Tessa’s grin widened. “I’d have to agree with her on that, as well.”
“Says the woman who rarely takes a day off. Even when you’re supposed to be relaxing on the ranch, I know you’re still spending a lot of time in your father’s study behind that computer screen.”
“I’ve got to stay sharp on current events. The rest of the world is still going on out there without me. When I return to work, I’ve got to be ready to jump right back in and hit the ground running.”
Grayson respected her for her dedication, but felt a weird sensation zip through him at the reminder that she’d be going back to work soon. He took a drink to wash the feeling away, then asked, “How’d you decide you wanted to be a political analyst?”
“Well, it wasn’t my original career choice.” She took another drink.
“Yeah, I think I read somewhere that you were training for the Olympics at one point.”
“You can’t believe everything you read.” She gave a half-hearted smirk; her reference to the reason why they were still in Wyoming wasn’t lost on him. “But I don’t want to talk about that, either.”
“Then let’s eat,” he suggested, because at this point he was out of conversation topics and he was getting hungry. Plus, he knew better than to drink on an empty stomach.
He rummaged around in the bag and pulled out two different brands of chips. Then he tore the brown paper along one side, turning the bag into a giant place mat. “Your choices are a turkey and Swiss on wheat—or at least partially on wheat since the contents shifted midflight. Or there’s a roast beef and cheddar on some sort of roll. I can’t tell under all that mustard.”
“Gotta go for the mustard,” she said, taking the foil-wrapped package smeared with the yellow condiment.
He dug in to the turkey sandwich while she only took a few bites before setting hers down. She licked her fingers and Grayson almost groaned before shoving his remaining food into his mouth and shifting a few more inches away.
Tessa cracked open another bottle, took a small sip and then asked, “Have you ever gone through a public breakup, Grayson?”
A knot formed below his sternum and he wished he hadn’t eaten quite so fast. He swallowed the rest of his beer to wash everything down before answering. “I haven’t ever done anything publicly. I keep my private life private.”
He hadn’t meant the words to be an insult, but her lips tightened all the same. “Fair enough. How about a regular breakup? Ever been through one of those?”
He sucked in a breath, twisting the bottle in his hands, unsure of how much or how little he should say.
Apparently, he must’ve taken too long to answer because she suddenly gasped. “Oh my gosh! I don’t even know if you’re married or not.”
As much as he wanted to keep things professional between them, Grayson couldn’t deny that there was a mutual attraction. If she was thinking about him in all the same ways he was thinking about her, then it wouldn’t be fair to let her believe she was lusting after someone else’s husband.
“No.” He shook his head, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “I haven’t been married for a long time.”
“But you were. That means your breakup must’ve been a way bigger deal than the little falling-out you witnessed back at the stables.” She paused, as though she was waiting for him to agree. But before he could respond, she caught her breath again, her eyes going wide. Reaching across the remains of their picnic, she clasped his forearm. Even through the canvas material of his borrowed work coat, he felt the heat of her touch. Her voice was full of concern when she said, “Unless your wife passed away. I’m so sorry if—”
“No,” he said a bit too abruptly then cleared his throat. “Nothing as tragic as that.”
He took another drink of his beer, mostly so that he had a reason for breaking their physical contact. But the crinkled lines above Tessa’s nose meant she wasn’t quite convinced he didn’t have some sort of sob story to tell. And the determined gleam in her eyes meant she wasn’t going to stop asking questions until he offered up something.
Grayson shrugged. “My ex-wife was a nurse. One of Maddie’s nurses, in fact. Jamie quit her job, though, when I got stationed overseas, so she could come with me. She wanted children right away, but I wasn’t ready. I figured we should have plenty of money saved up so that when kids came, we could pay for anything they might need.”
“That’s understandable, considering...”
“My sister’s medical needs,” Grayson finished for her. “That was the other half of the equation. Not only were we living off just my paycheck, I also needed to send money home to my mom and Maddie. I was never a big spender, so it rarely crossed my mind that I should be using my money for anything besides the bare necessities.
“After a while, though, Jamie resented the fact that we were going without so that I could keep sending money home. I explained that it didn’t seem fair for me to go out for a good time, living it up, when my sister was stuck in a bed or a wheelchair most of the time. Not that it was fair to Jamie, either, I guess. Although, she knew going into the marriage that I’d promised my dad to always look after my sister.”
“Your dad passed away?”
“Yes. When I was still in high school.”
“I’m sorry.” Tessa reached her hand across to his arm again. This time, Grayson held still, trying to ignore the comforting warmth. He’d rather talk about his divorce than the loss of his father, so he returned to the story.
“Anyway, there was a new medication on the market that I thought would help Maddie. But her insurance wouldn’t cover the monthly cost, which was about the same amount we were paying for rent.
“Jamie, being in the medical field, thought the medication wouldn’t work anyway and would end up being a waste of money. We had a huge fight. She didn’t appreciate the fact that I couldn’t afford to take her out to dinner because I was using all my overtime pay on trial medications and horseback riding lessons. And I couldn’t really blame her. She was putting her life on hold so that I could take care of my sister. Not that I ever asked her to give up her job, but I guess she realized that Maddie would always be my priority over everything else. We parted ways, and...” Grayson shrugged. “Last I heard, she remarried several years ago and has a couple of kids now. So things worked out for the best.”
He felt the weight of Tessa’s stare as she studied him. A bird chirped from one of the trees in the distance; otherwise the air was thick with their silence. Then he heard a rustling sound and looked down to see that she’d moved the remaining chip bags to the other side of her so she could scoot closer.
“Thank you.” Tessa patted his upper arm the way a friend would console another friend. After a few extra pats, she moved her hand up to his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. Grayson tried not to think about the electrical current that followed the same path. Or the way there was suddenly fewer beers and fewer feet between them.
“For reminding you that things will work out for the best?” he asked, trying to stay perfectly still despite her body leaning closer to him. Her palm absently made slow circles between his shoulder and his biceps.
“No, for sharing a part of yourself with me. I know it goes against the rules about mixing your professional life with your personal life. Whenever I’m around you, I always feel like my life is such a mess, while you’re so perfect and calm and in control. It’s nice to know that you’re a human just like the rest of us.”
“Tessa.” Grayson’s voice was low and tight in his throat. “If you keep stroking my arm like that, you’re going to find out exactly how human I am.”
* * *
Tessa recognized the hunger in Grayson’s eyes. It matched the desire whirlpooling through her own bloodstream. The muscles in his biceps flexed under her palm and instead of pulling away, she trailed her fingers along the coiled ridges until she got to his scu
lpted shoulder.
Just a few more seconds, she told herself as her hand memorized the contours of his upper arm under his thin jacket. That’s right. They were both wearing jackets. They were fully dressed. It wasn’t like she was actually having skin-to-skin contact with...
Oh hell. Somehow, Tessa had maneuvered herself closer because her fingers were now brushing against the warm skin of his neck. Grayson’s nostrils flared slightly, but he remained perfectly still as she pivoted toward him, her leg brushing against his. When had she risen to her knees? Had she crawled over to him? Was she that desperate to touch the man?
She couldn’t gauge how much distance she’d closed between them because she didn’t dare break eye contact. Their faces were only inches apart, his steel-gray gaze practically daring her to move in even closer. Her heart thumped frantically behind her rib cage as she accepted the challenge.
Tessa traced her thumb from his neck to his jaw, stopping just below the curve of his bottom lip. Grayson lifted his hand to her hip, but instead of pushing her away, he held on tighter.
“Tessa,” he said so low, so deep, it sounded like more of a growl than a warning.
Her entire body was buzzing with anticipation. Of what, she didn’t know. Tessa hadn’t felt this alive since her last free-fall dive.
She sucked in a ragged breath, telling herself, Just a little more. After all, the whole point of her staying on the ranch in the first place was to ensure that she could handle her physical responses in emotionally charged situations. Was there a bigger test than right this second? A more perfect opportunity to prove to herself and to Grayson that she was in complete control? For just a few more seconds. Long enough for her to get a little bit closer...
Tessa brought her left knee over his lap, boldly straddling him, silently daring him the same way he’d dared her. Both of his hands captured her hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh under her jeans.
“Grayson?” she asked.
His mouth was so near, she could feel the heat of his breath as he responded. “Yeah?”
“My life is about to get messy again,” she warned before molding her lips to his.
She angled her face slightly before taking the kiss deeper, inviting his tongue to explore her mouth. And, oh how he explored everything she offered. He gripped her hips tighter, positioning her directly over his arousal, and then pulled her against him. Pleasure skimmed the surface of the juncture between her thighs and she ached to feel more. He wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her in place while his other hand trailed up her flannel shirt, his thumb easily slipping the buttons free until she felt the cool air whisper against her overheated skin.
She gasped, causing his mouth to break free long enough to blaze a path of hot kisses down her neck and toward her breasts. His thumb edged the lace of her bra lower until one of her tightened nipples sprung free. Grayson’s tongue darted out and Tessa’s fingers shot through his short brown hair, holding on for dear life as she threw back her head and moaned.
Heat surged through her core and she pressed herself closer to his hardened length.
Grayson groaned before tearing his mouth away from her exposed breast. “Tessa,” he said, his breath coming out in short bursts. “We have to stop.”
“I know,” she agreed before reclaiming his lips under hers. Just one more kiss, she told herself as she surrendered to his skilled tongue again.
His hands framed her face and he gave her lower lip a final nip before easing her away from him a second time. Luckily, the sun had already set, making it easier to mask her disappointment. However, Tessa sensed that the growing darkness would soon give way to growing regret. Especially because in her effort to prove that she was in control, she’d totally lost control.
Her attempt to school her expression was wasted, though, since he was busy making quick work of returning her buttons to their proper holes. Grayson Wyatt, taking charge again. Although, this time it was for the best since her fingers were trembling too much to get the job done.
If she couldn’t be in charge of her emotions, then she would have to settle for being in charge of the conversation.
“Don’t you dare say something about crossing some sort of professional boundary,” she warned before peeling herself off him and rising.
“It also crosses an ethical boundary. You just broke up with your boyfriend. You were vulner—”
“Stop right there.” She held up her hand. “Don’t even say that word. I’m not weak, Grayson. I don’t need to be protected or coddled. And I’m certainly not in mourning for a relationship that was already broken.”
Dang. Mourning was the wrong word to use in this situation and he immediately seized upon it. “But you are still grieving your father.”
“True. Although, there’s something about our physical connection, about the way my body responds to you, that reminds me that I’m still very much alive. And don’t deny that your body wasn’t responding just as much to me.”
He stood, his jaw tense, his jacket on the ground in a crumpled heap behind him. Tessa barely remembered sliding the outer layer off his shoulders. She only remembered her need to touch as much of him as possible.
“My body should be better trained than that, though.” He dragged a hand through his hair, which she’d properly mussed only a few moments ago. “I love my job. Normally, I’m pretty damn good at it when there’s not a beautiful and witty woman outrunning me on her horse. Getting involved with you while I’m on assignment is a distraction I can’t afford.”
Tessa shoved her hands into her back pockets, causing her still aching breasts to thrust forward. While she understood his position and even respected it, a tiny thrill shot through her at his admission. “So I’m a distraction?”
He stepped toward her then gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing his thumb to linger against her cheek. “The very best kind. But to do my job well, I have to be thinking clearly at all times. You and your family deserve me at my best. No matter how much I want to strip off every single article of clothing you’re wearing and see the real woman underneath, the fact remains that I’m on assignment right now.”
A shiver of delight raced along her spine and she smiled at him, a challenge forming on her lips. “That implies that there will come a time when you aren’t on duty. A time when this assignment is over.”
“When that time comes, Miss King, there won’t be a couple of layers of denim between us. I’ll lie back and let you call all the shots.” Grayson’s promise caused a fluttering sensation deep within her belly. He picked up his coat and dug the keys out of his pocket. “But in the meantime, I’m in the driver’s seat.”
Chapter Ten
A week went by with Grayson and Tessa pretending that nothing had happened between them up at Pine Top Point. He thought he’d done a pretty good job of returning to business as usual. He’d even kept a straight face when Doherty asked why the new shirt Grayson had been wearing that night was missing two buttons.
Despite a slight surge of reporters the day after Congressman Townsend left, there were fewer and fewer white vans camped outside the gates. It could have had something to do with Duke King returning to his ship after his leave ended. With all those late-night phone calls on the front porch, the most levelheaded member of the King family definitely had something he wasn’t sharing with his siblings. Perhaps the press had caught wind of it and followed him in search of a bigger story.
In fact, if things remained this quiet, they wouldn’t need as many agents stationed on the ranch any longer. That meant Grayson could finally be done with Operation Snowball.
He was passing the stables on his way to the bunkhouse on a Tuesday afternoon when he caught a glimpse of Tessa heading out for her daily ride, a task that Grayson had ensured one of the other agents now covered. As much as his body was aching to be alone with her, his brain was telling him that h
e couldn’t risk a repeat of that crazy make-out session last week.
“You can’t ride the horses today,” Finn yelled as she came tearing out of the stables, nearly mowing down Grayson in her attempt to reach her sister.
“Why not?” Tessa asked.
“The vet is finishing up the inoculations.”
Grayson hadn’t seen a veterinarian here earlier. That kind of information would’ve been on the visitor’s log at the command center, where he’d just gotten off duty. Had his team missed something? The last thing he wanted to do right now was to stop and listen to their conversation, but there was no other agent around to confirm things and his investigation senses were tingling.
Tessa lifted a brow. “All the horses?”
Her sister looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the stables, probably hoping nobody came out to refute her lie. “It makes it easier to keep them all on the same yearly schedule for shots.”
“Ugh!” Tessa stretched her arms over her head. “Mom keeps following me around with an open laptop and asking me when I’m ready to have a video conference with her public relations team. She’s insisting that I make a statement to the press before Davis puts his own spin on our breakup. I need somewhere to hide out.”
“You want to go to Big Millie’s instead?” Finn managed to steer Tessa toward the house.
“I’ve been there almost every night the past week,” Tessa argued. “Except for Thursday when Dahlia closed early for personal reasons and I babysat Amelia for her. Our niece insisted she had a new dog, but I think she was imagining it. Or maybe I’m imagining things. Either way, I’m going stir-crazy out here. I think it’s time for me to go back to work.”
“Have you been cleared by the neurolo—” Finn clamped her lips closed when Tessa gave her a very pointed look and then not so subtly darted her eyes in Grayson’s direction.
Now, that was interesting, he thought to himself. Was Tessa under the care of a neurologist? As far as he knew, there’d been no doctors—animal or human—on the ranch in the past week.
What Happens at the Ranch... Page 13