Two Cowboys in Her Crosshairs [Hellfire Ranch] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (6 page)

“One of what?”

“A player. One of those guys who has a different lady in every port.”

Discomfort slid across his chest, and he cleared his throat. “The ports are farther south. Down in Corpus Christi.”

She gave him a wide, white smile. “Uh-huh, I’m right.”

She was, but he wasn’t going to confirm or deny. He knew better than that.

Hud plated all the steak then turned to the stove. He lit the gas pilot and eased a skillet onto the flame and added enough oil to coat the bottom.

“How long have you known Jake?”

The way she said his friend’s name raised all sorts of interesting questions. Her voice held a wealth of knowledge and tension. “Since second grade. We were on a Little League baseball team together.”

“He played baseball?” she asked in obvious surprise.

Hudson flipped the steak and reached over her head to drag another plate from the cabinet. He could not contain his curiosity any longer. “You know him, then?”

“Yeah.”

She’d gone back to being tight as a virgin’s ass. Hud backed off. “We were both in the outfield and more interested in the dandelions and snails than the game.”

He sneaked a peek and found her expression had relaxed somewhat. “He was Player of the Game, once.”

“What did he do?”

“Caught the game-winning out.” Hud deftly removed the chicken-fried steak from the skillet then pushed it toward the back and placed a small pot in its place. He slid butter, pepper, and flour into the pan and started stirring. “You have to understand, that was a huge surprise. All of the outfielders were out there because we, uh, sucked.”

She laughed, and he grinned in response. He liked the way she sounded. Her voice was low and husky like she’d just woken up from a night of sex-filled debauchery. Her laugh was just as sultry. It hit him in every erogenous zone he had. He’d bumped his erection on the stove knobs more than once since he’d been cooking.

He sure as hell hoped she hadn’t noticed.

“How did he catch it then?”

The gravy bubbled gently, and he added some more pepper, took a taste, and set the spoon down. He flipped off the burner and ladled the gravy into a serving bowl.

“We were in the outfield talking and chasing bugs like normal.” He set the chicken-fried steak and bowl on the table then plunked two plates and silverware down. He grabbed two glasses and filled them with soda.

“I was yakking at the right fielder while Jake was running back and forth in left field. It was hot as hell that day, too. We were ahead by one run and it was the bottom of the seventh inning. The game was almost over, and we were going to go to his house and swim in his pool. I loved that pool. His folks kept it up all summer long for us kids.”

He held out her chair before taking his own. “Jake stopped galloping around long enough to take his hat off and wipe his brow. As he was putting the cap back on, the baseball plopped into it. Legally, it was a catch, and we won the game.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “And they named him Player of the Game for that?”

“Well, yeah. It was the only game we won all year, and it was because of him. Want some?”

At Olivia’s nod, Hudson speared a filet and set it on her plate then grabbed two for himself. He waited until she drizzled some of the white cream gravy over her plate before drowning his steak.

“Did he lord it over you?”

“Jake? Nah, he’s not that kind of guy.”

Her face softened. “No, he’s not.”

They ate in silence for a few moments until she looked up and smiled. “This is really good.”

He winked. “You sound like you had doubts.”

“Not many guys actually know how to cook. Did your mom teach you?”

His heart contracted, and his appetite disappeared. He pushed his steak around on his plate. “No. Jake’s mom did.”

“I’m sorry,” she said and reached across to touch his hand. “I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

Hud shrugged and flipped his hand over under hers. He curled his fingers into her palm and stroked lightly. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened on a short gasp. “You couldn’t have known.”

Her heartbeat thrummed beneath his touch. He stroked a little more. “Nervous?”

“No,” she said, but her reply was raspy. “Should I be?”

“Nope.”

“Hudson?” Jake’s voice echoed from the front door. “Whose SUV is that?” He appeared in the doorway, wiping his brow and scowling.

Olivia’s pulse jackrabbited into high gear beneath Hud’s fingers. She jerked her hand away and rose, her entire body coming to swift attention. Hudson thought she was about to salute.

He leaned back and hooked one arm over his chair. His gaze bounced between the two silent people. They snapped at each other with their eyes, and even a dead man would pick up on the electric current running between them.

“Jake, this is—”

“I know who she is.” He cut him off. “The question is why the hell are you here?”

Olivia swiped her tongue along her bottom lip, and the small action tightened Hudson’s shorts again.

“I’m here for you, Jake.”

Olivia Martinez
.

Just seeing her sent Jake’s every sense reeling. He clenched his hat and tried to get himself under control.

The last time he’d seen her—three years ago—she’d been swathed in a mound of white gauze bandages. What small part of her face he could see had been yellow, black, and purple with bruising. Her bottom lip had been sliced open.

His gaze dropped to her mouth then moved back up to her eyes. He winced inwardly at the scarring around her left eye. Despite the faint puckering, it looked like she’d healed just fine. More than fine, if he were honest with himself. She was still as beautiful today as she had been three years ago.

As beautiful as the night they’d crossed the line.

“Glad to see you’re okay,” he said gruffly.

She nodded once, and he saw the hurt in her eyes. She wanted him to say something more, but he couldn’t.

One mistake with her had been enough. That mistake had cost the lives of good men. He’d lost his head and wasn’t in the game when they needed him the most.

“What are you doing here, Martinez?”

She jerked as if he’d shot her.

Hudson’s chair skittered backward as he launched to his feet. “Her name is Olivia,” he said.

Jake was shocked to see the irritation on his friend’s face. Nothing bothered the go-lucky cowboy.

“I know her name,” Jake said. “Why are you here?”

She looked between the two of them. “We need to talk.” She flicked another glance at Hudson. “Privately.”

“Nothing doing,” Jake snapped. “What you have to say, do it in front of him.”

Her lips tightened as her gaze narrowed. Jake was caught off-guard by the slight droop of her left eye but also amazed at the control she had over it. Looking at her, the casual observer would never know she wore a prosthetic.

He slapped his hat against his leg then sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Olivia, your being here surprised me, that’s all.” He walked past them and hung his hat on the peg then turned around again. “I’m starving. How about I eat and you guys finish? Then you can tell me what’s going on.”

She and Hudson shared a look that blossomed into a rueful smile, and Jake’s hands fisted. He reminded himself that Hudson was a flirt, and despite her lethal abilities, Olivia was a woman.

And all women loved Hudson.

They sat down at the table, and Jake scooped out the remainder of the gravy. He covertly studied Olivia as she ate and talked with Hudson. They were like comfortable old friends. He hadn’t missed the way Hudson had been touching her when he’d come in, either.

She looked at him. “I like your place,” she said. “It’s quiet.”

Hudson chuckled. “Not really. We’ve got nearly five thousand bawling cows roaming the land. They make quite a ruckus.”

Jake nodded. “We also have some horses and a few chickens.”

She held his eyes, a soft smile on her face. “I never took you for Farmer Brown.”

Another pang of guilt hit him. Jake never allowed anyone in the unit close, but he’d kept her at as far a distance as he could. Telling her about his love of horses would have invited a closer relationship than he’d been prepared for.

“We have a ranch,” he corrected then smiled to soften the harshness of his words. “When I came back…well, Hudson and I decided that the middle of nowhere, Texas, was exactly where we wanted to be.”

He looked at his friend. Jake remembered little of the days following his return from Afghanistan three years earlier. He’d been a shell-shocked and emotional mess. Hudson offered what he always had—unwavering support and friendship. Not to mention the much needed kick in the ass to get him back into the land of the living.

Without that and the Hellfire Ranch, Jake knew he would have long since been buried. “Buying this place saved my sanity.”

Jake heard her indrawn breath and knew she understood. More than Hudson ever did, but then, Olivia had been in the middle of the firefight, too. She’d had it worse than he did. She’d not only lost her eye but most of her identity. She’d been unable to requalify as a sniper on the ranges after the ambush. Her depth perception and ability to shoot had been severely affected by the loss. When she’d joined the Judge Advocate General’s office as a liaison, he’d been relieved. Jake kept tabs on her and the other survivors through Colonel Reed. Jake wondered if he’d always carry the burden of guilt.

“I hear Bosco wants to take Maljib fishing.”

Jake choked on his chicken-fried steak. His eyes watered, and he reached for the nearest glass. He downed the soda and dislodged the food. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. Says so in the paper.” Hudson’s grin was light and full of mischief. “And you know, Earl doesn’t report anything that’s not absolute gospel.”

“Who is Earl?” Olivia asked.

Jake rolled his eyes. “He’s the biggest snoop this side of the Brazos. He’d have fit right in with Intel if he had any kind of backbone.”

“Yeah,” Hudson agreed. “Poor guy is fifty and still lives with his mother. That woman controls him with an iron fist.”

“Except for the paper,” Jake said. “She raised a stink when he wanted to write about Lucas Harper’s accident.”

Olivia raised her right brow. Jake allowed his gaze to rove over her strong face for a moment before cutting off another piece of steak. “Lucas Harper is the foreman for one of our neighbors, Jeb Radcliffe. No one is exactly sure how it happened, but the consensus is Lucas saved a young ranch hand from being burned. The poor fool caught a flying branding iron with his bare hands seconds before it would have hit the kid. Burned the holy hell out of Lucas’s hands.” Jake shook his head. “Doc said he was lucky, but rumors flew that Harper did it on purpose.”

“On purpose?” Olivia gasped. “What on earth for?”

Hudson leaned back and folded his hands over his lean stomach. “Got rid of his fingerprints.”

Her mouth worked for a minute, and then she glared at him. “You’re pulling my leg.”

Hudson winked. “I’d love to pull one of your beautiful legs, darlin’. Anytime.”

Jake kicked him under the table. Hudson straightened then cleared his throat. “Remember when his mother wanted him to run the story about Annie Creche and her shameful business?”

Olivia propped her elbows on the table, but her cheeks were a little pink. “What shameful business?”

Hudson rubbed his hands together. “You might not believe it, but Freedom has its very own naughty lady. Several of them actually. Annie is the only one out in the open. She owns a very successful online business catering to women and their pleasures.” He waggled his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”

Jake saw Olivia smile, and his heart did a small flip-flop. She’d smiled at him that night, too. But then her lips were curved with invitation and her eyes glittered with sensual need.

“I’m pretty sure I can figure it out,” she murmured. Their eyes tangled, and they both froze.

He looked away first. “That was good, Hud, thank you. Keep this up and I might let you cook full-time.” He rose and took his dishes to the sink.

“Forget that, Jake. You know I can only cook three things.”

“Toaster pastries don’t count.”

“See? Two things.”

Olivia joined him at the sink. He held out his hand for her plate and hissed as their fingers glided together. She lurched back and nearly ran into Hudson.

“Whoa, darlin’, settle down there. Don’t want you to drop your plate now.”

* * * *

Hudson’s voice rumbled along Olivia’s spine, and she shivered even as her eyes remained locked with Jake’s searing gaze.

She let go of her plate and stepped away from them. “Where’s the restroom?”

Jake hitched his chin toward the door behind her. “Take a left and go through the living room. Take a right, and it’ll be the second door on your right.”