The Army Ranger's Surprise (the Men of At-Ease Ranch)

by Donna Michaels

  It was wild and intense, and when he was finally spent, he collapsed on top of her, dragging air into his lungs. The woman was a thief. A beautiful, sensual, sexy thief who stole his breath. And his bones. Yeah, they were definitely gone, because he sure as shit couldn’t feel any.

  A few seconds later, he mustered enough strength to roll off her so she could breathe. “Still with me?”

  “Yes.” Panting, she turned to him and smiled. “Look forward to coming with you again.”

  He laughed. God, he loved her wit. “That could be arranged.”

  “Good to know.” She turned onto her side and rested her chin in her hand. “This artwork is amazing,” she said while skimming her free hand lightly over the tattoo on his arm.

  “The bottom part’s new.” Christ. Why the hell did he tell her that?

  Her finger softly traced the boots beneath the rifle. “A fallen soldier, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  Shit.

  What was wrong with him?

  He never talked about his tattoo. Or the reason behind the new part—Drew. Dammit. Great sex relaxed more than his body. It loosened his damn tongue. She literally fucked him stupid.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, brushing her lips over the ink.

  Unexpected and fierce, a rash of emotions swirled inside his chest. Part of him wanted to run the hell away, but the other part wanted to crush her close.

  Let happen whatever was going to happen…

  Before driving here today, he’d made that decision. And he would, as long as he didn’t have to talk about his past. That wasn’t going to happen. No way. It would lead to telling her about his mistakes, and he couldn’t bear to see disappointment cloud the satisfaction he’d put in her eyes. He liked how she saw him. Whole. Strong. At least that was the impression she gave him. He didn’t want her opinion of him tainted by his past.

  Yeah, he was done talking. But it was too early to go fetch Nate and his grandmother from the rec center.

  Kaydee suddenly sat up and inhaled. “Oh my gosh. I’m sorry, Leo. You must be starving. I didn’t offer you any supper.”

  “It’s okay. Vince shoved a piece of chicken in my hand on the way out the door, and I ate it while I drove here.” He smiled and sat up, too. “And you most certainly did offer me supper.” Reaching out, he glided his finger up her ribs, over the swell of her breast to one deliciously puckering tip. “Seems my appetite for what you offered has suddenly returned.”

  …

  By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, the tile was finished…and so was Kaydee. Almost. This would be her fourth time that weekend. Or was it the fifth? She’d lost count, thanks to the incredible man—naked in all his splendor—rolling a condom on in the middle of her living room. What had started out with Leo helping her spackle a few holes somehow ended up with the front door locked and the two of them naked.

  Damn, he was gorgeous. Magnificent, even. All long, lean planes and hard muscle. That sexy tattoo and the way his muscles rippled underneath. The thought of licking, and nipping, and tasting every single delicious inch of him made her heart flutter in her chest.

  This thing between them was crazy and surprisingly strong, and she had no idea how long it would last, if she wanted it to last, or even if he wanted it to last. Opening up, letting someone in, wasn’t something that came easy to Kaydee, and yet she already knew she’d miss Leo if things didn’t work out. Or when she left. Because she eventually would. That restlessness was sure to be overwhelming by the time her dad retired and her parents moved here to free her up to leave.

  She’d miss Leo’s wit, and his smile, and that square jaw of his, with the perpetual scruff her whole body had the immense pleasure of experiencing more than once. Looking at him made her feel good. Being with him made her feel good. Hell, he made her feel good.

  Eyeing his well-defined chest, and how the muscles at his hips cut to form a vee, she tried not to drool. Yeah, she’d miss all that, too. Very much. And the mind-blowing orgasms so intense they zapped her strength.

  “Now, where were we?” He stepped in front of her, but instead of crushing her close as she half expected, he ran his hands lightly up her arms, then down her back, before leaning in to gently sink his teeth into her earlobe.

  She sucked in a breath and gripped his shoulder blades. “Right about there.” Tipping her head to give him more access, she closed her eyes and sighed. He knew how to rev her up…how to get her going. He was magic. His tongue flicked her earlobe before his lips slid down her throat to the curve of her neck, and the slow burn in her belly spread south. “Mmm…” He smelled of spackling and soap and heat, and it made her mad with longing. “Leo…”

  “I know,” he said, as if feeling the same craziness. A heartbeat later, he kissed her, a light, openmouthed connection that made her gasp as the tip of his tongue traced her lips. But then he pulled back, and watching her, gaze hot, he smiled.

  She glanced at his lips, wanting them back on hers so badly she could taste it. He complied with a soft, brief kiss. Then another. And still another. Bugger was teasing her. “Leo.”

  “Right here.” He shoved his hands in her hair and finally took her mouth.

  It was an amazing kiss. Absolutely perfect. Hot and decadent, with the right amount of tongue to quicken her pulse and make her quiver for more. The guy knew what he was doing. She didn’t. Not when it came to him. To them. Oh, she knew the process. She enjoyed sex, but somehow, he’d taken it beyond physical, beyond simple gratification, and made her feel him emotionally. She didn’t know that was possible. Never knew something like that existed. But underneath this unexpected overabundance of feeling—and God, Leo certainly made her feel good—she also felt a little lost, and more than a little panicky.

  “You feel so damn good,” he murmured after breaking the kiss. “It’s crazy. You make me feel good, too.” He ran his deliciously calloused hands down her body, and goose bumps spread across her skin in silent applause.

  Her heart cracked open a little, and warmth spread through her chest. His words quieted her misgivings and empowered her. “I feel the same,” she said, and needing more of his kisses, she brought his mouth back down on hers and tugged him with her as she stepped backward toward the wall.

  And tripped over her discarded clothes.

  Kaydee gasped and would’ve fallen if Leo hadn’t held on to her, but that interfered with his balance, and they both stumbled until his palm hit the wall, followed by the arm he’d quickly wrapped around her.

  “Oh my God. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” she asked, trying to straighten.

  “I’m fine.” After righting them, he planted his hands on the wall on either side of her head and looked her over. “You?”

  Nodding, she blew out a breath, and a rush of heat flushed her face. “But I think I bruised my sexiness.”

  A gleam—wicked and deliciously hot—entered his eyes. “Not a chance.” As if to prove it, he removed his hands from the wall and skimmed them over her shoulders and down her breasts. Her nipples immediately puckered. “That’s damn sexy,” he murmured, his breath warm on her neck as he bent to place openmouthed kisses across her shoulders, all while his thumbs brushed her nipples back and forth, reigniting her need.

  Closing her eyes, she moaned and leaned back. Hard. Too hard. She thunked her head…

  A knock sounded on the wall behind her. The wall she shared with her grandfather.

  Kaydee and Leo both stilled.

  “Everything okay?” her grandfather’s muffled voice came through the wall.

  She met Leo’s gaze. “Yeah,” she replied, but her own voice was too throaty. She cleared the rasp away and tried again. “Yes. We’re working on the wall. Everything’s fine—”

  Leo grinned, a sexy, decadent grin, and dipped down to kiss her breast before sucking the tip into his mouth hard.

  “Oh…yeah…” She closed her eyes. That felt amazing. Her whole body trembled.

  “Want help?” her grandfat
her asked.

  No!

  She opened her eyes. “Th-thanks, but we’re good.”

  So good. Damn, Leo had a talented mouth. He switched to her other breast, kissing and licking until he closed his teeth gently over her nipple.

  “Well, holler if you need me,” her grandfather said.

  Air funneled into her throat. “’Kay.” Hopefully he heard, because there was no way she could say any more now.

  Good glory, Leo knew his way around a woman’s body. She wanted to move and moan and switch places but was too conscious of her grandfather just on the other side.

  “Let’s move,” she whispered down to Leo.

  Lifting his head, he flashed her a grin, and in the blink of an eye, he had her resting against her credenza on the opposite wall. “Better?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he dropped to his knees and placed his mouth back on her body.

  “Much,” she managed as he kissed his way to her belly.

  Kaydee stared down her torso at him, watching his hands slide to her inner thighs. They were tan and big and masterful.

  Glancing up, he held her gaze while he nudged her legs apart with his shoulders, then he dropped his gaze to stare at her goods. “Damn, you make my mouth water.” He brushed his thumbs upward, and they grazed her center.

  She sucked in air, grateful to have the credenza behind her.

  “Hold on to me,” he said, moving his thumbs again. And then again, and this time he leaned in and placed his mouth on her, too.

  Her knees shook. She grasped his shoulders and closed her eyes, giving in to the sensations racking her body. He was driving her crazy. So crazy.

  Apparently on a mission to zap every single last one of her brain cells, Leo added his tongue to the task, licking up and down, and back up…

  Tightening her hold, she arched into him and moaned. She knew she should be quiet. Her grandfather might still hear, but her body seemed to be on a mission, too. A mission to let Leo know just how amazing he was making her feel.

  With his mouth still trying to drive away her sanity, he slid a finger inside her. Again. And yet again. Unable to keep quiet or hold on to her control, she cried out in a low, throaty sound as he drove her right over the edge. She rocked into him and shuddered wildly as she came. Standing.

  Definitely masterful.

  By the time she came back to herself, she was leaning heavily against the side of the credenza, and he was smiling a smug, smoldering smile.

  “Catch the number of the bus that just wrecked me?” she asked.

  He chuckled and stepped close. “I’m not done,” he said, bringing her hand to his impressive erection. “This is—” The amusement seemed to back up in his throat on a sharp inhale when she stroked him long and slow. “Damn, Kaydee,” he groaned.

  She hopped up onto the credenza and shook her head. “Shh…I’m not done,” she mocked him, then reached out to gently guide him home.

  He needed no further instruction. Taking over, he pushed inside her, a delicious, warm slide, and she had one last thought before the last of her brain function disappeared under a tsunami of sensual fog.

  If opening her heart and letting this man get close meant he’d stay in her life a little longer, then she was damn sure going to take that chance. She just hoped it wouldn’t come back to bite her in the ass.

  Chapter Ten

  Later that evening, Kaydee was in her living room, chilling with Fiona for their Sunday Netflix binge-watching ritual. Tonight, they were starting the second season of Daredevil, but her mind was on another superhero and the knack he had for making her feel super, too.

  It was a new feeling. One she was willing to entertain for a long time. That was new, too. She wasn’t the “long for more” type. A fruitless sentiment. One that—she discovered in the past—didn’t bode well for her restless spirit.

  “So…” Fiona sat at the other end of the couch and grinned. “You and Leo were busy, I see.” She paused meaningfully. “Doing…like, say…each other.”

  Kaydee’s gaze immediately shot to the credenza, looking for signs of their amazing sexcapade from earlier that afternoon. Thankfully, she found none. She turned to her friend and frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Fi snorted. “Oh, come on, Kay. You answered the door with a satisfied grin on your face, and it hasn’t wavered one bit. Only really great sex could cause that phenomenon.”

  She pointed to the spackled wall. “We worked on my house.”

  “And each other.” Amusement lit her friend’s gaze. “Don’t bother to deny it. I ran into Leo at the gas station earlier, and he was wearing an identical ‘just-got-lucky’ grin.”

  “He was?” Warmth spread through Kaydee, and she felt her whole body soften.

  “It’s about time you two stepped off the friend bus and acted on your attraction.” Fi touched her arm. “I’m happy for you.”

  Since she was obviously busted, Kaydee didn’t deny it. “Thanks. I am happy. Happier than I can honestly say I’ve ever been.” She inhaled and decided to be completely truthful. “And that scares me to death.”

  “Why?” Her friend frowned. “It’s a good thing.”

  “Not if it suddenly goes away.” She’d been through that so many times growing up. Too many. She was the queen of investing in relationships, then moving. Starting all over. Then moving again. After the fourth time, she simply stopped investing. But she hadn’t stopped moving around, even after striking out on her own. Settling in one place was unsettling. It made her feel claustrophobic. The need for constant change was an itch she wasn’t sure she’d ever shake.

  Fi lifted a shoulder. “That’s why it’s called taking a chance. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, but sometimes it does and it’s totally worth it.”

  Kaydee knew that, too. At least, with her friend. They met at the technical college in the beauty education track. That first day, she’d expected to form another fleeting friendship, but Fiona was different. They clicked, and Kaydee realized she didn’t want it to end. So by the time graduation came around, she had plans with Fi to get a job in the same salon.

  “I really hope you won’t run from your feelings,” Fiona was saying. “You’ve done it your whole life. Let go of that tight control of yours and just enjoy yourself for a change.”

  Exactly what she had in mind.

  The smiling woman dipped her head to catch Kaydee’s attention. “If Leo can put that dreamy look in your eyes, then, hun, I think he’s worth taking a chance. Enjoy it.”

  She returned the smile. “Oh, trust me. I have every intention of enjoying Leo.”

  Many times.

  …

  At the end of the week, Leo and Stone, Brick, Vince, and Cord found themselves in one of those rare instances where they all finished early on a Friday. Taking advantage of the unexpected situation, they decided to kick back in the ranch rec room, crack open a beer, and shoot some pool.

  “To Leo,” Stone said, holding up his bottle, and everyone followed suit. “Congratulations on completing your toughest job. Supervising your first crew…solo.”

  The end of the workweek also brought with it the end of Leo’s first supervising job. Ultimately, he was pleased with the outcome, and—more importantly—so were the clients. The Burmans had signed off an hour ago, and Leo had sent his crew home.

  “It didn’t go without a hitch,” he felt compelled to point out, before taking a swig.

  Vince snorted. “What job does?”

  Brick nodded and tipped back his beer.

  Cord chalked his cue. “Were the clients pleased?”

  “Yeah,” he said. Mrs. Burman hadn’t stopped smiling or gushing about the extra openness of her kitchen thanks to their altered plan. “They already left a review online.” A positive one. He checked.

  He took a deep breath, his lungs expanding to their fullest, and he stood straighter. All and all, good feelings abounded. Same could be said for things with Kaydee. A smile tugged his lips. He felt right wh
en he was inside her.

  “So, Leo.” Vince leaned on his stick while Stone started the game.

  The crack of pool balls echoed through the room. It was the Mitchum brothers versus Vince and Cord. Leo was sitting this game out.

  He raised a brow. “What?”

  “You’ve been walking around with that smile on your face all week. When are you going to tell us her name?”

  Shit.

  Stone shot Vince a glare. “Don’t mind him. It’s just great to see you smile.”

  Cord locked his superpower Warlock stare on him for a beat, then dipped his head once. “Definitely a girl.”

  “For sure,” Brick said.

  Stone grinned. “She lives near his grandmother.”

  “And you know that how?” Brick asked.

  Leo stood there and drank his beer, watching the exchange, content to keep quiet.

  “Because I listen with my ears. You should try it sometime.” Stone lined up another shot, but his grin never wavered.

  “Hey,” Brick snapped. “I listen.”

  Vince rolled his eyes. “Yeah, with your stomach. Beth told me.”

  A grin spread across the older Mitchum’s face. “True.”

  Leo laughed. His buddies were a bunch of assholes. But they were his assholes. And he was lucky as hell to call them friends.

  It was Cord’s turn, because Stone missed the pocket. He studied the balls on the table. “She must be special.”

  “Yeah.” Brick lifted his bottle but didn’t drink. “She have a name?”

  Vince snorted. “Of course she has a name. Everyone does, you doofus.”

  “It’s Kaydee,” Leo finally said. “She lives across the street from my grandmother in one side of a duplex, and her grandfather lives in the other. She did it so she can keep an eye on him, while he still has privacy.”