by Jane Jamison
Should I do it? But what if this house isn’t part of Second Chance Ranch? What if the owner calls the police and has me arrested for breaking and entering?
She scoffed. No one would do that once they found out who she was. That was if they recognized her. If they didn’t, then maybe she could play on their sympathy.
She knocked again, harder than before, and again got no response. Deciding on taking the risk, she put her hand on the doorknob and twisted it. To her surprise, it turned and she swung the door wide.
“Hello? Is anyone home?”
She took a step inside. “Hello? I, um, need a little help. Is anyone here?”
The interior of the home was much like the outside. It was one large room and well kept, clean, although a bit cluttered, with shining hardwood floors running the length of the living room and into the kitchen area. Sturdy wooden furniture decorated the place, keeping with the muted browns and tans of the fabrics of two chairs and a couple of throw pillows for the leather couch. A stone fireplace dominated one wall while a long counter with four stools gave the place its only dining area. No photos hung on the walls, but a Mexican rug hung on the wall opposite the fireplace. A hallway to the left led to the rest of the house.
The cool breeze from the air conditioner wafted over her and drew her farther inside. She sighed then carried her bags into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator door gave her another breeze of cool air, and snagging a bottle of cold water along with a sandwich wrapped in cellophane, she turned and made for the hallway.
Judging from the furnishings as well as the lack of anything frilly or colorful, the resident was probably a man. Or men. That was a good thing as far as she was concerned. She’d always found dealing with men easier than dealing with women. That is, as long as she didn’t let her guard down around them. She’d trusted too often and she wasn’t about to do that again. Johnnie was the last straw.
The hallway led to four bedrooms with a small half bath nearest the living room. She peeked into the first three bedrooms and sneered at the small beds. “Who the heck has full-size beds anymore?”
She didn’t want to think about the thin lumpy mattress she’d grown up with. As soon as she’d made her first money, she’d gone out and bought a king-size bed. It had barely fit in her tiny apartment, but she hadn’t cared. And as far as she was concerned, she’d never go back to anything smaller than a king.
If anyone was home, they had to be in the last bedroom. She rapped on the door, waited as she’d done before, and then peeked inside.
“Holy gumdrops.” The phrase was silly, but it was what her mother had always said.
She hurried inside, dumping her bags to the floor as she rushed over to the bed. It wasn’t a twin or a full or even a queen. In fact, it left a king-size bed in the dust.
She slid her hand along it. They must’ve had it custom-made. She started to crawl on top of it, then caught a glimpse of herself in the old-fashioned, intricately carved floor-length mirror and stopped.
“Girl, you are a hot mess.” Snatching up her duffel bag, she moved to the first door and opened it. The walk-in closet wasn’t half as big as the one in her L.A. luxury condo, but it wasn’t shabby, either. The strange thing was that it was empty.
Does anyone live here? And yet there’s food in the fridge.
She shrugged and moved onto the next door. Swinging it wide, she was rewarded with her first look at the large en suite bathroom.
“Now we’re talking.” She cringed as she realized she’d spoken aloud again. Living alone had made her develop the habit of speaking to herself.
She flicked on the overhead lights as well as the lights over the huge mirror that accented the double sinks. The lights above the mirror shone brightly. “Hmm. Not bad. Stage lights. I wonder if they knew I was coming?”
She giggled and slung her duffel bag to the edge of the five-person whirlpool tub then focused on the huge shower with the rain showerhead. At least whoever lived there knew how to indulge in one part of their home.
“Okay, Goldilocks, it’s all yours.” The shower tempted her, but the bathtub won out. She turned the knobs until she had a good flow of warm water then stripped, dropping her dirty clothes to the marble floor. A fluffy towel hung on a rod over the tub and pretty soaps rested in a gold bowl next to a bottle of bubble bath.
She frowned at the soap. If the rest of the house hadn’t been so devoid of a feminine touch, she would’ve sworn the bathroom was made for a woman.
“Weird.” Yet all that mattered right then was sinking her tired body into the bath. She did so, first adding a plentiful supply of the bubble bath, then sticking her toe in the water to test the temperature.
“Perfect.” She eased into the tub and sat back. Warmth surrounded her as she took several bites from the sandwich followed by a long drink of the cold water. She laid her head back and closed her eyes.
* * * *
“Do we have any beer left?” Carter forged through the door of their modest home, already heading for the kitchen.
“Yeah. But not much.” William followed, as did Bill, and didn’t bother making for the refrigerator.
Bill flopped onto the couch and tugged off his boots. “I thought we’d never get that damn calf rounded up. How can such a little thing like that cause so much trouble?”
Carter studied the top shelf. He was sure he’d left a sandwich there along with a couple of cold bottles of water. He grabbed three beers and made his way back into the living room.
“You never know how ornery a calf can be.” He handed the other bottles to his brother and cousin then took his usual spot in the other chair. After reaching for the remote, he flipped on the new seventy-inch flat screen television Bill had purchased and switched it to the sports channel. His favorite football team had just made a first down.
“The Wranglers are doing pretty well this year.”
Carter didn’t bother responding. Bill knew he wasn’t that into sports. He only watched it because his brother wanted to.
They sat back, relaxing after a hard day’s work, letting the tension in their muscles ease away. Although he enjoyed working the ranch, Carter was anxious to get assigned to another case. Preferably one that wouldn’t take them too far from home but would add some excitement to their lives. Things were getting kind of boring around the ranch.
William downed his beer and rose, knocking Bill’s boots out of the way as he started toward the hallway. “Put your boots by the front door, you pig. A man could break his neck falling over those boats.”
“Sure thing, Mom.”
Carter chuckled, liking the easy way his brother and his cousin got along. They were both more outgoing than he was, but he didn’t mind. He was just as tight with them. So much that they’d chosen the land and built their house together.
“Hey, guys. Get in here.”
Carter knew Bill wouldn’t take his eyes off the football game, so he shifted around to see what William wanted. William stood in front of the large bedroom at the end of the hall. As a lot of men who worked with Gabriel Cortez did, they’d made that bedroom huge in preparation of the day they’d find the right woman to share it with.
“What’s up?”
William gestured at the door. “It’s cracked open. Did either of you go in there today? Because I’m sure it was shut when we left this morning.”
Carter and Bill exchanged a look before both of them stood and headed for the bedroom. Once they reached it, William shrugged, then pushed the door wide.
Carter’s gaze fell to the purse on the floor. “Looks like we may have a visitor.”
“I told you we needed to start locking the front door.” Bill snagged the purse, looked inside it, and then flung it onto the nearby rocking chair. They’d purchased the chair only three months before as they’d imagined their woman sitting in it and rocking the first of their many children.
“No one locks their door around here,” argued Carter.
“Tell that to Old Man B
rewer. He had a homeless dude get inside and claim squatter’s rights. Took Brewer a month and a butt-load of cash to get it sorted out.”
Unfortunately, Carter knew William wasn’t joking. He sniffed. “Do you smell something? Like flowers?”
They moved together toward the bathroom with Carter leading the way. The bathroom door was partially open and he pushed on it then got ready for anything. The flowery smell hit his nostrils harder, but it was soon forgotten as he stared at the vision in the tub.
“Damn.”
Chapter Three
“What the hell?”
Carter’s exclamation echoed Bill’s first thought, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. A beautiful blonde woman soaked in the tub, her breasts delicious buoys on the water.
She jerked up, her eyes opening wide as she returned their stares. Perfect kiss-me lips parted, and the green in her eyes grew darker. Yet as entrancing as her face was, he couldn’t help but let his gaze fall again, locking on her at a place well below her chin. Taut nipples surrounded by her dark areolas peeked above the cloudy water level. When he forced his gaze back to her face, he would’ve sworn he could tell what she was thinking.
Yep, sweet thang. All your bubbles are gone.
Whipping her arms in front of her, she slid lower, taking her breasts below the surface. “Do you mind?”
The sound of her voice jolted him out of his trance. Carter thrust out his arms and started forcing Bill and William back, but just as they were almost out of the room, Bill stopped him and narrowed his eyes at her. He sidestepped his brother.
“Yeah, actually, we do mind.”
“Talk for yourself, cuz. I don’t mind at all.” William slanted his gaze at the tall blond drink of water then focused his aim back on Bill. “Stay there as long you like, darlin’.”
William had a point. When he thought about it, he didn’t mind much either. Still, she’d come into their home uninvited and helped herself to a bubble bath. Again, not that he really minded, but it was a matter of courtesy and principle, right? Or at least the head on top of his shoulders said so. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
She had the decency to quell the bold look in her eyes. Her blonde hair, pulled back into a casual knot, was wet around the tendrils that dangled toward the rise of her breasts. If he’d known she was in the bath, he would’ve stayed quiet so he could’ve taken more time to check her out.
Coulda, shoulda, woulda as Mom used to say.
Carter, always the more reasonable of them, shot him a warning look and took a step forward. “Don’t pay any attention to the way my brother put it, but we would like to know who’s taking a soak in our tub.”
The spark of challenge that Bill had seen in her eyes a minute earlier was back. “And using your bubble bath?” She arched an eyebrow, then took the bubble bath bottle and held it up. “Are you saying you like to take a bath in Lavender Fantasy?”
He grinned, liking her spunk and most definitely liking the dimples in her cheeks. Would she have dimples in her other cheeks? “Yeah. Carter’s real fond of the stuff. But we don’t talk about it outside the family.”
She smiled, catching his joke, and placed the bottle back on the edge of the tub. “The family secret’s safe with me.”
“Good deal.”
William leaned against the counter. “Now that we’re done playing that game, how about you answer our questions? Who are you and how’d you get in here?”
Why did she look so pleased with herself? Bill crossed his arms and waited. Something told him her answer would be good. To his surprise, she didn’t ask that they let her get dressed first.
“My name is Shawna Michaels and I’m here because I heard about Cowboys for Hire.”
He could sense the other men’s reactions, but they managed to play it cool. Their clients always came through Gabriel and not on their own.
“Shawna, huh?” Bill had a good track record when it came to judging when someone was lying, and he’d bet his hat that she was. But the best way to catch a liar was to let them take the lie too far and hang themselves. Not that it wouldn’t be a shame with a pretty neck like hers.
“Yeah. That’s my name, all right.” She surprised them again by standing up.
His cock twitched to life as he took in her luscious body. She was firm then soft in all the right places. A slender line of blonde hair drawing his eye to her pussy folds proved that the color of her hair wasn’t store bought. He jerked his gaze upward.
Her waist was tiny, yet in proportion to the rest of her. She couldn’t have stood more than half a foot over five feet, but she made every inch of her length count. Her face, a gift from the heavens, seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place why. Perhaps he’d seen her face in a dream? That made the most sense because if he’d ever met her, he was sure he’d have remembered.
Carter was the first to regain his senses. “Shawna, huh? Okay, Shawna, you want to tell us why you’re here?”
Her green eyes locked onto his brother and gave him a look that made it all too clear that she wondered about his intelligence. “I told you. I came to see the guys called Cowboys for Hire.”
She shivered from the air coming out of the ceiling vent then took the towel from the rod. It took everything he had in him to keep a disappointed groan from slipping out.
The woman could melt an iceberg. She was, without a doubt, the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. But if he’d learned anything about women in his life, he’d learned to keep his wits. “Then you’ve come to the wrong place.”
He couldn’t help but enjoy the confusion his answer gave her. If he got the chance, he’d like to get a lot more reactions from her, most while in bed.
“No, that can’t be. Isn’t this Second Chance Ranch?”
She tugged the towel around her and made him wish that they hadn’t bought the oversized ones. Still, maybe they’d get lucky and she’d let it slip. Just her being there made them luckier than they’d been in a long time.
“Yeah, it is. Sort of.” Carter jerked his head to the side. “Let’s let you get dressed. Once you are, come on out to the living room so we can talk.”
William eased back out of the bathroom with Carter following, but Bill had to get one more look. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be the last. “Don’t go trying to run off. We’re here to help, you know.”
“You are? But I thought you said I was in the wrong place to find the Cowboys for Hire?”
She’d caught William’s blunder, but he wouldn’t let on that she had. “Just don’t run, okay?”
She stepped out of the tub and brought his attention to her long legs. “I won’t.”
“Good deal.” He winked then backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
* * * *
Oh, shit, but they’re freakin’ amazing. They’re even hotter up close than when I saw them at the other ranch.
Sela hurriedly dried off then dressed as fast as she could in a short skirt and clingy T-shirt. The blue color of the T-shirt made her eyes even greener while the hip-hugging line of the skirt gave her a butt to die for along with making her legs appear even longer than they were.
After using the dryer she found under the counter, she flicked her hair over her shoulders and took a good look at herself. She almost didn’t recognize herself without any makeup, but maybe that would keep them from recognizing her, too. The big guy had given her a curious look, like he thought he knew her, and she’d had to struggle to keep a straight face.
“I’m Shawna Michaels. Remember that.” The name had popped into her head, and to her ears, it sounded good. Tiptoeing into the bedroom, she dumped her duffel bag next to the rocking chair where her purse now rested.
Had they looked inside her purse? Did they see her driver’s license? If so, then they already knew who she was and that she’d lied to them. But wouldn’t they have said so when she’d given them the fake name?
She studied the door and wished she could see through it into the living room. But she di
dn’t have an alternative unless, as the big guy had suggested, she wanted to sneak out the window and forget her plan.
She wasn’t the type to give up. Throwing back her shoulders, she opened the door and started down the hallway, making sure she did her best walk to draw their attention.
What had that one reviewer said? That her walk was almost as sexy as her voice?
The corners of her mouth lifted as she entered the living room and saw their intense, lust-filled expressions.
Maybe my walk is even better than my voice.
“Hi, guys.”
Wow. When was the last time any man stood up when I walked into the room?
“Shawna, before we get down to talking, do you need anything?”
The younger-looking, dark-haired shortest man, although he still had to top out at six feet, met her gaze with his. He had boyish good looks while the other two had a harder, leaner edge to them. Nonetheless, he was just as sexy as the others. She could almost smell the testosterone in the air.
“Like what?”
Was he trying not to smile?
“Oh, I don’t know. Like maybe a sandwich? How about ham and cheese? Do you like ham and cheese?”
She wrinkled her nose, knowing that men liked that gesture. One corny man had even called it “bewitching” after the witch in the old television show. “Was that your sandwich I kind of ate?”
“I don’t think you finished it.” He glanced at the kitchen. “Don’t worry about it, though. I’d be happy to make you a fresh one.”
“That’s nice of you, but no thanks.” The fact that she was starving would have to wait. First, she had to make them believe everything she was about to tell them.
“Sit down, please.” The big guy waved her to the couch then took a seat at the other end. “Tell us why you’re looking for the Cowboys for Hire. Though I’m not saying we’re part of that.”
The youngest man motioned to the big guy, then to the gorgeous blond man. “That’s my brother, Bill, and my cousin, William.” He waved her unspoken question away. “Yeah, I know. What can I say? My family likes the name William, which is why we use Bill for my brother. And I’m Carter Richland.”