by Dana Monahan
Brody knew the second she entered in the room. He had been watching her through his window as she approached the house. Her long legs were bare in a pair of shorts; the sway of her hips was tantalizing. The way her hair curled around her face. And now, as she stood before him, he watched her cheeks turn pink with embarrassment at being caught staring at him. He nodded to the armchair across from his desk and she took a seat while he finished his phone call.
“I have a job offer for you,” he told her as soon as he hung up the phone. “Kel told me you are going to look for part-time
work while you’re finishing up school. I’d like to have you work
here.” He leaned forward, sliding his legs off his desk. “You would be helping out with the livestock, but mostly with typing and data entry.” With a swipe of his hand, he indicated the clutter on the smaller desk. I’ll pay you ten bucks an hour. After you graduate, pay goes up and you’ll be my full-time vet.”
Billie wasn’t surprised to find her mouth gaping open. It was an excellent opportunity for her. She eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t know about working under you. I remember you as being pushy and rude,” she teased.
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” he returned her smile, “You won’t be under me, for now, but beside me.” He laughed at her indignant look. “I see you still let your temper run rampant.”
“I see you’ve already irritated me and I haven’t even started working for you, yet.” She sighed dramatically.
“So you’ll take it?”
“I think it sounds terrific. When can I start?” As an afterthought she smiled impishly and added, “Boss.”
“How about Monday?”
“It works for me. Now I’ll let you get back to work.” She was heading out the door as his next remark followed, stopping her in her tracks.
“I wouldn’t advise wearing cut-offs to work, Chubby, oh, I mean, Sweet Cheeks. No one’ll get anything done.” He grinned.
Brody was leaning back in his chair watching her intently, totally relaxed with a boyish smile playing around the edges of his mouth.
Turning around abruptly, she returned his grin with a saucy one of her own. “So you did notice that I had toned up.” She flexed her right arm. “And my right hook has improved.”
“I’ve always noticed,” he said, suddenly turning serious. “Oh, and we can go riding tomorrow at noon if you come by.”
The phone rang and he was back to business. Billie let herself out.
When she reached her house, the black dog was on her porch, just sitting on its hind legs and staring unblinkingly at Billie’s approach. It almost seemed as if it was the dog’s house and Billie was the intruder. With a sigh, Billie maneuvered around her and went into the kitchen to seek out some left-overs.
“I guess if you’re going to hang around I might as well feed you. I suppose I should name you, too. How do you like Scamp?” She asked the dog. Then she went into the house to call Kel and tell her about her new job.
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At dawn, Billie was already up brewing some coffee. This was her favorite time of the morning, and she spent it out on the porch with Scamp at her side. Gold and red leaves covered her lawn, but the colors were so beautiful Billie didn't have the heart to rake them up. She sighed in contentment watching the sun rise and went in to dress for her day.
After a shopping spree with Kelly, Billie now had a closet full of jeans and two new pairs of cowboy boots. She loved working with Brody's horses, not to mention Brody himself. Their verbal battles kept her wits sharp, but mostly she respected his opinions and felt she could learn a lot from his experience. After three months of working together, they had become inseparable. In the mornings they worked with the horses, ate lunch, then in the afternoon they worked on paperwork. At least three times a week, a nice swim at the fall would end their day. Then Billie would head home, change, and go to night school.
Since Billie was early this day, she stopped off at the barn to bring Buddy an apple. Doug Masters, one of Brody's helpers, was in the other stall with Brody's palomino, Carmel. Doug did a variety of jobs, from cleaning stalls to breaking and training the horses. He was somewhat tall, not muscular but toned. A warm smile lit up his handsome features, and tawny eyes matched the golden highlights of his hair. When he saw Billie, he let out a whistle through his teeth.
"Well, well. Now this is how I like to start my day. Nothing like the sight of a beautiful woman to get the blood pumping." he draped his arms over the stall, watching her feed Buddy. "Hey, I was wondering if you'd like to check out that new deli in town." At Billie's wary look, he put up his hands and laughed, "Just as friends," he added with a wink.
Billie started to answer when a deep voice from behind startled her.
"Don't handle your personal life on my time, Masters. You can finish up the other horses. I'll take care of Carmel." Brody was a little short with him, and Doug noticed the tightening of his jaw. Brody rarely lost his temper, and then it dawned on Doug. Billie was off-limits and Brody had just marked his territory. He had been jealous before; enough to notice it on another man. So without another look in Billie's direction, Doug left the barn.
After Doug was out of sight, Brody turned to look down at Billie. Her hands were placed on her hips in her usual defiant stance, and her chin jutted out just a little in a familiar gesture of anger.
"What the hell was that all about? Maybe I wanted a date. I am single, and we do have a lunch hour around here." Billie retorted, but she stepped back against the stall as his eyes narrowed. "Okay, maybe not,” she replied helplessly, a little leery of his obvious anger. It didn't happen often, but when Brody lost his temper he could be quite intimidating. It was time to be scarce. Billie glanced longingly at the open door of the barn, but before she could move, Brody stepped forward and put both his arms out on either side of her, bracing himself against the stall.
"So you’re ready to start dating," he stated, looking directly into her eyes. "Well it’s about time. I'm not about to make the same mistake twice." Brody leaned down and kissed Billie hard on the mouth. For a second she was too startled to respond.
Then a longing from deep within took over and she was returning the kiss with ardor. When things started to get out of hand, Brody pulled back. "You'll have lunch with me today,” he added gruffly as he left her standing alone.
Normally Billie would have had a ready retort to such an order, but for the moment she was tongue tied. "Wow," she said aloud to Buddy, "Guess I should be careful what I wish for."
Billie was always curious what being with Brody would feel like, but she never wanted to add herself to his long list of broken hearts. Just one touch; and he had made her lose control. Just like the last time. Billie decided the best course of action was to pretend nothing happened. Actually she was a little unsure of exactly what did happen. With a deep breath, she followed him up to the house.
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Taking the long staircase two steps at a time, Brody retreated into his room. What was he thinking? He was acting like a jealous school boy. Pacing back and forth, Brody tried to control his raging emotions. He wanted Billie, and the years of waiting were taking their toll. She had just gotten a divorce and probably needed time, but he didn’t have the patience. The best course of action was to go for it. If Billie had time to analyze and talk herself out of what was going on between them, he might lose her again. Brody knew Billie was aware of the attraction between them, he just didn't know why she always fought so hard against it. With his decision made, Brody stopped pacing and went back downstairs to face the woman he wanted.
When he entered his study, Billie kept all her attention on the data she was entering in the computer. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he realized she was going to pretend nothing had happened, just as he knew she would. Before he had a chance to bring up the subject, a knock sounded at the front door. Brody grumbled an oath under his breath before answering. It was Matt and Kelly.
/> "Uncle Brody, I came to feed Buddy some apples. Can I ride him today, please, please?" Matt, as usual, jumped in Brody's arms as soon as he opened the door. After wiping Matt's sticky kiss off his cheek, Brody chuckled and set Matt on the ground.
"Okay, squirt. I'll go put her saddle on her, and your Mom can walk you around out front. After that we'll all have hamburgers at the Beerhouse. “It will be my treat." He looked up to Kelly for her answer.
"And can Aunt Billie come, too." Matt interrupted as he ran through the house calling for her until she came out.
Billie swung him around in a circle making him giggle, before she placed him on her hip.
"Sounds great to me," offered Kelly, "But I'm not catching you at a bad time, am I?" she felt a certain tension in the air between Billie and Brody. At least, she was dressed to go out. Her hair was pulled back in a careless ponytail, but a pretty green sundress covered with small lavender flowers fit snugly around her slender waist to flare out just below her knees. Matt was in new jeans, a green T-shirt, and a matching baseball cap pulled backwards in imitation of his Uncle Trent.
"Absolutely not," reassured Billie, a little too eagerly. Billie quickly glanced at Brody who smiled at her obvious attempt to avoid being alone with him.
Brody changed out of his jeans into a nice pair of black slacks, leaving Billie to feel underdressed in her faded jeans. Very casually, he draped an arm around her shoulder as they walked out to the Jeep he had traded his Camaro in for on his return from college. Billie pulled away from him and hopped in the back seat with Matt.
The Beef House was crowded, and they were shown to a table in the corner. Blue flowers popped out of a crystal centerpiece, and paintings of country scenes adorned the walls setting an easy atmosphere. During lunch, Brody touched Billie’s knee with his own and once reached out to hold her hand. Billie pulled her hand back so quickly she knocked her soda into her lap.
“I didn’t do it.” Matt put his hands up and looked at his mother.
Brody laughed. “Billie, what’s the matter with you? You seem a little nervous,” he said innocently, ignoring her discomfiture. Kelly just sat back and enjoyed the show. Something was definitely going on with her two best friends.
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Kelly and Matt stayed at the ranch after lunch. Matt wanted
to ride Buddy some more so Kelly left Billie and Brody to finish their work. When it was time to call it a day, Billie was more than eager to leave. Kelly came in the study to say good bye with a sleeping Matt in her arms. While she was taking Buddy's saddle off, Matt had fallen asleep in the hay.
Taking his limp form out of Kelly's arms, Brody lifted up Matt to carry him to Kelly's car.
"If you wait just a second, Kel, you can drop me off at home. I just have to finish this letter," Billie called to their retreating figures.
Brody entered the study just as Billie finished. She looked up in surprise when she heard the study door close to be followed by the ominous sound of a lock clicking. Her hair was pulled in a haphazard bun, held in place by a pencil, and she chewed at lower lip nervously. “What are you doing?”
"I took the liberty of telling Kel not to wait for you." Brody replied, leaning against the closed door to block her exit. "It must have slipped your mind that we have some unfinished business."
"Actually, I was thinking that we shouldn't do anything to jeopardize our friendship."
"I don't want to be your friend anymore, Billie." Brody pushed off the door and started towards her.
"We work together. I don't think we should mix business with pleasure." Billie stood up, wringing her hands nervously in front of her.
"Okay, you’re fired." Brody closed the distance between them. Billie wanted to reach out and touch him, to let go, but she was scared of what the future might bring. Afraid he would see the desire in her eyes, she looked down quickly to the toes of her boots. Sensing her slight hesitation, Brody placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.
“There has always been something between us. You can’t just wish it away.”
"Maybe we should wait and think this through." Her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly parched lips. He was so close; she could feel his breath on her cheeks and smell the shampoo in his hair.
"I've already done that. For longer than you could possibly imagine," he whispered, bringing his mouth an inch away from her own. Billie closed her eyes then leaned up to meet his lips. Strong arms embraced her, and Billie lost herself in his kiss.
Arching, Billie pressed her breasts into his chest. Her hands clasped behind his neck as she pulled him closer in reckless abandon. His hands traced down the small of her back to rest on her buttocks. With slight pressure, he pulled her closer against his hardness. “We were meant to be together,” he told her, before entwining his hand in the back of her hair and tugging back gently, baring her slender neck.
“I can’t think,” she moaned. Her skin burned wherever his tongue touched her and she wanted more.
“Don’t think, feel. Feel me,” he urged.
In one deft move, he had pulled her shirt over her head and then removed his own. When he unclipped her bra, he brought his mouth between her breasts and slowly traced the skin from her breasts to her pelvic with his tongue. Now, on his knees, Brody undid her jeans, dropping light kisses inside her thighs as he slowly lowered them to the floor. Billie sank to the thick carpet with him and they explored each other’s bodies greedily.
When their bodies were slick with sweat and neither could wait any longer, Brody braced himself above Billie and cupped her face in his hands. “You’re mine now,” he told her before sliding inside her. She cried out his name before he covered her mouth with his own.
Chapter 19
In the rock fireplace, a log crackled beneath the heat as the fire came to life. Brody stared into the flames, but his mind was focused on Billie who was standing at the window, gazing vacantly at the sun’s descent. Her nakedness was covered by the shirt he had discarded earlier, and her hair was still mussed from their lovemaking.
Her silence was driving him mad. When she was in his arms, she had given herself completely. In the aftermath, as she lay limp across his chest, he pulled a damp strand of hair from her temple. For an instant, their eyes met and she had smiled so tenderly, like a woman in love. A second later, her expression had become aloof as she untangled herself from his body, and moved away in silence.
Giving him a moment to pull his thoughts together, Brody pulled on his jeans and started a fire. He wanted to blurt out that he loved her. He wanted to ask her to marry him, have his children, but she had become so distant. All these thoughts whirled through his mind as he stood up and stretched his muscles.
“Stay for dinner?” he asked, hiding the inner turmoil with a lazy smile.
“I should probably go.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she turned to face him with a courteous smile.
“I’ll have a pizza delivered. We can sit back, drink some wine, and talk about things.” He tried to slip it in casually, but her smile faltered.
“What would we talk about?”
“About what just happened?”
“I already figured it out, thank you,” Billie retorted dryly, hiding her jumbled nerves behind attitude.
Turning back to the window, she concealed her burning cheeks from his assessing view. What she had figured out was that under Brody’s nimble touch, she had lost control until she thought she would die from pure ecstasy. But she couldn’t let him know that. Having a relationship with Brody was something she could not risk.
“That’s very cute, but not what I meant.” Brody approached her, but she sidestepped him to find her pants.
With her back towards him, she got dressed. “I don’t want to discuss anything right now. Why rush it?”
“Why not? It’s not as if we need to get to know each other better.” He came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders to turn her around. When she stiff
ened beneath his touch, he felt his temper rise. “Don’t even try to tell me it didn’t mean anything.”
“We’re friends.” Billie tried to pull away, but Brody tightened his grip. Throwing his head back, he let out a bitter laugh.
“So you want to play games. I’d expect it from other women, but not you.” Brody curbed his urge to shake her by pulling her forward against his chest. “Here’s a news flash. What happened between us is far from over. Did you think I’d just thank you for a job well done and let it ride?”
“Shut up. Just shut the hell up!” Billie shoved at his chest. He didn’t budge, but he released his grip, causing her to stumble backwards. “You’re twisting everything around. I’m sorry, but I just can’t jump in and out of relationships like you do. Let’s end it now before someone gets hurt.”
“That’s a sorry excuse. You know it’s not like that with you. Is that the problem? You need to have me say the words?”
“Don’t say anything.”
“I love you.”
Closing her eyes, Billie perched on the edge of the couch as if ready to flee at any moment. “Damn you.” She squeezed her eyes tighter to force back a tear. “How can you do this to me?” Billie stood up; hands braced on her hips, and faced him with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to love you. I won’t.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Stop yelling at me.”
Brody turned around, kicking his foot out at empty air. “I’m not yelling; I’m talking loudly. Christ, you make me crazy.” Placing his hands impotently at his sides, he silently counted to ten.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
After whirling around, Brody brought his face an inch from Billie’s face. “Try me. I sure as hell can’t understand something you won’t tell me.”
“Don’t you see? It’s already happening.” On a sob, Billie turned and fled.
At the sound of his front door slamming shut, Brody groaned in frustration. Stalking out of his office, he went down the hall to a room that he had turned into a small gym. Passing the treadmill and weight set, he crossed to the back of the room. Not bothering with gloves, he pounded on the punching bag with relentless fury. When his muscles burned from the retaliation, he dropped them listlessly at his side. Round one to Billie, he thought grimly, but he wasn’t down yet.