by Starla Kaye
Yes, she’d gotten to him. She shouldn’t have, but, dammit, she had. “I don’t want her here.”
“Signed contract,” she reminded him in a far too happy tone. “Signed by both of us and the good Dr. Mandie James.”
He’d found the contract in his files before he’d sat down to make this call. He stared at it now. “I’m going to try and talk her out of it tomorrow when she’s feeling better.”
“Feeling better? Is she sick? What’s wrong?”
He wished he hadn’t made that slip, but if he didn’t tell her, Bessie would. “Aunt Bessie gave your friend some leftover spiked punch from Rusty’s birthday thing last weekend. ‘Course Bessie didn’t know it was spiked.” He thought about how Mandie had sat with her head on the table, how she’d passed out, how he’d had to carry her… how…
“Anyway, she’ll have a headache in the morning. She got sick after I carried her to your place.” Damn, he’d made another slip that his observant sister would no doubt catch.
She didn’t disappoint him. “Carried her?” Did he hear a smile in her voice?
“She’d passed out, Victoria. I had to get her to your bed.”
“My bed?” Now she sounded interested, pleased.
“I didn’t get in the bed with her!” But he’d gotten on the bed with her. With her over his knee, with him spanking her perky bottom. His sister certainly didn’t need to know any of that.
“I get the feeling you’re not telling me everything, brother dear.”
He blew out a breath of frustration. “Back to how much trouble you’re in with me, dear sister. Why didn’t you tell me the good Dr. M. M. James was a woman?”
“Hmmm, let me see if I can summarize it.” She remained silent a second for emphasis. “Because you currently have a very low opinion of the whole gender. Because you’re one stubborn sonofagun sometimes.Because you would never have signed that agreement. Pick any excuse you want, they all fit.”
“True enough.”
“Seriously, Cole, you need the rent money. I know the ranch’s finances are a constant battle, even with your back-up investment money from your rodeo circuit winnings.” She heaved a disgusted breath. “That black-haired feline ex-wife of yours did a real number on your other savings. But we don’t need to go there on that, do we?”
“No.” He really didn’t want to talk about his most recent ex or think about all the money he’d been forced to give her.Black-haired feline didn’t even come close to describing the bitch. His free hand was curling into a fist, his body tightening in fury.
“Anyway, Mandie needs a place for her therapy retreats this summer. And you need the money. Seemed like a perfect fit to me.”
He uncurled his hand and fingered the contract, frowned. Hethought about the pretty blonde he’d held in his arms, the one who he’d laid on top of, and who’d wriggled around on his lap. Okay, she’d been upside down and he’d been spanking her.Still….
“I can’t let her stay, Victoria.” Did he sound desperate?
“Signed contract, I remind you again.”
“I’m talking to her tomorrow, just like I said. I’m sure she’ll understand. Hell, I’ll even help her find somewhere else to go.” He sounded confident now, right?
“I’m warning you, bro, Mandie can be a kind-hearted sweetie, but she’s also got a formidable will—kind of like you. She made her plans, paid you good money up front. You’re going to have to man up and endure the summer.”
Cole closed his eyes and thought about Dr. Mandie James. He didn’t know about kind-hearted or formidable, but he did know she would be TROUBLE in capital letters.
* * * * *
Mandie sat the bar in Cole’s kitchen the next morning avoiding looking directly at the cowboy she had so many mixed feelings about. The first thing she’d remembered when she woke up with a pounding head a short while ago was how he’d turned her over his knee. He’d actually spanked her. Not long, not anything as intense as when her mother had spanked her growing up. Still, he’d spanked her. How could she face him now?
“Are you even listening to me?” Mr. Hard Hand asked from the other side of the room. He’d been keeping his distance, too, evidently feeling as awkward as she did about the spanking business.
She cupped her hands around the coffee mug in front of her. “Yes.”
“You’ll agree to tear up the contract then? Find another place for these camps of yours?”
She’d been sort of listening to him present reason after reason for her not to rent the guest lodging here. Not one reason made sense to her. Besides, she had liked what she’d seen of the ranch already. “No.”
He muttered a curse under his breath, mentally searching for more reasons to change her mind, she was certain.
“You signed the contract, Victoria signed it, and so did I.” She glanced in his direction. Good golly, he was a handsome man. Being angry did nothing to lessen that. “It’s too late to make a change of arrangements with my clients. The first of them are due to arrive in less than a week. They’ve already made their travel plans.”
Bessie had been puttering around the kitchen, putting a pan of bread in the oven to bake. Mandie saw the older woman scowl at Cole. Then she smiled at Mandie and sadly shook her head, as if apologizing for her stubborn nephew.
“Everything will work out fine, dear. My nephew always follows through when he’s given his word on something.” She glanced at him again. “It’s just this whole guest ranch part of the business that’s bothering him. It’s fairly new, you know. He doesn’t understand how it works. Thinks it’s more bother than he can deal with.”
Mandie remembered how Victoria had mentioned that he didn’t like this new venture. Victoria, naturally, thought it was a terrific idea. But then her friend was halfway across the country and not having to deal with any problems on the ranch.
“This really won’t be a problem for you, Mr. Whitlock.” She decided to try separating their business from anything personal…like his carrying her to the cottage, her practically jumping his bones. Oh, yes, she’d remembered that, and it had been why he’d warmed her bottom. “Since I’ve rented the guest lodge for the entire summer, you won’t have to deal with new renters all the time. Well, there’ll be new people here every couple of weeks. But I’ll take care of them.”
He looked skeptical.
“I promise we’ll be as little bother to you and your ranch hands as possible. In fact, you and I probably won’t even cross paths often.” She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. He seriously intrigued her, but she wasn’t sure why.
He blew out a breath. “It won’t matter. I’ll know you’re around.”
She raised an eyebrow and noticed how his gaze had begun moving slowly down her body. Suddenly she felt self-conscious in the shorts she’d chosen to wear. Were they too short? Was the T-shirt too tight? He seemed to be focused on her breasts now. She’d always been a little uncomfortable with being so well endowed.
Bessie cleared her throat, smiling as she looked from Mandie to Cole and back. “Don’t you have chores to be getting to, nephew?”
The big man’s face turned red and he shoved away from the counter he’d been leaning against. Not willing to give in easily, he pinned Mandie with a hard look. “We’ll give it a week and see how it goes.”
“The first group comes next week and will be here for two weeks,” she reminded him. She’d given him a basic schedule for her camps this summer, but he probably hadn’t even looked at it.
His lips pursed in annoyance, but he gave a curt nod. “Three weeks then.”
“Sounds reasonable to me,” Bessie commented. “Now, before you run off to lick your wounds, Cole, you should show Mandie around the ranch.”
He frowned at the lick your wounds statement. Bessie could certainly push his buttons. Mandie decided to step into the discussion. “She’s right. I need at least a quick look-over of the ranch. The parts I’ll be using with my clients, that is.”
“Fine.” He did
n’t look happy, but resigned. “Just a short look around, though. That’s all the time I can spare.”
Chapter Two
Sweat beaded on Cole’s upper lip and forehead an hour later and it had nothing to do with the warm June day. No, his condition had everything to do with the very enticing backside in front of him. Bent over to gently stroke the muzzle of the ranch’s newest foal, Mandie’s shorts crept higher every time she moved. He’d been suffering the demons of hell, the agony of a tortured man for the longest fifteen minutes of his life.Oblivious to his condition, she quietly crooned to the cream-colored filly. The sweet sound captivated both the foal and Cole. His blood heated; his….
“I don’t have all day,” he grouched when he couldn’t take it any longer.
Mandi gave a final stroke to the foal’s muzzle. “She’s just the cutest little thing. So soft, so precious.”
She straightened and leaned her back against the stall door to look at him with pale green eyes. “What is her name?”
“He ain’t named her yet,” stated a bow-legged, older cowboy heading their way from the tack room. A fringe of white hair spiked out from beneath his battered and sweat-stained hat. A piece of straw bobbed up and down in the corner of his mouth.
Cole gave Curly a discouraging look, meant to urge the man, who’d worked for his family for longer than Cole had been alive, to go about his chores. The man was a talker and Cole wasn’t in the mood for standing here now to chitchat.
Of course Curly didn’t take the hint. He grinned at Mandie, who smiled back encouraging him. “He best be naming her quick, else Tori will find out and do the honors. Like she done with the mare Cole rides.” His rheumy eyes mirrored amusement. “Jazz. Don’t that beat all! Jazz.”
Instead of the usual laughter he received when Curly shared that story, Mandie gave him a sympathetic glance. “It could have been worse. She has two Pomeranians—two balls of blonde-colored fluff really—named Eeniee and Meeniee.”
Cole’s lips twitched at hearing that. “You’re right, it could have been worse. Jazz doesn’t sound nearly so bad now.” Then before he could prevent it, he broke into a full-out smile. Something he hadn’t done in a while.
Her eyes danced with mischief and she looked toward Curly. “Your boss has got a really nice smile, doesn’t he? I was beginning to wonder if he knew how to do anything but scowl.”
Curly cocked his head. “Ain’t seen him smile in quite a spell. Kind of creepy, if you ask me.” He ambled away, swinging a bridle he’d been carrying.
Cole’s smile faded. He tried not to notice the way she studied him, as if analyzing him in some manner. Now that was creepy. Uncomfortable, he shifted the subject back to his sister. “About Victoria. Just how much arm-twisting did she do to get you to consider bringing your summer camps here to the CW? I can’t imagine this ranch in the Kansas Flint Hills would have been your first choice.”
She reached up to push her hair behind her small ears, a habit he’d already picked up on. Tiny pale green shamrock-shaped earrings caught his attention. His sister wore long dangly things. These were nicer, more feminine. He had an odd urge to touch them. More than that, he wanted to put his hand to the back of her neck and pull her to him for a kiss. The idea shook him clear to his toes.
“Well…” he prodded, taking a nervous step back. A safe step back.
“I admit that I’d checked into a couple of other places, including a dude ranch in Colorado.” She shifted, crossed one shapely leg in front of the other at the ankles of the short, red boots she wore. “But the more Victoria talked about this place… It didn’t take much persuasion at all for me to choose the CW for these couples’ retreats.”
His back stiffened. He hadn’t paid much attention to exactly what kind of camps she’d planned. Just that they were some kind of meetings for adults. He figured they were like some of those fancy executive retreats, the kind he’d heard about where they talked out problems at work or something. Now he had a bad feeling.
“Couples’ retreats?” His stomach knotted. “Are you a marriage counselor?” He’d spat out the last to show the distaste he had for such people.
“You have a problem with marriage counselors?” She cocked her head and looked pointedly at him.
“Stop that!”
“What?”
“Watching me so damn hard. Trying to get inside my head.”
She had the grace to appear apologetic. “Sorry. I study people probably in much the same way you study a horse or a cow. It’s part of what I do. Comes natural.”
Okay according to his sister, she was a psychologist. He’d gotten his back up for no good reason. Except marriage counselors had squeezed a big chunk of money out of him before his last marriage had ended. Money he sure could have used for the ranch.
“I’m sorry, too. You being a marriage counselor brought back some real bad memories.” The tension inside him eased a bit.
Her expression softened. “Victoria mentioned your last wife insisted on some therapy sessions. They don’t always help.”
He didn’t mean to discuss the situation—had never even told Victoria much of it. But he couldn’t keep from admitting, “Danielle hated that I was giving up the rodeo circuit. She liked being the wife of a big name in the business, a man who won title after title. She liked the parties, the celebrity status it awarded her.” He sucked in a pain-filled breath and let it out. “She wasn’t prepared to give it all up and retire to a ranch in what she believed was the middle of nowhere.”
She watched him, didn’t press him, just stood there and listened.
He studied his boots. “Danielle never once visited me in the hospital. Either time I broke my leg. She said she couldn’t stand to see me that way, busted up and wore down.” He blew out a soul-deep breath. “I knew the truth. She saw me as less of a man after that. Bessie never much liked Danielle, but she convinced us to try a marriage counselor.”
He looked bitterly at Mandie. “Biggest waste of time and money ever!”
She eased away from the stall and walked toward him as he froze in anticipation. Her small, delicate hand touched his forearm, almost burning him with tenderness through his shirtsleeve. He wanted to jerk away but couldn’t allow that weakness to win.
“I’m sorry you had to suffer through two failed marriages, Cole. But it doesn’t mean you won’t find happiness in a third one. Don’t give up yet. You just need time to heal.”
“That’s psychologist talk, Doc.” He wasn’t buying into it. A man could only take so much heartache.“I’m not willing to take the risk again.”
She gently squeezed his arm. “I’m good at what I do. If you’ll give me a chance, I can help you heal.” She smiled and the warmth in her eyes started to get to him. “I won’t even charge you for my help.”
He pulled his arm free, stepped back, and then thrust his chin up. “Not happening. I’ll get along fine without ever taking another stab at marriage.” The way his body wanted her, the way her understanding look called to him, made him react irrationally. He glared at her and said the stupidest thing, “All I need now for happiness is a hot woman willing to spread her legs and let me ram inside her. Just quick and hard sex. Period.”
Those gentle eyes widened and he felt like shit. He’d never talked to a woman that way. Bessie would smack him up side of the head if she found out about what he’d said, and he deserved it.
Then Mandie nodded and surprised him again. “Down and dirty, hard and fast. I have nothing against that kind of sex. Nor do I have a problem spreading my legs to welcome a good man into my body.” She pointedly added, “Not that I have a great deal of experience with that, mind you. I, too, have suffered my share of disappointments in relationships.”
She smiled wistfully. “But I’m not giving up on finding the love of my life. I can’t give up.”
They stood there, silently watching each other, uncertain. Finally, he had the good sense to apologize. His shoulders sagged. “I really put my size elevens into my
mouth this time. Sorry.”
She met him halfway. “All that leather didn’t taste so good, did it?”
Cole shook his head. “Pretty damn bad. The fact that I’m still pretty raw-skinned after divorcing Danielle doesn’t give me the right to take it out on you. Even if you’re a marriage counselor.” The job title tasted bad on his tongue.
Her smile slid back in place, a gentle smile. “A step up from scum of the earth.”
“Small step.” Now he tried a weak smile out. It wasn’t near as bad as he’d thought it would be.
Mandie walked back to stroke the muzzle of the foal that had been making noises and trying to claim her attention again. Cole enjoyed the sweet sway of her mighty fine hips. Fact was he liked the whole package that made up Dr. Mandie James. Maybe too much for both of their sakes.
As if she read some of what he’d been thinking, she said over her shoulder, “You’ve got a nice backside, too, cowboy. But just because I find you attractive—for a cowboy—that doesn’t mean I’m looking for a bed partner while I’m here at the CW. This is purely business for me. You need to understand that.”
Nice backside? Well, now, that sounded good. She found him attractive. “For a cowboy? What’s that supposed to mean?” The idiotic question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.
She faced him, laughing, a soft melodic sound. “Rubbed you wrong, huh? I’ve never had a thing for cowboys. No biggee.”
He should be glad about that, but damn if he was! This time he had the sense to leave her statement alone. He wasn’t looking for a new relationship anyway. Certainly not with his sister’s best friend.
She sashayed past him toward the barn door. “Since the little tour is over now, I need to get back to the cottage. I have clothes to put away, files to look at, and calls to make.”
Cole caught up with her, made another attempt to play nice. “Just curious. But what made you choose to become a marriage counselor?”
Stopping in the doorway, she faced him. “I’m not a marriage counselor, although my partners back in Phoenix are marital counselors.” She tipped her chin up in challenge, mischief sparked in those amazing eyes again. “My specialty is romance therapy. I teach couples how to have fun with each other, how to get or keep the magic in their marriage.”
