by Julie Benson
His ego had taken some tough hits since Cassie arrived, and she’d had her share of fun at his expense. Maybe it was time for him to make her a little uncomfortable and have some fun. His gaze locked with hers and the need to prove he could get to her, that he could make her feel something for him in a basic man-woman way drove him.
“Do I make you nervous?”
“You’re being silly. Of course you don’t. We see each other almost every day. It’ll probably be every day now that I’m helping you with the tours around here. You’re imagining things. Why would you say you make me nervous?”
He smiled, more pleased than he’d been in a long time. “You normally talk fast, but you’re going a mile a minute now. That’s fast, even for you.”
“Oh.” She pinched her lips together.
He longed to kiss her and run his tongue along that tight line until her lips opened for him and she became all soft and warm in his arms. “You’ve been different since the day at the lake.” Hell, he was, too. She crept into his thoughts at the oddest times, stirring him up in ways he was none too happy about. “You make me feel like I’m a dog chasing my tail.”
“I don’t mean to.”
Damn, he was weary of her making him dizzy. He cupped her face in his hands. Her smooth skin felt warm against his. He needed to see if the fire between them, the one that burned hotter than an Aggie bonfire, would flare to life again. He lowered his lips to hers.
Her lips parted under his light touch and he deepened the contact as he pulled her against his hard body. She melted into him, her hands splayed along his chest. Unable to resist, his hand cupped her breast, caressing and kneading. She moaned, leaned into his touch and her hand slid down his body. When she cupped him it was his turn to groan, and he worried he’d embarrass himself.
Tires crunching on the gravel driveway drifted toward him, snapping Ty out of his pheromone haze. What the hell had he planned to do? Tumble Cassie in a pile of hay? He pulled away from her. Her lips red and slightly swollen from his kisses, she glanced up at him with passion glazed eyes.
“Time to go to work.” His voice came out harsh and strained, but that wasn’t a surprise considering how wound up he was. Breathing deeply he focused on bringing his body under control.
“Work?”
He resisted the urge to smile at her confusion. “The writers are here. I’ll head out to meet them.” Then he headed for the barn door, whistling the Aggie War Hymn.
He couldn’t be more pleased with the results of his experiment.
*
As if almost getting caught making out in a barn by her first tour group wasn’t bad enough, then Ty grinned in an I-know-I-can-make-you-melt kind of way and strutted away, whistling what sounded like a school song. While she stood there, her body shaking from the passion he’d stirred to life in her, feeling the way she had when at sixteen her mother caught her and Chad Moore necking in her bedroom when they were supposed to be studying.
That cowboy makes me forget everything but to breathe.
As she tried to coax her brain to start functioning, she was at least thankful Ty heard the car drive up. Otherwise they’d have been caught in a compromising situation. Again. What was up with that?
If you’d choose a less public place to make out that might not happen.
What was it about Ty that drove her to distraction? Could it be that telling herself she couldn’t get involved with him made him forbidden fruit and all the more tempting?
She’d never met a man who held her interest, challenged her emotionally and intellectually long enough for her to want to make him a permanent part of her life.
Permanent part of her life?
She swallowed hard. The thought of those words in association with Ty left every hair on the back of her neck standing on edge. But wasn’t that what he was because of Ella?
She had to get her bearings where he was concerned, settle into a predictable relationship before this push pull sensual dance between them made her lose what was left of her mind.
She thought about her past relationships. All of them started out full of excitement and passion, but then that never lasted. Day to day life, schedules, and work doused the fun and the next thing she knew boredom set in. Then she transferred the guy into the friendship zone and moved on.
Maybe that was the answer. She needed to have a fling with Ty so their relationship could run its course.
As she grabbed her camera and headed outside to join him and the tourists, the better her plan sounded. All she had to do was get him alone somewhere private enough to let things progress to their natural conclusion. Then he’d be out of her system and her world would right itself again.
Chapter Eleven
‡
When Cassie walked into the corral Ty stood surrounded by five women alternately tossing questions at him. She laughed at his glazed expression. For a man who grew up in a predominantly female household, this situation shouldn’t fluster him and leave him looking shell-shocked. The day could be more fun than she expected.
Between the writers’ questions and the information Ty shared, Cassie learned a lot during the ranch tour and the horseback ride. She discovered Ty spent most of his day seeing to the livestock, checking the fences, and making repairs around the ranch. He taught the ladies how to saddle and care for a horse, including giving the names and uses for everything he used. Who knew all those parts of a saddle had names?
And all the while she took pictures of the tour group, but occasionally she snapped shots of Ty. He possessed a strength and fluid grace that captivated her. His love of horses, the bond he shared with them and the land were evident in everything he did. Today, as he told the writers about his life and what he did, she saw how the land had become part of him. She could tell that as he spoke about his family’s life here and the generations before him. What would it be like to feel so connected to a place and the people there?
His large, tan hands against Chance’s dark coat as he stroked the animal’s neck mesmerized her. The picture fascinated her, filled with such strength and yet he possessed gentleness as he worked with the horse. The images of more sculptures floated through her mind. When she’d moved to Wishing, she never would’ve guessed Ty would become such an inspiration for her art.
Later that afternoon, after the writers left, when she and Ty were alone in the barn, she said, “I know some of the sales were probably sympathy sales, but I don’t care.” When Sandy said her work should be in a gallery, Cassie explained that in her former life she’d been featured in a small New York gallery. Naturally her response prompted the question of what brought her to Wishing, which led to her Reader’s Digest explanation. “Sales are sales, and right now I’ll take whatever I can get, sympathy ones or not. I’m just glad this new sideline is off to a fantastic start.”
Not only had more than half of the group purchased a photo drive, she also sold some sketches and two lake photos. All totaled, she’d pulled in an extra two hundred dollars today, an amount that left her almost giddy.
“I had my doubts about your idea, but after today, I’m thinking you’re on to something.”
She smiled, and felt as proud as she’d been when Malcolm agreed to showcase her work. A compliment from Ty. She still couldn’t believe how the man continued to surprise her. After their agreement, she never guessed he harbored doubts about her proposition, but rather than discourage her, he’d been supportive. So much so, he cleared out space in the barn to display her work and made room for a desk for her in his office. The man was something.
“Are you saying you were wrong?” she teased, unable to resist when he left himself so wide open to an easy shot.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but this could add some decent change to the company coffers.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You sure you want to be so feisty now that you’re on your own?” He stepped toward her, desire mixed with a dose of mischief flaring in his eyes. “You and your coh
orts had way too much fun today making me squirm.”
“But you made it so easy.” She bit her lip to keep from giggling.
After Jane tossed out a sexual innuendo in response to something Ty said making him blush and stammer he’d been a sitting duck. Making him uncomfortable, seeing how many times they could make him blush became the sport du jour. When Jo hummed the Big and Rich tune, “Save a Horse. Ride a Cowboy” Cassie had laughed so hard she nearly fell off her horse. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. “I wish I’d gotten a picture of your face when Linda said she intended to base her next hero on you and asked if you’d pose for her cover. Your cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink.”
He stepped closer, and despite her resolve to not be intimidated she picked at the seam of her jeans.
“Are you questioning my manhood?”
Was he insane? Dress him up in a frilly, pink princess dress, replace his Stetson with a tiara in the middle of a five-year-old girl’s birthday party and he’d still ooze pure testosterone. “Would I do that?”
“Woman, don’t push me. I’ve had all the high-spirited women I can take for the day.”
“Thank goodness you had enough testosterone to survive the ordeal.”
“I might be running low because I’m feeling a powerful need to grab a beer and head to a monster truck rally.”
“That bad, huh?”
“And you.” He pointed a long, lean finger at her chest.
“Yes?” Her mouth had gone dry. She swallowed and licked her lips. “What did I do?”
“Pushing my buttons and seeing how many times you can make me blush is not part of your job description. I think it’s time for some payback.”
“I can take anything you can dish out, big boy.” She licked her lips again and the air crackled between them. When she gazed into his eyes, she saw a fire there that matched the one smoldering in her. She placed her hands on his broad chest and muscles rippled under her palm. Her pulse rate doubled. Heat radiated through her, burning her hands as if she’d touched his bare skin. If it felt this amazing touching him through his shirt, what would it feel like to actually skim her hand across his toned chest and rock hard abs? A girl could have an orgasm from that alone. A little voice in her head urged her onward, telling her to seize the opportunity. “I’ve been thinking. There’s obviously chemistry between us.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“I think part of the pull is the whole forbidden fruit thing. Since we’re going to be dealing with each other for quite a while since Ella’s only six—”
Her cell phone rang, interrupting what she’d been about to say and shattered the connection between them.
“You should answer that, and I have chores to see to.”
Then before she could respond, Ty dashed out of the barn as if his pants were on fire.
What was it with fate lately? She and Ty getting interrupted at the worst moments was almost getting comical. She might even join in if the interruptions weren’t leaving her sexually frustrated and strung so tight she needed to buy every sex toy between here and Dallas. So much for her first attempt at seduction.
“Has anyone ever told you what lousy timing you have, Grace?” Cassie said when she answered the phone.
“Sorry, but you know, if it’s not a good time to talk, that’s what voice mail is for. What did I interrupt? Something fun, I hope.”
Definitely. “Nothing that can’t wait.”
“Maybe my news will make up for my poor timing. One of our clients grew up in Houston. Now that he’s turning over the business to his son he wants to retire in Texas. He’s interested in getting more information on the Inn. He thinks running a B&B would be a fun way to stay busy, but not too busy.”
“That’s great. I’ll email you photos and a brochure when I get home.”
Despite her comment she wondered if she still wanted to sell the inn. She’d been so unhappy and overwhelmed both emotionally and financially when she made that decision, but now that life had leveled out she’d wondered if Ty had been right. Maybe raising Ella in the house she’d lived in all her life was best. While she still saw pain flash in the child’s eyes, the times had become fewer, while her smiles at a memory became more frequent.
She needed to be sure because once she sold the house there was no going back, but could she ever be certain her decision was right?
Then she chided herself for worrying. All Grace had said was someone showed an interest. That was a long way from an offer, and even if that happened, there was no guarantee it would be one worth accepting.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You sound a little funny,” Grace asked.
That’s just good old sexual frustration you hear in my voice because you interrupted a hot and heavy seduction scene. “I’m fine.”
“How’s Ella doing in school?”
She told Grace about Ty’s suggestion and the difference it made.
“Sounds like you’ve decided he’s not the enemy after all.”
You have no idea. The words to tell her friend about the changes between them sat perched on her tongue, but something held her back. She wasn’t ready to share her plans for Ty. Not even with Grace. “He’s been a big help with Ella.”
As Cassie ended the call, she vowed to take her own advice and enjoy whatever time she had with Ty. First thing when she got the man alone.
*
Two weeks later Ty still couldn’t believe how close he’d come to making love with Cassie that day in the barn. As he sat watching the Rangers play the Twins he was thankful since then his common sense and self-control had held. Of course it helped that he avoided being alone with Cassie.
He smiled thinking at how much more he enjoyed working with tourists since Cassie started helping him. He’d tolerated his dude ranch duties because it supplemented his income, but Cassie had a way of getting to know people, of making them feel at home, and she knew how to ensure everyone had fun. She made everyone laugh, including him—at her, at him, and just about everything, reminding him the whole point was for the guests to have a good time. He’d wanted to do that, but he got tangled up in the details of running things and that trampled everything else. Maybe that was why that part of the business hadn’t taken off the way he’d planned. On top of that her photos and artwork were bringing in more money than he ever expected.
But how long would her interest in the ranch and the inn last? Once she built her client base or online sales took off, would she bail on him? Plus, Wishing wasn’t exactly a hot bed market in the art world. How long would it be before she moved on to bigger and better things?
One thing he’d learned was to steer clear of women who didn’t love this part of the world the way he did, and Cassie was a woman marking time.
The doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts, and when he opened the door he found AJ standing on the porch, a six pack of Shiner in one hand and duffle bag in the other. “Mind if I crash here for a few days?”
“No problem, but do you want to tell me what’s going on first?”
Instead of answering, AJ swept past him and headed for the family room. Once there, he dumped his bag on the floor, collapsed into the recliner, and opened a beer. His friend took a long draw before he looked at Ty with haunted eyes. Ones that hadn’t held that look when he was here the last time. “I’m done with the FBI. The stuff I’ve seen, the sick shit out there, is eating at my soul.”
Ty grabbed a beer and settled onto the couch. “You’re thinking about quitting?”
“I already have. Effective immediately.”
“What’re you planning on doing instead?”
“Hell if I know.” AJ took another long drink. “When I was at A&M I was so sure about what I wanted to do with my life. Damn, I was an idealistic fool. I really thought I could make a difference.” AJ’s brittle laugh echoed in the room. “The world’s a fucked up place, and every day what people do to each other gets worse. More depraved. There’s a hel
luva battle going on out there, and we’re losing, pal.”
With everything AJ had seen during his tour in Afghanistan, if he said there was sick shit out there, Ty couldn’t imagine what his friend had seen. “What happened?”
“I haven’t had enough beers to answer that.”
“You’re welcome to crash here as long as you want. You’ve gotten me through some tough times. My turn to return the favor now.”
For a while they sat there, drinking beer and commenting on the game until an idea occurred to Ty. “I don’t know if you’re interested, but the town hasn’t found anyone to take Jack’s place as chief of police.”
“I don’t know if I can handle police work any more.”
“I’m not sure you can call being chief of police in Wishing police work. Hell, there are only six people in the entire department.”
“It seems wrong to apply for Jack’s job since he was a friend.”
“He’d want someone he trusted to take the job and do right by the town.”
“I’ll think about it, but right now I want to forget.” AJ finished his beer, set the empty on the floor and reached for another. “How are things going for you?”
“Hell if I know,” Ty said echoing his friend’s earlier comment.
I’ve been thinking. There’s obviously chemistry between us. I think part of the pull is the whole forbidden fruit thing.
He couldn’t get Cassie’s words to quit taunting him. That and wondering what had she’d been about to say. What did it matter unless she said ‘why don’t we get naked, have some fun and stay friends after it’s over’, and no way would that have happened.
“For starters, did you hook up with that waitress from the Horseshoe?” AJ asked.
“I lost interest.” Ty hadn’t thought about Tiffani since that night. Because of Cassie. Where she was concerned he had plenty of interest. Way more than common sense.
“Because?”
“Life, work, responsibilities,” he said in an effort to avoid the real answer. “Managing Ella’s finances is taking time. Then there’s running the tourist business without Chloe. It’s…” He paused. “Challenging.”