by Jane Jamison
Her mind skipped to the client file she’d left in the car. Old Man Witward would have a stroke if he knew she hadn’t delivered it. And if the client’s phone was working, he’d probably already have gotten a call. She could picture her pink slip sitting on top of her desk.
“Ooh. I’m sorry.” Lisa-May flicked her hand at the window. “When it pours like this, the road from the house to the main road gets treacherous. Nobody’s going anywhere for a while.”
Carolina’s stomach did a flip-flop as she turned to watch the steady stream of rainfall. Was she as stuck as Lisa-May said? And if so, was that a bad thing? Or, if she got to see more of Jesse and Charlie, maybe it was a good thing? She’d always been able to make the best out of a tough situation, so why not now?
She was trapped for a while anyway. And if her suspicions were correct, she was out of a job. She stared out at the rain. At least if she’d had to get trapped, she’d picked a nice place to do it.
* * * *
Kruger Ribsom didn’t care how wet he got. He had to see her. Had to see the woman Jesse and Charlie had brought into the main house. Bringing a human female onto the ranch wasn’t a normal occurrence. Although he’d only been on the ranch for a month, he already understood that.
At first, it hadn’t concerned him as he’d stood with the rest of the pack and listened to Jesse and Charlie run their mouths about her. She wasn’t of any interest.
At least not until he heard them say that she was a friend of Wyatt Montgomery’s and Stone Garrett’s. Then he’d lifted his head and paid close attention. That bit of information had made all the difference. Since Wyatt and Stone were away doing a tour with their bitch, Rae Barnes, he’d almost decided to leave, to find another way of getting what he deserved. Putting up with the pack and all its rules was more than he could tolerate for long.
Then his luck had changed. Carolina Tallen, friend of the men he hated, was on the ranch. It was like fate had recognized the justice he sought and had rewarded him. He might not get Wyatt and Stone, but that was okay. He’d just change his initial target. Sometimes hurting the person your enemy loved was better than hurting the enemy himself. He smiled, already imagining the taste of her blood in his mouth. Besides, he could always get Stone, Wyatt, and Rae later. It would be fun to torment them first.
“Bill, what ’cha doing hanging out in the rain?”
Kruger replaced one smile with another and pivoted toward Joey Willis. The young man, barely eighteen, was a bother. But Kruger knew bothersome people could come in handy. Besides, he had to continue playing his part as the easygoing Bill Winton. “Nothing much.”
Joey’s gaze slid from him toward the light spilling out from the upstairs window. “Have you seen her yet?”
“Nope.” He started walking and almost groaned out loud when the kid fell into step beside him.
“Lisa-May’s with her right now. They say she’s Jesse and Charlie’s mate.”
The new piece of information made his smile grow wider. “Is that so? They said she was under their protection, but I didn’t hear anything about her being their intended. Where’d you get that from?”
He had to make sure it was reliable information. If the rumor was true, then that would make the kill even better.
“It was Lilly. She was walking by the living room when she heard Ms. Millicent say something like it.”
If anyone could pinpoint a future mate for a werewolf, it was that old whore-hound. “Hmm. Is that so?”
“So are you planning on doing any hunting in the next day or two? If so, can I come with? I haven’t had a good night run in a long time. You know how it is. Chores and more chores. Then there’s my sister. I swear, I think she could talk a man’s arm off if he let her. She told me—”
It was more than he could stand. Joey was as much of a blabbermouth as his sister. “No.”
Joey paused at his rough tone, then hurried to catch up. “Oh. Okay. Just thought I’d check.”
“No problem.” Kruger put his head down, pulled his hood over his already wet head, and stomped his way to the barn. Even the stupid kid would catch on that he didn’t want him around any longer.
Sure enough, Joey stopped following him. “Okay, then. I’ll catch you later.”
Kruger lifted a hand but didn’t turn around. He’d spend some time in the barn and think about how to put his new plan into action.
Chapter Three
Carolina heard their voices outside the bedroom door and tugged the blue blouse into place. At first, the idea of wearing another woman’s clothing felt strange. But once she’d seen the silky blue shirt that went so well with the black slacks, she’d changed her mind. The rest of the clothing selections were pretty, but that one was her favorite.
Thankfully, Lisa-May had finally gone, leaving her with a few minutes of blissful silence. Silence, she’d learned, was definitely golden.
She leaned her head against the door, then jerked back with a little squeak when the knock reverberated into her ear.
“Carolina? It’s Jesse and Charlie. The guys who gave you the lift?”
Like she’d forgotten them. She swung the door open.
They were even better than she remembered. Funny how only a few minutes had passed and yet, they’d somehow gotten sexier. They towered over her by a good eight inches, making her five-foot-six height seem shorter than usual. She’d never cared how tall a man was. It was his character, intelligence, and sense of humor that mattered to her. Of course, it didn’t hurt if he was hot looking and tall, too. Charlie and Jesse had it all in spades and then some.
“Can we come in?”
Jesse’s black hair was thick and a little wavy. She wasn’t big on wavy hair, but it suited him. Gone were their cowboy hats and slickers, letting her really see how built they were. Their denim shirts hugged their strong arms, showing off their muscles while the black belts they wore went great with their perfect-fit jeans. Her gaze shifted to their feet, wondering if they’d changed out of their wet boots and was inwardly pleased that they hadn’t. She’d like to think they weren’t that involved with their looks. They had, however, managed to clean the mud off them.
The strange sensation she’d felt earlier came back, whopping a powerful punch that threw her off guard. She glanced down at her bare feet. Could it be static electricity? But she hadn’t even touched them, so where would the spark have come from? Besides, it was way more than a quick spark from the carpet. It was like they’d lassoed her with a power line and turned up the juice.
Then what was it?
“Carolina?”
She blinked, coming back to awareness, when Jesse bent over and fixed her with his soulful brown eyes. Within seconds, they’d transformed the slightly chilly room into a sauna. She ran her palm behind her neck, wondering if she was sweating. “What’d you say?”
“We asked if we could come in.”
“Why?” The way they’d made the heat rise in the room, she had to wonder if they’d set the place on fire once they came inside. It was an irrational thought, but one she couldn’t shake.
His smile was rueful. “So we can talk to you. Why else?”
To throw me on top of the bed and ravish me? Wow. I sound like one of those romance novels.
“Sure. Of course. It is, after all, your house.” She somehow managed to walk away and was surprised that she could. Once at the window, she turned around and followed Charlie’s gaze to the floor. Her wet towel lay on the carpet.
“One. It’s not our house. It belongs to the Sterling family, although we’re welcome to live here. And two, if it was, I’d ask you to pick up your wet towel.”
She fought against the urge to leave it right where it was. Instead, she bent over, scooped it up, and held it away from her body. “I wasn’t sure what to do with my wet things.”
Jesse’s dark eyes sparkled with a hint of fire. Were those amber flecks in them? “Let me guess. You left them on the bathroom floor.”
She’d walked into that one
and hated to admit he was right. She needed to change the subject. “Did the phone come back on?” She reached for her cell phone and checked. “Damn. Still no signal.”
“No. And it most likely won’t for a while.”
She really was trapped, but she couldn’t do anything about it, so why worry? Witward would either realize that it was an act of God that had kept her from fulfilling her duty—she wouldn’t mention the bad driving that had contributed to her car running off the road—or he’d act like his usual dictator self and fire her. Funny, when Charlie and Jess were around, she didn’t care if she ended up without a job. Maybe getting caught in the rain was fate telling her that it was time to open her own talent management agency. She’d saved enough money to get started. That, along with her music connections, would give her a good shot at making her dream come true. The thought terrified and excited her.
Charlie’s skin coloring was like his brother’s, tanned from working the ranch, but the dark-blond hair and hazel eyes were like day to Jesse’s night. “What does a while mean?” She grinned, unable to resist. “That’s kind of vague, don’t you think?”
He had enough of a sense of humor to laugh. And she’d always found a good sense of humor attractive. As if he needed anything more to make her want him between her legs.
“Yeah. But that’s as good an answer as I can give. I can’t tell you when the rain’s going to stop, and until it does, the phones aren’t going to be much use.”
She let out a breath, but the relief she pretended had nothing to do with frustration over the phones. “Then I guess you’ll have to drive me back to the city.”
“No can do,” added Jesse. “The road’s washed out by now.”
“By now?” That nervous tickle was back. “Meaning it wasn’t when we got here?”
Damn, but they looked guilty as hell. And yet, she didn’t feel threatened or in danger in any way.
“We brought you home because it was easier than going back down the hill.”
“But you could’ve taken me back into Nashville?”
Jesse shrugged, playing the nonchalant and somewhat reluctant hero to her damsel in distress. “We could’ve. But then we would’ve gotten stuck there.”
“And you’re thinking I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, right?” Or fate talking to me loud and clear.
Charlie’s laugh was one of those that would draw every woman who heard it. “Naw, we’d never say that.”
She couldn’t help but return his smile. “Still, you’d think it.”
He reached out and took the towel from her. “Make yourself at home here in the main house. As for the rest of the ranch, I’d steer clear.”
“Why?” She scrutinized them, only half kidding. “Are you hiding something evil in the barn?”
Jesse’s dark eyes flashed. “Something like that.”
Her smile faded. Was he kidding? Part of her was sure he wasn’t. But that was ridiculous. Everyone had been nothing but friendly.
Charlie swept her half-dry hair off her shoulder. “Don’t let him razz you. We’re harmless.”
She doubted that by a long shot. Yet she also doubted that they were dangerous in a bad way. At least, not to her. She was okay with dangerous in a good way. “Okay, I won’t.”
She dragged in a hard-won breath. Had they stolen the air from the room? Or just from her?
Charlie’s pupils grew larger, and for the slightest second, she thought she saw a hint of wildness kept restrained. If she asked him to, would he let down that wall and set it free?
“Anyway, we’ll let you have some time to yourself. It’s pretty casual here. Whenever you’re ready, come downstairs and take the hallway back to the kitchen. You can fix anything you like.”
“What about you two? Don’t you need to eat at some point?” She kept playing the game. “Or are you vampires who come out at night and drink the blood of your hapless victims?”
“Girl, you’ve got one hell of an imagination.”
He was back at the door and leaving with Jesse before she could think of anything more to say. Was it the sight of their wide shoulders that wiped her mind blank? “Hey, hold up.”
They turned toward her. As soon as their eyes locked to hers, she blanked again. She couldn’t think with the buzz of desire whirling around her.
“Yeah?” Jesse tilted his head to the side.
“Oh. Uh, since I’m going to stay here until the rain lets up, how about I make myself useful?” She would’ve sworn their gazes had gone from smoldering to downright blazing. The way they looked at her made her think they’d either fuck her or eat her. Maybe both.
“Useful how?”
She swallowed, very aware that Charlie had meant it in a sexual way. Or at least she hoped he had. “Are there any chores I could do?”
“Like what?”
She could feel the tension going down the back of her neck. Yet it was the kind of tension that extended all the way along her spine, then rode her hips and landed in between her legs.
“I don’t know. Whatever. You’re the country boys and I’m a city girl. You tell me.”
Charlie nodded, apparently pleased by her offer. “Sure. We’ll see what we can find. Until tomorrow then.”
They were gone before it hit her. Tomorrow? She had to wait until tomorrow to see them again?
* * * *
Carolina couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Charlie’s and Jesse’s faces, their god-like bodies, the wicked gleam in their eyes. The looks they gave her hinted at nights filled with passion and satisfaction. Of lust-filled touches and sensations that could happen only in her dreams.
At last, she gave up and threw on the light robe and fuzzy slippers that Lisa-May had left in her closet. The house was huge, but as she took one hallway after another, she finally realized that it was built in the shape of a U. All the hallways eventually led to the stairs leading down to the first floor foyer.
The rain still tapped its rhythm against the sides of the house. At one point, it was even raining sideways. She pulled the robe around her, and then peeked out the blinds at the front porch.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Charlie and Jesse sitting in two of the rocking chairs. Her first thought was to join them, but she stopped and made a conscious decision to think it through.
They’d said they’d see her tomorrow. Did that mean they hadn’t wanted to spend more time with her? That made sense and yet, her gut told her she was wrong. She bit on the end of her finger and lowered her head. Thinking was just too difficult whenever she looked at them. The sight of their handsome faces was enough to wipe coherent thoughts away. But wouldn’t it be rude not to say hello? To ask if they, too, were having trouble sleeping?
“Carolina? Are you okay?”
She jerked her head up to find them watching her. Charlie waved for her to join them on the porch.
Did she look all right? Had she brushed her hair before leaving her room? But it was too late to check her appearance.
She was careful to open and close the door as quietly as she could. “Hi, guys. What are you doing?”
Jesse set his rocker going again, but his gaze lingered on her before turning toward the front yard once more. “Nothing much. Just talking.”
She took a rocking chair that was close, yet not too close to them. If she was going to keep her wits, she couldn’t risk touching them, even by accident. “Talking about what? Or is that being too nosy?”
“Naw.” Charlie frowned for a moment, obviously noting that she’d kept her distance. “We were talking about the ranch we’d like to own someday.”
“Really? So you’re not planning on staying at Two Forks forever?” She liked that they were ambitious. There was nothing wrong with working as ranch hands, but she liked men with a goal.
“That wouldn’t be a bad thing and we’ll always come back here. It’s home to our pack.” Jesse jerked his gaze away from her. “You know what I mean. The Sterling family is our f
amily.”
“Still, it’ll feel good to strike out on our own,” added Charlie.
“I can understand that.”
“Yeah? What’s your future look like, sugar?”
She smiled at Jesse, liking the nickname he’d given her. “I want to open my own talent agency.”
“Wow. Now there’s a goal to shoot for. Why don’t you ask Rae and her men to sign on with you?” Charlie leaned forward, putting him closer to her, but he still couldn’t have reached her if he’d tried.
“They all have contracts. But as soon as those are up, I will. Just don’t tell my boss.” She let out a hard breath. “Assuming he’s still my boss. I was supposed to deliver important paperwork to a client when I ran off the road. That and my not being able to call him means he’s most likely seeing red by now.”
“Who’s the client?” Charlie lifted his hands, palms up. “If it’s okay that I’m asking. I wouldn’t want you to give up any privileged information.”
“It’s fine. His name is Jason Perkins and he just signed with the agency.”
“I think I’ve heard of him.” Jesse put his heels on top of the railing. Rain soaked the toes of his boots, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Have you two always lived at Two Forks?” She wanted to know everything about them. Not only did she hunger for their bodies but for their minds.
“Nope. We came to live with this pa—, um, ranch”—Charlie shifted in his chair—“a few years ago. Before that, we kind of moved around a lot.”
He started to say pack again. Why does he keep using that word? I’ll ask another time. Right now, I just want to listen to their deep, soothing voices.
“Do you have family around here? I’ve got two brothers and two sisters. Three of them are still in Dallas. One of my sisters lives in California, but I haven’t seen her for a while. Rae’s more of a sister to me now than Molly is.”
Thinking about her sister made her sad. They hadn’t spoken in over two years. As far as she was concerned, Luther, the man her sister lived with, was a complete ass. After trying to get Molly to leave him, she’d finally had to give up when her sister refused to speak to her any longer. Carolina had an awful feeling that Luther had pushed her sister to make that decision.