“Yeah. Mom and Dad live in town now, but one of my brothers runs the ranch with his new wife.” He dropped his gaze from hers for a moment when he thought about Chase and Abby, a smile rippling across his lips. Silver Ridge South Dakota was his first stop after their wedding several months ago. He spent the winter helping Chase and Abby as well as visiting his parents and his brother Justin, but riding season started.
“
One
of your brothers?”
“Yep. I’m the youngest boy. Chase is the middle child, and he just got married a few months ago. Justin is my older brother, and he lives in Nevada. Then there is Jamie. She’s the baby of the family. She still lives with my parents in Laramie most of the time with her daughter.”
A sad look crossed her eyes a moment before they met his again. “I wish I would have had more siblings. It’s just me and Jess.”
“What happened to your parents?”
She didn’t answer at first, but he saw tears welling up in her eyes. He had the insane urge to pull her close and wipe away the sadness, but she squared her shoulders, stood up, and walked several feet away.
“They were killed in a car accident about a year ago.” She rubbed her arms, her back to him. “I was at college when I got the call. I have to take care of Jess now until she’s at least eighteen. Not like I'll turn my back on her after that, but she'll at least be out of high school then.” She spun back around, and the anger in her eyes took him back for a moment. “Thanks to your friend, there is one more complication with her being pregnant. By the way, I would appreciate if you would help me pin him down and make him take responsibility for the child she now carries.”
He stood and walked to her side, laid his hands on her shoulders and kneaded the soft muscles for a moment. “Carrie, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine having to be responsible for another when it’s forced on you like this has been, but don’t hold it against me, okay? If I could make him do the right thing, I would, but I can’t. He's a friend, but I can't make him do anything he doesn't want to.”
She sighed and stepped back. “I'm sure you would, Cole. You seem like the kind of man who wouldn't walk away from his responsibilities, and I’m sorry. I just can’t believe she was so careless and I don’t mean to take it out on you.”
Pulling open the grill, she flipped the steaks over. “I’ll be right back. I need to get the potatoes in the microwave.”
“Sure.” Watching her move back into the house, protectiveness struck him hard, curling in his belly like nothing he had ever felt before. For some odd reason, he wanted to hold her and take away her cares and worries.
After a few minutes, she returned with another beer for him and one for herself. Taking the chairs again, she tucked her feet under her as the beer bottle dangled from her fingers. “So, I imagine you have a girl in every town.”
He almost choked on his beer when his eyes met hers and he saw the twinkle in her gaze. “Not really, no.” He laughed out loud.
“Yeah right! With those looks and those teasing dimples, I bet you have women falling all over you at every stop you make.” He could feel the heat crawling up his neck to splash across his cheeks while she laughed. “You’re blushing!”
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are.” She laid her hand across his for a moment and said, “I love a man who can blush. I think it’s cute.”
Pulling her hand back, she jumped up and moved toward the grill while the smell of barbeque wafted to his nose, making his mouth water. “Damn, those smell good.”
“I’m a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself.” She turned the meat again before closing the lid. “I’ll be right back. Those are done. I just need to get the other stuff unless you’d rather eat in the house.”
“Out here is fine. It’s a pretty night, actually.”
“All right. Why don’t you get the steaks off the grill, and I’ll make the plates?” Again, she disappeared into the house, returning a few moments later with two plates in her hands and placing them on the patio table.
He sat across the table from her, watching her delicate hands wield the steak knife while she cut the piece of meat on her plate. A soft sigh left her lips when she popped the steak into her mouth. He watched her lips, and his mouth wet dry as his cock hardened in his jeans, pressing firmly against the fly. Reaching for the beer, he took a long drink and tried desperately to calm the zing of desire rushing through him.
“Something wrong?”
“Huh—uh, no. It looks great.” Pulling his gaze from her mouth, he tried to concentrate on the food in front of him.
* * * *
She sat back against the chair and lifted the beer to her lips. His gaze moved to her mouth, and his pupils dilated when she licked her lips, lapping up the drop of alcohol resting there.
Get a grip! The last thing I need is a temporary man in my life. He’s only here for the weekend, but, oh, what a weekend it could be.
Sitting back up toward her plate, she continued to eat, steering the conversation to safer topics. "Is rodeo all you do for a living?"
A small grin lifted the corners of his mouth. "Why?"
"Just curious. Unless you are pro, it's hard to make a living that way."
"I'm a diesel mechanic, too."
"Like eighteen-wheelers?"
"Anything with a diesel engine. I've always been one to take things apart and put them back together again. It drove my parents crazy. During the summer, I do the rodeo thing mostly. In the winter, I work on trucks and break horses for Chase."
"I bet. You can make a pretty good living riding bulls if you're good. Just look at Ty Murray," she said with a chuckle.
"Yeah. I wish I was that good."
“Do your brothers raise horses or cows?”
“Justin runs cattle, but Chase and Abby bred quarter horses.”
She dropped her fork when her startled look met his, and he frowned. “Something wrong?”
“You’re a Wilder from the Rocking W?”
“Yeah, that’s Chase’s place, but it belonged to my parents before that. Why?”
“Shit!” She grabbed her plate and headed for the house.
Chapter Three
“Do you wanna tell me what’s wrong?” He stood behind her, itching to touch her back where her hair lay against her shoulders.
She turned around. Her eyes masked against whatever thoughts ran through her mind. “I…um…I’m sorry, Cole. It’s nothing really.”
He frowned. “It didn’t sound like nothing. You seemed shocked or surprised, like you knew my family.”
She wouldn’t look at him while she started fiddling with the sponge on the counter, wiping at some imaginary dirt. “No. What I mean is that I’ve heard of them. That’s all. Your brother’s reputation is well known amongst ranchers.”
He took her chin in his hand, forcing her to bring her eyes back to his. “Why do I think there is more to this than you are saying?”
Damn, I want to kiss her. If her mouth tasted as good as it look, I’m a goner.
Her eyes widened for a second before his gaze slid to her lips. They parted slightly on a soft sigh.
He let his fingers trail along her jaw while her tongue slipped out and she licked her lips. Sliding his hand around the back of her neck, he cupped her head. The need to taste her and to feel her against him overwhelmed him. Their breaths mixed in the air between them, and her eyes drifted shut.
“Carrie?”
She jumped, and her palms came up to push against his chest until he stepped back and dropped his hands.
“Jess?” Her voice sounded breathless, even to him.
“Where are you?”
“In the kitchen.”
A young woman with hair a little lighter than Carrie’s stopped in the doorway, and her eyes widened when she saw him standing next to her sister.
“Uh…sorry. I didn’t realize you had company.”
“It’s fine. Jess, this is Cole. Cole, this is Jessica, my sister.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
Carrie’s sister’s gaze started at his face and wandered down his chest. She didn't bother to mask her interest in his groin before her gaze continued to the boots on his feet and then made its way back to his face. “Nice.”
“Jessica!”
“What? I can’t appreciate a nice looking guy?”
“That’s what got you in the mess you’re in. By the way, where in the hell were you?”
“Out.” Jessica turned and headed toward the living room with Carrie hot on her heels while he followed.
“What do you mean out? You are seventeen, Jessica. You are supposed to be in the house when I get home from the store.”
“I’m not a baby, Carrie. I’m almost eighteen, and I can go out with my friends if I want to.”
By this time, the two women were toe-to-toe while Carrie tried to curb the younger woman’s behavior. He grinned. Obviously it wasn’t working too well from what he could tell.
“No, you are not a baby, but you aren’t eighteen yet. Until then, you are my responsibility. You’ve gotten yourself into enough of a mess.”
Jessica’s eyes darted to him as he stood against the doorway.
“Don’t worry about him. He knows all about your problem. He’s Jimmy’s friend and the man I accused of getting you pregnant last night at the bar.”
“You what? Damn, Carrie. Now the whole damned town knows.” Jess grumbled before she headed for the stairs. Jessica glanced at him before she took the stairs two at a time and then slammed the door to her room.
Carrie’s shoulders slumped when the fight drained out of her and she walked back to the couch. She dropped onto the leather surface with a sigh.
He sat beside her and pulled her against his side. Why it felt so right to hold her, he wasn’t sure.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.”
“I’m sure your parents thought the same thing about you a few years ago.” He chuckled.
Tilting her head up, she looked in his eyes. “I was never like that.”
“Always the good girl?”
She dropped her gaze. “Well, maybe not always.”
He laughed again. “I get the feeling you were a little more on the wild side yourself. More than you are willing to admit, too.”
She pulled away. “I never snuck out or didn’t come in before my curfew. My dad would have beaten my ass.”
“Mmm…” His gaze drifted down when he thought about what he'd like to do with her ass, and a few well placed smacks might be interesting.
* * * *
“Stop looking at me like that.” She stood up, walking toward the cold fireplace, rubbing her arms, trying desperately to calm the goose bumps flittering across the surface.
“Like what?”
“Like you would like to…” She shivered as her gaze met his again. The heat reflected there sent desire zinging along her nerve ends to settle in the pit of her stomach before it spread like wildfire to her groin. The promise his eyes had her pussy throbbing with need and her panties soaking wet.
“I
would
like to,” he whispered loud enough she heard every word, every inflection of each syllable.
She shook her head in denial even if her body was screaming,
Yes, oh, yes.
“I’m not into temporary men, Cole. I’ve got a strict no touch policy on rodeo guys.”
“I’m not expecting anything, Carrie. All I said was I would like to. Can’t blame a guy for wanting to.” He stretched his arm across the back of the couch while he watched her.
Damn, why does he have to be so gorgeous?
She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “I guess not.”
“Besides, you’re a very desirable woman. I would have to be a complete fool if I said I didn’t want you.” His dimples creased his cheeks when he smiled. “I’m not a fool.”
She inhaled sharply when his words reached her ears, and she could feel liquid seep between her legs again at just the thought. Shifting uncomfortably, she tried to relieve some of the pressure building between her thighs. “I’m sure you say that to all the girls.”
A playboy smile graced his lips although he didn’t comment on her observation. It wasn’t like she wasn’t attracted to him because that much was obvious, but she had enough of men who just wanted a short-term thing, a quick roll in the hay.
“Listen. We should probably call it a night. I appreciate all your help today.”
His eyebrow rose at her tone and her words. “Dismissal—got it.” Shuffling to his feet, he grabbed the standard black Stetson he wore all day and put it back on his head. “Thanks for dinner.”
“No problem.”
“I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Probably not. You’ll be leaving in a day or so, and I’ll be right here in Silver Ridge.”
“True.” He stopped in front of her, and she was afraid he would finish the kiss he started earlier, or afraid he wouldn’t, she wasn’t sure.
Lifting his hand, he trailed his fingers down her cheek. Her nipples hardened with just the thought of his callused palms sliding over the firm peaks of her breasts. He let his hand drop to his side and said, “Bye, Carrie.”
She shuddered when he turned away and headed for the door. He shot a glance over his shoulder before he opened it and quickly walked outside, pulling it closed behind him.