by Beck, J. L.
He laughed and brought over a large shirt. “It’s too tempting for me.”
Grasping the shirt, she stared at him with a baffled expression.
Leaning in close, he whispered, “I am tempted to mine you.”
Kanda gasped at the tingles that ran along her skin.
“You know, explore your depths—take some samples of your topsoil?”
Her eyes almost rolled in her head at the sensual meaning behind his teasing. Go ahead, mate, I’m ready for the plundering! She swallowed hard and put the shirt on. It hurt to stretch her arms up and she visibly winced with the effort.
“Let me help.” He tugged the shirt down and over her ample curves while he stared at her waist. “You’re just so…”
Kanda was breathing heavily again. So? So what?
“I’m gonna get dinner on.” He stepped away from her. “…and then maybe we can talk about—well, who you are and who I am?”
Nodding her head, she couldn’t speak again. This must be a world record. Kanda Kincade keeping her mouth shut! Well, I know who you are, that’s for sure. You are him! The one I’ve needed and didn’t even know it. She lay down on her stomach and watched what was now the best entertainment in her world—the glorious sight of the well-built and gorgeous Aussie, cooking in his small makeshift kitchen.
Kanda was enraptured. She held her cheeks in her hands and watched a magnificent looking man cooking her dinner.
“So, what do you do?” he asked as he set plates on the table in front of the bed.
Kanda gulped “I’m—well, I—?”
Wade laughed. “It couldn’t be that hard a question.”
Kanda took a deep breath. “I’m a rancher.”
He turned and grabbed a pan full of whatever it was he cooked and set it next to the plates. “Oh, yeah?”
She nodded her head. Here it comes and now we’ll see if he’ll still wanna ‘mine me’.
“You mean like the Triple K is a ranch? You do the same work?”
“Yep.” She looked directly at him. “The exact same work.”
Sitting down, he proceeded to fill her plate. “Don’t tell me you work for the Triple K?”
Kanda sighed. “No, I can’t say that’s exactly true.”
Wade looked relieved.
“You might say that…I am the Triple K.”
Dropping his plate, he stared at her. “But I met Mrs. Kincade.”
“Mable is my Mom.”
He shook his head. “Oh, wow.”
Kanda grew concerned at his reaction. “What difference does it make?”
“Well, I was supposed to avoid you, I think?” He laughed.
“You think?”
“Yeah, she told me to stay out of…” He gazed into her eyes. “…your way.”
Kanda was struck speechless by the look in his eyes.
“Then, I practically knocked you from your horse!”
“Nah, I don’t think that was your fault.”
“I think it was. You see, I have this mineralizer and it emits a signal to verify ore deposits and such.”
Kanda took a bite of food. Wow, what was this stuff? It tasted divine. It figures the man can cook as exquisitely as he looks.
“The only problem is, you aren’t supposed to use it around animals. It’s the high frequency.”
She gazed up at him.
“So, you see, it was my doing.”
She shrugged. “You didn’t know I was there though.”
“No, I didn’t. But I’d better apologize for it.”
Kanda took another bite and stared into his steely blue eyes.
“Because, I’m really glad it happened.”
Kanda had trouble swallowing the food.
Wade placed his hand over hers.
The passion in his eyes made her shiver all over. Say sumpthin’, Kanda! Her mind floundered. She just didn’t know how to act or what to say.
He chuckled and patted her hand before letting go. “I’m a brash sorta guy, usually. I just go after what I want.”
Kanda swallowed and took a sip of her drink. “Is that a warning or a promise?”
His eyes rounded a little, and then he burst out with laughter.
She smiled. “Usually, I—”
Reaching out, he took a hold of her hand again.
“I go at something head to head. No fear, no doubts.”
“Good.”
She shook her head. “Just not in this case.” She thought about how her brain hadn’t worked right from the minute she caught sight of this man. How she’d be lucky to string two coherent words together. She was almost paralyzed with awe this entire time with him. Yes, she was afraid. Afraid? Her body shook all over.
Wade looked concerned again. “Are you hurting from the fall?”
Kanda felt the warmth from his hand along with the heat in his searing eyes and she just wanted to get up and run. Run away as fast as she could. “No.” Do I tell him the truth? How can I? What would he do? Would he take advantage of it? Kanda smiled. God, I hope so. A chuckle escaped her.
“You could just tell me the truth.”
Kanda felt shocked. It was like he’d read my mind! She cleared her throat as she gazed around at the cabin to avoid his hot stare. “I think you are the sexiest piece of beef I’ve ever had on my land.”
Wade’s eyes widened a little.
“I think if I let ya? You’d send me to heaven.” She now gazed directly at him. “I’m just not sure if I’m ready for that. Don’t get me wrong. I ain’t ever had fear of nothing my whole life. Why, I broke my first horse when I was twelve years old.” She grinned at him. “But you? I think you’re positively dangerous and I may be the one who gets broke.”
He just sat and stared at her.
Kanda could get lost in that blazing pair of blue eyes. She waited for his response.
“Well, I asked, didn’t I?” He shook his head. “I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever met one of you before now.”
Kanda was puzzled by the remark.
“A real woman.” He stood up, going around the table and to the bed. He scooped her up. “I’ve met some beauties too. Some that made men drool. Most times, they weren’t my type either and they were always playing some kind of game.” He looked into her baffled eyes. “You? Are a rare thing; a woman who tells the truth. And the kind that does make me drool. I’ve wanted to have you from the minute I found you. I just didn’t know if you felt attracted to a man like me.”
“A man like—you?” Her voice was a mere whisper.
“Yeah, an outbacker. I’m not a cowboy or what do you call ’em? A sophisticated American male.”
Kanda smiled. “I think that’s what I like about ya. You’re nothing like any man I’ve ever met.”
He lowered those yummy lips and kissed her.
She sucked in her breath. His kiss was forceful and urgent as he pushed his tongue in and swarmed her senses. She thought the room spun around her. A kaleidoscope of color hit her mind while she felt like she was floating on air.
He held her aloft in his arms the entire time. He finally broke the kiss and gazed at her face.
She felt like she was a melted slab of butter; she was so weak from just his kiss. This was a feeling she’d never experienced before. He’s in charge all the way and God dammit—I like it!
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Someone yelled from the cabin doorway.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Circus was never like this!
BREA
The Ruby Red Suite at the Plush Rooster Ranch
Brea had been situated into a room of her own. A man came in and brought a lovely tray of food for her dinner. He introduced himself as Pedro. A rather tall, very good-looking Mexican man. His brown eyes danced at her like he wanted to say something, though he never said anything but what is name was.
She was a bit relived that it wasn’t Bert, because he didn’t smile and he made her nervous as hell. But he was security supposedl
y, and she had to admit, he could scare most anybody off the ranch if he needed to.
After she was done with her meal, Pedro came back in and drew her a bath in the overly large bathroom with the brass claw foot type of bathtub, sitting in the middle. “Mama Daisy said you were to get the star treatment.” He gave her a wink and set everything up. “She says you’re to get some sound sleep and be ready in the morning.”
“Ready?” Brea asked.
He nodded his dark head and left.
While she sat in the bath, she thought of the rose scented bath she’d drawn for Cole. She tried to keep her tears at bay while she thought of the way he looked at her and the way he’d touched her when they were in the cook’s cottage. His body had felt so warm. It was like being wrapped in a hot silken blanket of sleek skin and it did make it hard for her to think clearly at all.
She remembered his deep rumbling voice as he held her tight. “I wanted to just take your breath away, you know? Bring you here and strip you down. Then, I was going to get very fancy and eat fried chicken from your sweet, luscious body. But I want you so much that I just can’t wait.” He then wrapped his arms around her and plunged his hard cock into her very wet pussy.
Brea gasped with the hot memory. Tears rolled down her cheeks and slipped into the steaming bath water. She sat up and wiped them away. I will have that back! I didn’t turn my life and his upside down to just walk away! She got out, toweled off, dropping her nude body onto the canopied bed and immediately drifted to sleep.
*~*~*~*
The next morning, she awoke and stared up at the silk canopy. I need to get back to my apartment and pack up, then move into the cook’s cottage at the ranch. And I will follow Ma’s advice. I won’t quit the job and I won’t run away!
Before she could finish the thought, Daisy burst into the room. “You have breakfast comin’!” She stared at Brea. “And even though, I run a house of wicked repute?” She nodded her head at her. “You’d better not tempt Pedro. Him and all of my crew have a real weakness for us Plush type girls.”
Brea stared down at her naked breasts. “Oh!” She hastily pulled the sheet up.
Pedro came in just then and strolled over to the bed. He motioned his head at her.
“He wants ya to sit back,” her mama informed her.
Brea carefully scooted back to the headboard.
Pedro placed the tray over her lap. “Muy…baby!” he cooed in his thick accent.
“Pedro!” Daisy called. “She’s not clientele!”
He smiled down at Brea. “I would be her man for free, Mama Daisy. Just look at her. She is muy bonita!”
Clicking her tongue, Daisy grabbed his arm. “She’s got a man, Pedro.”
“Why she here then? He not a good man to let her go.”
Daisy steered him to the door. “Just go and make sure the rest of the ladies are fed, sí?”
After she ate and dressed, Daisy took her to the second floor, ushered her into a room and sat her down. “Now, I got people who are gonna come in here and they’re experts at what they do. I want you to sit like a porcelain doll and do whatever you’re told.”
Brea did just that. After about five minutes, she wondered why she was going along with this crazy idea in the first place. She stood up, headed to the door and it flung open.
A woman stood there, carrying a huge black bag. She was big, busty, dark, and she wore a colored scarf over her hair. “Hello, I’m Coco and you must be the woman whose life is about to glitter!”
An hour later….
“You’s got to sit still, dolly!” Coco reprimanded her for the tenth time in the last hour.
“I just never wore much makeup and I’m afraid I’m gonna look like a clown!” Brea defended.
Coco set her blush brush down. “You are now officially insultin’ me, princess.” She squared her shoulders. “I ain’t no hack working for a circus, you know. I’m just bringing out your best features is all.”
“I don’t think I have any.”
Coco gasped and set her hands on her hips. “What?”
Brea shrugged. “It will be like puttin’ lipstick on a—”
Coco spun her chair around to the mirror.
Brea simply gaped at the image in front of her. There in the reflection was a woman—with gleaming red hair, huge green eyes, lightly blushed cheeks and her face almost glowed.
“As you can see, I ain’t used no lipstick…Miss Piggy!” She crossed her arms over her chest with a huff.
Brea sat very still. “That can’t be me.”
“Well, who in the hell do you think it is then?”
She shook her head as shock fell over her in waves.
“You is beauuutiful girlie!” Coco laughed.
“I am. I really am!” She tilted her head. “It’s awesome!”
Coco nodded with pride. “I’m the best this side of the Pecos.”
Brea was still amazed. “You must be!”
Coco turned her chair back around. “Now, I’m gonna add a color tint to your lips and if you don’t shush? I’m gonna make pork chops outta ya!”
Giggling, Brea tilted her face up “Do me, Miss Channel!”
“Well, it’s about time!” Coco chuckled and reached over to her bag which was laid out like a tool kit.
Brea snickered. Tools for beauty and they were magical too.
Coco grabbed her chin and layered her wand over Brea’s lips.
A pounding sounded on the door and Coco sneered. “There’s art going on in here!”
The door burst open and a small man stood there. “You had your hour, Miss Coco!”
The artist didn’t even look up. “That’s okay, this is just the finishin’ touch. So, keep your tiny britches on.”
The little man huffed and stalked into the room.
Pedro was right behind him, pushing a clothing rack.
Coco dropped her hands away and stepped back. “I did it again! She is lovely, yes?”
Pedro strolled over and his brows rose. “Sí! Just looking at her makes me hard all over.”
“Out! Out with you…you Latin hound!” yelled the little man.
Pedro ignored him and knelt down with a dramatic flair while taking Brea’s hand into his. “Mi Contessa, por amor.”
Brea felt her cheeks flame as she stared into his burning brown eyes.
Coco snickered. “He’s smitten for sure!”
“He needs to get his tight, troublemaking buns outta here!” shouted the little man.
Coco shook her head as she was packing up her magic bag. “You’s best scoot, chico.”
Pedro acted as though he never heard her. He kissed Brea’s knuckles with a fevered passion.
The little man released a heavy breath. “I would whip that tan ass of his, but I’m afraid he’d like it too much!” he tisked loudly.
Coco was still laughing as she snapped her case shut. “Yes, Mr. Morty, he would!” She looked over at Brea’s stunned expression. “I hope that when you do get to the circus? You find that lion tamer, your ma was tellin’ me about.” She gave her a wink and sauntered with a curvy stride to the door. “Pedro?” she called as she went through the doorway.
Pedro rose up slowly. “If your cowboy can’t see what a beauty he has? I’ll be waiting.” He bowed with a flourish and went to the doorway.
Brea had been holding her breath and now released it.
“Shut the door!” Mister Morty yelled at the tall Latin man.
Pedro gave her a flirtatious wink and did as he was told.
Brea swung her gaze over to the strange little man who’d been shouting orders since he came through the door.
“Now, stand up and let me get a look at ya,” he commanded.
She felt like a puppet as she stood immediately.
“Hmmm…” he muttered as he strolled a circle around her. “Yes…Contessa, indeed.” He walked over to the clothing rack on wheels, reaching into the many outfits like he was channeling them and brought one out with a dramatic fla
ir. “And here it is!”
Brea’s eyes widened.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
All Tangled Up with Nowhere to Go…
KANDA
Cabin at Flat River
Wade swung her around and stared at the man who stood in the doorway. “I think I’m gonna ask you what the hell you’re doing in my cabin!”
Kanda’s eyes shot over to the door and then back up at him.
“You put my sister down!”
Her gaze shot back over to Cole. “Now Cole, don’t get all worked up.”
Cole was red in the face. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been riding five hundred acres for the last day looking for you!”
Kanda just grinned at him. “I’ve been—here.”
He shook his head. “I never would’ve believed it. You taking off like that!”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you!” Kanda blinked her eyes at him.
Wade seemed to relax and he set her down in the chair. “She was thrown from her horse and I was taking care of her.”
Cole’s gaze swung down to her long man shirt, barely covering her shapely thighs. “Yeah, I can see that.”
At his insulting sneer, Kanda felt her blood boil. “As you can see, I’m fine now.”
“This just isn’t like you. I mean, here alone with some strange man?”
Her heart was pounding in her ears. Yeah, it isn’t like me at all. She was about to find out what it would be like to not be alone and unloved. “I think you have bigger problems to deal with Cole.”
“Like what?” He took his dusty hat off and stared at her.
“Like the fact of Brea Plush being heartbroken over you.”
He looked like she’d punched him in the gut and then he cleared his expression. “What do you know about that?”
“I know she was desperate for some reason. She was looking for you and she was upset when she left town.”
He looked sort of pale all of the sudden. “Left…?”
“She was cryin’ and going on about how she messed up and lost ya.”
He jerked his head back.
Kanda knew she was elaborating a bit, but she really liked that he looked panicked at the news.
