Roped Into You

by Marie Rochelle

  Leila watched as Clayton tossed the contract on the table beside him and then realized there was nothing left for her, so she turned to leave but was stopped before she took two steps.

  “How is Sam doing this morning? Did you get a chance to talk to her before her tutor came? I was busy in the study, so I haven’t seen her this morning.”

  Turning back around, Leila looked at Clayton wondering what was really going on in that head of his about her working here. He seemed fine on the outside, but she got a sense something more was going on inside his mind.

  “Yes, we had breakfast together and after Samantha’s tutor leaves she‘s going to show me around the ranch. I think she had a favorite animal here she wants me to see,” Leila answered.

  “Yeah, it’s a new pony I got for her a couple of days before you came. She loves it to death.” A sudden smile lit up his handsome face. “How was your room? Do you need me to get you anything else? I’m going into town in a couple of days to load up on supplies for Blue Horn. So, if you need something just make a list and bring it to me.”

  Leila thought she already had brought everything from home that she needed, but she didn’t want to insult her boss by telling him that. “Thank you. If I think of anything I’ll let you know.”

  “Good,” Clayton said. “Well, I need to get back to this paper work. Have fun with the tour. I think you’ll see it totally different through her young eyes. I know that I usually do.” Spinning back around, Clayton started back looking over the papers.

  “I know I will,” Leila answered. She took one last look at Clayton and then quietly left the room shutting the door behind her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Did you know that my daddy told me when he gets some extra time he’s going to teach me how to jump?” Sam petted the Holstein pony in front of her. “I want to be a show-jumper.”

  Leila couldn’t believe the tiny girl in front of her wanted to jump horses. She was amazed at how positive Samantha seemed about her future. She hadn’t had a clue what she wanted to do when she was eight, but maybe being on the ranch had made Samantha grow up a little faster.

  “Wow...that sounds very exciting. Aren’t you nervous about jumping?” Leila knew she would be. As a child she was never that adventurous; she had been more on the studious side.

  “No.” Samantha shook her head. “I can’t wait until I go on my first jump, but Daddy told me he better not catch me trying without him or I’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

  Reaching out, Leila ran her hand down the coat of the stunning horse noticing how the dark eyes watched her with such intensity. She had been around horses a little bit back in Arizona, but not as much as she had wanted. There had been some at home, but after Tony moved away his mother sold them because she couldn’t find anyone else to help her.

  “Listen to your daddy. He’s right. You don’t need to try to jump by yourself.” Leila made a mental note to tell Mr. Moore about Samantha talking about jumping. He needed to know so he could have another talk with her.

  “Ms. Leila. Do you like to ride horses?”

  “I used to ride some back home, but I haven’t done it in a while,” Leila answered as she moved her hand off the stunning pony. He was really going to be something to look at when he was full grown. Samantha’s daddy really had a good eye. This pony might even make a good breeding horse with its powerful build and strong quarters.

  “Do you want to go riding sometime?” Samantha asked hopefully. “I know that we’ll have a lot of fun. I can take you out there by the pond and maybe we can go fishing.”

  Leila noticed how Samantha wanted to do a lot of rough and tough stuff but not a lot of girly things and she wondered why. “Let me ask your father about it first. I don’t want to agree until I get his permission first. How does that sound?”

  The happiness on the little girl’s face vanished the instant she mentioned getting permission from her father. She wondered what was going on now. One minute Samantha was full of energy and ready to go and now she was acting like her whole world had ended.

  Bending down, she looked Samantha in the eye hoping the little girl would tell her why she was so upset now. “What’s wrong? Do you think your daddy won’t let you go riding with me?”

  “He just stays so busy now with work. I doubt he’ll even remember to give you an answer. I never get to do anything because he’s always afraid something is going to happen to me. He doesn’t want to lose me like Mommy.”

  “How about we don’t think the worst until your daddy gives me an answer?” Leila asked. “Can you do that for me?’

  Samantha gave her a small smile and then nodded her head. “Okay Ms. Leila, I can do that, but I know he’s going to tell you no.”

  “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see won’t we?” Leila touched Samantha on the shoulder and then stood back up. “How about you show me the rest of the ranch? There’s still a lot of it I haven’t seen yet and then after we’re finished how about you read me one of your favorite books?’

  “Oh, I’d like that!” Samantha grinned as the light came back into her green eyes. “I love Dr. Seuss. Can I read him to you?”

  “I’d love it. Now, let’s get going.” Leila grabbed Samantha’s hand as they left the barn wondering if Mr. Moore understood how much his little girl was missing his attention.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Man, I love that we don’t have to sleep in the truck anymore,” Matt said as he relaxed on the bed completely clothed including his dusty boots. “Can you believe that last hotel we went to wanted to charge us eighty-five dollars for only two nights? I almost told that bitch were she could go when she sneered her nose up at us.”

  “I have to agree that this place isn’t too bad.” Jeff sat on the bed across from his brother.” However, it isn’t as nice as the other place with the pool, and cable inside the rooms. This place doesn’t have any cable and there isn’t a pool in sight.”

  Turning his head on the pillow, Matt glared at Jeff. “Have you forgotten the reasons why we are on this road trip?”

  “No... I haven’t. I’m going to find that bastard Clayton Moore and teach him a lesson that he’ll never forgot. You’re going after a woman who you only talked to for a couple of minutes.” Jeff tossed him a look like he had lost his mind.

  “I think my plan is going to work out better than yours. You have to know that chick isn’t going to remember you. Someone as good-looking as her isn’t going to waste her time with a grease monkey.”

  “How many fucking times do I have to tell you that I’m almost the head mechanic not a grease monkey!” Matt snapped.

  “Is there really a big difference between the two?”

  If Matt didn’t love his brother so much, he would get up off his bed and punch him in the face until he learned to show him some better respect, but he wasn’t going to do that. He was just going to let the comment go right over his head.

  “Speaking of good-looking women, did you see that blond back at the other hotel checking us out? For a minute there I thought she might come over to us.”

  Jeff grinned showing off that he was missing at least two teeth at the side of his mouth. “Yeah, she was a tight piece of ass. I was disappointed when she got into her car and drove off. It’s been a while since I’ve been with an older woman. She looked like she was primed and ready for a good riding.”

  “I would’ve let you have at her because I’m saving all of my energy for my woman. I can’t wait until I get to see her up close and personal again. I bet she’ll be even better looking than I remember her.” Matt ran his tongue across his top lip fantasizing about how it would be to kiss Leila. Without a doubt, it would be something that would always stay in the back of his mind.

  “What if she doesn’t want to be with you?” Jeff asked taking off his denim jacket and tossing it back on the bed. “What will you do to make her change her mind?”

  “I won’t have a problem making her fall for me. You know that I’m the be
tter looking brother anyways,” Matt answered. “With my good looks and charm she won’t be able to resist me; I’ll have her eating out of the palm of my hand.”

  Jeff snickered at him. “Keep believing those lies and they might just come true.”

  “How about you just shut up and try to get some sleep. We only have this room for a little while unless we find a way to get more money. I don’t want to spend them arguing with your crazy ass.”

  Matt rolled over so his back faced his brother and closed his eyes. Since he was doing more of the driving because Jeff was a speed demon, he needed to get what sleep he could. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was keep up a useless conversation with his stupid brother. Sometimes he loved Jeff but most of the time he wished that his brother would just keep his damn mouth shut.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tossing his reading glasses down on the table, Clayton rubbed his eyes. He had been working ever since six o’clock this morning on closing out a deal that would allow him to buy the property next to his ranch. He’d had his eye on the land for the past two years, but the owner was trying to play hard ball.

  Yet in the end, he’d finally quoted the number that the greedy SOB would agree to. He was going to use the extra land for another stable for his racing horses. The one he had now wasn’t big enough.

  Clayton leaned his head against the back of his chair and tried to sneak in a quick cat nap because he didn’t have any doubt that he would be in this room most of the day. He had been relaxing for about five minutes when the sounds of Sam’s screams from outside made him jump up out of his seat. He quickly rushed over to the window to see what was going on. If anyone was messing with his baby girl there was going to be hell to pay.

  Stopping in front of the window, Clayton’s mouth fell open at the sight of Leila and Sam throwing water balloons at each other in the front yard. His eyes were immediately drawn to how the white t-shirt was plastered against Leila’s beautiful brown skin. The sight of her glistening body made his cock a raging hard on in seconds. Firm, perky breasts bounced underneath her top as she ran away from his daughter trying not to get hit by the purple water balloon in her hand.

  Shit!

  My dick is so hard that it could split wood, Clayton thought as he cupped his erection in the palm of his hand. He didn’t know the last time he’d been this turned on from just looking at a woman. Leila was out there having some innocent fun and was clueless about what it was doing to him.

  His tongue ran across his top lip and he wondered if Leila’s breasts tasted as juicy and plump as they looked in that t-shirt. Right at this moment, he would give anything for a sample of them.

  The sound of someone knocking on the door shocked Clayton from his sudden erotic day dream about his new nanny. He took one last look at Leila and dropped his hand away from his erection. He couldn’t go down that road with her.

  She was his employee. He had never overstepped that line with any of his other nannies in the past. So he wasn’t about to start doing it now and after the way he reacted to Leila the first time they met, he seriously doubted that she would be interested in his sudden attraction to her.

  Moving away from the window, he took a seat behind his desk to hide his massive erection. If it didn’t go down, he might have to go upstairs and take care of it which was something he hadn’t done in years.

  “It’s open,” Clayton called out.

  Tony walked through the door and closed it behind him. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked coming across the room and taking a seat.

  Clayton wondered what was going on. Tony never made an appearance in his study during the day unless it was something really important. “Sure, what is it?”

  “I was just checking to make sure that everything was going good between you and Leila. I know that she’s only being here for a month, but I remember the concerns you had about her being a little younger than some of the nannies you’ve hired in the past.”

  Clayton was over his first impressions of Leila. He had noticed a huge change in his little girl the second day Leila showed up. He wouldn’t think about firing her now. She was fitting right in with everyone.

  He had to admit that it was nice having a woman around who wasn’t trying to get into his bed at every second too. Now, if he could only follow his own words and stop thinking about Leila in a sexual way, things might work out so much better than he first had hoped. “I thought you knew that I was over it the first day we talked,” Clayton said leaning across his desk. “I’ve noticed a change in Sam and I’m very pleased with it. I think having your sister here is a very good thing. Please don’t think I haven’t realized what an asset she’s becoming to Blue Horn ranch.”

  Grinning, Tony stood up. “Good. I was still a little worried, but after hearing this I’m not. I’ve talked to Leila and she loves it here too. I’m glad the two of you found an equal playing ground with each other.

  “Well, I better get back to work. I have to show one of the new guys how to use the rope with the Mustang. He’s still nervous about getting kicked. I told him it comes with the job.” Tony waved goodbye to him and then went out the door snapping it shut behind him.

  Clayton smiled at the closed door liking how Tony was so protective of Leila and her feelings. It was nice to see that Tony was so close to his family. He hated to admit that he would be the same way when it came to his little girl. He would do everything in his power to keep her from ever getting hurt.

  I can’t sit here all day and not get any work done.

  As he was reaching for the pen he’d tossed down earlier on his desk, Clayton suddenly noticed that the noise had stopped outside. Getting up out of his chair, he went back over to the window and noticed that Leila was coming back to the house with Sam.

  Hurrying away from the window, Clayton made his way over to his closed office door. It was past time he took a break and now seemed like as good as time as any. He was trying to convince himself that he truly wanted a break and not to see how good Leila looked in her t-shirt up close and personal.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Samantha, why don’t you go upstairs and get some dry clothes on,” Leila suggested as she stood by the bottom of the steps. She hadn’t been in a water balloon fight in years. She’d forgotten how fun acting like a child could be sometimes.

  “Okay. Ms. Leila,” Sam told her. “What are we going to do later?”

  “I’m going to check your homework and then maybe we can read a book or you can draw me one of your amazing pictures.” Leila wasn’t quite sure the next thing she would do with Samantha. All she was thinking about right now was getting out of these wet clothes.

  “Sam, what have you and Leila been up to?”

  A shiver went up Leila’s spine at the deep masculine voice behind them. She knew it was Clayton. His voice was a little sexier with its drawl than the other men who worked for him. The tone of it only added to the attractive package that he made.

  “Daddy,” Sam said running past her. “Ms. Leila and I were outside having a water balloon fight. You should have joined us. It was a lot of fun.”

  “Baby girl, I think I was better off inside. It looks like the two of you are soaked to the bone, but it sounds like you had a lot of fun. Did you have fun Leila?”

  She hated the way it seemed like Clayton’s voice got deeper any time he said her name. It could be her imagination, but she didn’t believe it was. She didn’t want to turn around and answer him because she knew how see through her shirt was at the moment.

  Yet, she couldn’t act like she hadn’t heard her boss talking to her. Turning around slowly, Leila tried not to notice the thick chest hair peeking through the buttons that were undone on his denim shirt. Instead, she focused her attention and eyes on his beautiful eyes which might have been a bigger mistake. Because she noticed how they dropped down to her breasts and then inched their way back up her body until he was looking into her eyes again.

  “It looks like you’re ver
y wet, Leila,” Clayton said in a low voice making her pulse race.

  “Yeah, I am,” Leila quickly answered trying to calm down her pulse. “I should go upstairs and change clothes. I hate to be wet for a long period of time.”

  Clayton’s eyes grew a shade darker at her comment. “Sometimes being very wet is a good thing.”

  The comment might have gone over Samantha’s head--she was now staring intently at the two of them--but Leila knew what Clayton was telling her. Yeah, she needed to get her ass upstairs and quick before she said something she shouldn’t.

  “Sam, we should get changed. I’m sure your daddy doesn’t want you to catch a cold.” Leila reached for Samantha’s hand and walked with her towards the stairs. She didn’t dare look back at Clayton, but she felt his eyes staring into her back as she walked upstairs with his daughter.

  ****

  Leila finished drying off her body with the thick white towel and laid it to the side before she grabbed the dark blue robe off the sink and wrapped it around her. She knew that Sam was probably already dressed and looking for her downstairs, but she wasn’t ready to go down there yet and face Clayton.

  She couldn’t get over how he undressed her with his eyes when she was with him. It was hard enough fighting her own attraction towards her ultra sexy boss. Surely he knew how good he looked with his dark blond hair, dark blue eyes which were only enhanced by his naturally long black lashes and chiseled jaw bone that would make Kurt Russell jealous.

  Her boss Clayton Moore was smoking hot and she had been thinking about how it would be to kiss him. God, she couldn’t let her thoughts keep trailing down this path or it wasn’t going to turn out good for either one of them. Especially after the comment Clayton tossed at her before she left with Sam to come upstairs.

  For this past month, she had thought her desire for him had been one-sided, but it seemed like he was as drawn to her as she was to him. She didn’t know how it came to light. One day she hated the sight of him because he was hollering at her and now she was dreaming about how he would look naked in her bed.