The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 3

by Heather Rainier

  “But what, baby?” He was ready for whatever bomb she dropped at this point. His talk had gone better than planned.

  “If I don’t go to bed, I’m literally going to pass out.”

  He smiled and tipped her chin up so she would look into his eyes. “One kiss first?”

  Lydia giggled and nodded. “One kiss first.”

  * * * *

  Lydia sat still and let him make the first move, gazing into his expressive blue eyes, thinking he seemed relieved. He smiled, and she caressed the dimple in his cheek that it created. She memorized the moment as he leaned close and her eyelids slid shut.

  His lips were gentle and searching when they made first contact with hers. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as though she were dear to him. She sighed when he cradled her head in one large hand. The gesture was tender and made her feel cherished. Parting her lips slightly, she allowed him to take the kiss a little deeper, and her body warmed as he responded. He stroked her tongue with his in an intimate duel, and just as she was really getting into the kiss he pulled away with a shaky breath.

  “Baby, it’s probably best that we leave it right there for tonight. Having you in my lap feels good and I’m tempted to do more than kiss you. You need your rest, so let me stop while I’m still a gentleman, okay?”

  Lydia shifted in his lap, felt his hardening erection, and knew he was right. It would be all kinds of unwise for her to do anything else with him tonight. Respect for him deepened inside of her because she knew guys in Austin and San Angelo who would have taken advantage of this situation for their own benefit. There was a tiny, naughty part of Lydia that wanted to rebel, but fortunately, fatigue won this time.

  “You’re right, Chance. I’ll brush my teeth and then you can take a shower if you want.”

  Chance allowed her to rise from his lap and said, “Sure. That way you have a chance to settle down and get some rest.”

  Pausing in the bathroom door, she said, “I should warn you that I thrash around a lot in my sleep. If I had a sofa in here, I’d take it or at least let you have the option.”

  Chance chuckled and said, “I was going to warn you of the very same thing.”

  “I doubt you’ll disturb me, as tired as I am. I apologize now if I wallop you in my sleep.”

  Chance smiled at her and said, “I think I can handle whatever you dish out.” His voice sent a wave of longing through her, but she felt grateful that they were both preparing for sleep and nothing else. She needed it desperately and also needed the time to process what he had told her tonight. She smiled back at him and wondered how much of tonight she’d actually remember in detail tomorrow.

  When she returned, Chance had the covers on her bed turned down for her, and she found it very comforting that he saw to a little thing like that. She climbed into bed and felt like her body was in a slow, downward free fall as her head touched the pillow. She closed her eyes, and the room even spun for a moment.

  “I won’t take long, baby. You get some sleep.” The affection in his voice and his gentle hand as he patted her shoulder made her smile. He was a special man, and she prayed that she made good decisions in the morning because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him or his brother. She listened to him move around the room then heard the shower come on.

  The sounds in the bathroom were muffled as he closed the door, and she imagined him undressing and slipping under the hot spray. Wondering how she’d ever get to sleep, she fantasized about climbing in the shower with him. The hard muscles in his back and shoulders would be a sight to behold all naked, wet, and soapy. Her fingers twitched, and she could practically feel the smooth skin on his back as she scrubbed it for him. She could almost hear his groan of appreciation.

  Lydia pondered her reaction to the news that his brother was also attracted to her. She’d had a friend who was a partner in a polyamorous relationship while they both attended the culinary institute. The reality of that lifestyle was hammered home watching the constant drama Bella lived with.

  Bella stayed at Lydia’s apartment sometimes because she’d needed to be away from all the game playing and maneuvering that went on. Bella had told her there were no long-term commitments within the group and that it was nothing more than an experience she’d wanted to have before settling down.

  There were three women in the group, and Lydia had wondered if it was nothing more than a rotating harem for the two men. When Bella had invited her to join the group, Lydia had turned her down flat, knowing that would go over like a lead balloon with her brothers.

  Drowsily, she pondered her earlier conversation with Chance. He wanted her to leave Fort Stockton and come to Divine with him. Had she dreamed that? No. Chance had said that Clayton wanted her to come and stay with them in Divine. Her mind drifted, and she suddenly wasn’t sure.

  * * * *

  Lydia opened her eyes and saw nothing. She didn’t move a muscle, just waited for her eyes to adjust. It must’ve still been the middle of the night because the room was pitch black. The drapes on the window blocked out any dim light that might have shown in. She slowly became aware of the warm, hard body she was curled up against and realized that strong arms were wrapped securely around her. Chance.

  She breathed in his clean scent and remembered that he’d stayed with her that night because there were no rooms available. Moving a foot, she noticed the bed was still made around her. She must not have been asleep for very long because she normally thrashed and moved so much during her sleep that the bed was completely unmade by morning.

  As she came more awake she realized that she was bundled under the covers and sheets and that he was lying on top of the bedspread. How uncomfortable he must be right now.

  His head lay on the pillow next to hers, and when she lifted her head, she could just barely make out his profile. She must’ve been dead to the world to not notice when he’d lain down with her. She put her head back against his shoulder and stroked his chest. She felt the thin layer of chest hair beneath her fingertips and inhaled slowly, taking in his clean, manly scent.

  This was very dangerous to her, and she knew it. She could grow accustomed to moments like this so easily. He was in her bed tonight because there had been no other options and probably would’ve spent the night on the couch if she’d had one.

  He’d offered her a job on their ranch and the possibility that there might be something developing between them. But what if it was just a pipe dream? Where would she be if she accepted his offer? She’d merely be trading the self-imposed saviors her brothers tried to be for two new ones. She wanted to be desired for who she was and not because she appeared to need rescuing.

  And what about Chance’s brother, Clayton? She acknowledged to herself that she found him very attractive as well, but what if it didn’t work out? If her presence on the ranch wound up creating difficulty between the two brothers the resulting trouble could make her stay in Fort Stockton look like a day at the kiddie park.

  “Baby, you’re thinking too much. It’s the middle of the night, and I know you’re still tired. We’ll talk about all of it in the morning.”

  “I woke you?”

  “A car backfired outside or something. You stirred a minute later. Sleep, baby.” She cuddled to him, getting comfortable once more, and he squeezed her tenderly. How many nights had she lain in this hard, cold bed and felt so incredibly alone?

  Fatigue took hold once more, and she smiled as he turned to her and pressed his lips to her forehead. Chance gently stroked her arm up and down in a simple, mesmerizing motion.

  * * * *

  When Lydia woke later, it was to discover that it was light outside. Gasping in mild surprise, she realized she was still tucked in under the covers. Rolling onto her back, she stretched with a soft groan, noticing how stiff she’d become. She must not have moved from Chance’s side all night. Seeking his comforting warmth, she turned back to her side to curl up to him again. He still lay with his eyes closed, and he chuckled when s
he returned to him.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked in a rough, gravelly voice, indicating he’d awakened recently as well.

  “I did. Did I thrash around? Do you have a black eye?”

  She rose up to look at him. No, just as handsome as ever. He was bare-chested beside her in bed, and she’d never seen him undressed before. Her hand was splayed out on his chest, his curling chest hairs tickling between her fingertips. Broad at the shoulders and through the chest, he was every bit as drool worthy as she’d fantasized.

  “You didn’t move an inch when I came to bed. Somehow we met in the middle during the night. I don’t normally sleep that soundly. When I woke during the night I discovered that you were tucked up to me like this.” Heat rose in her cheeks as he added, “I liked it very much. How do you feel this morning?”

  “Stiff, but so much better. What time is it?”

  “It’s a little after seven. Want to get breakfast?” he asked as he sat up in the bed, and she noticed he was clad in a pair of black flannel pajama pants.

  Doing her best to not ogle the bulge at his groin, she sat up. Understanding that her proximity might have helped inspire some morning wood, she didn’t want to make him self-conscious about it as she replied, “I would. There is a fantastic, little taco joint across town. We could pick up breakfast and I can take you to a pretty spot outside of town for a picnic breakfast.”

  “That sounds great, baby, but first things first.” He grasped her upper arms as she started to slip from the cozy bed, pulled her back to him, and gave her a sweet, good-morning kiss. It was not heated like their kiss the night before and seemed meant to simply greet their morning together. In a gentlemanly fashion, he didn’t pull her into his lap or press his erection against her, and she found the gesture incredibly thoughtful. “That’s what I needed. Now it’s a good morning.”

  Chapter Six

  She smiled at him as he released her and felt her cheeks grow even hotter. “Yeah. It is a good morning.” Unable to wipe the undoubtedly goofy smile from her face, she stumbled into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

  Chance joined her at the little sink and shaved while she applied light makeup. The moment felt intimate and slightly surreal, as though they’d been getting up together regularly and felt comfortable sharing their morning rituals. When she glanced at him in the mirror, with his face covered in shaving cream, he caught her eye and smiled sexily at her. She felt slightly twitter pated and mentally shook herself, trying to not make goo-goo eyes at him in the mirror. He made it easy to be around him, no doubt about it.

  He helped her make the bed up, and then they took turns dressing in the bathroom. On the way downstairs he said, “While you were in the bathroom I contacted a local tire company. They are sending a couple of guys to change out your tires this morning.”

  “You did?” She paused on the landing. “Chance, I needed to shop around for tires. I’m not sure how much they’ll cost and I have to be careful with my money.”

  Chance placed his warm, callused palm over her hand where it rested on the railing. “Baby, I took care of it already. I’m sorry for not talking to you about it first. You’ve worked very hard for your money and shouldn’t have to blow it like that.”

  “I’m paying you back,” she said firmly, even as her heart hammered at the playful look in his blue eyes.

  He smiled at her feisty words and said, “Good luck with that, baby. Do I get to pick the method of payment?”

  Her lips popped open, and she gasped as he chuckled and continued down the stairs then turned to wait for her with an outstretched hand. “Your chariot awaits.” She hoped the man had no idea how he affected her as her body quivered at the thought of how he’d like to extract payment from her.

  It must have rained the night before because the pavement all around her was wet and there were puddles in the parking lot. The air smelled clean, and everything seemed fresh around her. They didn’t get much rainfall in that area, and it surprised her that she’d slept through the welcome sound. This morning she felt like she could take on whatever the day had in store for her. Last night’s sleep had been the best she’d gotten in…forever.

  Chance helped her into the big, black truck, and she noticed he seemed to enjoy that. She was of average height but would’ve needed a stepstool to get up into the passenger seat on her own. She was dressed in her blue jeans and a pretty red top she saved for trips to the movies or the occasional meal out with LuAnn and Simone. She’d also worn the turquoise jewelry with it, hoping he liked the way she looked.

  It occurred to her that she had an important decision to make today and wondered at the ramification. He started the truck and she gave him directions to the little hole-in-the-wall joint that made the best breakfast tacos in the area. She checked her cell phone to make sure it was turned on and smiled at him when he helped her from the truck again after they arrived.

  The scent of Mexican spices filled the air inside the tiny building as they slipped into the morning crowd. They placed their order, which he paid for after giving her a “look” when she removed her wallet from her handbag. She pursed her lips but said nothing and chuckled when he grinned at her, evidently satisfied.

  On the way out of town, she directed him to an asphalt road that led up the side of a low hill. Bearing a paper tray containing two coffees and two orange juices, she led Chance to a small outcropping of rock, and he helped her sit. The area around Fort Stockton was flat, dry, and desolate. The rain earlier that morning had cleared the air so the Davis Mountains were beautiful blue-and-gray brushstrokes on the horizon, and they were up high enough to take advantage of the mild morning breeze that was blowing.

  She unwrapped her chorizo, egg, and potato taco and took a bite as Chance opened his and popped the top off of one of the small containers of hot sauce.

  Lydia put her hand on his and stopped him. “Wait. I hope you like your hot sauce hot, because that is their family recipe, made fresh and it will light up your life.”

  Chance chuckled and stuck a finger in the hot sauce to taste it. “Hot as in jalapeño-pepper hot?”

  “No, hot like serrano-pepper hot. The owner’s mother makes the hot sauce from scratch. I’ve heard Guela buys the smallest, hottest peppers she can find. Just for kicks and giggles she sometimes throws in a little habañero pepper, too, just to keep people on their toes. It’s very good, but I wanted to warn you first. If you dump that whole thing on your carne guisada you may not feel your tongue for an hour.”

  “Oh, I better be careful then. I was hoping for another kiss later and I want to be able to feel that.” He chuckled when she playfully shoved his shoulder but then pulled her close and kissed the top of her head in an affectionate gesture that should not have choked her up the way it did. She’d received more affection from him in the last twelve hours than she had in the whole time since she left Austin.

  He carefully sprinkled a tiny bit of the hot sauce on his taco and they sat together in companionable silence, eating their breakfast. Her tacos were mouthwateringly good, and she ate quickly, realizing she was starving.

  Deciding she should take the bull by the horns, Lydia asked a question. “So you’d like me to cook for you at your ranch?”

  Chance turned his brilliant, blue gaze on her and nodded slowly. “That is part of it, yes.” He looked at his rough hands and seemed to be waiting for her to voice her questions so she forged on.

  “How many people would I be cooking for, on a regular basis?”

  “There would always be me and Clayton. If you come, we wouldn’t eat out as often.”

  “That would probably be healthier, too.”

  Chance nodded with a small chuckle. “But eating out was better than eating our own cooking. We have fifteen men who work for us. Ten of them live there full-time and more on a seasonal basis. They go back and forth to town for meals and subsist on their own. They have their own kitchen in their house, but none of them is much of a cook. Home-cooked me
als would be a big perk for them. When they get wind of how well you cook, they will be asking to have meals there as well.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not do the bookkeeping with the ranch hands on that. I can provide the bills and receipts, but you and Clayton would have to work that out with them.” She didn’t want to be in charge of running a cafeteria.

  “Clayton already has it worked out, I think. All we need is to have the figures to work with.”

  “That I can do.”

  “You would have a great big kitchen of your own to rule. We’d let you hire any help you needed.” Totally in her comfort zone, imagining how it would work, Lydia found that she was more than just “professionally” excited about this challenge. She found it almost bizarrely comforting to think of cooking and caring for Chance and Clayton on such a basic level. She was capable of way more than just cooking for them.

  “What about the house?” She had serious home-management skills as well. That was something he probably didn’t know about her, but she figured she might as well ask for the whole enchilada.

  “The house?”

  “Yes. I can handle the house for you as well.”

  He looked at her quizzically and nodded. “It’s a big house.”

  Lydia loved a challenge. “I can handle it. I’d need one helper to start off with. I can train them, but they need to be a hard worker.”

  “We can take care of that for you.”

  “Okay. What do you like to eat?” They talked for a few minutes, and she realized that he seemed to have withdrawn slightly. He looked out over the view, and the warm wind ruffled the short hair at his nape peeking out from the back of his cowboy hat. “Chance, what’s wrong?”

  He turned his gaze to her and said, “Lydia, you know that I’m not just trying to hire a cook and housekeeper here, don’t you? I’m not looking for hired help with fringe benefits. That’s not what I want and I can speak for Clayton when I say that’s not what he wants.”