Army Ranger with Benefits_the Men of At-Ease Ranch

by Donna Michaels

  “I take it all went well on your date?”

  Leo wasn’t fishing for details. It was an unspoken rule between them. No. His buddy was more interested in his mindset. “Yeah, great.”

  The woman was fun and beautiful, and she listened with interest when he talked about his work. Curiosity had filled her gaze during dinner, then later, when they’d danced, enjoyment had replaced the curiosity, and later still, a fierce hunger had deepened the hue of her baby blues. And ruled his heartbeat.

  Leo’s brows rose. “That good, huh?”

  He blinked and brought his mind back to their conversation. “Let’s just say, better than I even expected.”

  “Bet I know why.” Leo regarded him steadily from across the table. “Because you think she’s adorable and she thinks you’re hot.”

  He chuckled. “Smart-ass.”

  No sooner had the words left his lips than his phone buzzed with a text. He removed it from his pocket and sighed. Another shortened therapy session. “The master beckons.”

  It wasn’t until later, much later, after Vince had returned from the store with groceries for dinner—and a box of condoms—that he let his mind drift back to the reason for needing the condoms. He hid a smile as he put away the food.

  An image flashed through his mind of a wet, soapy, lush Emma, suds running down her bouncing breasts as he pressed her against the shower wall and thrust inside her.

  Yeah, now that he’d had a taste of her, and knew she wanted more, too, he definitely needed the condoms. They were going to enjoy the ten days he had left. He’d make sure of it. Picking up the box, he sprinted upstairs while Dom was in the living room and Leo was packing. Since his brother had an issue with him dating Emma for real, there was no need to leave ammunition lying around to set the guy off.

  When Vince returned to the kitchen, he found Dom leaning against the counter, drinking a glass of water. His gaze flicked to Vince, but he didn’t say anything. Just scowled.

  Whatever. It was Dom’s problem. Not his.

  Leo entered the kitchen with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “Time I headed to the airport.” He walked over to Dom and held out his hand. “Thanks for having me.”

  “No, thank you for helping me track down Amir,” his brother said, shaking his friend’s hand. “I really appreciate it.”

  “Glad I could help.” Releasing Dom’s hand, Leo adjusted the strap. “Take it easy, unless you’re back in the sandbox. Then give ’em hell.”

  Dom nodded. “Roger that.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car.” Tired of his brother’s dark looks, Vince moved to the door.

  Once outside, Leo snickered. “Man, Cord and his intensity have nothing on Dom.”

  “Don’t I know it.” He smirked. “He’s stewing, and I’m pretty sure I know why.”

  “Emma?”

  “Yes,” he replied as they passed his rental and walked to Leo’s. “Dom’s pissed we went from fake to real. But he’ll get over it.”

  Because it was only temporary.

  Reaching his car, Leo opened the door to the back seat and tossed his bag inside before shutting it to face him. “Well, guess I’ll see you in a week or so.”

  Vince nodded. “Dom’s had a week of therapy under his belt and regained some mobility, so I can only assume, by next week, he will have improved that much more. And if he’s still not able to drive by Friday, I’ll fly in after his therapy, then return here on Sunday.”

  “Sounds feasible,” Leo said. “Although, I don’t see your brother being down that long.”

  “Me, either. He’s too stubborn.” Vince pulled his buddy in for a back-slapping handshake. “Thanks for picking up my slack at work.”

  “No problem,” Leo said, stepping back. “Just be careful, Vince.”

  Knowing the guy was referring to Emma and not Dom, he nodded. “Always.”

  A smile tugged at his friend’s lips. “Yeah? What about that time in Cairo?”

  “Hey.” He sent him a mock scowl. “You can’t pin that on me. I thought she told me to dance with her cousin.”

  His buddy laughed. “Man, they were fighting over you pretty good.”

  “That was crazy.” He shook his head. “And a big misunderstanding. There’s nothing to misinterpret with Emma.”

  “I hope not,” Leo said, getting into the car. “Just watch your six. And hers.”

  “I will,” Vince said, “but she’s on the same page.” That would keep them safe.

  Leo waved as he backed out of the driveway, then disappeared down the road.

  Over the past two days, Vince had observed the guy in several situations and locations, and not once had his buddy shown signs of inner turmoil, depression, repression, or anger. Leo was coping and coming along well. Vince made a mental note to call Stone to tell him.

  But right now, since his buffer was gone, he had to deal with Mr. Stick-up-his-ass alone.

  Back inside, while waiting for his brother to say something, Vince tossed together a big dish of lasagna for dinner. Emma’s favorite. Something he’d discovered over pillow talk last night. It was also when he’d asked her to come over for supper after work today.

  Not the best idea, he knew. Certainly not the smartest, but he didn’t care. They all had to eat anyway.

  The whole time he worked, Dom sat at the island, grumbling under his breath while supposedly reading the paper. After the third time in forty minutes, Vince decided it was going to be up to him. Shaking his head, he shoved the tray into the oven and slammed the door.

  “All right.” He twisted around and stared his brother down. “Out with it. What the hell is bothering you?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “You slept with her.” Dom slid off the stool, faster than he probably should’ve since the idiot turned white. “I can’t believe you slept with her. After I asked you not to. Dammit, Vince. What the hell were you thinking? Wait, I know, you weren’t thinking with the head on your shoulders.”

  “That’s enough,” he ground out through clenched teeth. He understood most of his brother’s aggression stemmed from worry about his men and was pissed he wasn’t with them, but Vince refused to let him insinuate he was using Emma to get his dick wet. “What the hell is so wrong with Emma and I hooking up? Unless you do have feelings for her.”

  “No. I told you, it’s not like that,” Dom insisted. “She’s a friend. A damn good one, and she’s been hurt too many times. I was here for the last one. I don’t want to see her go through the pain again.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Jesus, Dom. I’m not going to hurt her. Yes…this is temporary, but she knows it and I know it. We enjoy being together and we want to have fun. I haven’t had fun in a long time. Not since Connie. I know we were young, but I loved her. I would’ve died for her. But she died first and left me with a big gaping hole in my chest, because a piece of me died with her, too.”

  Dom exhaled. “I know.”

  “I buried the rest away, threw myself into training and missions, and lived for keeping my Ranger brothers alive.”

  Over time, physical need became too much and the groupies too amorous, so he eventually sated that need. But Vince had always been upfront with the women. He never lied. Never felt anything for them, either.

  “Now, for the first time in years, I’ve found a woman I want to see more than once. Those parts aren’t so buried when Emma’s around.” She made him feel things again. And he liked it. “So, while I understand and appreciate your concern for Emma, part of me wishes you’d be a little bit happy for your damn brother.”

  Silence stretched for several beats and Vince used the time to get his anger under control. A useless emotion. One he rarely entertained. It didn’t do anyone any good.

  Dom folded his arms across his chest and stared at him. “What makes you think my concern is only for her?”

  He blinked as surprise washed through him.

  “I was there when you got the news about Connie. I saw what
you went through. What it did to you.” Full-blown concern darkened Dom’s gaze. “I watched you bury that part down so deep, I didn’t think you’d ever find it again. But over the past week, I’ve seen some of it resurrected, and I have to be honest, it’s scaring the hell out of me.”

  It scared him, too.

  “I’m fine.” He smiled. “Quit worrying.”

  Dom’s arms dropped to his sides. “Fine? Just because you don’t intentionally mean to hurt her, or think you’ll ever get hurt, doesn’t make it fine. There’s nothing fine about it. It’s far from fine.”

  Vince stilled and studied his brother, noting the tight jaw and the way his brother’s gaze darted back and forth, signaling agitation more than anger. And then there was the fact his brother mentioned the word “fine” four times.

  Who had his brother so worked up?

  “So, care to tell me who we’re talking about, because that had nothing to do with me and Emma.”

  Dom stiffened. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he grumbled.

  Had to be a woman. But his brother hadn’t been anywhere other than here or at the hospital for therapy and doctor appointments…

  Wait.

  It suddenly made sense. The shortened appointments, long appointments, rescheduled appointments, yeah, something was definitely going on between Dom and the beautiful doctor who effectively put his brother in his place the day Vince had arrived to pick him up. He grinned, but one glance at his brother’s clamped jaw told him not to press it.

  Blowing out a breath, Dom turned a shrewd gaze on him. “Let’s get back to Emma. I want to know what you think is going to happen to her when you’re no longer with her? No longer here? Come on, man. You don’t live in Georgia. Your life is in Texas, and it’s a good life. It’s the right place for you. I’ve seen it change you, in a good way. Hell, Leo told me you’re the glue that keeps that place together. They need you, and you need them. Are you going to give that up?”

  Leo said that?

  Something akin to pride spread through his chest.

  Life outside of Joyful, Texas, had never been on Vince’s radar. He was invested and vested in the ranch and the good they were doing there.

  He shook his head. “No. Like I told you, this is just temporary, Dom. She knows I’m going back to Texas. As a matter of fact, she literally told me that before we took things further. So it’s all right. We’re on the same page.”

  “Then you’re setting yourself up to fail. And for you and her to get hurt, whether you want to admit it or not. This thing between you and Emma has no future, but your chemistry is strong, and that makes what you’re doing dangerous. That’s why I’m pissed. More at myself than anything. I never should’ve pushed you to date her.”

  Vince ran a hand through his hair. “Look, no one knows what the future holds. Believe me, I’m living proof.” He was also proof that playing it safe wasn’t living. It was time to change that. “I’m not looking for forever, and neither is Emma.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Dom asked. “Because, as I recall, she was looking for forever with Stephan when you blew into town.”

  He ignored the fact those words caused his gut to clench as if punched, and answered honestly. “And she’ll probably still have that. But right now, she wants this, and I want this, so we’re going to live for the moment for a change, and not worry about the future beyond today.”

  Dom blew out a breath and shook his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “So do I.”

  His brother’s lips twitched. “Do I get a piece of that lasagna when it’s done?”

  A change in the subject. Dom’s way of saying he was stepping off his soapbox and done interfering.

  Vince rubbed his jaw. “Depends.”

  “On what?”

  A smile threatened to ruin his serious expression. “On whether you get the kitchen cleaned up before Emma gets here.”

  “Me?” Dom’s brows rose with his tone.

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “I’m going to jump in the shower.”

  Without waiting, Vince left his brother in the kitchen with all the dirty pots and pans, and some things to digest. He had some digesting to do, too. Like the fact his brother had been more worried about him than Emma. Yeah, he was still processing that one. But, hopefully, he put his brother’s fears to rest. There was no way he would hurt Emma and she wasn’t going to hurt him.

  So why waste time worrying?

  …

  It was Saturday morning, the day of the bake sale, and for the first time in a long time, Emma was excited about the weekend. Thanks to Vince. The more they spent time together, the more it felt as if she’d known him her whole life. It was unreal how he remembered her likes and dislikes. Between food and flowers and songs and movies and…sex?

  Yeah. She smiled. The sex was amazing.

  Heat rushed through Emma, tingling all her good parts. Vince knew her body better than she did. He was a master and magnificent. And so giving. Even now, just thinking about the man, she ached for him.

  She’d see him soon enough. She was heading next door in a few minutes, although not for any “hot stuff.” All the baked goods were there, and they needed to get them loaded in the car. Quickly tying her wraparound dress, she smiled. Vince had helped her bake next door, then returned to her house to heat up the sheets. He’d only run back to Dom’s for a quick shower and to make sure his brother was up.

  Yesterday, Dom had finished his second week of rehab. Even though he was slowly winning the battle over his muscle spasms, he wasn’t cleared to drive yet. But he could sit and stand for longer periods of time now, and had insisted Vince didn’t need to stay with him at night anymore.

  A noticeable attitude adjustment.

  Her neighbor executed a one-eighty where she and his brother were concerned. It was as if he took a step back and kind of gave them his blessing to hang out. In fact, he’d been the one to insist they use his kitchen to bake last night. Lucky bugger had a double oven, so she gladly took him up on the offer. Although, she knew the real reason. Dom’s sweet tooth. He sampled all their goods. Some twice.

  With a lightness to her steps, she headed next door, slipping her purse across her body along the way.

  “Morning, Emma,” Dom said, carrying a tray of her pineapple squares.

  She rushed to take them from him. “Let me help.”

  He sidestepped her. “No need. I’m more than capable of carrying these. You can, however, open your car door.”

  Doing as she was told, she frowned. “But you’re not supposed to lift anything.”

  “I’m not. I’m carrying them.” He nodded to the covered tray. “And before you complain about that, my restriction for carrying is five pounds or more. This tray does not weight that. I’ve got these, go ahead inside and grab more.”

  So she did, and within minutes, the car was almost loaded. Just two more trips and they’d be good to go. She was approaching Vince and the open trunk with two containers of chocolate chip cookies in her arms when her phone rang.

  “I got these,” he said, grabbing the cookies.

  “Thanks.” She smiled and fished her phone from her purse. “Hi, Mom. How are you and Aunt Katherine?”

  “We’re good, hun. How are you? Did Stephan ask you out yet?”

  She stiffened. “No, not yet.”

  “Well hang in there. You still have almost a week left,” her mom said.

  Her deadline. She’d almost forgotten about it.

  She must’ve been standing there with her mouth open because Vince took one look at her and frowned. Emma forced a smile and shook her head to let him know nothing was wrong.

  Although forgetting about Stephan because she was starting to fall for Vince was sort of an issue.

  “Not to worry,” her mother said. “I’m directing all my thoughts and energy toward wishing you well with Stephan.”

  Great, although she didn’t need them. She had a feeling she would need them becaus
e Vince would be out of her life in a week.

  Pain stabbed at her heart at the thought of his absence. She rubbed her chest to ease the ache.

  “So, what are your plans for today?” her mother asked.

  “The bake sale,” she replied.

  “That’s today? Oh. I’d better let you go. I was just touching base again. Good luck with your sale.”

  After the line went dead, Emma inhaled and shoved the phone back in her purse. She’d worry about picking her plan to date Stephan back up after Vince was gone. Her stomach rolled, so she forced the conversation out of her mind. She only had a few days left with Vince, and there wasn’t any room for guilt or negativity.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. She was just checking in.” She nodded. “Are we good to go?”

  He slammed the trunk shut. “That we are.”

  “Well, you two have fun,” Dom said, sounding like he thought it would be anything but.

  Vince opened the driver’s door, then grabbed her hand and kissed it as he helped her in. “We will.”

  Warmth washed away the chill her mother’s call created. She loved that he had no issue with her driving, and was excited to share one of her favorite days with him. A few minutes passed while she enjoyed the aroma of their cargo, and the feel of Vince’s hand on her knee.

  “Thanks for helping me last night. You know, with the baking…and stuff.” She smiled at him as she drove through town.

  After baking, they’d gone to her house and showered off the flour, spending extra time on each other’s bodies and making sure they were good and satisfied with the results.

  “My pleasure.” He returned her smile. “It’s my new favorite thing.”

  She chuckled. “What? Baking?”

  “No. You,” he said, lightly brushing his little finger over the inside of her knee.

  Awareness shot straight to her core. “Ditto.”

  Since she was pulling into the rec center, she let the conversation drop, hoping it would drop her heart rate back to normal, too. They were there to sell baked goods to raise money for the troops. Her out-of-control desire for the guy needed to take a back seat.