by Selena Kitt
She appreciated his efforts to distract her, but the ‘what ifs’ of the whole situation kept pinging around in her brain, causing the dull ache there to grow into an actual throbbing headache. She'd been whisked through the darkness into a spare bedroom and told to sleep. While she convinced herself she never would again, her body had other ideas and she'd promptly acquiesced to a dreamless sleep after the harrowing attack at the condo. She had been beyond exhausted, and thankfully, practically asleep before her head hit the pillow and any other violent images of her wild imagination formed.
Walking out into the bright morning sun now, though, she could see the wood and stone structures that seemed to spring from the surrounding woodland as if organic, made from them and complementing the landscapes if they’d sprung up naturally like a tree or plant. Jason had built this dream home of his on such gorgeous property. The view, unlike any she’d ever experienced before, took her breath away. The rugged landscape, the rustic buildings, it looked like the Wild West in California. It wasn’t something she’d ever dreamed of seeing, a horse ranch, but standing here she realized how her pre-judgments of ranch life had led her to really miss out. She felt right at home, oddly, and she’d truly never felt that before; not in her father’s huge, exquisitely decorated house, or at the stuffy and regimented boarding school.
The canopy of trees and growth of wildflowers, barely blooming anymore at beginning of summer, along the well-worn path to the stables had kept her from seeing any of the creatures she could hear moving around her. She was extremely grateful for the dense foliage as her mind conjured up horrific critters, more like mutant animals, out to make her part of their early morning meal. Of course, not seeing them, not knowing if they were perhaps only an adorable squirrel rustling for nuts, or a colorful bird disturbing the leaves as it hopped from branch to branch in search of food for her young, may have made it worse. She had no real idea what could be out here. Wolf? Bear? What animals did live out here? The thoughts made her quicken her pace, and a flush of relief swept through her as the stables came into view. She had pictured a small building with a few horses, but instead a high-end facility teaming with activity loomed before her.
Avoiding a few curious glances her way from other ranch hands, she covered her mouth to suffuse the smell of manure as she made her way into the barn in search of Jason. He’d left her a note saying where he was, but he'd be back to check on her before breakfast. She probably should have stayed put, waited from him in the cozy house, but curiosity had overwhelmed logic. Walking around the house, she'd decided apparently the guy did have taste after all, in spades. Even though the huge and spacious house was done in warm woods with the contrast of clean, crisp whites, things like strategically placed art and a bright red western throw brought it all together, made the place feel classy and homey at the same time. From the huge kitchen, equipped to cook for a restaurant full of people, to the library with floor to ceiling bookshelves, and the massive, fully decked out game room, the house had so much to offer. She felt like she may never want to leave before the reality of that thought struck her and she shook her head at her absurd notions, following her mounting curiosity outdoors.
With what she’d seen so far, she was glad she had. She just couldn’t get over how comfortable she felt in a place that couldn’t be more foreign to her had she travel far overseas, though she had only been driven a few hours out of the city. The stables were something. She stood on a red brick floor looking down a corridor of stalls with doors made of warm colored wood that matched the house, with black iron bars you could see the horses through. The walls and ceiling were made up of the same wood. Even the freaking stables were immaculately decorated with what appeared to be antique equipment hanging from the walls.
Walking a few feet into the stable, despite the brief stares of stable hands, she found Jason brushing down a heavily pregnant, great black mare in one of the stalls. She stood for a moment in awe of his obviously practiced care of the animal. He stroked her flank firmly, all the while murmuring soothing sounds that seemed to be more random noises than words.
"Hey," she spoke softly, not wanting to spook either horse or master.
Jason visibly tensed as her voice met his ears, and he responded with a curt, "Hi. You should have stayed in the house. Jeanette was instructed to provide you anything you needed. Is there something you need even she couldn’t grant?"
Embarrassment, hot and heavy, rushed through her, a flush creeping up her face despite her, but she sighed. "No. I don't need anything, Jason. Never mind. Thank you."
She pivoted on her boot heel and took a step back in the direction she'd come, then pulled up short when Jason's firm, calloused hand closed over her arm, spinning her back around to face him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out so abrupt. Last night left me a bit out of it. Tired. Rest assured, though, I met with my staff once we arrived, and we went through the whole plan for them to hide us here. No one who calls or even shows up will be allowed to know we are actually here. Besides, Pete would assume this was the last place I would bring you. I trust my staff completely, so I hope you will too." He ran a hand through his dark hair, slicking it back with the sweat already beaded on his forehead. "You ride, or are those just for show?" He gestured to her calf-length leather boots with a half-smile softening his features.
Kathryn's heart leapt at the sight of the smile and she grinned, "Yes, Jason, as amazing as it may seem, I actually can ride a horse," she responded flippantly. "In fact, it's one of the things I enjoyed most in my off time at school, and I've become pretty good at it. I ride English, not western, and have been trained a bit for competitive riding. But, how different could it all be, right?”
"Then we will ride. I'll be right back." He flashed her a quick glance of his white, even teeth before he strode into the barn leading the mare.
Watching his retreating back, his ass encased in dark jeans stretched across wide hips, she wondered if there were any angle she didn't find him drool-worthy. As he returned leading two smaller horses, one a beautiful mahogany, the other a pale white, she answered her own question. No.
6
Before they set out across the acres of lush, green fields, he gave her a brief lesson in the round pen in the transition from English to Western riding. While mainly a difference in the contact of the rider and horse, she seemed willing to learn and picked it up easily. The appearance of her genuine interest intrigued him. He’d never seen her actually excited about doing anything, unless it was to shop, spa, and dine; all in places that may as well have been foreign lands speaking foreign languages to him. The way she seemed to cling to every word he said with her undivided attention did something to him, let him see a different side of her he didn’t even realize existed. Maybe another side did exist within this woman other than the one her life had created. Maybe she didn’t even realize it existed within her. He didn’t know if he would be happy or scared to find she actually had a depth of character hidden somewhere deep within, given the physical attraction he already had for her. If she became nice, easy-going, and interested in the same things, he might just be a goner, losing any self-control her former attitude had helped him hang on to, even if only just by a thread.
After the hasty lesson, they rode easily through trails formed only by use: the hooves of the horses, and the boots of man this far out onto his eighteen hundred acre ranch. They didn’t really talk, as he more enjoyed watching her take pleasure in the ride, having an excuse to keep looking at her under the guise of making sure she was doing okay. She sat a beautiful picture on the gorgeous animal beneath her. With the backdrop of the trees, the mountains in front of them, he found it all quite breathtaking, but nothing seemed to get under his skin, pleasure his senses more than her. He was so in trouble. Maybe bringing her out here to a place where no one knew where they were wasn’t the greatest idea, especially considering his urges where she was concerned, but what choice did he have? If anyone actually did call looking f
or him, he’d at least have time to make them disappear on the property if need be.
He felt safe here. No one who worked for Pete knew he had this place, so no one would be able to guess where he’d taken her without doing some serious digging.
Side by side they followed a winding creek just below the gentle rise of the land. It had been this small trickle of water that had sold him on the place, thus inspiring him to name the ranch, Major’s Creek. They rode along the bubbling brook for some time before he suggested it was time they make their way back. Back through the tall, green prairie grasses, fields that only a month ago were an unending blanket of bluebonnets around the limestone outcroppings. Her smile seemed to grow larger, a glow traveling through her face until the happiness shone in her eyes as she took in the scenery. She even asked him questions about the ranch, what he did here, her true interest in his home shooting an arrow right to his heart that got that whole groin area all worked up again, too.
They were close to the stables again, outside the covered arena, when he spotted a partially downed fence. Old, the whole thing needing replacing in this section. While the ranch hands would fix it before working out any of the horses in the space, he had an urge to handle it himself. He’d been away from the ranch too long, and with all of the lust coursing through him lately, he needed to work with his hands a bit. Pounding a nail with a hammer just sounded good. It seemed like a logical solution to the energy brimming inside him.
“Listen, I need to get this fence fixed, so I’ll take you back. One of the hands will care for the horse, and I will see you later at the house. I had someone run this morning and get us a couple of burner phones so you can get ahold of me anytime you need to. They are at the stables, set up with each other’s numbers on emergency dial, so I'll make sure you get one before you go back to the house.”
“Do you mind if I just stay with you?” she asked him, shocking him with the softness of her voice. She actually asked him a question, sought his permission, rather than simply demanding him to do something or outright refusing to do what he'd asked.
“Listen, Kathryn, I know yesterday was scary but you are safe here. No one knows where we are, not even my boss. I ditched my phone, so no one tracked us here. And my staff, whom I trust implicitly, all know as much as they need to, enough to know they need to keep their eyes peeled.”
“It’s not that. I mean, yes, yesterday was terrifying, and I appreciate all you did, and all you are doing for me. It’s just...I would rather stay outdoors...with you. I don't really want to sit inside the house bored to tears. I just can’t get over how beautiful this land is. I would rather stay here and stare at the landscape while you fix the fence than anything I could do in the house. Besides, surely I'll have plenty of time at night to explore the library and play in the game room.”
He stood there a minute, dumbfounded, looking into her face, trying to reconcile her expression with the words that had come out of her mouth. Not whiny, not demanding, just normal, soft with a touch of husky woman tone. This whole persona switch was throwing him for a loop and he was still unsure how to handle it.
“Uh, well, I didn’t take you for the outdoorsy type.”
“Who knew,” she mused with a giggle, the sound of it vibrating through him, sending another spark of longing below his belt.
“If you're sure you won’t be bored, then sure, you can stay. Wait here a minute for me to go grab what I need. I’ll be right back,” he ordered as he noticed one of his ranch hands moving toward them, out inspecting the fence.
He clicked his tongue and with a slight pull on the reins, he encouraged his mount to turn and shift into a fast trot, intent on stopping the guy from getting too close to Kathryn, lest she overhear he didn’t actually need to fix the fence himself. His staff all listened well, and they were used to him pitching in, so he received little argument from the young hand about wanting to do the work on the fence.
Once inside the tool and tack barn, he made short work of grabbing the gear he needed, and then found himself rushing back to be with her. He wanted to experience more of this new version of Kathryn, lest she vanish as quickly as she appeared. The ranch was a magical place. It had certainly transformed his life, so maybe it would have a positive impact on this spoiled little rich girl, too. It would make his job easier in a way, but could make keeping his distance more difficult.
He granted her a brief smile upon his return, finding her standing beside her horse, holding the reins with one hand, absently petting the stallion with her other as she stared off in a sleepy-looking daze around her. A smile, not big, but genuine, soft and beautiful graced her features and lit up her eyes. He found he couldn’t look away.
He stopped on his horse right beside her, catching her attention again.
“This place is amazing. You are lucky to have it,” she gushed.
“Thank you,” he mumbled as he dismounted, still getting used to this new adaptation of the previously annoying woman he'd spent his last few weeks with.
“Don’t act so surprised,” she huffed, although there was more teasing than an edge to her voice.
“Sorry. I just figured you to be the type to be more impressed by a mansion with a giant pool than a ranch house with a small lake.”
“I would have thought so, too. The places I rode were always so manicured: covered arenas, a few well cared for trails that more resembled a golf course setting. It wasn’t really like being outdoors. Not like this anyway. I’ve never experienced such a majestic scene as this,” she said as she gestured out over the land.
“Well, I’m glad you like it because there are no malls nearby, unless you count a strip mall of sorts around the farmers market. Along with that, the only places to eat are mom and pop owned, homegrown cooking, and there is no telling how long you are going to be stuck here,” he said, getting out his tools and getting to work. “Jeanette is an amazing cook, though she tends to be more steak and apple pie than whatever the hell you ordered us at that last restaurant.”
“I don’t mind. Honestly. I want to experience everything here, find out what it’s like to really live in a place like this. Feel like I should apologize—”
“No need,” he said, cutting her off. “There is no need at all. I think I get it.”
“I don’t know what you get, but you are the first bodyguard who didn’t look to ditch me, gratefully ditch me, as soon as the stalker showed up again. Anyway,” she said with a noticeable shudder passing through her shoulders. Her brows furrowed, she nodded to the fence. “Think I could help?”
“With what?” he said, following her nod with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t seriously mean with mending the fence?”
“Yes, I do indeed mean the fence. Why not? I'm sure I could learn to use that stuff you brought.” Her indignant attitude showed through briefly at his doubt, but disappeared just as quickly.
“Stuff as in tools? A hammer and nails? Well, I’m sure you could do anything you set your stubborn mind to, but if you mess up that new manicure of yours there is nowhere to get a new one out here.”
“I’ll live. I think,” she said, and followed with a giggle.
He couldn’t read her right now. She appeared to be engaged in some internal struggle to prove herself capable of anything she set her mind to. Enjoying the moment, and her clear attempt at wanting to at least try, he agreed to let her help.
First he gave her a lesson on a nail and a hammer. He was old school in caring for the place because he loved it that way. He stood behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, showing her how to best position her feet so she didn't topple off balance on the first try. Leaning in he tucked himself against her back, burying his nose in her hair for a moment before giving himself a mental shake.
Grasping her right hand in his, he slid her fist down the smooth shaft of the hammer, "No, grab it here, firmly, or you'll get no drive behind it and end up hurting your wrist in the process. You have to be careful at first, just tap the nail enough to ini
tially push it into the wood. Do it gently while you are holding it, in case you miss and hit your thumb. Still going to hurt, though, I warn you, so go slow and careful. After it's in enough to be stable, you can move your fingers and really pound away at the thing,” he said, chuckling at the sexual analogy that snuck into his head with those words.
Her heat combined with the scent of cinnamon and vanilla wafting to his nostrils made his cock thicken behind his zipper. He took a quick step back before he embarrassed himself. "Here, watch me a moment."
She attentively watched him work on the first nail, and then gave it an earnest try herself. They laughed at her repeated mistakes, tears springing to her eyes the one time she did end up smashing her thumb instead of the nail. She’d powered through it though, to his amazement, and then chatted about the different tools, their uses, types of wood used in the fence and found surrounding the ranch, until they managed to finally repair the enclosure together. The mending took longer than it would have had he done it alone. Yet somehow teaching her these menial tasks, knowing she was literally hanging on his every word and truly learning what he was showing her, well, the feeling of a job well done bloomed throughout him. He felt quite good about it.