Once again, her life was spinning out of control. Why did that keep happening? She needed to take the helm. It was time. Heck, it was past time. Telling her parents she was engaged had seemed like a good idea yesterday.
As a marine, Trisha had done what she was told when she was told, but she never, ever let anyone push her around. Why in the world couldn’t that apply at home…especially with her father?
Three months ago, she’d arrived back from Iraq on the advance, and her father had already had her future mapped out. Law school, marriage to one of his junior lawyers, and she was sure there were two-point-three kids in his plan as well.
William Jennings, former D.A., struck again.
She hadn’t had a choice. The only quick way to stop his master plan had been to come up with one of her own.
Fresh from deployment, she’d returned with an agenda. Her agenda. And darn it, she was going to see it through.
None of her plans coincided with her father’s. She wasn’t going to law school. You had to have a knack for that profession. She did not. But she was going back to college. In fact, she’d already been accepted and enrolled at a University in Colorado. In a different state than her parents.
The last deployment had taught her she liked working with children. The young girls had been so happy and eager to learn; it had been a joy to work with them.
Until that damn bomb.
Her gut clenched so tight, the beef barley threatened to make a reappearance.
Now, some of them will never…
A deep inhale helped her mind halt that train of thought. She was in the states, no longer a marine, enrolled at college, and would graduate a…well, a something. Even with an undeclared major, she was determined to pursue a career of her choosing. No one was going to stop her. Not even her well-meaning, but controlling father. All she had to do was stall him for five weeks, until the semester started.
Tossing a fiancé at him had been a blocking move. A good move…had her fiancé actually agreed to it first. Why the captain’s brother had led her to believe otherwise wasn’t her concern. She’d needed a quick, fake fiancé, and Finn had supplied her with one.
Captain Brennan had been the logical choice. Tough, smart, and quick thinking. Just the thought of his attributes alone had given Trisha the backbone she needed to defy her father.
She glanced at the backbone from under her lashes, noting some of the tension had left his fingers. They were no longer white. A good sign.
She glanced at her own fingers, twisted together on her lap, sunlight glinting off the diamond his brother had miraculously provided. She toyed with the ring. At least it was one less excuse she had to come up with for her father. Her sigh filled the silence of the car. Former D.A. Jennings definitely would’ve grilled them about her lack of jewelry.
The sound of a cracking jaw drew her attention back to her fiancé. Gaze trained on her diamond, he resembled a slab of granite with his closed mouth drawn into a tight, thin line. She released the ring.
Great. Now her C.O. was back to being ticked off.
So was she. The whole thing was getting out of hand. To heck with waiting.
About to break the silence again, she hesitated when he drove past the road she had taken to his house two months back. What was he doing? She glanced at him and frowned, but he stared straight ahead and didn’t say a word.
Where was he taking her?
Anxiety gripped her stomach with unforgiving fingers. Was he going to drop her off in town? Give into that strangulation urge? Take her to a secluded area for hot, wild, angry sex?
Whoa…
Her heart rolled in her chest. Twice. Breathing was no longer easy. Oh goodie—now she was damp. And tingling. Tingling and damp because of her hot C.O.
Darn it. Where the heck had that thought come from?
When this was over, she really needed to get herself a boyfriend and take care of her prior lack of dampness. Several times. A lot even.
Sixty seconds later, the captain drove under a large ornate sign. Royal Pines Dude Ranch.
Idiot. Now that her brain cells decided to work, she remembered someone mentioning at Cammie’s engagement party that the dude ranch was a mile down the road from the Brennans’ house.
She drew in a breath and released it slowly, getting her heart rate, and tingling parts, back under control. Excitement chased away a good chunk of Trisha’s anxiety.
The dude ranch.
Sweet. She secretly hoped she’d be allowed to enjoy a few of the activities the ranch had to offer. The perfect distraction. She needed some time to think, to breathe…to heal after the last tour.
Dark images of rubble and dust and blood immediately threatened, and the smell of sulfur and dirt and death suddenly clogged her throat. With a quick shake of her head, she pushed the memory away and concentrated on her surroundings. Acres of fields filled both sides of the drive with pine trees and rocks breaking up the open space in unbelievable beauty. Goosebumps raced up her arms, and she inhaled sharply.
“Stop the car!”
“What?” The captain frowned.
“Stop the car, please,” she begged, and was thankful when he actually pulled over.
Yanking the door open, she jumped out and rushed into the field; an unexpected feeling of peace and acceptance surrounded her in a welcoming embrace. Trisha stood there, rubbing her arms, fighting back tears at the view warming her heart.
God, it’s so beautiful.
A large pond softly collected the reflection of the impressive log guest ranch and the breathtaking mountain jutting up behind in a picturesque silhouette. She closed her eyes and inhaled. The scent of pine filled her nose, brought to her by a light, warm summer breeze.
Just as she thought, the place had the ability to heal.
“Are you okay, Corporal,” Captain Brennan asked from close by.
She opened her eyes and turned to find him at her side. “Yes. I-I’m sorry, sir. But, I had to get out. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. How in the world did you leave it four times?”
He blinked, and something she didn’t recognize passed through his eyes before he glanced at the ranch and spoke in a quiet tone. “It wasn’t easy. I love Royal Pines. But I love my country more.”
His words brought the tears back to her eyes. She blinked them away and nodded before turning to walk back to the car. A sentiment she certainly understood.
The rest of the drive was executed at a much slower pace, and she was still having trouble digesting the beauty all around them when the captain stopped in front of one of the small cabins scattered across the land.
A slight thrill broke through her haze at the thought of having one of the log structures to herself. She immediately imagined lounging in front of a cozy fireplace with a good book and cup of coffee, even if it was the beginning of summer.
Her feet barely touched the driveway when the cabin door burst open and several staff members rushed out. At least, she assumed they were staff. They all wore khakis and navy blue polos with Royal Pines embroidered over their left breast.
“Mr. Brett! Congratulations,” a robust woman exclaimed. “Mr. Finn told us the great news, and we just finished getting your cabin ready for you both.”
Both?
Trisha’s heart slammed hard against her ribs as she shot her gaze to her C.O. His look of shock disappeared under his practiced mask of steel. Great. Now she had no idea what he was thinking.
And as for thinking, she was sort of having trouble in that department. Mostly due to the fact her crazy circumstances just turned the corner to insane.
They were sharing a cabin?
His cabin?
Lovely. More tingling and dampness on the way…
She risked another glance at the man who halted next to her in front of the car. The captain’s face was completely unreadable by the time the vaguely familiar woman reached them.
“I’m so happy for you, Mr. Brett,” the older lady said, pulling
the silent marine into a hug before treating Trisha to the same show of affection. “Ms. Jennings, it’s great to see you again. Weren’t you the quiet one, keeping this secret to yourself at Mr. Finn’s engagement party?”
Recognition hit Trisha with that statement. She drew back and cleared her throat. “Mrs. Laramie, right?”
“Yes, I’m the manager around here. I run the guest ranch and cabins. Mr. Finn called with the good news and asked us to prepare Mr. Brett’s cabin so you two had something special when you arrived.” She winked, then motioned toward a smiling gentleman wearing a white chef’s uniform. “And Bugsby here set up something special inside for you as well.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary, Bugsby,” the captain said, shaking his head, vein in his jaw pulsing like a balloon ready to burst.
Trisha recognized the tight undercurrent in his tone. He was far from happy. She glanced at the two smiling workers. Either they didn’t hear it or they were ignoring the undertone.
“Nonsense. It’s not every day a man gets engaged and to such a beauty, too.” Bugsby thrust his hand toward the captain. “Congratulations, Brett.” Then the gray-haired man turned to her and kissed her cheek. “You have a good man, Ms. Jennings.”
“I know, and please, call me Trisha,” she said, still in shock.
Holy smokes. The captain’s brother sure didn’t waste time. According to his mother, Finn and Cammie were spending a few days in Amarillo. He must’ve called the ranch and talked to Mrs. Laramie after he’d left the honky tonk.
Trisha bit back a smile. Sibling rivalry. She knew it all too well. If the captain’s twin was anywhere near as clever as her brothers, she feared they were in for a few more surprises.
“Mr. Finn also asked me to email him some pictures of your arrival, so come on.” The manager smiled, pulling a camera out of her pocket. “Get close, and don’t worry about offending us. You can kiss. This is the start of your life together, so let’s capture some great memories.”
Pictures?
Kiss?
Trisha’s heart dropped to her knees. She couldn’t kiss him. He was too sexy. Too hot.
He was her captain.
Okay. Technically, not anymore. And right now, he didn’t resemble her C.O. all that much. Not in a pair of jeans, sitting low on his lean hips, gray shirt stretched across his ridged upper quadrant, and yeah, let’s not forget the cowboy boots and that sexy, darn Stetson.
This man was a trumped up, mouth-watering cowboy version of her captain.
Yeehaw.
With the woman looking on, Trisha realized she was expected to make a move.
A move. Really?
Hysterical laughter bubbled up her dried throat. They wanted her to put the moves on Captain Brennan. Kind of impossible since her legs felt like rubber. Nope. She wasn’t budging. Seemed her feet were out of order. Glued to the driveway. Stuck. Which was too bad, since she’d always secretly wondered what the captain would taste like…
Ever the problem solver, he turned toward her, sexy, lop-sided grin spreading across his face, erasing the dark scowl and tripping her pulse.
This wasn’t good. This was wrong. It would be like kissing her brother.
Not really.
But she had to at least try to resist in her mind if she wanted to keep her cool.
“Well, if Finn wants pictures, we’ll give him pictures,” Captain Brennan said, shocking her silent as he stepped closer, grin widening to consume ever bit of those tempting lips.
Oh boy.
When he grinned like that, he garnered absolutely no sisterly reaction. None whatsoever. Just that darn, damp tingling.
She was in trouble. They needed to be rational, and abstain. It wasn’t good if they both threw caution to the wind.
What happened to the angry man she was just stuck in the car with for nearly three hours?
The non-angry man reached out and pulled her close, fitting her against him as if it was common practice. Her whole body heated at once, sending rational thought straight to the dirt drive. Being in his arms shouldn’t feel as good as it did. And it did feel good. Too good. Engulfed, consumed, safe…turned on.
As the captain lowered his mouth, he tightened his hold, and for a beat or two, they shared a breath. Anticipation fluttered through Trisha’s chest in a prerequisite of what was to come.
This was going to change things between them. She knew this to her soul, but was powerless to stop. It had to be done.
With those words resounding in her head, the cowboy hat was the last thing she saw before their lips met.
Chapter Three
Goosebumps returned full force, racing down the arms Trisha wrapped tightly around her fiancé’s neck as her world tilted on its axis.
Cupping her face with one hand, he teased her lips open with his tongue. Not normally one to cling, but cling she did, having effectively lost the feeling in her legs. Again.
Her C.O. was an expert at many things. Shooting, defusing, coordinating attacks, leading them into battle, chicken fights, practical jokes, and now she could add kissing to the list.
Even his sex appeal was strong. She pressed into the cowboy-marine’s rock solid body and swept her tongue inside his hot, tempting mouth, determined not to let him have complete control.
But exploring the sexy captain’s space, tasting his domain, might have been a mistake. She could easily become addicted to his essence. It consumed, heating her within, racing her pulse—sucking the oxygen from her lungs until she could no longer breathe.
He kissed her slow and deep and thoroughly amazing. Heaven help her, she didn’t want him to stop.
And that’s exactly why she ended the kiss. She couldn’t let any man have that power over her.
Trisha was tired of not having control of her life, and just because she had asked the captain for help, didn’t mean he could control her, too. Although, she knew with utter certainty he would satisfy every last one of her needs. Probably twice. Still, he was dangerous, too dangerous to her future plans.
Because they had an audience, she remained in his arms, looked into his clouded gaze, and summoned the strength to say, “Yippee ki-ya, Captain Cowboy.”
Another lop-sided grin tugged his lips, and the feeling, starting to return to her legs, did an about-face.
Darn him.
She drew in a breath and pushed away from him anyway. Sink or swim was always her motto.
“That was perfect. Thank you,” Mrs. Laramie said. “I’ll email them to both you and Mr. Finn. And now, we’ll leave you two to get settled in. Enjoy your night,” the jovial manager said before heading to the main building with a smiling Bugsby close behind.
Trisha walked to the back of the car for her luggage, her legs unsteady, but she pushed forth, pretending the wobbling was perfectly normal. Why couldn’t they have dinner in the main building? That would be better. Much better. They wouldn’t be alone in the main building. There would be people around, and after sharing a kiss like that with her C.O., she did not want to be alone with him anymore than necessary.
“Here, let me take that.”
Appearing out of nowhere, the captain grabbed the luggage from her hand.
“It’s okay. I got it, sir,” she said, deliberately addressing him per rank in order to put things back into perspective as she reached for her bag.
He swung the luggage away and smiled a fake smile. “We have an audience, dear, so put a smile on your face and let me get the damn bag.”
Trisha glanced around, and sure enough, the captain was right. There were several workers peeking out the windows of the guest ranch, watching them with grinning interest from across the lot.
Great.
“Yes, sir, Captain Cowboy, sir,” she replied in a low voice, resisting the urge to salute. It was meant to be funny, but his hard gaze told her he was far from amused.
“Just pick up your feet, Corporal,” he ordered through a clenched smile, ushering her toward the cabin, a big, warm hand pressed into the
small of her back.
Why had she chosen him as her fake fiancé? There were plenty of other marines in her unit. What made her blurt out his name to her father? She was beginning to regret the decision. He was turning into a mighty pain.
As the mighty pain leaned around her to open the door, Trisha’s mind registered heat and strength, while her body enjoyed the brush of hard, solid muscles. Squashing those thoughts, she stepped into the cabin and gasped. The outburst was drowned out by the thud of her bag hitting the floor, followed by the sound of the door slamming shut.
“I’m gonna kill Finn,” the captain growled from behind.
She staggered forward, and gazed around the beautiful log room with a vaulted beamed ceiling and tasteful, rustic decor. A carved wood seating area with plush, hunter green cushions faced the stone fireplace situated directly across from an open, modern kitchen. In front of the fireplace sat a table set with red linen, a vase of roses, and the most delicious smells coming from two entrées.
The cabin was warm and inviting, but that wasn’t why she’d gasped—there were nearly a hundred lit candles scattered throughout the place, along with a trail of rose petals leading to a bed.
One.
Very.
Big.
Bed.
Trisha’s pulse tripped. She wasn’t going to think about the big bed. Or her captain in the big bed. Naked. Wearing nothing but that darn sexy-as-sin brown Stetson. Nope. She wasn’t that stupid.
Instead, she turned her attention to the nightstand where a bottle of champagne sat chilling on ice with two flutes, and close by, amongst the rose petals on the bed, sat a basket with a big red bow.
Great, her attention was back on the bed again.
She needed to have a heart-to-heart with her restraint. Still, she had to admit, the whole scene was very romantic. Too bad it was wasted on them.
She turned to her silent C.O. and promptly burst out laughing; she’d never seen Captain Brennan look so put out. He was usually the one in control. The one playing jokes. Giving commands. Leading the way.
Cowboy Payback Page 3
