Chiseled and Cherished (Moon Ranch Book 3)

by Em Petrova

  “Chicken and dumplings.” She beamed. “This one’s favorite. We’ve had a tough morning, as you’ve probably heard, so I figured I’d better feed my boys up and give them the energy they need. Of course you’ll eat with us. Ash, grab another plate, would you?”

  He sliced a grin at Kinsey and moved away from her side to fetch the plate. “Is there sweet tea too?”

  “What kind of house doesn’t have sweet tea in the fridge?” Mimi responded.

  After he pulled some glasses out and poured them each a tall drink, he slipped an arm around Kinsey and watched Mimi serve their food.

  “I haven’t had chicken and dumplings since my mom was alive,” she said faintly.

  He and Mimi both looked to her. “I hope my food didn’t stir up bad emotions for you. I’m sorry,” Mimi said.

  Kinsey met her gaze. “Of course not. It’s a very fond memory.”

  “Come and sit down and tell us about it if you’d like.” Mimi waved to the table, and the three of them sat.

  Having Kinsey here gave him an idea of how his brothers must feel with Esme or Brennah seated next to them. Fact was, she fit here, at his side. Could he shake his past the way his brothers had and grab the happiness he’d never be convinced he deserved?

  Kinsey picked up her fork and cut off a bit of dumpling. When she moaned around the flavors, he grinned. “It’s good, right? Mimi’s the best.”

  “My momma’s were pretty good too. Family recipe.”

  “Is that so? I had to get my recipe from a cookbook. Not a lot of Ute people eat dumplings as a family tradition, but these boys were forever harping on me to make them, so I figured out how.”

  He studied his mother figure. For the first time, he realized the shock she must have experienced at adjusting to suddenly raising three boys in a toxic household not to mention the change in culture. He’d always known how strong the woman was, but now the fact truly hit home.

  “You were good to us, Mimi. If I haven’t thanked you before, I will now.”

  “Oh you, stop making an old lady emotional and eat your dumplings.”

  Kinsey giggled at her snappy comeback, and the three of them finished their meal with some conversation about the horse and his and Kinsey’s plan of attack with the coyotes.

  When they went back outside, he did what he’d wanted to the entire time he’d sat next to Kinsey eating. He grabbed her up and pinned her to the wall of the house. She squealed at the sudden move, and he cushioned her in his arms against the impact.

  Gazing into her eyes filled him with so much…hope…that he had to swallow against a lump in his throat. “Thank you for that. You made Mimi so happy. And me too.”

  Her eyes flooded with emotion. “Oh Asher…I enjoyed it more than you can know. My own family has been a bit of a wreck since Mom died.”

  He chuckled. “I never thought my house would be better than somebody else’s. That’s new to me too.”

  Moving onto tiptoe, she brushed her lips across his. At once, he deepened the caress, passing his tongue into her mouth for a moment that went on and on.

  At last, she pushed on his chest. “We need to take care of those coyotes. One way or another.”

  “Good thing you stopped me when you did. I was about to slide my hand under your top.”

  She shivered. “And you make me lose my head so much I might have let you.” She found his hand and clamped her fingers around it. “C’mon. We’ve got work to do.”

  * * * * *

  Kinsey jerked at the blast of a rifle echoing across the land. Her heartbeat picked up and she whirled from the trap she was setting near an outcropping of rock.

  A cry rose in her throat, but she gulped it back and took off in long strides toward the sound. She wanted to call out to Asher, but she carefully picked her way back through the woods to the place where he’d been scouting.

  She had a feeling he hadn’t taken a pop shot at a random squirrel.

  Through the tree limbs and trunks, she spotted Asher. He saw her as well and held up a hand, staying her in her tracks. He twitched his fingers to the east, indicating he would either walk that direction or that would be where he’d find the animal he shot. How was she supposed to know what he wanted?

  She gripped on to the nearest tree, fingers digging into the bark, and reminded herself they were in this together. He knew her mind on the matter of killing the coyotes rather than relocating them, yet she realized sometimes harsher tactics must come to pass, especially since too many ranchers were losing cattle.

  Through the branches, she watched his hat move away from her. And she wasn’t prepared for the love that suddenly sprang up in her heart.

  Oh God.

  She needed to sit down but shouldn’t. Instead, she leaned heavily on the trunk and drew deep breaths that did nothing to calm her.

  I knew it was coming to this. It was only a matter of time.

  What a hell of a time for her to realize she’d fallen in love with the cowboy. Standing in the middle of the woods, covered in dirt and smelling of a hint of the lure she used on the trap.

  Another shot rang out, and her muscles bolted into action before her mind even made the choice. She took off, zigzagging through the underbrush and leaping a fallen log. When she skidded to a stop a few feet from Asher, he turned to look at her.

  Several feet away on the ground lay the coyote.

  Anger rose up, and most of it she directed at herself. She told him they should end this and hunt the coyotes and agreed her tactic wasn’t working. But now she felt all her efforts to save the coyotes were for nothing.

  “Asher, it might have come to the trap tonight!”

  He started toward her. “Kinsey, I can’t sit by anymore. You know I’m a rancher first. That predator might have taken down several more calves or dogs before you caught it in the trap.”

  “You know my position on this. I can’t help but feel you should have taken that into consideration. Did you even give me a thought when you had it in your sights?”

  “No.”

  “Screw you, Moon.” She whipped around.

  She didn’t make it two steps before he jumped in front of her. “Dammit, don’t walk away from me. This ain’t about us. It’s about protecting my family’s investments. If that prize horse had been killed, we would have been out tens of thousands of dollars. His bloodline is worth more than I can even wrap my head around.”

  “You should have consulted with me—”

  “Should I have told the coyote to stop and wait while I discussed its demise with you first? Or maybe I should have shooed it over to the trap you were still setting? Kinsey, be reasonable.”

  “You think I’m some overreactive activist, but that isn’t the case. I want the same things you do when it comes to the ranchers.”

  His gaze settled on hers, warm and soft. “Do you, Kinsey?” he asked softly. She got the idea he wasn’t talking about the coyote anymore. “Do you want the same things?”

  Fighting to still her shaking fingers, she tried to make sense of what he truly asked. “I don’t understand.”

  He stepped up to her and cupped her face. His expression seemed to mirror the sensations in her heart. “I’m talking about us. Dammit, what we’re fighting for is more than this.” He looked over her head at the expanse of the trees. He flicked his gaze back to her.

  “Asher, I don’t understand.”

  “My entire life I’ve run from feeling anything, because there wasn’t anything good to feel. But then you came along and now it’s all I can do.”

  Her eyelids fluttered shut at his words she barely knew how to make sense of. The tumult of emotions inside her left her feeling weak and dizzy. He gripped her around the waist, and the scent of woods and man permeated her brain.

  When his lips traveled over her hair, she opened her eyes. “Darlin’, I thought my walls were pretty damn thick, but you knew where to sneak in.”

  Breath hitching, she clutched his shirt front and steadied herself.
>
  “Don’t you know we’re in this together now? I don’t just mean the fight against predators. I mean life. You have a mess at home, and I know how to cope with that all too well. I have no hope that you’ll stick by me, but—”

  “Wait. Just hold on a minute.”

  With a pinched brow, he stared into her eyes.

  “Are you seriously assuming you know what I’d do or wouldn’t do? You don’t even know my favorite movie or country music artist or food!”

  That dimple flashed but vanished as quick as it appeared. “Okay, I’ll nibble that bait. Your favorite movie’s The Fast and Furious. Top country music artist is Luke Bryan and you prefer shrimp.”

  “Not even close, buddy.” She poked him in the chest with every word. “If you don’t know those things about me, you can’t claim to know if I would or wouldn’t stick by you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Good.” She shoved away from him and took a few steps in order to gain some breathing room. How did the woods feel so claustrophobic suddenly? When she walked back over to where the animal he’d taken lay, he followed.

  “I really am sorry it had to come to this. But I did give your way a try.” He pulled off his hat and rubbed his head in that gesture she saw from him time and again when he felt stressed.

  “I know,” she answered softly. “Well, let’s take it in for measurements. Will you help me get it to my Jeep?”

  “Of course.”

  In silence, he dragged it all the way out of the woods without her assistance, even though she offered several times. Then he walked back with her to finish her traps.

  She brushed her hands off on her pant legs. “Well…it comes down to whether the coyotes get hungry enough to come in for the bait.”

  “Let’s hope they don’t prefer our cattle again.”

  “I agree.” She slanted a look at him. “Now…it’s time for us to deal with each other.”

  His gaze intensified. “What do you have in mind?”

  “A big pepperoni pizza and beer at my place?” She cocked a brow.

  Asher threw back his head and laughed. The sight filled her with so much sexual tension that she didn’t know how she’d live through a ride back to her apartment with him in the Jeep next to her. Just seeing that grin on his face knotted her up.

  “Now we’re speakin’ the same language, baby girl.” A gleam hit his eyes, and she could guess what he had planned for dessert.

  “On the way, I gotta stop at the house and talk to Zayden and Dane about the horse. That okay with you?”

  Suddenly, she felt a bit shy about being around the rest of his family. Somehow, his confession of feelings for her had changed the game. She wondered if they could see it written on her face, like a neon sign flashing Asher cares about me.

  “I’ll just be a couple minutes. Then we can grab that pizza on the way through town.” He let his hand hover over her, close but not touching. Her breaths came faster. Finally, he let his hand drop and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear.

  The touch felt like a fiery brand. The Moon Ranch brand on the sign she drove under on the way here flashed through her mind, but nobody could see this marking, because it was on the inside.

  On the front porch of the house, the two Moon brothers gathered, as rough, tough and gorgeous as their brother. When Asher mounted the steps and joined them, Kinsey stood there staring, a bit shell-shocked at the rugged trio.

  A footstep sounded on the porch floor, followed by a soft voice. “I know. They’re pretty beautiful, aren’t they?”

  Kinsey turned to find the town veterinarian standing next to her. Another woman stepped through the screen door, and Kinsey recognized her from the credit union.

  “They kind of are,” she echoed the veterinarian’s sentiment.

  “I’m Esme. I’ve seen you around, but we never formally introduced ourselves.” The woman sported a head of thick curls that would make any woman envious and a body to kill for. She wore a dress cut simply and in a business navy blue, but she had shucked off her shoes and stood barefoot.

  “Kinsey Reynolds.” She smiled at both fiancées of the Moon boys.

  “You can call me Brennah.” The veterinarian offered her a smile that had her feeling the warm fingers of friendship extending her way.

  She shot them covert looks. Had they been just as nervous around each other at one time? Perhaps not. They worked in places where they were around women more often. In Kinsey’s line of work, she dealt primarily with men. With her mom gone and her visits with Kelly sporadic, she felt a little in over her head with these two.

  “Are you staying for supper?” Esme asked her.

  “We thought we’d head to my place for some pizza.”

  “Probably for the best. The talk tonight will be nothing but about the horse. You’ll want to stick around when they’re in their usual form.” She flashed a smile that doubled her beauty, leaving Kinsey feeling like the dowdy girl of the group in her dirt-covered uniform.

  Brennah chuckled. “Esme, you’ll scare Kinsey away.”

  “Maybe she should be scared. When the three of them get together…”

  The two women exchanged smiles. Then Brennah squeezed her arm. “The Moon brothers carrying on is a sight to witness. You’d better be prepared to laugh.”

  Kinsey felt so much happiness coming from the ladies that she felt drawn into their ring. All of them watched the men clustered together talking, and now that Kinsey had them all in her view, she studied their differences and similarities.

  A feeling rose in her, and she marveled at the unknown ahead. If Asher loved her—and she loved him—that meant she belonged here. That these were her people.

  Her eyes blurred with the tears trying to form, and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. At that moment, Asher swung around and pierced her in his stare.

  “Keep me updated. I’ll be down at Kinsey’s tonight.”

  Heat flooded her cheeks at the way that sounded.

  Dane shoved him in the shoulder. “Better drag your ass out of her bed by dawn. We have work to do.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be up keeping watch over the cattle tonight, so you can take the morning shift, bro.” Zayden folded his arms over his chest in a way that said he was oldest and in charge.

  Asher grunted. “I’ll get here when I get here, boys.” He turned and caught sight of the other women. He thumbed the brim of his hat to them, but reserved that warm wink for her alone.

  He caught her hand and drew her toward the porch steps. “Tell Mimi not to keep supper for me.”

  Kinsey barely had a chance to throw a wave over her shoulder at the others before he led her across the yard to the Jeep. As she reached for the door, he grabbed her around the middle and pressed her back against the metal. A low rumble of a growl left his mouth, washing over her like a tidal wave.

  He leaned in and captured her lips. The hard, claiming kiss stole her breath and sent spikes of lust through her. She slipped her arms around his neck and clung to him as he plundered her mouth.

  When he lifted his head and stared at her, she dropped back to reality.

  “What was that for?” Her voice sounded as a whisper.

  “The way you were lookin’ at me back there.”

  Oh God. Did everyone read the desire she felt each time she glanced his way? Maybe the ground would swallow her up next time.

  The corner of his lips tipped, and the dimple cut into his cheek. “Don’t worry. They were all too busy staring at each other to notice you. But I did.”

  Chapter Ten

  Asher closed the lid of the pizza box, carried it to the refrigerator and slid it inside. When he straightened up, he found Kinsey’s gaze tracking his every movement.

  “You know,” he drawled, “with no more business to tend to, nothing’s gonna stop me from carrying you to bed.”

  She arched a brow at him. “Not even a shower?”

  His cock, already stiff just by her mere presence and close proximity, sti
ffened even more. With an arch of his brow, he held out a hand.

  She stood from the kitchen chair and slipped her hand into his grasp. When he reached the bathroom door, he whipped her off her feet and took two steps to the counter. After plunking her down, she spiraled her arms around his neck. All of a sudden, the playfulness fell away, replaced by a heavy pulse of emotion.

  Dropping his forehead to hers, he breathed in her scent. “Baby doll…”

  “Asher.” His name came out as a pant, and she hooked her heels behind his back. The angle of the countertop allowed her pussy to press right against the bulge in his Levis. Her green eyes roamed over his face and then landed on his lips. “I want you.”

  He swooped in and claimed her mouth. He swept the warm depths until he could stand it no more. He had to be inside her—fast.

  Moving back, he yanked her top over her head and then reached for her ponytail. Instead of pulling the elastic free, he clamped the length in his fist and used it to lever her head back.

  The succulent skin of her throat begged for his lips and tongue. Just below her ear, her pulse fluttered an erratic rhythm.

  Inch by inch, he lowered his lips to her throat. Swishing his tongue along her flesh only prolonged both their torture, but he wanted to give her the slow, thorough loving she deserved and not the scream-my-name pounding his body urged him to deliver.

  Soft cries left her throat as he drew lines with kisses up and down her throat. When he stripped the elastic from her hair, she shook the locks loose.

  “Fuck.” He swept his fingers under her hair, holding her captive, and slammed his mouth across hers.

  She dug in her nails. He lifted her from the sink and stood her on her feet. She went for his belt while he stripped her uniform khakis down her curvy hips. His cock throbbed, and his balls felt close to burst. The pressure building in his core told him it wasn’t a good idea to drop to his knees and taste her sweetness, but damn if he could help himself.

  As he burrowed his tongue into her tight, slick seam, she curled her fingers into his shoulders. “Oh God…”

  He flattened his tongue over her clit and delivered one slow lick.