“Why didn’t you say something to me?”
Her tongue came out to run across her plump bottom lip. “And complain about my punishment? You don’t know me very well, do you?”
He blinked. “Punishment? I wasn’t handing out a sentence, sweetheart.”
“Come on, cowboy. You wanted to prove something to me. I understand completely. I’m an adult and I could have—should have—told you I needed a break. Maybe I was trying to prove something too.”
“Like what? That I’m an idiot?”
“That I’m not that girly girl you believe I am. Don’t let the sparkly rhinestones I wear on my costumes fool you. I grew up with brothers and they taught me to be tough. I owe you a thank you for showing me something I lost years ago. The honesty in a hard day’s work.”
He held her gaze. “You must be joking. You’re a guest here and have nothing to prove.”
“Are you sure I don’t?”
He lowered his gaze. One supple leg was tucked up under her and the other was stretched out, she balanced her foot on the tips of her toes. She had smooth, toned legs, and nice feet. Every part of her breathed life into his neglected parts. His dick hardened, exactly what he didn’t want to happen.
Son of a gun. Why couldn’t he just get past this crazy desire embedded in his loins. He brought his gaze up to meet hers and swallowed hard. He’d give anything to get a sample of her desirable lips.
Concentrate. He cleaned the wounds with the cloth, then spread some of the cream on, gently rubbing it into her skin. She winced and he stopped. “Does it hurt?” Probably a stupid question. He’d had blisters before and knew how they smarted.
“Some.”
“It won’t take much longer on this hand.” A sharp burst of longing cradled his body, making him want to kiss her pain away. His gung-ho libido called the shots these days. It had been a long time since he’d been sitting two feet from a woman who wasn’t wearing a bra. Jessa was different, though, from any other woman he’d been near. Not only beautiful, but she did something to him that he couldn’t quite comprehend. If he didn’t want to make a damn fool of himself, he needed to get this over with quick and get the hell away from her or he was liable of bedding her. And he had a feeling she wouldn’t reject him again, but he couldn’t rely on his rusty instincts.
With shaky hands, he wrapped her hand, then went to work on the second. His body grew harder. His brain grew mushier. Why was a man’s body made so that he couldn’t think and feel at the same time? He guessed she could sense his tension because she was sitting quietly, watching him work. Could she see the slight tremble in his hands? When had he ever been so nervous?
He sang every tune he knew to prevent his body from getting harder. Nothing was working. Sweat beaded his forehead and his throat constricted. And when he finally had the wrap in place, he was dizzy.
“There you are.” He hurried and stood, hoping the bulge behind his zipper wasn’t as noticeable as it felt. “I better be going. You stay here. Rest those hands.”
He was still breathing heavy when he walked into the staff building ten minutes later. Chase, Maverick, Dade, and Cole were sitting at the table. Damn. He hoped they didn’t see that he wasn’t himself.
“A picture of SpongeBob? You got a tattoo of a cartoon character?”
Jace heard Maverick and turned to the group after pouring a large cup of coffee. “Who the hell got a tattoo of a sponge?”
Chase grinned and nodded toward Cole. “There’s the man.”
Sitting in the available chair, Jace eased back into the wood and gave Cole a shake of his head. “Damn. What happened to getting a simple ‘Mom’ written across your chest? Or a cowboy hat and rope. A cross. Maybe even your initials. But a cartoon character? Where’d you get it? On your ass?”
Cole stood, turned and lifted his shirt to show off the still-red, hand-sized SpongeBob inked design. “It’s my favorite cartoon. I watched it growing up and it means something to me. He brought me a lot of laughter.”
The cowboys looked to each other and then, in unison, broke out into laughter, receiving a frown from Cole who dropped back down into his chair. “What the fuck do you boys know anyhow? Bulls, lassoes, and shit ain’t my thing. Don’t mess with the Sponge!”
“Look,” Dade leaned forward, “it’s your body. You can do whatever the hell you like, but I have to tell you, bro, SpongeBob’s eyes aren’t green. They’re blue.”
“What?” Cole shifted, his mouth thinning. “No, they’re green.”
“Tell him, Jace,” Dade said.
“How the hell do I know? While you boys were watching cartoons, I was doing manly things like riding my bike, throwing a football—”
“And getting rejected by beautiful blondes,” Maverick pounded Jace on the back.
He shot a glance toward Chase who gave a small shrug of his shoulders.
“Damn. Ain’t anything sacred around here?” Jace sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“I had to tell them the story about you passing out on top of her and that it was only right you made amends, which by the way, working a guest so hard they get blisters isn’t what I had in mind.” Chase scrubbed his jaw.
Jace removed his hat and placed it on the table. “First, how many times have you dumbasses been rejected?” They each turned away or looked down. “Yeah, I thought so. And as far as working her hard, I didn’t realize I was working her to the point of blisters. I stopped in and made sure she was okay and told her to rest her hands.”
“I bet you did.” Cole snorted.
Not allowing the man to ruffle his feathers, Jace instead took a long drink of his coffee, feeling the burn all the way into his gut.
“Well, if it’s too much of a hardship, let ol’ Cole here show her around Nirvana.” The cowboy blew on his knuckles and swiped them on his shirt.
Jace winced. “If I wanted her gone, I’d suggest sending you, the one with the SpongeBob tattoo, her way. The only thing you’re missing, gigolo, is the gold chain.”
“Am I going to be the brunt of all jokes from now on?” Cole frowned.
“I don’t know. Are you always going to think that you’re God’s gift to women?” Maverick raised an eyebrow.
This brought more chuckles from the men. Cole didn’t respond, proving he couldn’t deny the accusation.
Cole was an okay guy, but at times, he lacked a filter and made it easy for Jace and the others to joke with him.
“Am I missing something?” Moon stepped in, grabbed a cup and poured herself some coffee.
“Cole went and got himself a purty tat. Show her, buddy,” Dade urged.
Cole blew out a long breath before he laid his curious gaze on Moon. “Do you like SpongeBob?”
Her brows scrunched. “The cartoon? I haven’t watched it.”
Cole’s shoulders slumped. Although he seemed to dislike Moon, and vice versa, he had a feeling the cowboy had a thing for her. Sexual interest could make a man do stupid—very stupid—things. Jace was a perfect example of this fact. Every time he was around Jessa he did something crazier than the time before, most recently getting a hard on while he bandaged her hands. Yeah…dumbass action for sure.
Moon laid a hand on Jace’s chair. “Has anyone seen Cam?”
“Doc Cam?”
She nodded.
Chase shrugged. “Don’t have a clue. Is everything okay?”
She nodded again. “Just checking. I’ll see you boys later.”
“Alright, enough chit-chat. Let’s get busy. I’ve got new hands to train,” Chase said as he stood.
The cowboys followed suit, leaving Jace alone with his thoughts. Finishing his coffee, he washed his cup, then stepped outside, glad to see the rain was gone and the sun was shining. His gaze involuntarily turned toward the lane that would take him to Jessa’s cabin. Why did he have an urge to go back and ask her to lunch? Ask if she wanted to check on the ewes and babies with him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like eating alone, or that he needed help doing his c
hores, but the truth was, he enjoyed her company yesterday. He liked how she made him feel, even though he wasn’t quite sure how exactly that was. He could almost forget that he swore he wouldn’t have any interest in her. He was quickly losing the battle between logic and emotion.
Climbing into his Gator, he drove toward the administrative building and strolled in. Jennifer popped her head up from the computer screen. “What’s up, Jace?”
“Can you do me a favor? Have pain killers and an ice pack sent to Jessa Garvey’s cabin.”
“Sure thing.” The woman made a note.
“Also, schedule a massage with Susie for her too.”
Jennifer smiled and winked. “I’ll do that right away.”
Jace wasn’t sure why Jennifer seemed to know something that he didn’t, but he wasn’t about to ask. Instead, he left the building and made a mental note of the chores for the day. He’d do anything to keep himself busy…and to take his mind off Jessa.
The radio sitting on the passenger seat came alive with static. “Jace?” It was Jennifer.
He pressed a button. “Jace here.”
“I just got a call from Jessa Garvey. She spotted a snake in her cabin. Can you help with that?”
He swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected to see her so soon. “Sure thing. I’m on my way.” Placing his radio back on the seat, he drove the Gator toward Jessa’s cabin, preparing himself to look for a snake and not opportunities to sneak a kiss.
Jessa was on the porch when he pulled up. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked relieved when he approached her. “I’m sorry, Jace. I know you have work to do, but there’s a snake in my cabin. It looks dark. And slimy.”
He pressed his hat on his head. “Where did you see it?”
They both slowly stepped into the cabin and she pointed to the bed.
“There.”
Finding snakes in a cabin didn’t happen often, but on occasion they were called in to the rescue. Jace didn’t mind coming to Jessa’s rescue. Anything to be near her. He snuck a glance over her, liking how the short sundress showed off her long, slender legs.
She cleared her throat. “Snake, Jace.”
Damn. His mind was out of control.
Bending beside the bed, he peeked under and found nothing but a couple of dust bunnies. In fact, he searched every nook and cranny and still came up empty. “Sorry, Jessa. Are you sure you saw a snake?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She blinked. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
“Of course.” But he wasn’t sure. There weren’t many places a snake could hide.
She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot lightly. “Do you think I called you here for another reason?” Her eyes dazzled.
“No.” A man could wish though. “Maybe it slithered out the door when we weren’t looking. Maybe it’s still here.”
She paled, glancing a frantic look around. “It’s probably watching us.”
He found her cute. “It’s probably more afraid of us than we are of it.”
“Are you saying that to make me feel better?”
“Pretty much.”
Shaking her head, she unfolded her arms and stared up at him. “I’ve been around snakes before, I just don’t wish to share my cabin with them.”
He nodded. “Don’t blame you.” He shifted his boots and took a step for the door. The next thing he knew, Jessa was screaming and jumping toward him, almost barreling him over. He caught his balance and wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her. “What is it?” He looked down into her panicked expression.
“I-I just saw it. Look! There it is.”
Jace followed where she pointed. The pale milk snake slithered along the floor. “Don’t move,” he whispered.
“Does it bite? Will it kill us?” She clung to him tightly.
“Although that slippery sucker can deliver a painful bite, it’s not venomous. Now just easily step back and let me handle this.” She hesitated, but finally removed her arms from his waist and stepped back to the wall. He scanned the room for something long to assist the snake out the door. Grabbing the poker from the fireplace hearth, he slowly made his way toward the snake who obviously already had its eye on the exit.
“Be careful,” Jessa warned.
“No worries. I will be.”
“This isn’t like riding a bull. That snake’ll not take eight seconds to snag you.”
“I hear you.”
“He looks like a mean one. I told you what I saw.”
“Jessa?” He took another step.
“Yes?”
“Although I’m very flattered that you’re concerned about my safety, it might be best for you to not make this any worse.” Sweat beaded on his brow.
“Okay. Sorry. I tend to ramble when I get nervous.”
Quickly and accurately, he slid the tip of the poker up and under the belly of the snake and gave it a good toss through the open doorway, then kicked the door closed.
“Thank you so much, Jace.” Jessa was against him, hugging him tightly. He looked down at her, his heart beating wildly. She was the prettiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
“I just did my job,” he muttered. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and allow things to happen, but because he wanted it so much, it scared him—the man who wasn’t supposed to ever be scared. Suicide didn’t even get this same reaction from him.
Her sweet expression grabbed him right in the gut. Her lips were slightly parted and the strongest urge raced through him to kiss her. But if he did, he wouldn’t stop. “Jessa…?”
“Jace?” His name dripped off her tongue with the smoothness of fine wine.
“I should go. I have chores to get to.” Damn. Again…stupid. Why not just kiss her? That’s what he wanted and he was certain she wanted it too. Her eyes practically begged for him to make a move.
“Oh, okay.” She dropped her arms and took a step away from him, her face flushed. “Thank you again. Will I see you later?”
He moved passed her, pausing at the door. “I asked Jennifer to have pain killers and an ice pack brought up for you. Use both. It’ll help. Rest today.”
“Jace?”
“Yes?”
“I think you have something that belongs to me.” She pointed to the poker he still held tightly in his grip.
He handed it over and hurried away from a candied web that he’d almost lost himself to.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jessa was still catching her breath from the sprint down the hill as she opened the door and climbed into the passenger side of the truck. Jace sat behind the steering wheel, looking at her with a narrowed gaze. Would he continue to pretend he didn’t hear her yelling for him?
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“Hello, Jessa. Need a lift somewhere?”
“No. Are you going to answer me?” She hadn’t followed him all the way from the archery arena to allow him to brush her off.
“I’m not avoiding you.” She sighed and he shook his head. “Okay. Maybe I am.”
“Why?” She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling her racing heart.
“How are your hands?”
She blinked. “My hands are fine. Do you think I’ll give up without an answer?”
He stilled and met her gaze for a heartbeat. She read the tension in him. “You’re here to relax. You don’t need me around disturbing the peace.”
“Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“I’m not buying it. Is it because you were turned on while taking care of my wounds? Or that we almost kissed when you caught the snake?”
His chin came around. “What?”
“Come on, Jace. It was obvious.” She had wanted him to do more than fix her hands and catch a snake. “I practically threw myself at you. Well, actually, I did.”
“I just seem to keep making a fool of myself around you.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose.
“I’d like to think of it
more as chemistry instead of foolish behavior. You haven’t taken any loopy pills again, have you?” He shook his head. “Well then, I’d say we’re safe that you won’t make a spectacle of yourself.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad you realize I was indeed loopy at the fairgrounds.” He brushed the back of his knuckles along his cheek. “I’m trying to live down the fact that I made an idiot of myself.”
She could see that he was uncomfortable. “How about we call a truce? You forgive me for the past and I’ll forgive you for groping me. Deal?”
He smiled. And so did she.
“I’ve got to go,” he said.
“Where are you headed?” The rain started, pelting the window and they quickly fogged.
Pulling off his hat, he placed it beside them on the seat. “I have an errand to run.”
“An errand?”
“Are you always so pushy?”
“Pretty much.”
He gave a small shrug. “If you must know, I have a friend that lives close and I drive out to check on him once a week. He’s alone since he lost his wife and he doesn’t have any other family.”
“So, it’s nice to know you don’t live under a rock out here at Nirvana after all.”
Jace quirked a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“There’s not one TV here. Not one newspaper. And you actually do have friends outside of this ranch.”
“There are newspapers, if you ask for one, but most people come here to get away from civilization for a short time.”
She thrummed her fingers on the door. “I could get used to this peace and quiet.”
“Oh? You’d give up the spotlight? All your die-hard fans asking for autographs?”
“Good question, and yet I don’t have the answer. I mean, it has crossed my mind once or twice, just to work on my music off-stage.”
“The entourage in the rodeo circuit isn’t as huge as your following, but as much as we love our fans, we miss being normal. At least I did.”
“Exactly, believe it or not, but I hate seeing my personal life blasted across every rag out there. Most of the time they take a truth the size of a grain of salt and blow it up into a mountain.”
Cowboys Forgive (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 8) Page 7