra knew she’d have that aspect of any relationship with him to deal with as well. She would require that the ranch be cleared of all debts, public and private, before she agreed to marry him, and in return she’d sign a contract that stated she wouldn’t divorce him unless it was by mutual agreement. She could, however, leave him for extended periods of time to visit friends and relatives, and he couldn’t stop her. She already had the paperwork drawn up in her satchel. All she had to do was get him to agree to sign it.
I probably have a better chance of spinning gold from horse hair.
“I think we can reach an agreement that would be mutually beneficial to us both, sweetheart, however, my original offer is no longer on the table. I have an alternative one that will suit me just as well.” He smiled at her, and Sierra’s blood curdled in her veins.
“I don’t understand, Dexter. Are you saying you no longer want me? What do you want instead?” she asked. Fear for her younger sister, Sedona, washed over her like a bucket of ice water. She was only eighteen. There was no way she’d allow it.
“Oh, I want you, my sweet, but marriage is not an option anymore,” he said.
“W–What do you mean?” she asked, her voice nearly breaking.
“I don’t wish to tie myself to someone who has very little to offer in the way of compensation on a long-term basis. You see,” he began. “One day you will no longer appeal to me with sagging breasts and bruised skin. You can’t help me in the manner of position, and of course, financially you are all but destitute.”
“So what are you saying?” she asked again.
“I’m going to marry Darcy Pennington in a few months. She has a suitable trust fund for someone in my position, and her family is well connected, not to mention wealthy, the lot of them. However, Darcy is not as, shall we say, sexually appealing as you are, my dear. What I propose is a business arrangement where you become my mistress for a term of five years, and at the end of that time we will part ways.” He watched her closely. Sierra worked hard to keep her face blank and any emotion from her eyes.
“I’m only willing to consider that option if the ranch is free and clear from the beginning. I won’t have you hanging that over my head while we are together,” she said, trying not to choke on her words.
“And what is to stop you from reneging on our arrangement once the ranch is back in your name?” he asked, standing up and walking back around to the other side of the desk.
“I always keep my word. I’ve never gone back on it as you well know. However, in the interest of fairness, I’m willing to sign an agreement drawn up by your lawyer and reviewed by mine that holds me to the arrangement.” She couldn’t believe she’d uttered those words. They were desperate words from her desperate heart.
He pretended to consider her offer while making a big display of pulling back his chair and settling into it. Sierra didn’t bother to sit down. She was out of there as soon as he made his mind up. The air surrounding her felt hot and heavy. Breathing had become nearly impossible, and she was afraid she was about to pass out.
“I think I can work with that. I’ll have my lawyer fix something up and send it to you. Once you receive it, you’ll have one week to review it and either sign it or start moving your things out of Wensel’s Keep. Do we understand each other, sweetheart?” he asked, steepling his fingers as he watched her.
“Yes. I understand. I will watch for the papers. I would appreciate it if you would let me know when you send them so they don’t get lost.” Sierra barely managed to keep her boiling anger from exploding all over the evil bastard.
“Of course. Have a pleasant day, Sierra Jane.” He didn’t bother standing or opening the door for her, which suited her just fine.
She’d barely made it out of the building before she became violently ill, hanging her head over the flowerbed not far from Dexter’s office. One second more inside there with him, and she wouldn’t have made it outside before she lost what little breakfast she’d been able to force down.
What had her family ever done to anyone to deserve the crap that had fallen on them the last few years? She struggled to draw in full breaths so she could walk over to the garage and ask someone to take her back to her truck and put a new tire on it for her. She needed to get back home and take a nice long bath. The stench of Dexter’s evil still clung to her, and she wanted it gone.
Chapter Two
“Sierra? What’s wrong? Are you ill?” Thorne gripped her upper arms to hold her steady when she started to sway on the top step. He’d seen her throwing up to the side of the concrete.
“No, no. I think I got too hot earlier on the side of the road. The air doesn’t work in the truck. With the wind it isn’t so bad, but standing in the sun was probably just too much,” she said. He could tell she was rambling, which told him she was reaching for straws.
“Come on. I’m heading to the diner for some coffee anyway. You can get some water and cool off some,” he said.
Her eyes grew wide as she shook her head no. “T–Thanks but I need to get my tire fixed and head home. Chores won’t get done by themselves.”
“Nonsense. Twenty minutes isn’t going to hurt anything. If you don’t take care of yourself, it will mean more time than that in the long run.” He eased her down the steps and over to his truck.
She didn’t protest when he lifted her and set her on the seat. She didn’t even say anything when he fastened the seat belt before closing the door. It wasn’t until they’d pulled into a parking place outside the diner that she seemed to wake up from whatever trance she’d been in.
“I really need to get back to the ranch,” she said in a soft voice.
“I’ll have you over at the shop to see about your truck in thirty minutes. Right now, you need some water, maybe some juice to perk you up again. Are you sure the heat is all that’s wrong?” he asked, watching her face.
“That’s all it is.” She started removing her seat belt, so Thorne opened his door and jumped out to make it to her side before she tried to get out by herself.
He guided her inside, choosing a booth near the window. She didn’t seem to care one way or another where they sat. Her pretty green eyes looked so despondent that he wanted to hold her in his arms and promise the world to her if it would put the fire he’d seen earlier back in them. He wished her hair was down instead of pulled back so that he could see how long it was. He would guess that the pretty honey-gold strands would fall to her shoulders if not a little farther. It looked like she had a good bit of wave in it with the way the loose ends curled at the nape of her neck.
“Hey there, Sierra. Haven’t seen you in a long time. Getting supplies today?” The waitress he’d come to find out was one of the owners of the diner walked up with two glasses of ice water.
“Hi, Mattie. Not today. Just came in on some business. How are Nate and Bruce?” she asked with a smile even he could see was forced.
“Doing great. If Nate doesn’t lay off the cookies, Bruce and I are going to be locking up the pantry,” Mattie said with a grin. It faded as she seemed to pick up on the fact that Sierra wasn’t really well.
“Honey, you don’t look like you feel well. Do you need anything?” she asked.
“No. I’m fine. I just got too hot earlier. Had a flat on the truck, but Thorne here stopped and gave me a ride.” She indicated him sitting across from her.
As if she’d just seen him, Mattie grinn
ed. “That’s really nice of you. Being new here, not many folks would have stopped to help someone they didn’t know.”
“Couldn’t pass by a pretty lady in a dress needing help. I think she could use some juice and the water, though. I’d like some coffee if you have it made.”
Mattie smiled and patted Sierra on the shoulder. “I’ll get you some apple juice. Not sure orange juice would sit well on a hot stomach. Be right back.”
“You’ve been here before, I take it,” she said, looking at him with a small smile.
“A few times. With all that’s needed doing around the ranch, Rollan and I’ve both made regular trips here for supplies. Usually stop here for coffee and sometimes pie,” he told her.
“Rollan is your partner?” she asked.
“Yep. We’ve known each other since we were young tykes. Both of us grew up on a ranch outside of Odessa, Texas. Set out together to earn enough money to buy our own spread and eventually did. Now here we are hoping to make a go of it,” he said.
“Good luck. Are you raising horses or cattle, or both?” she asked him.
“Little of both. Mostly cattle, but we plan to raise some cutting horses as well. We both like to fiddle with training.”
He couldn’t stop looking at her. He hoped she wouldn’t notice that he was staring at her. She was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. She had a lush body that had his mouth watering and his dick a little more interested than was comfortable in the tight jeans he’d worn today. If he spent any time around her in the future, he would need to remember to wear a looser pair or risk strangling his pecker.
As pretty as she looked, he sensed a core of steel hiding beneath that pretty dress and all those curves. Now she seemed almost deflated. He couldn’t help but wonder what had caused the change. Was it as simple as her claim that she got overheated? Somehow he didn’t believe it. Someone with her hair color and a healthy looking tan didn’t get too hot just standing on the side of the road. He figured she got some bad news at the bank, and that bothered him.
“Here you go, honey.” Mattie set a glass of apple juice in front of Sierra and refilled her water glass. Then she sat a cup of coffee in front of him.
“Thanks, Mattie,” Sierra said.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He sipped the hot coffee and sighed. He loved his coffee.
“Sierra, if you need anything, you just let me know. Do you need Nate or Bruce to drive you back to you truck?” Mattie asked.
“Oh, no thanks, Mattie. I’m going to have to get a spare anyway, so I’m going to let one of the guys at the garage drive me back and change the tire for me.”
“Well, don’t forget we’re here if you need us.” She patted Sierra on the shoulder again and walked back to the counter.
“I’d be glad to drive you back after you get another tire, Sierra. That would save the garage from making a trip out,” he said.
“Thanks, but I need to talk to them about getting new tires for the thing anyway. I appreciate it, but you’ve been more than kind when you’re busy yourself,” she said.
He just smiled and sipped the coffee while she drank the juice. Thorne noticed she didn’t have on a ring and there was no evidence of one in the recent past, plus she didn’t immediately call a boyfriend to help her. He wondered if Rollan would balk at the idea of starting their search for a woman sooner than later. Originally they’d planned to wait until they had the ranch up and running before starting to look around. Thorne was beginning to think they might not have to search very far. Sierra was exactly the kind of woman they were after.
“I’m ready to go whenever you are,” she said, breaking into his thoughts.
“Drink a little more of that water while I finish up my coffee, and we’ll get going,” he told her.
She frowned at him but took another sip of the water. From the calluses on her hands, she was used to hard work. She had firm muscles despite the mouthwatering curves. Already his fingers were dying to give her ass a squeeze. He’d bet her breasts were just as soft as they appeared. He and Rollan were both big men, and the thought of a thin, simpering woman turned them both off. They needed someone who could handle them when they bedded her.
Sierra looked to be about five foot six inches, a little taller than average for a woman. With her voluptuous body, he had no doubt she would be heaven to make love to and sturdy enough to handle wild fucking when the notion took them. Neither of them would ever harm a woman, but sometimes a good, hard fuck was what everyone needed to relax.
Thorne couldn’t help but wonder if she would be the woman for them. He sure hoped so. Something inside of him already saw her in their home. Which, if he didn’t get busy and get the supplies they needed back to the workers, there wouldn’t be one decent enough for her.
He set the cup down and pushed up from his chair. “If you’re ready, we can head on out now,” he told her.
“Yes, thanks.” She stood up and opened her purse.
“I’ve got it,” he said before she could pull money out to pay for her juice.
“Um, thanks.” She smiled then looked away.
Thorne guided her up to the register where he paid for their drinks before walking her out to the truck. As soon as they pulled up in front of the local garage, a lean-looking teenager jogged out to greet them.
“Hi, Mister. Need an oil change or some work done today?” he asked.
“Thanks, but not today. I was just giving the young lady a ride. She had a flat out on the highway and needs someone to take her back and change the tire,” he told him.
The teenager looked over and grinned. “Well, hi, Sierra. Josh’ll be happy to see you. I’ll come round and help you down.”
“Josh?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“His brother. He’s twelve and has a crush on me for some reason,” she said with a soft blush.
“Hard not to, I’d say. You’re a very pretty woman, Sierra.”
Before she could answer that, the teenage brother to Josh had the door open and was helping Sierra down. She turned after closing the door and smiled at him. She mouthed a thank you through the window and waved as she followed the young man inside the garage. There was nothing left for him to do now except drive over to the lumber yard and pick up his order. He might as well stop by the machine shop and see if the pieces he needed welding were ready yet.
When he walked into the machine shop forty-five minutes later, Brody, one of the two brothers who owned the shop, walked up, wiping his hands on a cloth, and greeted him.
“Hi, Thorne. How are you doing today?”
“Good. Thanks. I’m not rushing you but had to come into town to pick up some things at the lumber yard, so I thought I’d check in to see if it might be ready yet.” He saw a pretty woman with rich auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail walk toward them with several bottles of water in her hand.
“Here you go, Brody.” She handed one to the other man. Looking at him, she offered him a cold bottle. “Would you like a bottle? It’s hot out there.”
“Thanks. You’re right, it is,” he said, taking the bottle of water and uncapping it.
“Thorne, this is mine and Lamar’s wife, Caitlyn. Honey, this is Thorne Barringer. He and his partner bought the old Reed place near Sagebrush,” Brody told her.
“Oh, I remember. That’s the one you took me to for the estate sale when Mr. Reed passed away last spring,” she said.
“How is it coming? It looked like it needed a lot of work,” he said.
Thorne nodded. “It does, but we’re not afraid of a little hard work. The price made it well worth it.”
Lamar walked through the door from outside, wiping his brow on the back of his arm. “Woohee. So hot out there, you could poach an egg in a mud puddle if there was one left.”
Thorne watched Caitlyn hurry over to the other man and hand him a bottle of water. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a solid kiss before opening the bottle and draining half of it in one swallow.
“
Lamar, Thorne is here picking up some supplies. Is his stall gate ready?” Brody asked.
“Sure is. I just called and left a message on your phone. Come look and be sure it’s what you wanted.” Lamar led him over to where several projects were lined up against the back wall.
He pulled out the stall gate he’d brought in to be welded back together after it rusted on one side and broke the first time one of them had stood up on it to check on a horse. Normally stall gates were wood, but several of the ones in the barn on Reed’s old place had been iron bars that had been exposed to the elements when a hole in the roof hadn’t been fixed.
“Looks good,” he said as he pulled on it. “Feels solid, too. That will be perfect.” He smiled and shook Lamar’s hand. “Thanks for the fast turnaround.”
He followed Brody up to the office to pay and decided to broach the subject of having them work on a larger project for them. He liked their work, their attitudes, and the price they’d charged for welding the bar back with a reinforced bead.
“When you have time, I’d like for you to come out to the ranch and give us an estimate on a few things. We’re not in a big hurry but would like to have it started by the end of next month if possible.” Thorne watched as Brody pulled a calendar closer and flipped through the pages for a second.
“We could probably come out either this Saturday evening ‘round four or next Wednesday about two. Would either of those times work for you?” the other man asked.
“Really, either one is fine. Whichever you want to do will work for us. We’ll be there working regardless.” Thorne dug in his back pocket for his wallet and pulled out a card to hand to Brody. “Here are our cell phone numbers in case we’re not near the house. Just call and tell us you’re on the way, and we’ll be sure one of us is at the gate waiting for you.”
“Great!” Brody said. “Unless something comes up on Saturday, we’ll be there about four.”
Brody stood up and held out his hand. “Great doing business with you, Thorne. I’m sure Lamar has the stall door loaded already. We’ll see you Saturday.”
