“That’s Alex.” Damon glanced in her direction then back to Drake. “She’s working her internship here at the ranch. She’s a veterinary science major from Texas A&M.”
“Oh.” Drake tried to sound uninterested, but his voice cracked and he quickly cleared his throat.
Damon headed toward the chute. “Come on. Let’s see what’s going on.”
Drake just wanted to see Alex close up. As far as the cow and Drew, well, he’d pass. Making his way closer, he waited for Drew to smart off, but he didn’t. The man was all business and worked the chute, squeezing the cow between the walls and tilting her on her side so they could look at her hoof. Drake had never seen such a piece of equipment.
“Drew, we’re going to have to cut out this part of her hoof here. There’s a little abscessing and infection. What’s her weight?” Alex asked in complete business mode, not even noticing the audience.
“Twelve hundred eighty,” Drew replied as he leaned back to check the scale weight.
“All right. I’ll need sixty-four cc’s of oxytetracycline.” Alex spoke with authority as she continued to study the injured limb.
Drew took his orders well, impressing the hell out of Drake. He did begin to get a little queasy watching Alex cut and clean out the bad part of the cow’s hoof. Why in the world such a beauty would want to do something so disgusting was beyond him.
“Here’s the culprit.” Alex smiled as she pulled a long thorn out of the cow’s hoof.
“We’ve got to get those damn locust trees cut down. This is the third incident with them this year already.” Damon gave Alex a pat on the back. “I’m seriously considering keeping you here after your internship is over, sweetie.”
Alex laughed with a hint of sarcasm. “You two don’t need me. I’ve learned more from you in the last two months than I’ve learned all year.” She smiled sweetly with her pink lips quirked up into a cute grin.
When they finished cleaning out the hoof, Alex wrapped it and proceeded to give the cow the injection she’d requested from Drew. Drake just watched, fascinated as Alex finished up and washed her hands under the water hose Drew held for her.
Damon caught him watching. “Cute, isn’t she?” He grinned and elbowed him in the ribs.
Drake groaned and doubled over in pain. Damon managed to find his two cracked ribs.
“Shit, man, I’m sorry.” Damon offered his hand to help steady him.
Drew turned around after hearing the commotion. “What the fuck’s wrong with him?” He pointed and gave a chuckle.
Damon glared. “Apparently corvettes don’t fly.”
“Seriously? That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard!” Drew laughed, having a great time at his expense. “Well, easy come, easy go,” he added to rub the salt into the wound a little more.
“Do we have a muzzle for this asshole?” Drake finally stood upright with his hackles up.
Drew bowed up and Damon pushed him back a step. “Don’t start. I don’t have time for adolescent bullshit.”
“Fine, I’ve got to go anyway. Liv will be home soon.” Drew eyed Drake as he walked away.
Damon sighed, looking a little put out with Drew. “Sorry about that, Alex. I’d like you to meet our brother, Drake.”
Alex smiled and looked a little confused, but shook his hand before returning to her work. “Nice to meet you.”
“Drake, if you don’t mind, give Alex a hand while I go talk with our brother.”
“No problem.” Drake began picking up the used syringe. He turned to Alex. “Let me know what you need me to do.”
Alex began rinsing off her tools. “Well, you can lower the cow back down and let her out into the corral.”
Drake looked over at the mechanical contraption with all the levers and knobs. He figured she might as well have asked him to build a rocket to go to the moon in, because he had no idea how to do that either.
Alex gave him a sly smile and dried her hands off on her jeans. “City boy. I should have known. The loafers were a dead giveaway.” She chuckled and began moving one of the levers, tilting the cow back to a standing position. With another lever, the chute released and opened, allowing the cow to slowly lumber out the other side.
“Sorry, normally I’m known to be good with my hands. Some say great.” Drake flashed her a cocky grin.
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” She rolled her eyes, a stunt that Drake didn’t miss.
Huh, outside of one woman lately, most women swooned over him. His charm seemed to be malfunctioning along with his life. He decided to back off a little. “Anything else?”
“No, city boy. I think I’ve got it covered.” Alex reached for the syringe in his hand. “I just need to sterilize this.”
Great, way to go dumbass. Drake turned and started to walk away with his hands in his pocket. City boy? She’s already given me a nickname!
“Hey, city boy,” he heard her call, stopping him in his tracks. He turned back toward her. “Come on, I’ll show you how to sterilize equipment.” She gave a heavy sigh, waving for him to follow her like she really didn’t want to.
Watching Alex work was the highlight of his day. Just listening to her sweet voice soothed him. Her eyes were a warm chocolate hue, outlined with thick black lashes. She had sultry bedroom eyes, the type that captivated him, pulling him in with their innocence. Her smile was warm, but hinted of mischief. She was definitely the type of woman he’d make a play for, but there was more to her than sexy features. She was also very bright and intelligent. Veterinary school, from what he understood, was about as difficult as medical school, maybe more so. It was obvious that she had love for animals when she knelt down to scratch an old dog on the head and softly talk to him.
The woman was way out of his league all the way around. He was accustomed to city women playing around with their daddy’s money, living life in the fast lane. Party girls were what he called them, and for him, they were the easiest to lure into bed. But Alex, wow, she was a country girl, and one that would provide much more of a challenge. A woman with a brain was sexy. Combine that with her curvy body, nice sculpted ass and…
“Hey, city boy. My eyes are up here.” Alex effectively pulled him out of his thoughts and inappropriate gazing.
Drake poked his hands in his pockets and averted his eyes. “Sorry, I was captivated by your beauty.”
Alex appraised him with a look of disgust. “I hope you don’t think that shit works on me, city boy.”
Strike two! “I don’t guess I know what you’re talking about.” He tried to cover his failed pick up line.
“Tell me city boy, does that shit work on women where you come from?” She cocked her head to the side and studied him for a moment with her hands on her hips. Her full and pouty lips showed no sign of humor.
“Wow, now that you put it that way, yes.” He had to chuckle. Damn, she was good, and he was a glutton for punishment.
“Well, it doesn’t work on me, so cut it out.” She shook her head before leaving him standing in the barn alone.
Ouch.
Later that evening, Drake was blessed with a good home-cooked meal. Regan was a sweetheart, and he could see the love Damon had for her with each glance, and each word he exchanged with her.
Drake sat back and watched, enjoying seeing two people who were genuinely in love. It was obvious and very refreshing. Those were the type of looks he didn’t recall seeing between his mother and his father. Not that they had a regular relationship, just weekend visits. At times his mother did travel with his father. Those times apparently were when his father’s wife, Evelyn, wasn’t aware or didn’t go herself. It had been hard for Drake to watch at times, knowing that his mother loved his father and could never truly have him for her own.
Sometimes late at night, Drake remembered hearing her softly cry after he left. He never understood why she stuck with him, or why she never found a man that could give her all of himself instead of a couple of weekends a month and infrequent visits. Now, he understood
the reason she did. His mother wanted him to know his father and would do whatever it took to keep him a part of his life, stealing moments that were in all honesty another woman’s.
“So, Drake, what did you think of the ranch on your tour today? Have you ever spent much time away from the city?” Regan asked while cutting into her pork chop.
“It was very nice, peaceful. I’ve never been out of the city much, so it’s been a pleasant change of scenery,” Drake answered between bites.
“I know what you mean. I felt the same way after my first trip out here.” Regan grinned like she was reminiscing.
“So, you’re—” Drake began to ask, but was interrupted.
“Yeah, I’m a city girl. I have two floral shops in Dallas. Maybe you’ve heard of them, What Women Want.”
“Yeah”—Drake chuckled—“I’ve ordered flowers for my mom and grandmother from there a couple of times. They really enjoyed them.”
Regan gave him a warm smile with her bright-green eyes lighting up. “Great, that’s really nice to hear. Often times I don’t get much feedback, so I love to hear it,” she admitted and scooped up some mashed potatoes.
They continued to eat while making small talk. Drake was really enjoying the light conversation. He especially enjoyed the fact that Drew wasn’t there. He couldn’t hold much against the guy, except for the fact that he was an asshole of course. Really, he was more interested in learning more about Alex, not that he didn’t love the fact that Regan was a city girl, because he did. Maybe there was hope for him, he considered, and continued to enjoy dinner.
“What’s the story with Alex?” Drake was unable to keep the question in any longer.
“Oh, sweetie pie. Yeah, she’s finishing up her internship here. I’m going to hate to see her go.” Regan smiled fondly as if thinking about her.
“My wife wants to keep her. They’ve become close,” Damon interrupted.
“I can’t help it. She’s like the little sister I never had.” Regan blushed and gave Damon a smack on the arm.
Drake nodded and continued to eat. He didn’t want to give away his intrigue. “Regan, dinner was fantastic.” He wiped his mouth. Takeout and microwave dinners made up his usual diet the last year, except for dinners with his grandmother. It made him think of his mother, her cooking. No, he reminded himself, he didn’t need to go there. It hurt too damn bad.
After dinner, Drake excused himself and walked outside into humid night air. From what he understood, most nights Drew, Liv, and Alex all came for dinner. It seemed that Drew decided to skip tonight and invite Alex to his place. Dick. He sure hoped the mess between him and Drew would get better, or his time on the ranch would prove to be miserable at best.
Today wasn’t a total loss though. He and Damon seemed to be getting to know each other better, and Drake was beginning to really like the guy. As for Regan, well, she was a sweetheart. He instantly liked her.
Drake took a deep breath and was reminded of his cracked ribs. Yeah, it was time to take his meds and put his day to rest.
Chapter 4
Drake awoke to the sound of footsteps creaking just outside his door. He glanced over at the clock, wondering what time it was. Six thirty. He couldn’t remember the last time he got up this early. Looking toward the window, he caught the soft light of the rising sun. Friggin’ early birds. He rolled over before remembering that Damon and Regan’s bedroom was on the first floor. Who was up there? And why?
Getting out of bed, Drake padded to the door with a yawn, curiosity getting the better of him. Surely it wasn’t Alex. Or was it? He didn’t know where she stayed on the ranch. As large as it was, he assumed there was a guesthouse or something. Across the hall, he could see the light peek out from under the door of the bathroom. The shower turned on and interest held him there. Minutes ticked by as he stood, leaned against the wall. He was still sleepy, almost wishing he’d have rolled over and went back to sleep. His curiosity won.
The shower finally shut off minutes later, and Drake blinked his eyes open, trying to wake back up after dozing off. He swayed slightly and blinked again. Damn powerful painkillers anyway, he thought, and he rubbed his weary eyes. There were some things a body shouldn’t ingest, badass painkillers being one of them, but the pain got to be more than he could handle the night before. Hopefully, he would heal fast so he wouldn’t need them anymore.
When the door creaked and opened, he was suddenly wide awake with anticipation. Alex stepped out with a towel wrapped around her, another on her head.
She squealed when she noticed him and jumped back. “God almighty!” She clutched her towel tight with droplets of water speckling across her chest. “Why are standing there?” she grumbled and softly cursed under her breath.
Drake chuckled. “Why are you up at the crack of dawn?”
Alex glared. “I have work to do.”
“The sun’s not even up yet.” Drake motioned toward the window in his room.
“It will be.” She stomped past him toward the door down the hall.
“You’re sexy when you’re mad,” Drake called and heard her complain with a loud grrrr. He couldn’t help but laugh while turning to go back into his room. He was suddenly wide awake, ready to start his day as well. A plan already began to brew in his mind. Today, he planned on winning her over, well, maybe wear her down might be more like it, he thought with a smile. He picked up a change of clothes and headed toward the bathroom.
* * * *
Alex listened for the door in the bathroom to shut before she took a deep breath, leaning back against the wall with her heart thundering in her chest. What was that guy doing to her? After her initial surprise, heat swirled in the untouched region between her legs. She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering how he looked standing there, confidently leaned back against the wall, wearing nothing but his boxers. Her mouth went dry, and she struggled to swallow after noticing the bulge beneath the thin cotton fabric. It was unnerving to say the least. To see a bare chest, better yet, a nice, sculpted bare chest at eye level stopped her dead in her tracks. His wicked, playful smile warned her, promising her a night she’d never forget. She couldn’t get started on his blue eyes, no, and not to mention he looked so much like his fabulous-looking brothers.
“Get a grip and pull your head out, girl. He’s bad news, just like Drew said,” she whispered to herself while pulling out a pair of panties from her drawer. There was no time for romance in her schedule, nor sex. Well, maybe sex. “No, I don’t need trouble this close to finishing my internship.” She continued to deny her needs. It had been easy to be around Damon and Drew, because one was married and the other seriously involved. They had become older brothers to her now, very cute older brothers, and she adored the women in their lives. But it had been so long since she had been close to a guy that made her feel a giddy rush of excitement. The previous day being around Drake ate away her self control. Drake was definitely hard to ignore, and it had been even harder to be so cold and rude to him when her body willed her forward.
Alex had put all of her effort into completing her degree in veterinary science. The course work was grueling at times, and also very demanding. Men didn’t fit into her schedule, period. But wow, she thought again, pulling her jeans up. I work hard, have been working hard. I deserve at least one night of gratifying sex. Don’t I?
“Alex, no, just no.” She spoke softly and slid her feet into her boots and pulled the hem of her jeans down over them. Today, she had too much going on to even consider the possibilities. There were a couple of heifers about to calve that she had to look in on in case they needed assistance. Then there was the cow with the hurt hoof. Damon planned to work the weaning calves as well. “Nope, no time for foolishness.”
After brushing out her hair and twisting it up, Alex picked up her cell and headed for the door. She could already smell bacon cooking downstairs. Regan was off today, she remembered, feeling terribly for not getting downstairs sooner to help out.
Out in the hall, s
he began to walk, noting that Drake was in the bathroom. Before she could get past the door, he opened it up, standing with a towel slung low on his waist. She stopped, unable to keep from staring. Water droplets still clung to his tan skin, slowly rolling over each defined muscle and lower, trailing down to unknown territory. Her mouth went dry again, and she swallowed hard. Lord have mercy, she thought and cleared her throat. “Breakfast smells great. I’ll, uh. I’ll see you downstairs.”
Drake grinned, apparently noticing her eyes taking him in. “Hmm, I’d like to skip breakfast and go right to dessert.” He stepped closer, causing her to back up a step.
She let out a nervous laugh. “No one has dessert after breakfast.”
“I’d like to.” He moved a little closer, making her breaths become fast and closer together.
Alex moved to walk around him. “Well, maybe Regan has something sweet downstairs.”
“I’ve already seen what I want.” He spoke in a serious tone, danger hanging on every word, warning her, yet intriguing her.
Unable to effectively comment, Alex brushed past him, hurrying with each step. Danger, run. As her boots clicked down the stairs, she could have sworn she heard him laugh. What an ass.
“Good morning, Regan,” Alex announced when she reached the landing. “Sorry I didn’t get down and help you earlier.” Alex put on a smile and tried to calm her shaky hands.
“I’m actually early. I couldn’t sleep. The press conference is today.” Regan pulled a cup from the cabinet.
“Press conference?” Alex asked, not sure of what she was talking about.
Drake [The Texas Senator's Sons 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 3