“Just do what they say, and you’ll be thanking me soon enough. Oh, dear, I have to go. Love you.” Then she had the nerve to disconnect. What was up with that? Most of the time it took some work to get Aunt Miriam off the phone.
A strong wind blew, bringing with it a cool breeze scented with jasmine. Oh, well. Without a way home, she’d be staying a while, so she might as well take advantage of the place.
Inside the front door, she picked up a brochure and flipped through the pages. The resort offered massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. She could get into this place if she indulged in one of those services each day.
Glancing around at the comfortable-looking sofas and large-screen TVs, she wondered if they also had a workout room. Getting time to lift and do aerobics was always a struggle during the workweek.
The second half of the pamphlet was devoted to the concept of “The Fantasy,” but it didn’t say she had to have one. Suggested fantasies included being ravished, held captive, tied up, and having sensual massages. Good Lord. She’d never agree to anything like that. What had Aunt Miriam been thinking?
A tall, thin woman approached with a large smile on her face. “You must be Christina.” The woman held out her hand. “Welcome. I’m Sharon. I know you’ve just arrived, but Rod, the owner, would like to speak with you.”
“Certainly.”
Sharon led her down a brightly lit hallway lined with tall windows overlooking Tucson. The view was breathtaking, but it wasn’t enough to release the injustice beating at her.
Two very handsome identical twins with broad shoulders and beautiful forest-green eyes walked by and gave her the once-over. As flattering as that seemed at first, their elevator gazes made her feel like she was a piece of meat instead of an accomplished woman. Not interested, guys.
Sharon pushed open a ten-foot-high wooden door to reveal a spacious office. The dark wood furniture arranged tightly around the man’s desk gave off a cozy feeling.
The owner stood. Now there was a good-looking man. She might have been excited had she not noticed his wedding band and the array of photos on his desk. She guessed the gorgeous woman and the two young children were his family. There were several photos in which he was posing with two other men next to his wife.
“Christina, welcome. Please have a seat. Your aunt just called me and explained your situation. I’m sorry to learn you were pressured into coming here.”
How nice that he understood. “Thank you.”
Rod explained how the next week was going to play out. “I only want the finest escorts for you, but I’m afraid the best isn’t available, so I had to look outside the resort.”
“I appreciate the effort, but I really don’t need any escorts. I’m happy to enjoy the spa and do a little research for work.”
He smiled. “I’m afraid I can’t let that happen. I have a reputation to uphold. Don’t worry, these men won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.” He leaned back and made a tent with his fingertips. “Think of this week as a way to explore who you are as a person and what you desire from life.”
“I know precisely what I want from life. Time to myself without anyone telling me what to do and success at my job.”
“What about a relationship?”
Now he sounded like her mother. “I have time.”
“Are you lonely?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? No.” Her lips faltered at the lie.
He laughed. “Regardless, everyone needs someone to share their secrets with. I’ve found a set of brothers who will help you accomplish all of your goals. I’ve known them for years, and they are the best among the best. I’ll have a driver take you there now. I can assure you, the service level will remain the same.”
Same service, huh? Did that include manicures? “Does this place have a pool and an exercise room?”
“I promise you’ll get plenty of exercise.” He held up a hand and nodded to her cell clipped on her waist. “By the way, cell phones and laptops are off-limits.”
She squeezed the arm of the chair so tightly her acrylics dug into her palms. “I need them.”
His brow rose. “Let me explain. We don’t want you to be distracted during your learning process.”
Learning process? He and Aunt Miriam were up to something. “I have to keep up with the market. It’s my job.”
“I’m sorry. The rules are quite clear.” His tone was strong despite his eyes being kind.
She had to make him understand. “I need Bloomberg News or I’ll fall behind. I’m new at the hedge fund company and must meet certain expectations.”
“I understand, but the three men will keep you too busy to work. They’ll probably have you horseback riding and enjoying the out-of-doors the moment you arrive. Trust me. These men know what to do and have your best interests at heart.”
Were there really three men all vying for her attention or whatever they did? “I only brought but one pair of jeans.” She didn’t think casual would be the style at the imaginary finishing school.
“Not to worry. With my change of plans, I figured you wouldn’t have come prepared, so I had one of my associates pack you a bag.”
“Thanks.” I think, though how did he know my size? Ah, Aunt Miriam again. Her favorite aunt’s status just might have dropped a notch.
“In this next week, you’re going to learn a lot about your needs and what you truly desire. It’s never easy knowing what life can hold when love’s in the air.” Rod smiled.
“We’ll see.” Desires indeed. She had to put her sexuality on hold if she wanted to be a big success. Though a little education wouldn’t hurt.
“Follow their every instruction, and you’ll be happy you did.” He winked, implying that if she didn’t do as these men asked, he’d call her mother.
Well, let him. See how far he’d get explaining the concept of an escort to Mrs. Leonard Hardgrave, wife of the former senator of Arizona.
This resort’s image implied she’d be out of her comfort zone the entire week. If any of these so-called escorts had any designs on her body, they were in for a big, political surprise.
Chapter Two
The hour drive to her new location seemed to take forever, not that she was anxious to arrive or anything, but the sooner she started this new adventure, the sooner she could leave. She had a big meeting in two weeks with a major player in the Advantage Income hedge fund, and she needed time to prepare her defense of the stocks she planned to trade. This forced class, or vacation as her mother called it, couldn’t have come at a worse time careerwise.
Relax. Nothing you can do about it now. Even without her phone and laptop, she still had her case full of books and company documents to occupy her time.
Once they got down the Santa Catalina Mountain, they headed south then doubled back over the mountains to the east. The bad part was that she didn’t see much civilization along the way. Assuming she had some free time, she would have liked a few shopping malls or a couple of cute boutiques nearby. Instead, there was nothing but desert scrub and cactus. It was pretty, in an austere way, but very isolated. Certainly, it was too isolated for her. She’d grown up in Phoenix and loved the big-city life. Living among farm animals was not her idea of fun.
A cell phone rang, and her hand automatically shot to her purse. The driver answered his phone. Damn. Talk about losing a limb. She relied on communicating with her friends and needed to speak with those at work. Adding to the injury was the fact she had to spend a whole week at a ranch with three cowboys who probably smelled of sweat and had teeth that had never seen a dentist. Comparing balance sheets and cash flows seemed more exciting.
The van drove past a neat, barbed-wire fence for more than ten minutes before turning down a dirt road. Above the entrance swung a Triple-M Ranch banner. So this was it. She was finally here. The butterflies in her stomach flared.
Relax. Be yourself. The brochure promised her an experience of a lifetime, but was she up for such excitement? Pr
obably not, but what was the worst that could happen? They wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. Rod had promised.
Off in the distance, cattle and horses huddled around patches of green grass mixed with sage. There appeared to be a small lake in the middle of the property, but it was probably a mirage unless there was an underground spring providing the water.
The road to the ranch house seemed to go on forever. She couldn’t imagine owning this much land. In town, an acre went for thousands of dollars. This spread might be in nowheresville, but even here, the land wouldn’t be cheap.
Despite the unpaved road, the limo didn’t bounce too much. At the end of the drive, trees shaded a large home that seemed big enough to house twenty people. She wondered if she’d be the only guest, or would Rod send others later?
The driver stopped and opened her door. “The call I just received was from the owner. Someone should be out to meet you in a moment. I’ll get the luggage from the trunk.”
As if on cue, a tall, broad-shouldered man appeared from the side of the house, slapping a hat against his thigh. Dust cascaded off the felt. He looked up and stopped. Then a smile spread across his too-handsome face. Whoa. Not only did he have perfectly straight, white teeth, she thought he would do justice as a cover model for one of her fashion magazines. Sporting a muscled chest, a strong chin, and wide-set eyes, he made her body zing.
He strode up to her. “Hi. I’m Deke. You must be Christina.” He dusted his right hand on his faded jeans and held it out.
“Hi.” His grip was firm, and she liked how the calluses rubbed against her palm. Nothing like the men she knew who had their nails buffed and polished once a week.
“Your trip go okay?”
“Yes.” Now that she’d met him.
“Let me help the driver with your luggage.”
She was about to warn him about the largest case being filled with books, but he unloaded her suitcases with ease, his biceps flexing with each lift. She expected him to comment on her excessive luggage, but he didn’t say a word. Her metrosexual friends would have given her no end of grief.
Deke nodded to the limo driver. “You can leave her cases by the door. I’ll bring them in later.”
The driver thanked Deke and took off. Now she was truly alone with several men on a ranch to learn about her desires and needs. Why had she let her mom talk her into this? Oh, yeah. This was supposed to be about manners and manipulating men to make them do what she wanted. It was all about the political advantage, not to mention the issue of the trust-fund date.
“Let me show you to your room so you can freshen up.” He ran his gaze down the length of her. “You might be more comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. Everything you wear is going to get dusty, and unless you cover up, the sun will burn your fair skin.” She had on capris, sandals, and a tank top.
“Thanks for the warning.” How nice of him to notice or care.
He picked up two of her suitcases and held open a side door to the house with his hip. “You’ll have to excuse the place. The owner lives alone and isn’t much into housework. But don’t worry. We do have maid service once a week. She cleaned your room with extra care.”
That gave her some comfort. Plus, he’d brought her in through the kitchen instead of the front door, which helped lessen her anxiety.
“Whoa.” This was not what she expected. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a huge cooking island graced an oversize kitchen. She didn’t know what Deke was talking about. Everything was spotless.
“I can see some surprise in your eyes. Mrs. McKenna loved to cook. She had the kitchen completely renovated a few years back. Unfortunately, she and Mr. McKenna were killed two years ago and left the ranch to their son, Zach.”
There was a slight wobble to his chin, and she could have sworn his chest caved a bit. “That must have been tough.”
“Yeah. They were great people.” He cleared his throat. “Zach’s not much of a cook, so the kitchen goes to waste. All he can do is scramble eggs and fry steak.”
She chuckled. She might like this Zach and wondered if the owner was part of the three-man package. “I wish the kitchen in my college apartment had been as big. I ran into myself when I prepared a meal.” Staying at her parents’ home this last month had been tough, but if she got that condo, she’d be sure to get a state-of-the-art kitchen.
“Anytime you feel like stretching your culinary fingers, be our guest. Brett, who’s my younger brother, and I will be bunking here, too, while you’re our guest, and we’d love food other than what Zach will feed us.”
That sounded like Deke and this Brett would be her “escorts,” though she preferred the term guides better. Escorts sounded seedy, like they were hired prostitutes or something. The image of having sex with this hunk invaded her brain, but she quickly pushed that thought aside. Rod had assured her that intercourse was not allowed between them. She wasn’t sure whether she was happy or sad. This guy was really cute and seemed nice, too. He was not like any of the arrogant men she ran into at work.
He nodded, and she followed him. They walked along a long corridor filled with photos. There were many empty spaces where pictures used to be. She bet the owner had removed them because the photos reminded him of his parents’ death. How sad was that?
“How big is this operation?” She tried to tell herself she wasn’t calculating net worth, but analyzing a company’s balance sheet had become automatic to her over the last few months.
“We have about ten hands, if that’s what you’re asking.” He set her cases down and pushed open a door.
Guess he wasn’t comfortable discussing finances. Just as well. She wasn’t here to find a potential mate. If they could give her a few pointers on what to look for in a man, she’d consider the “vacation” a success.
“Hope you like it. If you don’t, we can find you another room. We’ve got plenty of spares.”
Except for the small white vase filled with yellow flowers, her bedroom was all male. Not a frill in sight. Pine bed, plaid bedspread, and a single pine dresser filled the rather large bedroom. The throw rugs looked handmade. Everything was simple yet clean. “This is great.” Just what she pictured a ranch bedroom would look like.
“Good. I’ll bring in the other two cases. Then if you don’t mind, I’ve got to finish training Sadie. I’ll be out by the pen when you’re done freshening up. Come on down and I’ll show you what we do here.”
He nodded and left so fast it was as if he was uncomfortable being around her. His attitude was not what she expected from her I know everything about sex guide, or had she misunderstood the whole concept of the fantasy ranch? She didn’t think so. The whole bondage and sex toys thing definitely implied some major teasing, though Rod didn’t say anything about these men using those devices. Rest assured, she wouldn’t be a willing participant in anything so kinky.
Even though Deke implied he was staying at the main house, maybe the hunky cowboy wasn’t part of the package deal either. That would be too bad. She might like learning about this man’s needs and what he had to offer a woman.
Stop daydreaming.
Deke knocked a moment later, opened the door, and set her cases inside. “See you soon, I hope.”
“Sure.”
She unloaded her case files and sorted them in order of importance. In two weeks, she had to give a presentation on two copper companies. She wanted to study the shipping container sector, also, but that discussion wouldn’t happen for a while. Before she got too involved with number crunching, she thought it only polite to check out the ranch. It was possible they had Internet, allowing her to do real-time research. Wouldn’t that be a bonus?
As Deke suggested, she dressed in blue jeans, a comfortable, loose shirt, and a pair of boots and headed outside to get her bearings.
Scented with sage and mixed with the smell of horse, the November air was a delightful eighty degrees. The ranch odors were quite different from the exhaust-filled
city streets of Phoenix.
Deke’s soft voice mingled with the whinny of a horse. Interested to see what he was doing, she wandered over to the pen. Her breath caught. The muscular cowboy was inside a fifty-foot-wide pen with a beautiful white horse, whose head came up to Deke’s nose. She knew nothing about horses or cows for that matter, nor did she have a clue what it took to run a ranch, but she was interested in learning what was involved in managing such a large operation. Sad to say, she couldn’t even tell a mustang from an Arabian, other than the fact the latter was bigger.
He motioned she come near. She moved to the waist-high, wooden fence and reached over the top rung to urge the pony closer. Deke stepped between her and the horse, spreading his arms to stop the horse from advancing.
“She’s wild and might bite if you’re not careful.”
She immediately tucked her hand behind her back. “You’re not afraid she’ll kick you?” Or even trample you? Dumb question, but she wondered how he handled being confined in a pen with a wild animal.
“Sadie and I are getting used to each other. Besides, I can climb out pretty fast if I have to.” He smiled, and her stomach flip-flopped. The man oozed charm, and she bet he didn’t even know it.
She wouldn’t mention the horse could probably jump the fence, too, but to be safe, she stepped away another foot.
Deke moved forward, and the horse backed up until his hindquarters almost touched the fence. Deke held up a long, looped rope, half in each hand. “This is a lead rope and halter,” he explained.
She figured he’d try to loop it over the horse’s neck. Instead, he inched forward, raised his hands, and rubbed the filly’s head. The pony huffed but remained still.
“She likes that,” Christina said.
“She sure does. As long as she doesn’t spook, I’ll reward her by petting her.”
Deke stepped away and moved around nice and slow to the pony’s side, his gaze steady on the horse. He rubbed her neck then moved further behind her. Sadie must have realized the head petting was over and took off, trotting along the edge of the pen. Deke moved into the middle of the circle and tossed the rope at the horse. He missed.
Monroe, Melody S. - Fantasy Ranch [Fantasy Resort 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2