Don’t think about her, he told himself. She was a damn college kid out for a good time. Seven years younger than he was. Getting tangled up with some starry-eyed girl who’d confuse sex with love was the last thing he needed. Sure, he found her attractive. Big deal. He found a lot of women attractive. Yeah, but not like Jenna. He hadn’t reacted that way to a woman since he’d been a teenager with overactive hormones and a perpetual hard-on. So she was gorgeous, so she was tempting, so he’d wanted her in the worst way. Get over it! He would never see her again. And he should be thanking his lucky stars that he wouldn’t.
After putting his equipment away, Brent headed to the feed bin to get some oats for Mr. Lucky. After he finished up here, he’d go to the bunkhouse and kick back for a while. He needed a shower and a shave, but that could wait until later. Even though this was Saturday night, he hadn’t made any plans, but he knew one thing for sure—he wasn’t going back to the Saddlebag Bar. He couldn’t take a chance of running into Jenna, and it was just possible that she’d go back there tonight looking for him. After the way she had responded to him in the parking lot last night, there had been no doubt in his mind that she would have left with him. Hell, if her friends hadn’t found them and let the cat out of the bag about her being a college girl, they’d have wound up in the sack together.
So, would that have been so bad? he asked himself. Just because she was young didn’t mean she was inexperienced, did it? She’d had the look of a woman who’d been around the block a few times. But after meeting her friends, his gut instinct told him that all three girls were innocents. Or if not complete innocents, then pretty green when it came to men.
Brent filled a bucket with oats, then headed back to the other side of the stables, toward Mr. Lucky’s stall. Just as he turned the corner, he collided with a woman, who squealed and jumped away from him.
“Sorry, ma’am,” Brent said, then took a good look at the woman he’d nearly knocked to the ground.
She stared back at him with a pair of baby blue eyes that sent shock waves through his system. Jenna! My God, how had this happened? How had she found him?
“Brent?” she gasped in surprise.
I’ll be damned, he thought. She was as shocked to see him as he was to see her. Brent tipped his Stetson and grinned. “Well, honey, what brings you to the Carson Ranch?”
“I—I came to see Cara and Fiona. They’re friends of mine.”
“And here I was thinking you’d tracked me down because you couldn’t forget me.” Was his ego so big that he actually thought she’d been so impressed with the kiss they’d shared that she had come looking for him? Just because that kiss had knocked his socks off didn’t mean it had affected her the same way. But he’d bet his last dollar that it had.
“I take it that you work here,” Jenna said, a beautiful smile lighting her face.
He had a strong urge to cup her face with his hands, bring her close, lower his head and see if a second kiss would be as good as the first one.
“Yeah, I work here.”
She kept staring at him, looking at him as if she could eat him with a spoon. If she didn’t stop devouring him that way, he wasn’t going to be responsible for what he did next. Didn’t she have any idea what sort of effect she had on him?
“I…uh…I’m glad I ran into you.” She giggled. “I mean, I’m glad I found you.”
“Were you looking for me?”
“Sort of,” she admitted. “I was going to ask Flynt Carson if he’d hired a new hand recently.”
“So, you did come here hoping to find me.”
“Sort of.”
“Unfortunately, nothing’s really changed, has it.” He looked her over, from that mane of long, blond hair to the tips of her fancy red boots. “You’re still only twenty-one and just a college kid.”
“That’s not the only thing that hasn’t changed,” she told him, then boldly moved closer until only a hair-breadth separated their bodies. “I wanted you last night and I still want you.”
God help him! Did she really know what she was saying? Maybe he’d been all wrong about her. Maybe she wasn’t as innocent as he’d thought. “You could get in a heap of trouble with me, little girl.”
“Trouble’s what I’m looking for.” She laid her hand on his chest, right over his heart.
He covered her hand with his. “Have you got something to prove to somebody, honey?”
“Only to myself.” She gazed into his eyes, the look both pleading and encouraging. “So, what do you say? How about taking me out tonight and showing me a good time?”
“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” Brent said, without a moment’s hesitation. There was one sure way to find out what he needed to know about Jenna. After tonight, he wouldn’t have any doubts. He’d know for certain.
Chapter 3
Brent put up his shaving kit, then reached out on the bed for the chambray shirt he’d just ironed. Tonight he’d find out what sort of gal the luscious Jenna was—sex kitten, innocent or a combination of the two. In retrospect, he figured he should have his head examined for readily accepting her invitation. Common sense should have warned him that a girl that young was nothing but trouble. But this one time his libido had overruled his brain. If ever he’d wanted to get to know a woman…
A loud, resounding knock on the door brought him out of his musings. The bunkhouse room he shared with a hand who’d gone home to Kingsville this weekend was part of a four-room building which provided housing for the employees who lived on the ranch. Off-days for the hands rotated because a ranch, especially one the size of the Carson’s, was a seven-day-a-week operation.
“Yeah, who is it?” Brent asked.
“Flynt Carson.”
“Door’s unlocked. Come on in.”
Powerfully built with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, Flynt reminded Brent a little of the old sixties movie star, Steve McQueen. A rugged man’s man. They’d known each other for years and Brent had the greatest respect for his friend. He couldn’t begin to imagine the hell Flynt had gone through after losing his pregnant wife in that terrible car crash, so he didn’t fault the guy for having turned to the bottle for a while after Monica’s death. But even now that he’d straightened himself out, Flynt wasn’t the man he used to be. Gone was the good-ole-boy charmer he’d once been.
“I won’t keep you long,” Flynt said as he approached Brent. “I know you’ve got a date this evening.”
“Is that something you know for a fact or are you just guessing?” Brent chuckled. Flynt didn’t. “What’s up? Something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong and I want to keep it that way.” Flynt hesitated, as if carefully contemplating his next words. “You see, I’ve known Jenna Wilson since she was a little girl, which by the way, wasn’t that many years ago. Our families have been associated socially for generations.”
“Ah…” A tight knot of apprehension formed in the pit of Brent’s stomach. “Are you trying to tell me that she’s too young for me or are you warning me off because you’re interested in her?”
A pained expression crossed Flynt’s face. “Look, Jenna is friends with my sisters and she told Fiona and Cara all about meeting you last night at the Saddlebag Bar and how she asked you out tonight. She came to the ranch today to see if I could help her find you.”
“Cut to the chase, will you? I’m beginning to feel like a school kid waiting in the principal’s office.”
“You have a right to date whomever you please, but… Jenna’s not what she seems. Her looks are deceiving. Believe me, before last night, she’d never been inside a roadhouse. Her mama has always kept a tight rein on her. Mighty tight.”
“I see.”
“I hope you do,” Flynt said. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Jenna, but going to the Saddlebag Bar, picking up a stranger and asking a ranch hand out on a date isn’t the norm for her.” Flynt searched Brent’s face, as if trying to decide whether or not he’d made his point clear.
; “I get it. Jenna’s a sweet kid and a good girl.”
Flynt nodded. “I just don’t want to see her getting into trouble.”
“Hey, man, that girl is ripe for trouble. If she doesn’t find it with me, she’ll find it with someone else.”
“Then maybe you could give her a little taste of trouble, just enough for her to see that it’s not good for her, but not so much that she gets in over her head.”
Brent chuckled. “Tell you what I’ll do—I’ll try taking her out for burgers and a movie first. Maybe one date with an older guy—a guy she thinks is a ranch hand—will be enough cheap thrills for her.”
“Yeah, I hope so.” Flynt headed toward the door, then paused and glanced over his shoulder. “When you go to pick Jenna up at her house, be prepared for Nelda Wilson’s wrath. The woman will have heart failure when she realizes Jenna’s date is a ranch hand.”
As soon as Flynt left, Brent finished getting ready, then donned his tan Stetson and picked up the keys to his old pickup truck, one he’d bought at a used-car lot in Laredo. Grinning at the thought of Nelda Wilson’s reaction when he arrived at her mansion, Brent walked out of the bunkhouse, then started whistling.
“Who is this young man?” Nelda asked. “Where did you meet him? What’s his last name?”
“Give it a rest, will you, Mother.” Jenna peeked out the window to check the drive for any sign of Brent, then she looked at her wristwatch. Seven o’clock. If he didn’t show up immediately, he’d be late. What if he’d changed his mind? What if Flynt Carson had warned him off? What if—?
“I don’t like your attitude.” Nelda thoroughly inspected her daughter’s attire—jeans, sleeveless red cotton T-shirt and red boots. “And I disapprove of the way you’re dressed. You look like you’re going to a rodeo instead of out on a date.”
“I’m dressed just fine. We aren’t going to a fancy party or to the opera or the ballet.”
“Just where is he taking you?”
“I’m not sure, but it won’t be anywhere that jeans aren’t appropriate.”
“What sort of young man takes a girl—”
“Brent isn’t a young man. He’s a man. Probably nearly thirty. And he’s the sort that’s used to shooting pool and drinking beer in places like the Saddlebag Bar. After all, he’s a ranch hand.”
Jenna wasn’t sure where she’d gotten the courage to confront her mother, to be bold and honest about who and what Brent was.
“A ranch hand!” Nelda clutched her silk blouse, her hand directly over her heart. “I forbid you to go out on this date!”
Jenna saw Brent’s old truck a split second before she heard it. She barely suppressed a smile when her mother’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a shocked oval.
“He’s here, Mother.” Jenna flew out of the living room and into the foyer. “Don’t wait up for me.”
“Jenna Kerr Wilson!”
With her hand on the doorhandle, Jenna hesitated, then turned slowly to face Nelda. “I’ve got to go. He’s waiting.”
“Let him wait. Jenna, I forbid you to leave this house with a dirt-poor ranch hand. What will people think when they see you with him?”
Decision time. It’s now or never, Jenna told herself. If she let her mother continue to dictate her actions, she’d never be able to break free and live her own life. Not even for a little while. Go. Now. Run. Run before you lose your nerve.
Jenna opened the door and rushed outside, off the portico and onto the driveway where Brent waited. The minute he saw her running toward him, he jumped out of the truck, rounded the hood and opened the door. Jenna hurried to him, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the mouth. There, that would show her mother!
As soon as she let him come up for air, he helped her into the truck. In his peripheral vision Brent noticed the small, slender blonde standing on the portico, a deadly frown on her face. Jenna’s displeased mother, no doubt. He slammed the door, then quickly made his way to the other side, hopped in and started the engine. A quick getaway before mama tiger sunk her claws into him.
“Was that your mother staring daggers at me?” he asked, as they sped down the driveway and onto the road.
“She doesn’t like the idea of my dating a ranch hand.” Jenna scooted across the seat until her body pressed against his, thigh-to-thigh.
Instinctively Brent lifted his right arm and draped it around Jenna’s shoulders. “So, is that what this date is all about—rebelling against Mama?”
“Maybe, just a little bit,” she admitted. “But I wouldn’t be doing this with just anybody. When I met you last night, something wild and free broke loose inside me and I knew I’d risk anything to be with you.”
“Whoa, gal. This is a date. Nothing more. A first date, to be exact. And you should know that I’m not the kind of guy who puts out on a first date.”
Jenna burst into laughter. “Oh, Brent, we’re going to have so much fun.” She snuggled against him and closed her eyes.
Every muscle in Brent’s body tightened. The feel of her cuddled against him, all trusting and caring, did a real number on him. He couldn’t remember ever wanting to both sleep with a woman and protect her, all at the same time. If he were going to leave Jenna as innocent as she was right now, then this would have to be their only date. Resisting such a powerful temptation might test his willpower far too much. Not only would Flynt Carson take him to task if he hurt Jenna, but his own conscience would be unforgiving.
Brent pulled his truck into the Burger Barn parking area on the outskirts of Mission Creek. A curb service fast-food restaurant, the place was a hangout for local teens and catered to families. As a waitress approached the truck, Brent rolled down the window, then turned to Jenna.
“What’ll it be?” he asked. “Hamburger? Hot dog? Barbeque?”
She sat several feet away from him, a sulking pout on her soft, red lips. Taking her to a movie apparently hadn’t been her idea of a fun date, nor was bringing her to the Burger Barn. But what else could a guy do with a girl if he was trying his damnedest to be a gentleman?
“I’m not hungry.” Jenna crossed her arms over her chest.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“How about a milkshake?”
“A cola will be fine, thank you.”
The waitress grinned at Brent, who returned her cordial smile.
“What’ll y’all have tonight?” she asked.
“Two large colas,” Brent replied. “And an extra-large order of onion rings.”
As soon as the waitress disappeared, Jenna glowered at Brent. “Onion rings? Don’t you care that you’ll have onion breath?”
“I thought we’d share.” He grinned.
She continued glaring at him. He nudged her arm.
“What’s the matter, honey? Aren’t you having a good time?”
Narrowing her gaze, she gritted her teeth, then huffed loudly.
“Just tell me one thing—is this the kind of date you usually have? Do you take all your other women to the movies and the Burger Barn?”
“My other women?” Brent barely suppressed a chuckle. Who did she think he was—an Arab sheik with a harem of willing females?
“You know what I mean. I could go to the movies and out for burgers with anybody.” Jenna all but whined. “I thought you’d take me somewhere fun. Maybe back to the Saddlebag Bar.”
“Honey, it’s just a smoky roadhouse, with loud music, drunks and…it’s really not a place for a girl like you.”
“What do you know about a girl like me? Who’s been telling you stuff about me?”
“Nobody needs to tell me anything,” he said. “Don’t you think I can see how young you are? And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you’re…well, you’re not all that experienced.”
“I thought I had you fooled last night.” She stared directly into his eyes. “I did have you fooled, didn’t I? If Dana and Katie hadn’t interrupted, you’d have taken me with you and we
’d have made love.”
“Whoa, there. Even if I’d taken you with me, we might have had sex, but that’s all it would have been—a couple of strangers doing the horizontal. Nothing more.”
“Okay, I understand what you’re saying.” She slid across the seat until she was right up against him. “I am only twenty-one and I am inexperienced. But don’t you see—that’s why I chose you. Just one look and I knew you’d be a great teacher. I want you to show me, to teach me. I’m sick and tired of being a good girl.”
What a confession! Brent thought. Good God, how did he respond? He could hardly tell her that he’d like nothing better than to instruct her in Elementary Sex 101. If he didn’t watch himself, he’d be the one in over his head before he knew it.
The waitress returned with their drinks and onion rings. They sipped on their colas and fed each other the crispy-fried rings. Jenna began loosening up, a tentative smile playing at the corners of her mouth from time to time.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do—I’ll take you back to the Saddlebag Bar,” Brent said. “If you promise me you’ll behave yourself.”
“Oh, Brent, I promise.” She glowed with excitement. “I won’t do anything you wouldn’t do.”
Ah, hell!
Jenna belonged in Brent’s arms. Dancing to the slow, sweet music, she lost herself completely, becoming one with the big man holding her so close. At first Brent had fought his attraction to her, and she couldn’t help wondering if maybe Flynt Carson really had talked to Brent about her. Flynt probably even warned Brent to steer clear of Nelda Wilson’s precious daughter. But she wasn’t going to let Flynt or her mother or even Brent’s reluctance get in the way of what she wanted. It had taken her twenty-one years to grow a backbone and stand up to her mother and by God, she was going to sprout her wings and fly. Fly free. Fly to the moon, with Brent Jameson.
Lone Star Country Club: The Debutantes Page 4