by Dawn Brower
She rolled her eyes. “Right, I wouldn’t want to waste your time.”
Dallas was quick to reassure her. “Oh this isn’t a waste of my time. I was coming in here anyway.”
“Oh soooo glad I’m not keeping you from something much more important. Please don’t let me keep you any longer. Do go run off and well, do whatever it is you do here. I’m sure that Emma will be around here at some point. I don’t need you to stay here and babysit me. Actually I would prefer that you didn’t.”
“I think that it would be best if I stayed here and kept you company.” He ran his tongue over his teeth. “I am finding your company—very stimulating.”
Ginnifer’s lips pursed in displeasure. “In case you were wondering, I don’t like you. In fact, I’m starting to think that most people don’t.”
Oh his Gin had some spunk. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy her very much. The battle of wits was almost as orgasmic as it was going to be once he found a way to be inside her. He needed to fuck her, and well, it was only a matter of time before he got what he wanted. Dallas was used to getting what he wanted, and Gin was the newest acquisition he would add to his portfolio. The foreplay before they got to the real stuff was only going to make it that much sweeter. Once he had her naked, he could taste every last inch of her. When he finally got her ass in his hands and as he licked her nipples to pull them inside of his mouth, it would be one of his greatest moments. That idea would have to be tabled for now. Gin wasn’t nearly ready to go down that road with him, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t start preparing her for the idea. “I don’t care if other people like me. As long as I get what I want.” He ran his fingers gently down the side of her face as he leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, “And rest assured, I always get what I want.”
Ginnifer jerked away from him and moved across the room to gain some distance between them. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what you think it means.”
With an appalled look on her face, Ginnifer said, “Well I don’t plan on getting any closer to you than I have to. Find your sister so I can go rest in my cabin in relative peace.”
A slow, lazy smile formed on his face. “Oh, I don’t think so darlin’. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know all the intimate details about each other.”
Ginnifer’s faced turned a bright red at his suggestive comments. He couldn’t wait to see if her whole body blushed as brightly when they got around to getting naked together. This was one time that Dallas wanted to whoop with joy at his sister’s lame-brained idea of Cowgirl Yoga. At this point in time, it was the best idea she had ever had. In fact, maybe he should start encouraging her to make this project a little more long-term.
Ginnifer stared at him, shocked at his innuendos. “Uh-huh, that’s a bit presumptuous of you. I think I’ll pass.”
“Not at all.” Dallas sauntered over to her, leaned in close, and spoke softly in her ear. “I look forward to seeing if you blush all over.”
With that comment, Dallas strolled out of the door. That would give her something to think about. Anticipation was part of the game. The more time she had to think about it, the more eager she would be. He knew over time she would want him as much as he wanted her. He would be only too happy to accommodate her when she walked willingly over to the dark side.
*
Ginnifer could not believe he said those things to her. When she first saw him, he was the sexy cowboy of her dreams. Well he was filthy, but she still wanted to rub her hands all over his body. She had a deep desire to feel if he was as rock-hard all over as he looked. The cowboy was truly a beautiful man. He had some light stubble on his face, adding to his appeal. His blue eyes were steel traps that sucked you in and begged you to touch him. Ginnifer wanted to give in, at least until he opened his mouth and started speaking. That was when he ruined the fantasy. What an ass. She was torn between wanting to slap him and kiss him. Her emotions were so conflicting, she couldn’t make heads or tails out of the jumbled mess going across her body.
Could I possibly give in to that desire? He had such kissable lips. It had been a very long time since she came across a man that made her want to get naked. It was more than that. The desire she felt in his presence was something she had never truly felt before. It was both overwhelming and exciting at the same time. It didn’t matter that he was a rude asshole. His attitude told her he would be able to carry out everything his demeanor said he was capable of. That man would be able to make her scream, and Ginnifer had never come across a man so sure of himself. It was so damn attractive, and she had to wonder if she was willing to put up with his rudeness in order to find out how good he actually was. Mmm, Dallas might indeed be the man I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Ginnifer was still lost in thought and staring out of the kitchen window when a woman with reddish-brown hair walked in.
“Hi you must be Ginnifer. I’m Emma. Dallas told me you were waiting in here for me. I apologize if he was rude. He doesn’t like strangers,” she explained.
Ginnifer brushed the comment away with her hands. “It’s no big deal. I’ve dealt with worse. It’s nice to finally meet you, but I’m desperate to lie down and rest. It’s been a long day.”
Emma nodded her head. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting. If you’ll follow me, I can show you to your cabin.”
They walked out of the kitchen and made their way out the front door and onto the white wraparound porch. When they were down the steps and near Ginnifer’s rental car, Emma stopped and looked at her saying, “Do you need help with your bags?”
Ginnifer had completely forgotten about her bags. When Dallas had walked up, all reasonable thoughts had left her sleep-deprived brain and focused solely on him. It’s a good thing Emma had reminded her, or she very well may have left them in the trunk of her rental car. She turned to Emma and said, “Oh yeah, I should stop and get those out of the trunk. I wasn’t sure where you wanted me to park. Don’t worry, I can handle them myself. I only have the two bags, and one of them is on wheels.” Ginnifer stopped and popped the trunk and removed her two bags. She lifted the handle on the one and got ready to roll it over to her cabin. Swinging the remaining bag on her shoulder, she turned toward Emma and blew a stray piece of hair out of her face. Ginnifer nodded to Emma indicating she was prepared for the trek to her home away from home. They began to make their way over toward the cabin and talked on the way.
Emma waved toward the Civic and said, “Leave your car where it is. If it needs to be moved, we can have it relocated later. Where’s your friend?”
“Oh Tori will be here tomorrow. She’s having someone drive her up here. I actually have to do an interview with him when he gets here. It shouldn’t take too much time. Then he’ll leave afterward. I hope that isn’t a problem.”
Emma shook her head to reassure her. “Not at all. Do you have any idea what time they’ll be here?”
She had gotten a text from Tori as she drove to the ranch, complaining about having to bring Colt all the way to Novak Springs. All Ginnifer could think was too damn bad, but Emma didn’t need to know all of that, so all she told her was, “Not until after lunch. She texted me earlier and said it would be close to two o’clock before they arrived.”
Emma rustled through the folder she was carrying and pulled out some papers. She turned her face toward Ginnifer and smiled. “Good, then you’ll be able to get up with us at sunrise to do our first round of yoga. We are going to do horseback riding this evening if you’re interested.”
“No, I want to rest tonight. I’m not even sure if I can manage to come up for dinner.”
Emma had two sheets of paper and a set of keys in her hands. She handed them over to Ginnifer. “Well, here is a list of our two-week itinerary and the keys to your cabin. If you have any questions, feel free to ask at any time. Here is your cabin now, we have you staying in the green cabin. In case you get confused, it has a green door. We painted all the doors different colors to help guests remember w
hich one they are in because they all look alike sitting like ducks in a row. Dinner is in two hours if you decide to join us. The itinerary has details about everything, including when and where we’ll have each meal.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
With that, Emma walked away as Ginnifer unlocked the door and entered the cabin. Everything was clean and smelled heavenly. It was really too bad she was too tired to enjoy it all. She scanned the room and walked to the nearest full-size bed. It had the prettiest green and blue patchwork quilt on it with two matching fluffy pillows. That was what she really needed, someplace to lay down and leave the rest of the world for a little while. She would get a good look at everything else in the cabin once she had some more sleep. Ginnifer dropped her bags, kicked off her shoes, and fell face first onto the bed. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep and enter the world of dreams. She didn’t know that a certain sexy cowboy was going to star in them, or she might have held off trying to get the sleep she desperately needed. All she got out of the deal was a frustration she wasn’t prepared to handle.
Chapter Six
A loud noise erupted through the stillness and echoed louder with each bounce of acoustics across the cabin’s walls. When the sound reached Ginnifer’s ears, she shot out of bed and pounced on the offending object to make it stop. Damn phone, who the hell tries to call at five a.m.? The reverberation of the phone was the equivalent of getting a bucket of cold water thrown on her face, successfully jerking her awake. She picked up her phone to see who dared to disturb her sleep. She had been tossing and turning all night from the erotic dreams her subconscious decided to bestow upon on her. Stupid sexy cowboy had to make a starring role in those erotic dreams too. A happy camper she was not; patience was not a virtue when you were jolted awake before the sun rose in the sky. If they were expecting her to have a charitable mood, they were in for a not so pleasant surprise. She slid the unlock button on her phone and scrolled to her missed calls. Damn it, Tori. She should know better than to try to call her this early in the morning. If there was anyone on the planet that should realize how she hated mornings, it was her best friend.
Crap! What if something happened? She needed to call her back to find out why she had called her before even a rooster was awake to cock-a-doodle-doo with the sun’s morning rays. Tori hated mornings even more than Ginnifer did. If she called, there should be a damn good reason for it. There must be something seriously wrong. Ginnifer raised her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes rapidly to scrub the sleep from them. To make sure she was as alert as possible, she lightly tapped her cheeks with the palm of her hand to get the circulation flowing and help remove the cobwebs from her sluggish brain. Some serious stimulation was in order—well that and a strong cup of coffee. Ginnifer pulled her phone up and hit Send on Tori’s name. It rang several times and went to her voice mail. What the hell is going on? She just called and then didn’t bother to answer her own phone. When Tori got there later today, she was going to get a mouthful on the many ways she was going to die for doing something so diabolical.
Ginnifer listened to the recording and waited for the beep, debating what she should say on Tori’s voice mail. After the beep sounded in her ear, she began to speak, “You’re dead to me. When you get here, I’m gonna make you regret that you’re still breathing. There better be a damn good reason for calling me at this unspeakable time and an even better reason for not answering your damn phone when I called back. Be prepared for hell once you get here.”
She clicked End on the phone and placed it on a nearby table. Ginnifer chewed her lower lip and debated what her options were. She looked over at the itinerary that Emma had given her yesterday and decided to see what was on the schedule for the day. She rolled her eyes over the agenda and landed on the first activity. Yoga outside in the south pasture at seven o’clock in the morning with breakfast to follow at eight thirty. She had a little less than two hours before anything was happening on the schedule. Where the hell was the dining area and south pasture, anyway? She looked at the papers again and noticed a detailed map on the back. Well, she would say one thing about Emma Novak, the young woman was certainly prepared for everything.
Ginnifer let out a breath and contemplated what she should do for the next two hours. She could check her e-mails and see if there was anything that needed attending before she started her day and make some notes of what little she experienced so far on the ranch for her article. What she needed, though, was a hot shower and some coffee to get her moving. Going back to sleep was out of the question at this point. Once she was awake and moving, it was futile to attempt to gain any more shut eye. Her brain was not wired to doze back off once she was jolted awake.
Maybe if she got the shower out of the way, she could see if she could locate the coffee somewhere on the ranch. Surely there was someone awake taking care of things, or at least they should be by the time she was done with her shower, anyway. She might as well go bathe and get ready for the day. Coffee would be helpful if she was going to make it through the morning. It was a little slice of heaven she was not used to denying herself. It would be worth almost any price to her to get her hands on a cup of hot java with a side of cream and sugar. She would even consider putting up with Dallas’s sexual innuendos to get her mouth around the rim of a cup filled with the blissfulness the caffeinated drink would bring. The man was so unnerving to all of her senses. The promises in his eyes made her want to give in and see if he could keep each one of them. She would have to steel herself for the onslaught of emotions that he evoked in her. If she had one hope, it was that she wouldn’t run into him in her hunt for her morning brew. That male had the power to make her forget what she wanted most.
She went to her bags and picked up her largest one, dragged it over, and plopped it on top of her bed, unzipping the sides to release the top. The top of the luggage was thrown open as she began to dig through its contents. She pulled out a pair of soft black yoga pants trimmed with black and white polka dots, the matching top, a pair of panties, and a sports bra. She zipped the suitcase closed and placed it on the floor. Bundling everything up in her arms, she made her way to the bathroom to take a hot shower. It was going to be a lot longer than she had originally planned, and she had Tori to thank for the impromptu wake-up call. Something she would make sure she paid for once she arrived at the ranch later on in the afternoon. In the meantime, she would make the best of the situation and start her day without snarling at anyone, well, hopefully not too much anyway.
After she was finished with her shower, she dried herself off and threw the wet towel into a nearby hamper. Picking up the clothes she had pulled out of her suitcase, she dressed as quickly as possible to stop the chill of the morning from seeping through to her bones any more than it already had. Her brush was lying on the bed where she had dumped it when she pulled her toiletries out, so she grabbed it and ran it through her hair, untangling the knots that had developed overnight. With a flick of her wrist, she twisted her long hair between her fingers. A thick braid formed and fell down the middle of her back. She grabbed a hair tie and wrapped it around the end of the braid. Ginnifer strolled over to her small bag and began to sort through it. She pulled out a small, clear lip gloss and ran it over her dry lips; the sweet strawberry flavor of the lip gloss rolled over her tongue. She picked up the jacket, pulled her arms through it, and zipped it up. Her cell phone was still lying on the table where she had placed it earlier after her unsuccessful attempt at calling Tori back. She grabbed it and placed it into her other pocket in case Tori tried to call or text her again.
Ginnifer looked around the cabin one last time to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything and then made her way over to the door. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the time. A whoosh of air left her mouth as she sighed when she saw it was past six in the morning. The key to the cabin still rested upon the table she had tossed it on when she walked in, so she grabbed it as she exited the cabin so she could lock up
as she left. It was time to go see if there was anyone else awake. She began the short trek to the main house, hoping that someone could help her find some coffee. In a small part of her subconscious, she was actually hoping the angel of mercy making her favorite beverage was a sexy cowboy by the name of Dallas. If caffeine didn’t work to boost her liveliness, a dose of him would work wonders in bringing her energy level to a brand new point of existence. She pushed thoughts of the sinful man out of her brain and continued her journey to the house. It wasn’t conducive to her mood to be reminded about how she was struggling with the combination of instant lust and loathing for the man.
***
The sun was beginning to rise, and its rays were bouncing off of the walls in the kitchen, displaying various hues across the white walls. Dallas had just poured himself a cup of coffee, black and strong the way he liked it. He didn’t understand how anyone could drink it with sugar or cream. In his mind that ruined a perfectly good cup of his favorite morning brew. With the drink in hand, he began to carry it over to the table so he could sip at it and slowly let its caffeine infuse into the cells of his body. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a movement outside. The cup was placed on the table and forgotten as he spied his target through the window directly over the kitchen sink. The object of his latest fantasies was wandering outside, and it looked like she was headed directly to the house. He couldn’t have asked for a better start to his morning. Forgetting about his coffee, he decided to seek her out and further his agenda. All he had to do was cross paths with her and get her into the position he wanted. Well the position he was capable of achieving this morning, anyway. The other positions he wanted her in would have to wait for an even more opportune time. This was only the beginning of his plans for the blonde beauty he was planning on intersecting paths with. He was pleasantly surprised when he realized she was the reporter doing the article for his sister’s program. With that knowledge, he knew she was going to be around for the next two weeks. It would give him plenty of time to play with her, and he could take his time a tad bit. Not too much, just enough to get exactly what he wanted. What Dallas wanted was to savor her, and sex was only part of that equation.