Especially since that scare back at her hotel room. The look of surprise mixed with panic when he’d shown up at her door an hour early had stunned him. Not because of her surprise. He was early. It should’ve surprised her. His concern was the panic that flickered swiftly through her normally clear gaze. He got the instant sense she was hiding something. Between the interrogations he’d conducted and the amount of people he’d encountered while in the service, he knew when someone had a secret.
Beth had a secret.
But when she’d gone on to explain she had plans to meet her brother for lunch, he accepted the explanation. For the most part. Somewhere in the back of his mind his instincts whispered there was more, but then she’d invited him to join them. So the guy had to really be her brother and not a secret lover. She wouldn’t have invited him along if she’d had something to hide. And he’d tested her by offering to go and come back, but she’d physically grabbed him and made him stay to meet the guy, so he had to be her brother and not a lover.
It was damn confusing. And his feelings for her didn’t help. They were strong and intensifying the more time they spent together. And killing his brain cells. Christ. Maybe he wasn’t looking at things straight. He needed to get an unbiased opinion. If the niggling continued, he’d have to ask his brother’s advice.
Right now, though, things were great. Her gaze wasn’t clouded with secrets. It was clear and the way it lit up whenever she glanced at him strengthened his growing feelings for the woman.
“I was just on my way inside to meet Jovy for lunch. You two want to join us?” Stone bounced his gaze between them. “She’s excited to meet you, Beth.”
His angel smiled. “I’m dying to meet her. I’d love to pick her brain for my upcoming business classes this fall.”
“Well, as soon as you mention that to her, my brother and I won’t get a word in edgewise.” Stone laughed.
Brick had planned a private picnic lunch, but maybe this would be better. Give his brother a chance to evaluate his angel. See if he was imagining things, or perhaps pick up on things Brick was too blinded by lust and his feelings to catch.
“Sure.” He nodded. “We were going to have a picnic lunch, but I can always bring Beth back.”
For a split second, her smile appeared to freeze as a flicker of doubt skittered through her gaze, but then it was gone, and her expression was clear and genuine. “I’d like that.”
And he’d love to know if he was going crazy. Or just crazy about her. Tightening his grip on her hip, he enjoyed the way her curves brushed his body as they followed his brother through the side door into the kitchen.
Vince glanced up from the center island where he was slicing thin pieces off a hunk of beef that smelled so good Brick’s mouth watered. “Hey, you’re early. As soon as I’m done with this I’ll get your picnic packed up.” The Italian stallion’s smile widened when he spotted Beth. “Hello, I’m Vince. You must be Beth. I need to shake your hand.” The goof came over to do just that. “It’s great to finally meet the woman who captured Romeo’s heart. For a while there, we weren’t sure he had one. Or a monogamist bone. But you seemed to have found both.”
Jesus. If the asshole didn’t zip it, he was going to find a big fist down his big mouth.
Beth laughed and pressed closer, glancing up to meet his gaze. “Good to know, because I really don’t like to share.”
“Me, either.” He studied her face, watching for any evidence of doubt or guilt, but none came. If anything, his words appeared to solidify her happy expression, increasing the warmth in her eyes.
God, he could get lost in them. So damn lost. But perhaps not in the middle of the kitchen with an audience.
“Is Jovy out in the dining room?” Stone broke the silence.
Vince nodded, heading back to the center island. “Yeah. She came in here for some iced tea a minute ago. I told her to take the whole pitcher. Go ahead and join her. I’ll bring your lunch out as soon as I get Brick’s packed up.”
“Hold off on that,” he said. “Beth and I decided to eat ours here. So you can just bring it all out when you’re ready.”
She released him to step toward the counter. “Do you need any help? I’d be happy to take something out with me.”
“Aw, that’s sweet, but no, thank you.” Vince shook his head. “It’s part of what I do here and I enjoy it. You go on and relax with the others.”
“Yeah, I’m surprised he didn’t shoo us out of here already.” Brick chuckled, setting a hand low on her back to usher her into the other room.
As soon as they entered, Jovy jumped to her feet and rushed to kiss his brother…for more than several seconds. Beth turned to him and raised a brow while she grinned.
“You’ll have to excuse them.” He held out his arm for her to hold as she climbed over the bench to sit. “They haven’t seen each other in four hours.”
She chuckled. “How ever did they manage?”
“No idea.” He laughed as he settled next to her.
“We’re smitten, not deaf.” Stone grinned, helping Jovy retake her seat across from them. “Beth, this is my better half, Jovy. Jovy, this is Beth.”
Brick watched the women shake hands across the table and a weird feeling washed over him. Not only was this the first time he’d brought a woman to this table before, but it was also the first time he sat across from his brother with the women they cared about at their sides.
Closest he’d ever come to a double date.
And hell, instead of it feeling stupid and ridiculous, it felt…right.
“So great to meet you, Jovy.” Beth grinned. “Did you really make a success out of a gluten-free vegan café?”
Jovy laughed. “Yes, but I had help, including a handsome cowboy who brought his men in and made them eat lunch.”
“Now, wait a minute, sweetheart. I didn’t make them do anything.” Stone held up his hands, bullshitting his innocence. “They enjoyed the food. Give yourself some credit.”
Jovy gazed up at his brother with adoration oozing from every pore…kind of like Stone gazing at Jovy. “Aww, see why I love you?”
Brick poured out three glasses of iced tea and topped off Jovy’s. Maybe they should’ve gone on that picnic. He’d much rather be looking at Beth that way instead of watching his brother make googly eyes at his woman.
Brushing his hand, Beth accepted her glass and her gaze found his. “Thanks.”
Warmth from her touch and gaze flowed through Brick, causing the world to shrink. “Anytime, angel.”
“Aww, isn’t that sweet, Stone? He called her angel.” Jovy’s voice broke through his haze.
He watched a flush rush into Beth’s cheeks as she sipped her drink. Sometimes she was so damn beautiful it hurt.
“Okay, lunch is served.” Vince entered, carrying a tray with plates of sizzling beef, chicken, salad, potatoes, and corn on the cob.
Brick’s stomach dutifully growled. Not as loud as Jovy’s.
“Sorry not sorry.” The woman shrugged. “What can I say? I’m addicted to Vince’s meat.”
His brother’s head jerked back and his chin hit his chest, while Vince smiled broadly and puffed his out.
“I get that a lot.” The Italian stallion winked before heading back into the kitchen.
“He better not be getting anything from…”
Jovy silenced his brother with a finger to his lips. “Now, honey, you know I didn’t mean it that way. Yours is the only meat on my menu.”
Holy shit. Were they always this embarrassing, or had he just never cared before?
Both.
Torn between amusement and disgust, Brick chanced a glance at Beth to find her shaking as she laughed under her breath.
Thank God.
He smiled and passed her an empty plate. “This place is full of entertainment.”
“I love it. My kind of place.” Her lips remained upturned while she helped herself to salad and chicken. “This smells amazing.”
“I
know, right?” Jovy eagerly loaded her plate with the same. “Just, whatever you do, don’t say Vince’s meat tastes amazing, because I don’t think the Mitchum brothers would approve.”
Hell no. Just the thought of his woman spouting words about another man’s meat sent a tightening across Brick’s chest.
His woman?
He sat stunned for a second. Was Beth his woman? Did he want her to be?
She laughed and the lighthearted tinkling sound sent a round of shivers over his skin.
Yes. Yes, he did. He hadn’t realized how much until that moment.
While he let that sink in, he ate and listened to the conversation, marveling at how well Beth fit in at the ranch. She hadn’t been at all awkward around the disabled veterans when they’d passed a few sitting under a grove of trees on their tour earlier. No gawking or making a wide berth to avoid the area. She’d just nodded and said hello if they looked her way, and continued to walk alongside him.
“So, Beth, my brother tells me you’re in Braxton on business?” Stone glanced up from his nearly finished plate, and Brick could’ve sworn he felt a slight stiffening at his side.
“Yes.” She held his brother’s gaze, and not once did she glance down or to the side, which would’ve been a dead ringer for keeping secrets. “I work for an event planner and am currently coordinating two events.”
Maybe he imagined the stiffening. That was probably what happened.
Jesus. He hated being so damn suspicious. It wasn’t often he got time off like this during the middle of the week and he didn’t want his doubts to ruin their day.
“Event planning sounds like a lot of work, but exciting,” Jovy chimed in.
She nodded. “It is. Both.”
“Beth is going to college this fall to finish out her business degree so someday she could start her own business.” Brick placed his hand on her leg under the table, and she immediately leaned closer.
“Oh my God.” Jovy inhaled. “Now that’s exciting. What courses are you taking?”
“Brick,” Stone said, setting his fork down. “While the ladies are discussing business, why don’t you come to the office? I want to show you something.”
“Okay.” He stood and nodded to the ladies before following his brother out of the room and down the hall, confident Beth wouldn’t feel like he’d abandoned her. She seemed to get on well with Jovy.
Who hadn’t the incredible woman gotten along with?
No one.
“What’s up?” He walked over to the old couch in the office and dropped down onto the comfortable cushions completely cleared of the mounds of receipts he and the other guys used to leave for Stone. Since Jovy took over the paperwork, the office was spotless and his cushion cleared.
“I could ask you the same?” Stone shut the door before leaning against his desk to stare straight at him. “You seem a little quiet. Anxious.” His brother frowned. “What’s bothering you?”
Perfect lead in for his plan to ask his brother’s opinion, so he explained how he’d arrived early to pick up Beth and all he’d witnessed. “Do you think I’m just being paranoid?”
“What I know is you’ve spent a few dates with her and until today, everything has been great. Trust your instincts, Brick. They’ve gotten you out of more than one hairy situation. Hell, if it wasn’t for those instincts, you’d be in the ground, not smelling up my couch.”
“So you do think she’s hiding something.”
“I didn’t say that. As far as any tells, I haven’t seen any. Nothing red-flagged me. But, I’ve only just met her. I have nothing to base anything off of. On the other hand, you need to keep in mind everyone has secrets, even you. Okay, especially you.” His brother laughed. “Remember that bar in Lima?”
Images of two naked women rubbing up against him while a third did a striptease flashed through his mind, and he grimaced.
“Yeah, that.” Stone chuckled. “Pretty sure you wouldn’t want Beth to know.”
Hell no. “But all that happened before I met her.”
“Could be the same for her. Just because she might have a secret from her past, doesn’t mean she’s trying to play you. Maybe she’s trying to protect you, ever think of that?”
“Protect me? From what?”
Stone scrubbed a hand over his face and shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe from an old boyfriend. Strict father, brother, mother. The possibilities are endless. All I’m saying is that if she has a secret, it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s keeping it to harm you.”
He blew out a breath. “True. And I might be jumping to conclusions.”
Stone straightened from the desk and nodded. “This insecurity could also stem from your commitment phobia.”
“My what?”
“Your fear of commitment. Brick, Romeo, the one date wonder. Until Beth, you never dated past one date. Ever. Not even hooking up with the same woman twice when we’d revisit a familiar bar in other countries.”
“Yeah, so, I liked to keep it uncomplicated.”
“Exactly. And there was nothing wrong with that but that’s far from your situation now, isn’t it?”
He opened his mouth to deny it, but nothing came out.
Shit.
“Yeah. I know, believe me.” Stone grinned. The bastard. “It was just a few weeks ago I stood in this office, dealing with the very same realization. How the hell did I end up in a relationship? So you need to ask yourself if you’re subconsciously looking for a way to sabotage your relationship with Beth because of your fear of commitment. That’s something only you can answer.”
Brick rose to his feet and nodded. “Good point. Thanks. I’ll have to think about that. Right now, though, we’d better get back before the girls think something’s up.” He opened the door then turned back to his brother. “Or Jovy eats more of Vince’s meat.”
“Not funny,” Stone called after him.
A grin pulled at his lips as he strode down the hall. Surprisingly, even though his brother pointed out he may have an issue, Brick felt better. Much easier to deal with his own shit. His own concerns. Rather than ones he couldn’t fix or had no control over.
“Are you two ladies done talking?” he asked, sidling up behind Beth to place his hands on her shoulders. “I’d like to show Beth more of the ranch.” They hadn’t been through the house or the stables yet.
“Yep, we’re done.” Jovy climbed out from behind the bench to link her arm in Stone’s. “And before you head back to your renovations, I need to discuss a matter in the office. Won’t take but ten…fifteen minutes tops.”
Judging by the gleam entering his brother’s gaze, and spring in his step, Brick was willing to bet the couple was going to discuss a personal matter using body language. And because he’d rather spend his time and thoughts on Beth, Brick helped his angel to her feet, then gave her a quick tour of the downstairs of the vacant house, but not the upstairs. His bed was up there and already calling. No sense in inciting temptation.
“This place is amazing.” She leaned her body into him as they walked through the deserted kitchen and out the door. “Seems kind of quiet, though.”
“Some of the guys are at job sites and others, like Cord and Leo, are visiting family. Maybe you’ll meet them the next time you’re here.”
She nodded but didn’t seem all that enthused. He tried not to read anything into it. They had the whole afternoon ahead of them. No way was he going to let doubt dampen their fun.
“So…” He grabbed both her hands and led her into the stable, walking backward to face her. “You up for a ride?”
“Depends.” She smiled wickedly.
He was liking the devilish gleam in her eyes and the way she tilted her head in a teasing manner. Made him instantly hard and ready to roll. “On what?”
“On what I get to ride.”
Brick stumbled to a stop, his pulse suddenly spiked high like his temperature, which neared inferno. She tugged from his grasp to run her hands very slowly up his torso the
n back down, cupping him through his jeans.
“Careful, angel.” He jerked back, glancing around. “Someone may see.”
There were only two others in the stable and they were heading for the storage stall at the far end.
“Then we should probably go somewhere more private.” She smiled, her hand skimming back over his crotch.
He groaned and pressed into her hand. “You’re asking for it, angel.”
“Yes. Yes, I am, cowboy.” Her wicked fingers traced him, round and round, sending all the blood rushing through his body southward while she lifted up on tiptoe to brush her lips lightly across his.
Ah hell.
He grabbed her sweet ass with one hand and the back of her head with the other and crushed her against his throbbing body, kissing hard and deep, until he had to break for air.
“Please tell me you have an empty tack room. Or stall?” She breathed ragged against his throat, sending a round of shivers down his spine.
“Loft.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her to the stairway bordering the outside of the tack room and ushered her up ahead of him, while he had the foresight to grab a blanket from the tack room wall.
No way was he going to risk marking her beautiful skin. The tour of the stable and horseback ride over the land could wait an hour. Right now, yeah, right now he had a big pressing matter to discuss.
In-depth and with great detail.
…
As soon as Brick left her hotel late last night, Beth had quickly put in a special request with fate. Please could she have the cowboy? And not manipulate him?
God…lately that seemed like all she was doing.
Yesterday, just when she was starting to let her guard down at the ranch—after an amazing loft adventure followed by a gorgeous sunset ride on horseback—fate upset the calm with a phone call from Cord. With everything fixed and under control at their mom’s, he told her he was on his way back to Joyful.
Her Secret Ranger (The Men of at Ease Ranch) Page 8