by Jennie Marts
Oh—and the way he’d just kissed her. She couldn’t stop thinking about that either.
* * *
Mason surveyed the large tree that had fallen across the section of broken fence. A split down its trunk suggested that it had been hit by lightning in the storm the day before.
The others were rounding up the cattle and moving them back onto Triple J property while he and Tess went in search of how the cattle had gotten out in the first place.
This was obviously the place. When the tree fell, it had knocked down two fence posts, and one had broken free of the barbed wire strung around it. A large section of the fence lay open, and this had to be where the cows had been getting out.
They’d received another call from a neighboring rancher who’d seen a couple of their cattle in one of his pastures. Colt had gone back with Ham, figuring it would be easier to transport the last few strays to the ranch with a trailer.
“Do you think we can move it?” Tess asked, her brow furrowed as she studied the tree.
She was trying to help—Mason knew that and appreciated it—but the sight of her long legs and the memory of kissing her in the kitchen kept distracting him from what he needed to be focused on. Which, for the moment, was trying to figure out how to get this stupid tree moved and the fence repaired so no more cattle could get out.
“Let’s try,” he answered, bending his knees and putting his back against the gnarled trunk.
She grabbed the other side, and their muscles strained as they tried to move the dead tree. “Dang. It won’t budge,” Tess said, stepping back to catch her breath.
“We’re going to have to use some chains and the truck.” Mason dropped the tailgate and hoisted himself into the bed of the pickup. A large truck toolbox filled the front half of the bed, and he lifted one side of the lid and pulled out some rope and a set of chains.
He spied the chain saw they’d been using earlier in the week to collect firewood and grabbed it as well. “I’ll try to cut some of it back first,” he said, hoisting the chain saw above his head.
Dropping the chains on the ground, he jumped up onto the trunk and fired up the chain saw. They’d had fallen trees on the ranch before, but he’d always had one of his brothers or a ranch hand to help him take the limbs apart.
I’m going to be on my own with this one, Mason thought as he sawed through several of the bigger limbs and let them fall to the ground. Satisfied that he’d made a good start, he cut the chain saw’s engine and turned to survey his work.
He couldn’t have been more surprised to see Tessa hauling the dead limbs away from the fence. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and a fine sheen of sweat had broken out on her forehead. She wore the other pair of leather work gloves that Colt had thrown in the truck to protect her hands as she wrangled huge branches off the fence and pulled them clear.
“What are you doing?”
She glanced up, giving him a look that might have implied he was an imbecile. “I’m helping. What does it look like?”
“That’s exactly what it looks like.”
She gestured to the sky where a series of dark clouds were traveling quickly across the blue background. “It looks to me like we need to work quicker.”
“You don’t have to do this. I can get it. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She tossed a smaller branch out of the way. “You’re going to be the one that gets hurt if you’re suggesting I can’t pull my weight and help you with this tree.”
Mason held his hands up in surrender as he let out a chuckle. “Okay, sorry. You’re doing amazing.”
“I’m not doing amazing, but I’m doing my best.” She blocked the sun with her hand as she looked up at him. “I just wish I had grabbed my sunglasses before we left.”
“There’s usually an extra pair in the truck’s glove box. I can check for you.”
“Don’t bother. It’s too late now, and I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about the sun much longer.”
Almost as if responding to her request, the dark clouds thickened and shifted, blocking the sun from view. A low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. Tess’s shoulders shrank against another flash of lightning.
“Yeah, we’d better get it in gear.” Mason climbed back up on the tree trunk. “And Tess, you really are helping. And I totally appreciate it.”
A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Appreciate me later, cowboy. For now, let’s get this tree out of here.”
Mason yanked the cord of the chain saw, commanding the machine to life. Small fragments of wood shot through the air as the teeth of the saw bit into the dry timber.
He sawed through the last stray limb as another crack of lightning ripped through the air. Jumping down from the trunk, he barely got the chain saw back into the toolbox before the sky opened and let loose a torrent of rain.
“Seriously?” Tess shouted over the din of the rain as she planted her hands on her hips. “What is it with you and thunderstorms? Was your dad Zeus?”
He crossed to her, grabbing the last two felled branches and pulling them out of the way. “As much as I love the idea of you thinking of me as a demigod, I’m fairly certain my father was not Zeus.” He flashed her a flirty grin. “But we can check with my mom when we get back, just to make sure.”
She offered him a wry smile. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead, and water dripped from her ponytail.
At least he had his hat to protect his head. He pulled it off and dropped it on her head. “We should go back. We’re drenched. We know where the break in the fence is, and I can get my brothers to come out and help me move this tree later.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If we leave, there’s a chance that more of your cattle will get out this way again. If we can do it, let’s just get it done.” She raised her hands to the sky. “It’s not like we can get any wetter.”
Her clothes were soaked through, and he swallowed at the way her white tank top clung to her skin, outlining every curve and leaving nothing to the imagination.
Well, nothing and everything.
His imagination was running wild with thoughts of what he could do with those curves and how it would feel to get his hands—and his mouth—on the taut, pebbled nipples that were perfectly outlined through the wet fabric.
Which only served to make her body look ten times sexier than it already did.
Forget the stupid tree. He could care less if all the cows got out. He just wanted to get his hands on this woman.
“Hello? Mason, did you hear me?” Tess was yelling as she waved her hands in front of his face.
“Wha—? Yeah. No. I didn’t hear you,” he said, shaking his head to clear it.
“I was asking you about what ideas you had in mind for this tree.”
He blinked. He had plenty of ideas in mind for the tree, and several of them involved her naked and pressed against it. But somehow he didn’t think that’s what she’d meant.
“We need to get the chain around it, then we can use the truck to pull it off the fence,” he said.
“Okay, let’s do it.”
Another flash of lightning spurred him into action. They needed to get this done and get inside. Lightning had already struck this tree once. They worked together and quickly got the chain around the old trunk, then hooked it to the hitch on the back of the pickup.
Theo ran around the tree, acting as though he was trying to herd it off the fence and barking his support, but Dewey sat under the truck and out of the rain. Both dogs jumped into the cab when Mason opened the door. Tess climbed in from the other side, shivering in her wet clothes as she yanked the door shut behind her. Dewey hopped into her lap, and she wrapped her arms around him.
“Hold on,” Mason told her, starting the engine and putting the truck into gear.
She let go of the dog and braced her ar
ms against the dashboard as he lightly pressed the gas, letting the power of the truck do the pulling for them.
As they inched slowly forward, the cab jerked while the chain pulled taut and dug into the trunk of the tree. The wheels of the pickup spun in the mud, but the tree moved forward, drawn by the circle of chain.
“You’re getting it,” Tess cried. “It’s working.”
Another foot or two, and the tree dropped free of the fence. The barbed wire still sagged and strands of it were still embedded in the soft wood, but the trunk no longer impeded the fence line.
“Whoo-hoo.” Tess offered Mason a high five, grinning at him as though he’d just hung the moon or become a national hero.
He wasn’t totally against the idea of her seeing him as a hero. Or as a demigod.
Except I’m not a hero, he thought as his temporarily inflated ego came crashing down.
Rock was the hero.
Mason was just an ordinary guy. He wasn’t even doing that extraordinary of a feat. It’s not like he lifted the tree over his head or anything. He couldn’t lift it at all. And he’d used the power of the truck to even move the dang thing.
Shoving the truck door open, he grabbed a pair of pliers from the glove box, then stepped back out into the rain. “I’m going to get the fence line back up, and then we can get out of here. You might as well wait in the truck.”
Apparently, Tessa Kane was not good at heeding directions, because no sooner had he lifted the downed fence post than he could feel her at his elbow, adding her weight as she helped to pull it back in place.
The rain continued to fall as they sloshed through the mud, Tess’s white tennis shoes now a muddy-brown mess. Fat flecks of mud were crusted to her legs, and her clothes were stained and smudged with dirt and rust from the fence.
Despite the guilt he felt for her ruining her clothes and getting her filthy, Mason was glad to have her by his side. She was a big help, lifting and holding sections of barbed wire so he could twist and pull it into place. It didn’t take them long to get the fence back up and into a sufficient state of repair. He waved for her to head for the truck.
“I’m sorry. I’m getting your truck all m-m-muddy,” she said, her teeth chattering as she climbed back into the cab. The dogs jumped in after her and curled next to each other on the floor.
“That’s what trucks are for.” He held out his arm. “You must be freezing. Slide over here and let me warm you up.”
She took his hat off and set it on the dash, then scooted across the seat and into the crook of his shoulder. “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Nah. Just the ones I sweet-talk into coming to a family barbecue, then end up taking into a field in the rain and getting them soaking wet.”
“Oh, well, if that’s all.” She laughed and pushed her dripping bangs off her forehead, then let out a gasp as she looked down at her practically see-through shirt. “Oh my gosh,” she cried, crossing her arms across her chest.
He couldn’t help his chuckle as he pulled her tighter against him, rubbing her arm to warm her up. Dipping his head, he spoke into her ear. “I don’t mind telling you that the sight of you in that wet shirt has warmed me right up.”
She raised an eyebrow, then let out another shiver. “As much as I’d love to come up with a witty and flirty comeback to that semi-dirty comment, I’m too cold to be witty or flirty.”
He let out another laugh and turned up the heat as he put the truck in gear. “Let’s get you back to the ranch and out of those clothes.”
“You are incorrigible,” she said, but she laughed with him.
Putting his arm back around her, he pulled her close and headed toward the ranch. “I meant out of those wet clothes and into some dry ones.”
“Of course you did.”
He tried to focus on driving, to keep his mind off the beautiful woman that was huddled against him, but it was hard. And if he didn’t quit thinking about her, that statement was going to get very literal, very fast.
Thankfully, it only took a few minutes to get back to the ranch. He pulled up in front of the bunkhouse. “Come on in. I can’t promise the latest fashions, but I can at least find you some clothes that are warm and dry.”
Tess’s brow creased as she looked from the bunkhouse to the main farmhouse. “Is this your place?”
“What? Did you think I still lived with my mom?” he teased.
“Well, yes, I guess. I mean, not like that.” She clamped her lips together, then eyed the bunkhouse suspiciously. “But I didn’t think you lived in the barn.”
A hearty laugh escaped him as he climbed from the truck and held out his hand to help her. “It’s not the barn. It’s one of the old bunkhouses. And don’t worry, it’s been renovated.”
Her look of skepticism changed to amazement as he opened the door of the bunkhouse and let her and the two dogs in.
It had taken close to two years to renovate the old building, tearing down walls and gutting the interior. He’d designed the layout himself and ended up with one large great room combining the kitchen and living room, a small guest bathroom, an office, and a large master bedroom with an impressive master bath.
The rough planks of the torn-out sections and old floors had been saved, then stained and used to create a shiplap effect on the walls. A huge stone fireplace took over one wall, and thick beige rugs covered the hardwood floors.
A heavy, overstuffed couch with matching chairs sat in front of the fireplace, and Mason had found an old trunk that he used as a coffee table. He was a tall guy, and he liked big, comfortable furniture.
He’d also tried to make the space suitable and useful for a guy who worked on a ranch, so the entryway had pegs for jackets and a rack for cowboy hats. A substantial wooden bench sat inside the door, offering a place to sit to take off his boots.
The dogs ran into the house ahead of them and curled up together on Theo’s bed. Mason stopped and used the bootjack to pull off his boots, then peeled his wet socks off and dropped them on the rug.
Tess held a hand on the wall to steady herself as she toed off her sneakers and low-cut socks. “Oh my gosh. It’s gorgeous in here.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she padded barefoot across the room to stand before the large windows that looked out over the back pasture and the mountain range in the distance. “This view is incredible.”
“That’s one of my favorite parts. I knew when I was designing the renovation that I wanted to make sure I could see that great view.”
“You did all of this yourself?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess. I mean, I designed it all myself, and I did a lot of the renovation myself, but I had help too. I hired out the electrical and the plumbing, and my mom helped with the decorating. I picked a lot of things out myself, but the throw pillows and some of the decorative stuff is all Mom.”
“You did an amazing j-j-job,” she said, her body shivering as her teeth chattered together.
“Thanks.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her toward the master bathroom. “Come on, let’s get you warmed up. One of my other favorite things in this place is the shower.”
He took a small measure of pride when he saw her eyes widen as they stepped into the bathroom and she took in the rustic tiled floors, the gleaming copper bathtub, and the huge shower with multiple showerheads.
Stepping into the glass-enclosed shower, he turned on the hot water with one hand and pulled Tess into the space with him with the other. The smooth river-rock tiles were cold on his bare feet, but the water quickly warmed. He switched the nozzle so the hot water sprayed out from two of the showerheads on the wall, then positioned Tess in front of the warm spray.
A shiver ran through her, but she stretched her neck to let the water run down her throat. She was only doing it to warm her skin, but the gesture itself was so sexy that he wanted to
dip his head and press his mouth to the soft bend where her slender neck met her shoulder.
She still had her arms crossed in front of her chest, but the wet fabric of her thin tank top clung to her skin, outlining the lace edges of her bra and the tops of her breasts.
He swallowed at the dryness in his mouth as his gaze traveled over her body. He wanted more than his gaze to journey across her curves. He wanted to get his hands, his lips, his tongue on her.
He wanted to peel her wet clothes slowly from her body as if unwrapping a present—a present that he hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted until she’d walked into his life the day before.
Tipping his head back, he closed his eyes. How could this be happening? How could he be standing in the shower with this gorgeous woman, both of them fully dressed in soaking-wet clothes? Stuff like this didn’t happen to him. He was just an ordinary guy. This whole thing was supposed to be a simple gesture of asking her to accompany him to the wedding. No big deal, just a normal guy asking a pretty girl to be his date. Just because his feelings were crossing over the “simple gesture” line didn’t mean that hers were.
Just because his skin was heating with desire and want—and it was taking all his willpower not to press her against the shower wall and kiss her senseless—didn’t mean that she was feeling the same way or that she was interested in being kissed at all.
But she had kissed him back when they were in the kitchen earlier. Kissed him back with a passion that had taken his breath away.
So he might have a chance.
But he didn’t want to push. The woman had just helped him fix a fence and was standing in his shower shivering.
He could feel her shaking but didn’t know what to do. Should he wrap her in his arms? Should he quit taking up space in the shower with her and let her get warm? Should he get her naked and find another way to warm her skin?
Her body was so close to his, but they weren’t actually touching. Still, it was if an electric charge flowed between them, and he swore he could almost feel her against him.