Hot Holiday Rancher

by Catherine Mann

  He canted back, nodding tightly. “You’re right. It’s totally inappropriate of me. I mean it when I say I want to be a family man, and all that entails.”

  “The epitome of a Texas Cattleman’s Club fella.”

  “Yes, exactly that.” His gaze held hers, setting her skin on fire with just the stroke of his eyes on her face.

  Even knowing it was unwise and there were so many reasons they were wrong for each other, she still felt herself sway toward him. His hand lifted slowly, reaching out to tuck her ponytail back over her shoulder. Then his fingers slid to cup the back of her head. Goose bumps of awareness spread over her and she wanted this moment, this connection. Just one kiss.

  With luck, it wouldn’t even be a very good kiss and she could refocus on her plans to repair her father’s reputation. So giving in to temptation was the right thing to do. Or at least that’s what she could tell herself as she angled forward the rest of the way for her lips to meet his.

  And damn, it was very far from being a bad kiss.

  Four

  Jesse had expected the kiss to be good. Esme was a sexy woman, after all.

  He had not expected that his senses would be set on fire at the first brush of her lips against his. A connection he fully intended to deepen. And explore.

  Sliding his arms around her, he drew Esme to his chest, angling his mouth over hers, his tongue tracing the seam of her lips until they parted and...

  Thoughts fled until only sensation remained. The soft give of her breasts against his chest. The glide of her hair through his fingers as he cupped the back of her head. He could smell the scent of shampoo and wondered what perfume she chose. What would be in her suitcase once the weather cleared enough to retrieve it. He wanted to feel and learn more about her. More than just the kiss.

  Although it was still one helluva kiss.

  She tasted of coffee and mint and something innately her.

  Music hummed softly in the background and rain came down in sheets outside, all almost drowned out by the hammering of his speeding pulse. A breathy sigh whispered from her and he groaned, surrendering to this moment with her.

  He swept a hand behind her, brushing away the ornaments and paper, clearing a space to recline her back in the thick woven rug. Her arms twined around his neck and she arched closer, skimming her mouth over his neck up to nip his earlobe.

  Irresistible.

  Her breasts pressed against his chest in a sweet temptation, her foot stroking the back of his leg as her thighs parted ever so slightly. He’d wanted her since the first time he saw her on the side of the road. The fierce desire for her swept him away as surely as the storm sweeping over the landscape. Until the power of it was ringing in his ears.

  Except...

  “Your phone,” she gasped softly, her breath warm against his skin. “I think that’s your phone ringing.”

  And it was. The text message sound dinged a couple more times. Each successive ring called him back to reality. And each ring raised the level of surprise more and more of what had just occurred. The surprise of the heat that passed between their bodies.

  Damn. How could he have lost control so fully? His focus narrowed sharply as he angled off her, swiping his cell off the coffee table. Multiple texts scrolled across the screen and he cursed under his breath.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked, elbowing up, her cheeks flushed, her hair tousled from his hands.

  She quickly straightened her clothes. The moment had passed. Even if he could stay. Which he couldn’t.

  He pocketed his phone. “That was my foreman. He and the rest of my crew are cut off from the barn by the rain. I’ve got to get to the animals.” He paused, stroking a finger down her face lightly. “I’m sorry to leave abruptly.”

  “It’s okay. You’re needed,” she assured him, smiling but inching back. She crossed her arms somewhat protectively around her stomach and chest, as if she were Alice in Wonderland shrinking before his eyes. “And it’s not like the kiss was anything more than an impulsive mistake for both of us.”

  Ouch. That stung more than a little. Because as far as he was concerned, it was a steamy, soul-searing kiss that he wouldn’t mind repeating.

  But she was right. He’d had no business losing control with her. “If you need anything, call me.” He pulled a card from his wallet and passed it over quickly. “All right? Promise?”

  “Absolutely.” She eased to her feet, backing away. “I should call my sister and check in again anyway.” She turned from him, her sun-gold hair glistening.

  He reached for her hand, stopping her, not sure what he planned to say until the words fell out of his mouth. “That kiss may have been a mistake, but I don’t regret it for a second.”

  * * *

  Hoping her distraction didn’t show, Angela Perry half listened to her sister Esme’s latest check-in call from Royal while staring out at the Houston skyline from her high-rise condominium. At least they weren’t FaceTiming today, so any distraction wouldn’t be visible. Esme was going on and on about decorating with Jesse, down to what his decorations looked like.

  And yes, Angela was more than ready to embrace the Christmas season, all the way down to the tree behind her with freshly wrapped gifts. She’d had one helluva tough year, caught in the middle of the feud between her father and Ryder Currin. Maybe that was a part of why she was having trouble mustering too much enthusiasm for Esme’s call.

  Their father’s latest ploy to become the president of the Houston branch of the Texas Cattleman’s Club was frustrating. Ryder certainly wasn’t using a PR expert to sway votes.

  Worry gnawed at Angela over what might happen if her father lost. Would he withdraw his recently extended blessing over her dating Ryder again?

  A roll of nausea rippled through her. Pain, recent and still tender, colored her memories. Breaking off the engagement had just about broken her heart—and his. Taking a risk on becoming a couple again had been scary.

  Though she knew Ryder was her future, emotions still ran high. Angela chewed the inside of her lip, a habit she picked up as a child when nerves got the best of her during school competitions or when she needed an anchor back to the world. Not that this was the best way to cope.

  But it was a way.

  And she sure as hell needed something right now.

  “Angela?” Her sister’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. “I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

  “Not at all,” Angela lied, more than aware of how Esme sometimes felt excluded by her sisters. Angela loved both of her sisters, but in her heart of hearts, she knew there was a difference with her twin bond to Melinda. Not that she would ever admit as much to Esme. “I appreciate your checking in and I’ll be sure to pass along the update to the rest of the family.”

  “Thank you. I hope I have something more concrete to share before long.”

  Hearing Ryder stirring about in the kitchen, Angela figured she’d better cut this conversation short before her sister freaked out that something may have been overheard. “Stay safe and good luck with Jesse Stevens.”

  She signed off just as Ryder stepped from the kitchen into the living room, carrying a wooden tray of meats, cheeses and olives. He was such a wonderful man. And sexy.

  If she didn’t already know him, she would have never guessed he had three adult children. Like Brad Pitt, Ryder looked better and better with age.

  Even in faded blue jeans and a chambray shirt, Ryder looked like he’d stepped off some movie set. Short, dark blond hair framed his tanned face. Blue eyes as bright as a Texas summer sky met her gaze, just as warm as a summer day, too.

  As he yawned, his square, cut jawline moved. Even in these little gestures, he was handsome. He stretched, walking toward her in socks. His well-worn brown boots still took up residence by the fireplace.

  Theirs had a been rocky relationship,
made more than a little difficult since their families had been bitter rivals for years. Ryder had been a lowly ranch hand on the ranch outside Houston where Sterling Perry—an old-money Houston heir—was briefly the foreman during his engagement to Harrington York’s daughter.

  As part of a business and social alliance, Harrington had offered his daughter Tamara’s hand in marriage to Sterling Perry, as long as Sterling agreed to learn the ranch business from the inside and then live there after he married. When Harrington had died, Sterling had seen Ryder comforting Tamara and assumed they were having an affair, even though Tamara was a decade older.

  Discovering that Harrington had willed a key piece of oil-laden land to Ryder had only added fuel to fire, even though Sterling had inherited the bulk of the estate. When over two decades later, Ryder and Angela became an item, Sterling had been enraged. His fury had led to Angela and Ryder breaking up. Finding their way back together had been a long, heartbreaking journey.

  But here they were, trying again with the hope of the Christmas season urging them on.

  “You’re so thoughtful.” She extended her legs, wriggling her toes in front of the fire. The rain was making even a Texas winter cold. “I’m starving.”

  His gaze lingered on her legs for a second beyond casual interest before he set the tray on the end table and sat beside her, his jeans and chambray shirt covering those honed muscles of his. “How’s your sister doing?”

  Thinking back to the drawn-out conversation with Esme, she tilted her head from side to side. “She’s still flooded in at Jesse Stevens’s place.”

  She decided he didn’t need to hear all about the decorations.

  “Well, I guess that’s convenient for your father.”

  She struggled to hide a wince, concern firing anew. “Please don’t say you mean that in a negative way.”

  He held up his hands, his blue eyes widening. “I get that your dad wants to be the president of the new Texas Cattleman’s Club chapter. And we all know that your father can be...determined when he sets his mind to something. Just look at how hard he pushed to break us up.”

  Angela’s mouth tightened at the truth of his words.

  However, it hadn’t helped that an executive at Ryder’s oil corporation had been the one spreading rumors about her father and a Ponzi scheme that had almost destroyed Perry Holdings.

  Bringing that up wouldn’t be wise at the moment. So she settled on, “But my father relented about us.”

  “You’re right.” Shifting his weight, he leaned toward her. “Then he promptly sent your sister to Royal to tip the scales in his favor,” he added, his face showing lines of stress and concern.

  “It’s not like he sent her to seduce Jesse. She’s a highly qualified PR executive.”

  “She’s a daddy’s girl,” he muttered. His jaw became rock solid. Tense.

  “And your daughters aren’t?” Angela knew otherwise. Both girls loved their dad. And he loved them. He was so proud of Annabel’s makeover business, Fairy Godmother. And Maya, his adopted daughter. Things had been in turmoil with them since Maya had demanded more information on her birth parents. But the eighteen-year-old had never doubted her dad’s love.

  Angela chewed on her lip until she tasted iron. She felt her stomach knotting. “You and my father have hated each other for a long time. I know that’s not going to magically go away just because you and I are an item. I only want the two of you to try.”

  “He and I have come to a truce—”

  “It feels more like a temporary cease fire.”

  A wry grin tucked into his face. “For your sake, we’re offering a united, powerful front to get to the bottom of what’s going on.”

  “And after that’s been solved?” She didn’t want to think about losing Ryder or her father.

  “Well, one of us is going to be leading the new chapter. If it’s him, I’ll be polite. If it’s me...?”

  She didn’t want any part of this conversation anymore. And she had a damn good idea of how to distract them both. She angled toward him, smoothing the collar of his chambray shirt. “Let’s stop talking about my father.”

  “Sure. If you’re done with this—” he gestured to the tray of snacks “—then we can head out to finish up the last of your shopping. Although I can’t imagine you have more to buy.”

  “Or we could skip the shopping.” She shifted to straddle him, tugging at his shirt.

  Grin kicking up the sides of his mouth, he cupped her hips, his eyes smoldering. “Excellent idea.”

  * * *

  After her phone call with Angela, Esme had grown restless. It hadn’t escaped her notice that her sister sounded breathless and a bit distracted. Ryder Currin’s fault, no doubt.

  She was happy for her sister, but also concerned for her dad. He was getting older, and this club presidency meant the world to him.

  Determined not to waste time, she’d finished getting dressed in clothes left behind by Jesse’s sister. She’d even managed to find a pair of rain boots that fit if she put on three pairs of socks. At the thought of seeing her handsome host, her nerves pattered as fast as the rain.

  Yesterday she would have sworn she wouldn’t be venturing out into the rain again anytime soon. And here she was, pushing out of the door and running through the storm in an oversize slicker that wasn’t much more attractive than the sweats she’d worn last night.

  Sure, he could most certainly handle things in the barn on his own, but he had saved her. And kissed her.

  Who was she trying to kid?

  She wanted to spend more time with him. To persuade him for her dad and because he was an interesting, charismatic man. She couldn’t remember when she’d been this drawn to anyone this quickly.

  She wanted to see if the chemistry of that kiss had been a fluke.

  A well-appointed barn stood guardian before a small patch of trees. As the cold rain continued to pelt down, she widened her stride and dashed for the door.

  Once her boots crossed the threshold, she whisked the rain off her body. Drips melted into the floor as her breath slowed. Then she quieted to watch Jesse, unnoticed for the moment.

  Hands wringing her damp hair, Esme held her breath as Jesse’s muscled form gently stroked a bay horse. Even from a few feet away, she saw the whites of the horse’s eyes and the flaring nostrils.

  Something had spooked the bay, who kept tossing his head skyward on the crossties, front hooves picking up and down as if he might bolt. Jesse’s practiced hand stroked the horse’s neck as he spoke impossibly softly in an attempt to soothe the still-frightened animal.

  Electricity danced in the air again. Sure, she hadn’t anticipated being drawn to him at all. The kiss from earlier drifted back into her mind as this softer-but-still-powerful Jesse filled her vision.

  As if sensing her, the bay craned his neck around, nostrils flaring once again, scenting her. Jesse was alerted to her presence and turned around.

  “Well, hello, I didn’t expect to see you out here. In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a crazy-strong storm raging out there.”

  Grinning, she hung up the slicker on an empty peg along the wall. “I did notice, thank you, and it seemed to me that perhaps you could use some help.”

  He angled his head to the side, studying her through narrowed eyes. “You realize this isn’t glamorous, right?”

  “I know what I’m getting in for. I grew up on a ranch, something you seem to keep forgetting. Just because I don’t choose to continue that way of life doesn’t mean I magically forgot all I learned.” Her arms folded across her chest.

  “Okay, then,” he conceded. “I welcome the extra set of hands. Especially ones so knowledgeable.”

  She took that as a challenge. A half smile tugging on her lips, she raised a brow. “Point me in the direction of what still needs accomplishing.”

  After he
’d given her a quick rundown of what he’d done thus far—currycombing, hard brush and soft brush on Ace, the bay on the crossties—he launched into how the bay needed to have his hoof wrapped to deal with an abscess.

  Reaching back over a decade, Esme remembered when her own buckskin mare had abscessed. If she were being honest, the flow of the care stayed with her but the particulars faded into the background.

  Approaching the horse, she offered the palm of her hand to Ace. Sniffing gingerly, the horse’s whiskers tickled her palm. But he visibly settled, a great sigh releasing the tightness in his neck. The crossties hung in loose loops for the first time.

  “You’re a natural.” Jesse’s eyes showed surprise as she stroked the horse’s leg, feeling for the heat of the infection.

  Warmth danced on her cheeks, but she willed a casual wink to keep her mind off how close her body was to Jesse’s. “Sometimes I get lucky.”

  Standing up, she looked at the supplies he’d gathered. He bent over, asking the horse to raise the injured foot with a click of his tongue and a tap on the ankle bone. Ace, shifting his weight, complied.

  Eyeing the pile, she recognized the Betadine bottle and handed it to him.

  “So the city girl does remember her origins after all.” He laughed, cradling the hoof as he poured the antiseptic on it.

  His muscles rippled with a strength that took her breath away. Which was especially impressive given that she’d spent her life around cowboys, had seen plenty. But he was in a class of his own.

  He was more than a figurehead ranch owner.

  “Just here for the assist. What is the next step? I’m afraid this is where it gets fuzzy for me.”

  Looking up from the hoof, he smiled, nodding toward the supply bucket. “I need a pad and tape.”

  She nodded, handing him the last bit he needed to ensure the horse would heal properly. While he wrapped the horse’s hoof, she spoke quietly to Ace, stroking his silky neck until the horse’s eyes became heavy.