Chiseled and Cherished (Moon Ranch Book 3)

by Em Petrova

  And God, she wanted him to grab her.

  The cowboy stood there, stock-still and larger than life. His eyes burned down into hers, and damn if her heart didn’t pitter-patter in response to that heavy stare.

  “Stop that, Asher.”

  “Stop what? Lookin’ at you? Why? Are your nipples getting hard under that uniform blouse?”

  She issued a low growl. “Leave my nipples out of this!” she screamed far too loudly. She hoped his brothers and that woman Mimi weren’t within earshot.

  Asher’s lips twisted at one corner.

  “Are you laughing at me now? God, you’re a real pig.”

  He took one step closer to her. Then another. She backed away and fetched up against the railing. Trapped.

  “Asher, I swear if you—”

  He caught a lock of hair that floated loose from her ponytail and tucked it behind her ear, gaze roaming over her face. “If I touch you? If I kiss you?”

  “Don’t you dare.” She put enough force behind her tone that surely he’d back off.

  Yet he didn’t. In fact, he closed in until he had her pressed firmly against the railing with her front plastered all over the man’s hard, hot body.

  When he hooked an arm around her middle, her body bowed into his touch. When he crushed his mouth over hers, her damn tongue slid out to stroke against his. A moan left her lips, and she couldn’t suck it back inside any more than she could keep her body from wanting him.

  Just as she sank into the kiss, he tore his mouth free. Panting, she stared up at him.

  “I didn’t tell you I knew your brother because it had nothing to do with what’s between us.”

  Between us? Like enough lust and chemistry to burn down all of Stokes?

  She hitched in a breath that didn’t fully make it to her lungs. “Please let me go.” The weakness of her words roused a bigger smile from him. Her heart turned over.

  “You don’t want that any more than I do, darlin’. Now listen to me. I am gonna let you go, but only because I’ve got work to do, same as you.”

  She jerked free of him and ducked around his big body barring her way. “That’s another thing! You can’t just go kill all the coyotes because the coalition of ranchers asked you to! We have state rules and regulations to follow.”

  “I didn’t say I was. I told them to leave it up to you. Remember?”

  She blinked. “Well then…” No words came to mind. “Thank you.”

  He gave a nod so sexy that her insides turned to liquid desire and flowed south to dampen her panties.

  “This doesn’t change the fact that you took in my brother, who’s an innocent man.”

  His jaw tightened. “I won’t discuss that with you, so don’t ask me again.”

  “Fine. I’m leavin’. Stay out of our way, Moon.” She made her way down the porch steps before throwing a backward glance at him—and realized he stared at her ass.

  She nearly walked back up those steps and into his arms.

  No, she would leave with the last word.

  She didn’t walk away nearly fast enough.

  Leave, Kinsey.

  He’s staring at my ass.

  Yeahhhh, he is. And you want to go back and throw yourself at him.

  She rushed across the yard and jumped into her Jeep, making sure he heard how loudly she slammed the door. She needed to draw a line in the dirt between them, and Asher should respect the boundary.

  * * * * *

  The retort of the gunshot echoed through Asher’s skull, shaking the walls until he sat up in bed, breathing hard.

  Dark hair on the pavement.

  His mind fogged with too many images of the blood and—

  Enough.

  He swung his legs over the side of the twin mattress that was far too small for a man of his size. Resting his head in his hands, he leaned forward and tried to collect himself. The air around him seemed too hot and thick, and he stood and grabbed his jeans. After tugging them on, he went into the bathroom the entire house shared. A cold shower would help dispel the memory of that woman’s death, and then he could go outside and work until he dropped.

  He barely had the water running when a knock came at the door, too hard to be Mimi.

  He cracked it to see Zayden standing in the hall. “You need in here before I shower?” Back in the old days, some brother always needed to take a wizz when someone occupied the bathroom.

  “No. You got company.”

  His heart gave a leap. Kinsey. It had to be.

  “All right, lemme grab a shirt and rinse out my mouth.”

  Zayden gave a single nod and then walked away. Asher rushed through a basic tooth scrubbing and then slicked on deodorant before pulling a shirt over his head. When he walked out onto the front porch, he expected to see Kinsey waiting for him. Instead, there were three men, their backs to him, but he knew by their boots and hats that they were the ranchers who asked him to hunt the pack of coyotes.

  He pushed out a sigh and stepped out. “Howdy, guys.”

  They turned from gazing out over the land, as all ranchers did. Radosh’s face creased with lines as he focused on Asher. “Hell, you look rougher than me.”

  “Didn’t know I was competin’ in a beauty contest. What can I do for ya?”

  Zayden walked onto the porch behind him, and Asher saw Mimi stood with him as well. Judging by his brother’s face, he already knew the answer to Asher’s question.

  “Last night Buckingham here lost a yearling to a coyote attack. I’m sure you can guess why we showed up here this morning.” Radosh leveled a look at Asher, as did the others. He could feel the stares of his family too.

  “Reckon I do.”

  “We need you, Moon. Not only do we require a good tracker, but you’re the best hunter in these parts.”

  “It’s true. Asher always brought meat to the table.” Mimi’s voice came out in the cadence of the Ute people she belonged to.

  He gave her a nod of thanks and then turned back to the ranchers gathered on his porch. “Surely you know someone better suited to the work.” He ignored Zayden’s cocked brow.

  Radosh shook his head. “We wouldn’t waste our time standin’ on your porch otherwise. C’mon, Moon. How much more money do we all have to lose before you’ll agree? I told ya the coalition will pay you.”

  He rubbed his fingers through his hair. The money didn’t entice as much as the plea in the rancher’s tone. The Moons weren’t the only family scrabbling to eek out a living on this land. Every rancher standing in front of him battled daily to make the most of a business that didn’t keep up with the world these days. Hard work for little pay often meant they were forced to sell out and give up their dreams…their way of life.

  Catching Zayden’s eye, he sized up the situation here. His brothers couldn’t stand to lose more cattle either.

  “All right. I’m in.”

  Radosh grinned and reached out to thump Asher’s shoulder. “Glad to hear it.”

  Asher shook hands all around. When the men departed, Asher stood on the porch with his brother and Mimi. The woman placed her arm around his waist and squeezed. “You made the right choice, Asher. I’m proud of ya.”

  With the idea of how he’d bring in the predators lingering at the forefront of his mind, he squeezed Mimi and brushed a kiss over the top of her white head. “Guess I’ll grab some coffee and then head to town for supplies.”

  “You can’t leave with only coffee in your belly. Come inside and I’ll fix you some oatmeal.”

  “Thanks, honey.” He offered her a smile he hoped didn’t look like the grimace he wore on the inside.

  Reminding himself he wasn’t responsible for that girl’s death didn’t stop him from hearing that gunshot or seeing her blood. But to take the population down or drive the coyotes out of the county, he required a rifle and shells.

  “Hey, Z? Is Dad’s old rifle still in working order?”

  “Yeah. I cleaned it up and sighted it a few months back. Haven’
t needed it since, but should be ready to go.”

  “I’ll need it.”

  Half hour later, with a belly full of Mimi’s homemade apple cinnamon oatmeal and fresh, hot coffee, he drove into town to the sporting goods store. The minute he walked through the doors, he spotted the familiar dull tan uniform and ponytail of the woman he had yet to evict from his thoughts.

  “Kinsey.”

  She turned at her name, and the pleasant look she wore vanished, to be replaced by a scowl.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  He looked at the items she held in her hand. “Leg hold traps?”

  “Yes. I’m trapping coyotes in order to relocate them. These don’t break the skin and the animals won’t be injured at all.”

  “Just where do you intend to set them free?”

  “Plenty of game lands to the west, where they’re away from ranches and town as well.” She looked him over, flicking her gaze to his chest and then lingering on his mouth for a heartbeat.

  His lips twitched up. “You like what you see, darlin’?”

  She groaned, but that only reminded him of the soft noises of ecstasy he’d pulled from her while eating her sweet, wet pussy. Hell, now he had enough blood flow to his cock to shove it deep inside her.

  “You’re so full of yourself. I couldn’t care less about how you look.”

  “All right. Well, have a good day now.” He walked away before he succumbed to the urge to grab her and find the camping section for the privacy of a model tent. After he located the ammunition he needed, he moved to the checkout. As he sidled into line behind Kinsey, he couldn’t help but wonder if they were supposed to be thrown together.

  She tossed a look over her shoulder. “Ugh. Isn’t there another line for you to get into?”

  “This one’s shortest.”

  “Fine.” She glanced at the ammo in his hand. “What are you doing with that?”

  He paused. Telling her would mean calling down all the wrath contained in her curvy body. But he couldn’t very well hunt the same pack of animals she planned to and not run into her either.

  “The coalition paid me a visit this mornin’.”

  She turned to fully face him, an expression of extreme disgust on her face. “You’re hunting the coyotes.” The flat tone of her statement accompanied a dark flash of her eyes.

  “And you’re trappin’ them. Between us, we’ll take care of the problem, won’t we?”

  “Oh hell no!” She slapped a hand onto her hip. “I’m not letting you go out without me!”

  His brows crinkled. “What are you talkin’ about? You can’t go with me.”

  “Yes, I can and will. Or you’re coming with me, rather. I’m not letting you be in charge of this operation.”

  He shook his head with a chuckle. “I never took you for a controlling woman, but it’s kind of a turn on.”

  “Oh my God!” She stepped up to the counter and slapped her traps down with a loud clank. The clerk looked at her as if she’d lost her mind, and he couldn’t say he felt much different. As she stuffed her debit card into the machine and stabbed the buttons, she threw him dirty looks that only fed his desire to put a dreamy smile on her pretty features instead.

  “If you think you’re making one move without me by your side, you’re crazy, Moon.”

  He grunted. “Suit yourself.”

  “I will.”

  After she paid and grabbed her bag, he checked out, and together they left the store. In the parking lot, she whirled to him. “You should just go on home, Moon. Leave this to people who are trained to handle wildlife.”

  “Look—I’m just protecting what belongs to us and other ranchers. I can’t go home and leave it to you. What if you don’t trap any? Or you relocate the animals and they return? That happens, you know.”

  “I know,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m trained for this work, remember?”

  He stepped closer. “What I remember is putting my hands all over your body and how good it felt to sink inside you.”

  A small squeak escaped her. Her gaze landed on his, and her lips fell open.

  “Maybe working together isn’t a bad idea, after all. Sequestered in the back seat o’ your Jeep…or out in the open under the stars where you can scream and no one will hear you…”

  “Asher.” Her voice came out throaty. “Stop.”

  “Have you made up your mind then? You either deal with me or you don’t get to control what I have in my sights.” He stared down at her, waiting for an answer and hoping like hell she walked away and left him to do what he needed to without interference.

  “Fine. I can just ignore you.”

  A short laugh burst from him. “Sounds like a challenge to me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We start now—today, Moon. Get in my Jeep and we’ll discuss how we’re going to deal with each other from here on.”

  When she spun on her boots and strode across the lot to her vehicle, he watched her backside all the way.

  * * * * *

  “You know, those uniform pants don’t really do your ass justice.”

  At his drawled statement, a harsh gasp left her. “Are you seriously starting off by insulting my clothes?”

  He waved a hand and jumped into her passenger’s seat, tucking his too-long legs against the dash.

  “Ugh. The seat controls are on the side.”

  He adjusted it back all the way so he could stretch his legs a bit. Damn if his muscular thighs in worn jeans didn’t have her body firing on all pistons.

  She pivoted to pierce him in her gaze. “Here’s how we’re doing this, Moon.”

  “Asher.”

  “What?”

  “You called me Asher when you came on my tongue.”

  Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head at the dirty talk she should not want to hear, but oh how her body reacted to his words. Her nipples bunched tight, and liquid heat trickled through her lower belly.

  “Moon,” she said with as much force as she could muster, though her voice sounded like a wisp of its normal strength. “First of all, you will not bring up our night together.”

  “What if I bring up all the things I plan to do with you from here on?”

  Her insides clenched hard. “Absolutely not. I don’t need to hear what you have to say. You’re in my jurisdiction. Keep in mind that I’m only allowing you to come along because I know how tough those ranchers in the coalition can be, and they will be out for your blood if you don’t deliver.”

  “So you’re going to deliver?”

  “I’m a good trapper. I can get the coyotes into pens and drive them to safer places to release them. Which means the cattle are safe and the ranchers happy.”

  He eyed her as if he didn’t believe a word she said. Or maybe his mind wandered again into steaming-hot, forbidden territory. She wouldn’t put it past the guy. Her momma warned her men were dogs, and this one seemed more canine than human.

  “Sounds like you know what you’re talkin’ about.”

  She slanted a look at him. “Are you being sarcastic?”

  “Not a bit.”

  She didn’t buy it, but she’d made the decision to tag along with him in the first place.

  “This is my job,” she stated.

  “Now it’s mine.”

  “Why do I get the feeling we’re not discussing the same subject?”

  He grinned, that crooked, panty-melting smile she hadn’t been able to resist before and had even less chance of now that she knew how amazing he could make her feel. Plus, a dimple included.

  “Where do we start?” he asked, his tone over-eager.

  With me straddling you.

  She shook the thought away and focused on her original plan. No reason to change it just because she dragged a cocky cowboy famous for his bad attitude along for the ride.

  “I plan to set these foot-hold traps along the creek where Branson and I found tracks a few days ago. I’ll check them in the morning.”
/>
  “Branson? Your partner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me he ain’t taggin’ along with us.”

  She hadn’t thought of it. With Branson around, Asher might find a filter and use it. But on the other hand, if Asher did make a move…

  “I haven’t asked him for help.”

  A wicked gleam hit his eyes.

  “But that doesn’t mean I won’t,” she rushed to add. Even though she didn’t want to do it, she had to ask. “What’s your plan?”

  “To set up in the field at night and call some in.”

  She shook her head. “Absolutely not. I won’t let you just shoot them unless we see one attacking an animal.”

  He heaved a sigh. “I shoulda guessed you were trouble the minute you strutted into that party wearing that pink dress.”

  She arched a brow. “I did not strut.”

  “Sashay, then. Words don’t matter to me.” He shrugged and looked out the windshield. “Are you gonna drive or not, darlin’?”

  “You can call me Kinsey. Or Reynolds. Or Game Warden. I don’t care. Just don’t call me darlin’. Got it?”

  “Fiiine. Kinsey baby.”

  “Ahhhh!” She started the engine and clamped her hands on the steering wheel. If she didn’t hold onto something hard, she couldn’t trust herself not to put her hands around Asher Moon’s neck.

  His chuckle burrowed deep in her, and she fought for calm while she drove to Drover’s ranch. Her idea to first get permission from the rancher to set traps on his property felt solid in her mind. By morning, she was confident that she’d have two coyotes to safely relocate.

  After she turned onto a side road, Asher pointed. “Pull off here.”

  She glanced at the side of the road. “Do you see something?”

  “Yeah.”

  After navigating off the roadway, she cut the engine and reached for the door handle.

  He put a hand on her arm. “Here, look.”

  She leaned over the console, staring out his side window. All of a sudden, he yanked her out of her seat and across his lap. Her surprised yelp combined with his growl of lust as her backside landed over his very large, very hard bulge.

  Using one big hand, he cupped her chin, drawing her face up to his. Their stares locked. She wet her lips.