Dear God! That man was hot. Not only could he kiss but also he knew how to make a woman feel special, and he certainly knew his way around one. She shivered remembering. He was a fantastic lover.
She pulled around to the back door of the B and B then ran inside. Evelyn Robinson, the cook, turned from the stove and stared at her. Then with a knowing grin, she wiped her hands on a towel.
“Late night, Liv?”
Olivia groaned, and suddenly wished her apartment had a private entrance.
“I, uh…overslept,” she mumbled and headed toward her apartment. She could hear Evelyn chuckling behind her. Evelyn was a short, slim widow in her early sixties. Olivia adored her but knew she’d never hear the end of this now.
After taking a quick shower, she headed to the front desk to help Stacy with the guests, but her mind stayed on Wyatt the entire time. Her body trembled again with arousal just thinking about what he’d done to her.
“Are you cold?” Stacy asked from the stool beside her.
“Uh, yes,” Olivia lied.
“I think it’s hot in here,” Stacy murmured.
“I just felt a chill for a second.”
Stacy smiled at her, and then turned toward the door to greet some guests coming in. Olivia smiled too, but she wanted to be somewhere else with someone else. She wondered what he was doing now and she sighed, her thoughts drifting off as she imagined what she’d like to be doing with him right now.
* * * *
Wyatt strode from the barn and stopped in his tracks when he saw Olivia’s vehicle was gone. Damn, she left. Just like that? Pulling his leather heavy work gloves off, he walked toward the house and entered. He glanced around but didn’t see a note or anything. Why would she leave a note? He knew where she’d gone—back to the B and B. She probably had to get to work.
Damn. He was hoping to find her still in bed.
Wyatt swore aloud when he felt himself growing hard. He ran his hand down his face. Christ! What amazing sex. If he concentrated hard enough, he could still taste her and smell her scent. He wanted her again and muttered under his breath. How was that even possible? He woke her up two times last night and still wanted her. Shit! He stormed out of the house and back to the barn. There was plenty of work to do, and he’d see her tonight. He smiled as he thought about being with her again.
He strolled into the barn and saw Ben standing by a stall. Clenching his jaw, Wyatt headed toward him and stopped beside him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m taking a break,” Collins told him. “I’m entitled.”
“Really? Who told you that? From what I can hear, the men are having a problem with a horse and yet here you stand, doing nothing.” Wyatt stepped closer.
Collins shrugged. “There are plenty of men to help out.”
Wyatt fisted his hands at his sides. “Did you ask Lucky if you could take a break?”
Collins huffed and started walking away. “I’ll go back and help.”
“See that you do,” Wyatt said. He watched him stroll away as if he had all the time in the world. There was something about the guy he just didn’t trust, so Wyatt followed him to the corral.
Ben jumped over the wooden rail and walked slowly toward the horse to help hold the rope. The other men had a rope around the horse’s neck trying to calm it down. Wyatt not only trained cutting horses, he also broke horses before training them to be cutting horses. It was a hard, tedious job but he loved every minute of it. He had two ranch hands, other than himself, who could break the horses, and he never asked anything of them he wouldn’t do himself. They were a lot younger than he was though, so he let them do it more often. At thirty-four, his body wasn’t what it used to be. He was still in great physical condition, he worked out and worked hard on his ranch but being thrown from a horse gets old, and he’d hate to see how he felt in another ten years.
The two ranch hands, Ethan White and Mason Wright, were only twenty-three and young enough to believe they could do anything. They were good though, and Wyatt paid them highly for doing what they did. He smiled as he watched Mason grab the saddle horn and hoist himself onto the horse. The horse had worn himself out but Wyatt knew once the rider mounted, the horse would get its energy back and do all it could to dismount the rider. The men started cheering when the horse began to buck trying to dislodge Mason, but he held on. The next thing Wyatt knew, Mason was flying through the air and all five men standing along the rails groaned when he hit the ground, hard.
Wyatt jumped the fence and ran toward him. Just as he got there, Mason sat up and grinned up at him. Wyatt shook his head.
“You crazy son of a bitch.” He put his hand out to help him up. Mason stood and dusted himself off.
“Let me at him again,” Mason said.
“Are you sure? Ethan can try,” Wyatt told him with a grin, but he knew Mason wouldn’t let Ethan take this one.
“Hell no. I got this,” Mason said as he walked back toward the horse and once again, hoisted himself onto the horse. The horse jumped and bucked around the corral again. All the men were shouting encouragement—except Ben Collins. Wyatt glanced over at him and saw him staring at him. Wyatt raised an eyebrow at him and Collins turned away. Wyatt sighed. He knew it was just a matter of time before he’d be firing the man. He was just waiting for him to fuck up big time.
“Hey, boss,” Kirk Collins said from beside him.
“Kirk. How’s it going?” Wyatt nodded.
“Fine…can we talk?” Wyatt stared at him then nodded for him to follow him to his office in the barn. He closed the door, Kirk took a seat, and Wyatt leaned against the desk. Kirk took a deep breath. “Ava’s leaving me,” he said quietly.
Wyatt was shocked. “What? Why?” He held his hand up. “No. It’s none of my business. Are you going to be all right?”
Kirk shook his head. “I’m trying. I’m staying with Ben for now, but she’s moving to Texas. She has family there.” He ran his hand down his face. “I don’t know what happened to be honest. One day we were fine, the next, she wants to leave me.”
“I’m sorry Kirk. That’s why you were preoccupied the day Candy’s leg was cut.”
“Yeah, I’m real sorry about that, Wyatt. If my mind had been on my work instead of my wife leaving me, I would have caught it,” Kirk told him.
“I wish you would have told me. I wouldn’t have sent you home for the weekend without pay.”
Kirk shrugged. “I deserved it.”
“Yes, but you didn’t need to be sitting at home alone. I know. I’ve been there.” Wyatt sighed. “I try to rotate the weekends so you guys have family time but if you had told me, I would have let you work.”
Kirk stood. “I fucked up and it was the right thing to do. I do understand about being home alone so I’ll work any hours you want me to.”
Wyatt nodded. “Check with Lucky and the men. Some of them will be more than happy to let you work their hours.” He put his hand on Kirk’s shoulder. “I’m real sorry to hear this, Kirk.”
Kirk gave a terse nod and strode from the office. Wyatt stared at the door, and then grunted. This was what love does to a man—brings him to his knees. It was why he wasn’t going through it again. He glanced down at his watch and swore. He had to pick Olivia up in a few hours and he hadn’t even told her where they were going. He pulled out his cell phone and called the B and B.
“Clifton Bed and Breakfast. How may I help you?”
“You sure sound professional, darlin’.”
“How did you know it was me, cowboy?”
Wyatt chuckled. “I’d know that sexy voice in my ear any day.” He laughed outright when she groaned into the phone.
Olivia laughed. “You’re not breaking our date are you?”
“Nope. I’ll pick you up at six. We’ll go into Hartland for dinner.”
“You ashamed to be seen here with me?”
“Christ, you’re suspicious. No, I’m not. I just thought you’d like to go to a nice restaur
ant since all we have is the diner. Up to you though. We can go to the diner.”
“I’d like to go to Hartland. I’ll wear a dress. I just might wear underwear.”
Wyatt growled. “I knew this was a mistake,” he muttered.
Olivia laughed. “I’ll be your favorite mistake, cowboy. See you later.” She hung up.
Wyatt stared at the phone in his hand. Damn. He should have canceled the date. This was going to go south fast, he could feel it in his gut. What were you thinking? He snorted. The thing was he hadn’t been thinking, not with the head on his shoulders anyway. It was so good with her though that he wanted her again. Right now, but he’d wait. Tonight would be soon enough. He hoped.
* * * *
Olivia smiled as she hung the phone up. She couldn’t wait until tonight because if he thought they were going to have sex, he had another think coming. She chuckled when she thought of his reaction when she told him no.
“What are you grinning about?” Evelyn asked from the doorway to the foyer.
Olivia jerked. “Don’t sneak up on me for God’s sake, Evelyn.”
Evelyn laughed. “You look guilty, Liv. What are you up to?”
Olivia stood and faced her. “Why, not a thing.” She fluttered her eyelashes.
Evelyn burst out laughing. “I don’t know why I don’t believe you.”
Olivia walked toward her and headed to the kitchen with Evelyn behind her. She took a seat at the table and stared out the window. The sky was beginning to darken and the wind was picking up. The temperatures had been dropping all day. It was going to be a cold night and she was going to be alone in her bed when she could have a hot cowboy next to her keeping her warm. Olivia snorted. Warm? Try hotter than hell.
She wiggled in her seat just thinking of the things he’d done and said to her in bed. It shouldn’t have surprised her since she’d been pretty sure he was going to be like that way back when she first met him, and he’d looked at her like he couldn’t stand her. He wouldn’t even shake her hand. For almost two years, she’d let him know in every way she could just how much she wanted him and he never took her up on it. She was glad now she’d gone to his place to see Cochise, otherwise they’d still be dancing around each other. Now they were dancing between the sheets, and against walls, doors…
“Earth to Liv,” Evelyn said.
Olivia glanced over to her and grinned. “Just doing some day dreaming.”
“About a man?”
“What makes you say that?” Olivia tilted her head.
“You come home in the morning and you have a shit-eating grin on your face all day. Sounds like a man to me.”
“Oh, yeah, you mean like you look when Stan comes around or talks to you,” Olivia teased.
Evelyn huffed. “I certainly do not.”
Olivia laughed. “Yes, you do. You’ve got the hots for Stan, Evelyn Robinson.”
Stan Watson was the foreman at the B and B. He’d worked for Becca’s grandmother for years. When Becca inherited the ranch, he had stayed on. He still took care of the horses for the riding trails. Olivia was certain Evelyn had a crush on the man and if she was right, Stan felt the same in return.
“The hots? What a way to put it, Liv.” Evelyn sighed. “Although he does make me feel like I’m having hot flashes, even though they’ve been gone for years.”
Olivia burst out laughing. “Go for it. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“What? Oh no. I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to change the subject from your man. Who is it?”
Olivia shook her head. “My lips are sealed.”
“I’ll find out eventually, you know. If he comes here to pick you up for a date, or do you two just hook-up?”
Olivia nibbled on her bottom lip. “He’s going to pick me up.”
Evelyn folded her arms across her chest. “When?”
“In a few hours,” Olivia mumbled.
Evelyn cackled. “I can’t wait.”
Damn it! Why hadn’t she thought of this? Wait. Why should she have? She wasn’t trying to hide anything and if Wyatt was, he had better get over it real quick. The grapevine in Clifton would be in full swing by tomorrow. She was also sure some people from Clifton would probably be at the restaurant in Hartland since it was a Saturday night. Sighing, she smiled at Evelyn and headed toward her apartment.
“I need to figure out what to wear.”
“You get real sexy for him, ya hear me?”
Olivia stopped in her tracks. “Him who?” She narrowed her eyes at Evelyn.
Evelyn grinned. “Wyatt, of course.”
Olivia gasped. “How…?”
“Because I know how much you like him and seeing you this excited about going out can only mean one thing…you’re going out with him.” Evelyn tilted her head. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
Olivia sighed. “I can’t because you’re not.”
Evelyn nodded. “I’m glad he finally came to his senses. I’m happy for you. Now, you go figure out what to wear, honey. I hope you have a great time.” She entered the pantry, leaving Olivia to stare after her.
She sighed heavily. If Evelyn only knew the truth about it, she’d laugh. The only reason Wyatt was taking her out was that she’d practically blackmailed him into it. She closeted herself in her apartment to get ready for her date.
Chapter Six
At six o’clock, Wyatt pulled his truck up alongside the back porch of the B and B. He blew out a breath trying to calm his insides, opened the door, and hopped out. After taking a deep breath, he walked up the porch steps, knocked on the back door, and then walked in. He watched as Evelyn turned toward him and smiled at him.
“Hello Wyatt, how are you?” she asked.
He smiled. “I’m fine, Evelyn. How are you?”
Evelyn grinned at him. “Just fine, honey.”
Wyatt cleared his throat when she kept staring at him. He gave her a nod and started toward Olivia’s apartment door when it opened, and she stepped out. He suddenly forgot how to breathe and his heart forgot how to beat, because she looked amazing. She wore a short skintight black dress, which showed every one of her sexy curves. His mouth started to water as his gaze moved over her silky black hair, down over her breasts, flat stomach, and took in every inch of her long legs. On her feet were black stilettos. He swallowed hard, and then looked into her eyes. She stood there simply smiling at him.
“Hi cowboy,” she said in a low sultry voice.
“Hi,” he murmured, and then he cleared his throat again because it sounded kind of creaky. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. Are you ready to go?”
Wyatt nodded. “Are you?”
“Oh, I’m ready all right.” Olivia grinned at him.
Shit! “Let’s go then.”
Wyatt smiled at Evelyn, who still hadn’t taken her eyes off him, and put his hand out toward Olivia. When she placed her hand in his, he felt a shock and quickly glanced at her. She continued to smile up at him as he held her jacket for her. After he lifted the soft strands of her hair from inside the jacket, he jerked his chin for her to go out the door ahead of him, and then wanted to kick himself as his eyes strayed to her ass. The dress barely covered it.
“That’s some dress you’re almost wearing,” Wyatt muttered. Her throaty laugh washed over him. “You wore it on purpose,” he mumbled, silently cursing her.
Olivia stepped around the truck to the passenger side. Wyatt followed and opened the door for her. He held out his hand to help her in. She grinned at him. “You do remember how to date, cowboy.”
“Just good manners,” Wyatt whispered as he leaned toward her and pressed his lips to hers. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes. What about you?”
His lips moved across her cheek to her ear. “Starving.”
He grinned when he felt her shiver. He moved back from her, closed the door, walked around the truck, feeling a little more in control, and got in behind the wheel. Glancing at her one more time, he t
urned to the front and started the engine. They drove in silence to the restaurant. Once there, Wyatt walked around the vehicle to open her door and help her down.
“Jesus, Wyatt. Can it be any harder to get in and out of this damn truck? My dress keeps riding up.”
Wyatt laughed. “I can’t help it if you wore a dress that barely covers your ass.”
“Well, the people here in the parking lot will get one hell of an eyeful if it rides up too much more,” Olivia muttered.
“Are you telling me you’re not wearing panties?”
Olivia put her hands on his shoulders and gazed up at him. “I’m telling you there is nothing between me and this dress.”
“How the hell am I supposed to get through dinner knowing that?” Wyatt growled.
Olivia laughed. “You weren’t supposed to find out. I can’t wear underwear with this dress. Every line would show.”
“Damn it, come on. Let’s get this dinner over with.” Wyatt took her hand in his and led her into the restaurant.
“Could you please slow down? I can’t run in these fuck me shoes.”
Wyatt stopped and narrowed his eyes. “Did you say fuck me shoes?”
Olivia shrugged giving him an innocent look, which he knew wasn’t so. “It’s what women call them.”
“Jesus H. Christ. I’m dying here,” Wyatt said as they walked into the restaurant. The hostess smiled at both of them, but her eyes kept going back to him. She led them to a table and they took their seats. After handing them menus, the hostess left them and a waitress came over to take their orders.
“Do you want to see a movie after dinner?” Olivia asked him after they ordered.
Wyatt stared at her. “No.”
“Go for a drive?”
“No.”
“I’d ask what you want to do but I think I know,” Olivia whispered.
“You know exactly what I want to do. You.” Wyatt didn’t take his eyes from her.
Wyatt Page 7
