by AC Arthur
* * *
“I’m keeping the ranch,” Tyler said the next day when they were all seated in the office on the first floor of the main house.
Gabriella had set up her laptop and turned it to face Jagger, Tyler, Dessie and Clyde who sat two on each side of the table. She stood at the head of the table, pressing the button on the remote she held as she’d gone through every slide with a picture of her design idea and gave a step-by-step explanation of the re-design and staging processes. Dessie had been the only one to ask questions regarding timelines, cost and staff required to see the project through. Clyde was on hand to comment on whether or not the funds for the project would come from the estate as they continued to liquidate some of the older assets George had acquired, or if the brothers’ would provide the capital. Jagger leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head, watching with absolutely no interest at all. Until Tyler made his statement.
“Oh come on, man. You’ve got to be kidding me.” Jagger complained with an exasperated sigh. “She’s milking us for cash with this project and there’s no guarantee we’re going to recoup it in the sale.”
“It is a proven fact that updated properties bring higher purchase prices,” Dessie said. “Even I know that and I’m not a rancher.”
“It doesn’t matter because I’m not selling,” Tyler told them again. “I want to keep the ranch. It’s always been in the West family and I don’t plan to be the one who changes that tradition.”
“You’re a fitness model, Tyler. You’re not a rancher. Even though you jumped through hoops to prove to Dad otherwise,” Jagger continued.
He was sitting up now, his elbows resting on the glass topped table as he glared at his brother.
“I did my best to learn everything I could from my father,” Tyler replied. “I’m not going to apologize for that.”
“You haven’t been here for twenty years. You have no idea how many changes have been made to this place or how to even run it,” Jagger continued.
“Stephen is a great ranch manager. I plan to sit down with him and talk about a permanent position which will give him even more responsibility around here.”
Jagger nodded. “Oh, ok. So now you’re going to just leave the staff to run the place.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Dessie stated. “Audrey and I have done an outstanding job with the resort. We’ve been turning a steady profit since we opened. And with Gabriella’s ideas to refresh the style of the rooms and add a full service gym and spa, we’re bound to book even more rooms. I’m excited.” She rubbed her hands together and smiled, but Clyde gave her a solemn look.
“You two have to agree,” Clyde said. “The ranch was left to both of you, equally.”
Jagger sat back then, tossing a smirk toward Gabriella. “I’m selling.”
“Then I’ll buy your half,” Tyler replied without batting an eye. “Name a price. I’ll get you a check and you can get back to New York. I know you have a wedding to plan.”
Silence fell over the room.
Jagger stood quickly, pushing the chair back so hard it fell over. Dessie jumped at the sound and Gabriella took a retreating step back. Tyler got to his feet slowly, keeping eye contact with his brother.
“I want top dollar,” Jagger said pointing a finger at Tyler. “You better hope you can pay it, muscle man.”
Tyler looked as if he wanted to jump across the table and punch his brother in the face. Gabriella wouldn’t blame him if he did. Jagger West was a certified ass.
Clyde stood then. “Maybe you two should cool off before we finish with this business.”
“No,” Tyler said. “I’ve made my decision. Now, you come up with a price so I can pay it and get you off my property.”
“Gladly!” Jagger yelled. “I never wanted to come back to this stinking place anyway! And if they hadn’t gone and gotten themselves killed—”
He moved so fast Gabriella thought she was watching a movie. Tyler’s legs came up and he slid across the table, landing on the other side and taking a swing at Jagger all in one smooth stuntman-looking move. The punch connected with Jagger’s jaw and a loud crack echoed throughout the room. Jagger stumbled back and then took a swing in retaliation, but Tyler was once again faster. He blocked Jagger’s punch and landed another one in his brother’s gut. When Jagger bent forward in pain, Tyler punched him again on the other jaw. Then he pushed Jagger back into the chair that Clyde had vacated.
“I want your offer first thing tomorrow morning and then I want you and Brooke off my land by noon. Do I make myself clear?”
Gabriella’s heart was beating wildly, her legs shaking as she stood there watching this all unfold. If Jagger was going to have a smart comeback or attempt to hit Tyler again, everyone in that room knew how this was going to end. Jagger would be carted off to the hospital.
“Fine,” Jagger said through a bottom lip that was bleeding and already starting to swell.
“Sorry,” Tyler said in a huff as he turned away from his brother and pushed past Clyde and Dessie.
He didn’t even look at Gabriella. Which was fine. She wasn’t a part of this.
She began packing her stuff as quickly as she could, ignoring the sound of Jagger cursing as Dessie tried to help him.
“Come on into the kitchen to get some ice. You two boys always used to play so rough when you were little,” Dessie was saying.
“I don’t think Tyler was playing this time, Dessie,” Clyde said as he pulled out his phone and stared down at it. “Jagger, you and I can meet in my office in two hours to talk about what you want to offer. I’ll prepare the agreement and have it ready for you and Tyler to sign in the morning.”
“He needs to lay down and get some painkillers in him, Clyde,” Dessie continued.
“No, I think he needs to take care of his business and get out of his brother’s way. They’re too old and too big for roughhousing now. This is serious. And before I have to bury any of my friend’s kinfolk, I’d like to do what I can to keep the peace.”
Clyde moved to the other side of the table after speaking and then came down until he stopped near Gabriella.
“I’ll need a copy of your proposal and budget for the redesign and decorating to submit to the estate. Congratulations,” he said and then touched a hand gently to her shoulder. “I believe you’ll do a great job here.”
Gabriella smiled, even though she wanted to say there was no way she was working at this emotionally dysfunctional ranch. None at all. These people were crazy. They were volatile and, they were family, she thought finally. She had to grin as she slipped her laptop into her bag. How many times had she watched Renny and Rico fight? Or Alex and Renny? Renny always seemed to be involved in the fighting for some reason.
Jagger grumbled as Dessie continued trying to help him out of the room, leaving Gabriella alone. She sat heavily in the chair and closed her eyes.
She got the job!
She was going to re-design the Westwind Ranch and Resort.
A part of her wanted to jump up and do a happy dance. Another part said a silent prayer that she could do a good job.
“Sorry about that.”
Gabriella jumped at the sound of his voice.
He was walking towards her, his black slacks and navy blue shirt making his hair and eyes appear darker. The beard—which she normally didn’t like—was very sexy on him and Gabriella sat up straighter in the chair and cleared her throat.
“About giving me the job?” she asked jokingly.
Tyler stopped right beside her. He leaned back against the table and stared down at her with a smile.
“About trying to beat my brother’s ass in front of you,” he said. “It was unprofessional and probably unbrotherly, or something like that.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s not the first time I’ve witnessed brothers fight.”
“Yeah, but it’s the first time I busted my adult brother’s lip. My mother would be very upset about that.”
<
br /> “And because you’re such a good guy, you’re upset about it too,” she told him before standing again. “It’s over. Give him a few hours and Jagger will be saying that too. That’s what brothers do.”
Tyler shook his head. He reached out and grabbed her wrists before she could move away.
“I don’t think so, but I also don’t want to think about that right now. I’d rather spend some time with you.”
“I can’t,” Gabriella replied instantly. “I have to get the proposal and budget over to Clyde, then I need to make contact with my account manager at Proctor to let her know what we’re doing here. And I should meet with Naomi to go over all the specifics of the project.”
He was rubbing his thumbs over the back of her hands, a very distracting action that had her warming in places she should not be warming in, while standing in this office with him.
“Are you saying that because you just watched me slug someone? Or are you running from me again?”
Damn, she so wanted to run. Long, hard and fast! But that wasn’t in her nature.
“I’m saying that because even though you could probably toss me on this table and have your way with me at this very moment, I do still have a job to do.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Why were his eyes so alluring? And why did looking into them at this close range, make her want to wrap her arms around him and hold him close?
“You’re right,” he said finally. “I’ve got some things to take care of too. But I want to go riding with you. In the morning is the best time, riding along the land as the sun’s coming up.”
“That sounds really nice,” she admitted.
“Then it’s a date.”
A date?
“We’re going riding, Gabriella. That’s all. So you don’t have to look like I just stole your cat,” he said with a chuckle.
“I wasn’t looking like anything.” At least she prayed she wasn’t.
He shook his head. “It’s cool. I told you I want to get to know you better. I’m also very attracted to you. But I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. So in that regard, I’ll wait until you come to me and you’re ready.”
Gabriella didn’t see herself ever doing that.
“For now, I’ll let you get back to work,” he told her and then kissed her quickly on the lips before leaving the room.
Gabriella fell back into the chair again, closing her eyes and wondering what the hell she was doing. Here in this place? And with this man?
Chapter 8
Gabriella had been taking pictures of the rooms on the upper level of the house, getting measurements and letting her ideas settle before she started purchasing materials. And she really intended to walk right past that open door and head down the steps, but her feet wouldn’t move. Not after she saw him, legs spread while he lay back on the weight bench, muscled arms moving up and down as his hands gripped the bar holding the weights.
It was crazy because she’d seen men workout before. She belonged to a gym and used to work out religiously before… Anyway, she was no stranger to the sight of a sweaty male body. But this one was different. He was shirtless and when he finally placed the bar back onto the bar catchers and sat up, she had to suck in a breath. His bare chest looked so much better in person than it had in the pictures online. The ones she’d looked at too many times to be considered normal. He spotted her and smiled.
She was wet. In that instant moisture coated her lips and seeped into her panties. Her breasts felt full, heavy and ready for whatever Tyler wanted to do with them. With a shake of her head she walked towards him.
“Looking for something?” he asked.
His voice was so deep, but smooth as it rubbed along her already sensitive skin.
“I was taking pictures.” Gabriella realized how silly that sounded, but was unable to take the words back.
“Then please, continue,” he said and stood from the bench.
Gabriella took a step back, lifted the camera and pointed it at him.
He was a model, so striking the perfect pose was nothing new to him. To Gabriella, snapping a picture of every angle of his perfect body was like taking another seductive step closer to him.
He stood with his arms straight down by his sides, fingers clenched into fists. She took the picture of his abs so flawlessly molded. He turned to the side and she pointed the camera downward, snapping a shot of his calves beneath the loose fitting shorts that fell to his kneecaps. Strength. She pressed the shutter button on the camera once more, and could only think of that one word. Every part of his body depicted a level of strength that he so easily displayed. When he turned so that his back was facing her she took another picture of his shoulders, the muscles in his back, and his taut ass. By that time her hands were trembling, her fingers aching to touch.
“I’m waiting on you,” he said.
Just a he’d told her on each occasion they’d been together in the last few days.
Gabriella paused because she wasn’t ready. She couldn’t be. This wasn’t for her. He wasn’t for her. Hadn’t she continued to tell herself that in the almost two weeks that she’d been in Hobbs Creek? She wasn’t looking for a romantic connection, or even just a sexual hook-up. She’d sworn off both since January and had no intention of backsliding.
But…he was waiting.
And she was here, looking at his chiseled back and veiny arms. She licked her lips slowly and felt her fingers going lax. The camera fell to the floor soundlessly and she stepped closer to him. They were so close now she could smell him. That all-man scent that had her already swollen vulva lips pulsating.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he prodded.
Was she ready?
Her arm was lifting as she watched her darker fingers touch the paler skin of his back. The muscles were hard, the skin taut, the sheen of sweat covering him cool to the touch. She put her other hand on him, fingers exploring every contour from his shoulders down to the curve of his torso. She stopped at the ban of his shorts, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. Her lips were dry, or was it her mouth? No, she thought as she licked her lips again, her mouth was watering. Her hands were moving again, tracing a path up both his arms, loving the feel of his corded veins and rigid muscles.
“Gabriella,” he whispered.
She was ready.
Her arms went around his waist, her hands flattening over the cool material of his shorts. She gasped when her fingers stumbled upon his thick erection. Before she could stop herself she was wrapping her fingers around him, pressing her breasts to his bare back. He moved, making an adjustment, and then her hand was wrapped around the heated length of his naked dick.
Warmth flooded through her and she leaned in, resting her forehead against his sweaty back. She moved her hand up and down, faster and faster. He pumped into her hand, groaning and whispering her name.
Gabriella had never been this aroused before. She’d never felt this liberated and exhilarated in her life. She nipped the skin of his back as she continued to stroke him and when he hissed out a breath, she licked over the skin where she’d bitten.
“You’re gonna make me come, baby,” he was saying as he continued to thrust into her hand.
“Yes,” she whispered, “I want you to come. I need you to—”
Tyler went still, his dick pulsating in her hand as warm liquid oozed down her fingers.
Gabriella sighed as if she too had come from this little tryst. She kissed his back again, pressing her now tight nipples against him in an effort to continue this gloriously aroused feeling. She wanted it to last forever, to carry her to a place she’d never before dreamed of being.
Tyler wasn’t the kind of man she’d ever thought of being with. He wasn’t a suit and tie professional and they had nothing in common. Nothing but this passion that had been steadily brewing between them since day one.
“I was ready,” she admitted to him. “I was ready for you and so I came to you. Just like you asked.”
She
waited a moment, letting her own words sink in, before realizing he hadn’t replied.
“Tyler?”
He didn’t answer.
She slid her hands from around him and was about to call his name again, but she looked down first. Her hands were wet, sticky and covered with blood.
The scream ripped from Gabriella’s throat and she sat up so fast in the bed that for a second she felt dizzy. Then she felt sick to her stomach and humiliated that the dream had found her, even as far away as Texas, it had still found her. She ran to the bathroom, ripping off her clothes and stepping quickly into the shower. As the hot water ran over her skin she prayed it cleansed her completely. She prayed for this nightmare to be over and to finally be set free.
* * *
A week later, Gabriella sat astride Brown Eyes, her hands comfortably holding the reins as she leaned forward to rub his forehead and whisper to him that she intended to have a nice ride.
“You two finished bonding over there?” Tyler asked.
“We’re just getting to know each other,” she said. “When I learned to ride my instructor said it was good for rider and horse to be on the same level regarding expectations.”
Gabriella had only expected a nice leisurely ride this morning. She wasn’t so sure she was going to get it since she hadn’t gotten much sleep in the last week. Her days had been spent working with the construction crew she’d hired to knock down a couple walls in the main house, and completely re-configure the employee residences to afford them more privacy. In her opinion, the fact that a husband and wife weren’t allowed to bunk together because the current residences were set up like a college dormitory was ridiculous. Dessie and Tyler had agreed once they’d read the memo that Gabriella wrote and emailed to them. She was also supervising Naomi who was a great help and full of ideas.
That kept her busy during the day. At night, it had been another story entirely. She’d had dinner with Tyler each night as a way of going over what was being done and what else would be required. At least that’s what she told herself. It wasn’t because they were dating. That would have been silly. Especially since Tyler hadn’t tried to kiss her or even mention the attraction he’d declared was brewing between them. In fact, Gabriella could safely say that Tyler was being a perfect gentleman.