Greg blew out a breath and looked to the side. It wasn’t his place to say no. Noah was right—it had been a while. He had no claim on her. Not only that, but he wanted her to be happy. If not him, then someone else would need to fill that role.
The problem was, he didn’t know how he’d react if another man touched her.
“Yeah. Knock yourself out,” he forced out, trying to do the right thing by her.
“Thanks, bro. I’ll be discreet.”
Flames danced and wood popped as they neared the fire pit. Along the side a long table had been laid with banged up metal dishes containing meat, potatoes, vegetables and rolls. A line of people heaped food onto their plates.
“Hey!” Greg recognized Richard’s whiny voice.
Looking back, he saw Mike wearing a severe expression, his thick arm stuck straight out across Richard’s chest.
Sara patted Mike’s arm. “It’s fine, babe. He can go.”
“Ladies first,” Mike said.
“Dick, where are your manners?” Greg called out, sticking out his hand for Sara. She rolled her eyes as she stepped forward to take it and allowed him to gently pull her to the front of the line. Mike followed right behind.
Greg secured Sara in front of him, then stepped in the way of his friend. “You’re not a lady. Get in the back.”
“She’s my ticket in.”
“Was your ticket. She’s in the hands of a better guy. See ya, turd.” Greg patted Sara’s shoulders as he pushed closer, not allowing Mike to slip in. “Gotta be quick if you want the grub.”
“How about I get pushy?” Mike asked, his tone dropping.
Greg wrapped his arms around Sara. “That would jostle your lovely wife and her unborn child. What a monster!”
Mike laughed and slipped in behind Greg. “Point to you.”
“You better believe it. I’m hungry.”
“Hey! That’s my spot!” Richard yelled out.
“That guy just will not learn,” Sara said incredulously. “It’s like he wants to be picked on.”
“I bet some part of him does,” Greg said as he noticed Christie walking toward them with a heaping plate. “It at least gets him noticed where otherwise he’d be invisible.”
“Deep,” Mike said with humor coloring his voice.
Christie passed them by. She made her way to the end of the line and held her plate out to Richard. “Here. But next time, grow a pair.”
“Why are you giving him a plate?” Pete asked in outrage.
“Stop picking on him, you guys,” Christie said as she poked Pete in the center of his chest. He flinched back and rubbed at the offending spot. “It’s…not…nice!” With each word she poked someone else in the chest.
“You need a chick to stand up for you, Dick?” someone hollered. Christie turned toward the speaker and stared. A moment later, Greg heard, “Sorry, ma’am. No disrespect.”
Christie nodded once and made her way to the front of their crew. She stopped next to Greg, stared at him, glanced at his hands, and then lifted her eyebrows. Tickled and a little in awe, he dropped his arms from around Sara.
She nodded once more and slipped into the tight space between him and Sara. “Ladies first.”
He meant to return fire with a witty comment, but her firm little butt pressed gloriously against his front. Her back, thin and slight, was pasted against his chest. Her heat soaked into him, throbbing through his middle and stiffening his cock. He inhaled her scent, light and flowery, mysterious and feminine. Her soft blond hair tickled his neck. He wanted to wrap his arms around her middle and pull her in tighter before running his lips across her skin.
Noah had been right. Christie was much more beautiful than the new girl. She was elegant and graceful, holding herself with confidence and poise. She was funny and smart with a quick wit and a soft heart. Her eyes, piercing and inviting at the same time, entranced him, begging him to stare into them for hours at a time.
He assumed they did, anyway. She’d never let him look at her for more than a few moments, her face always turning away before her chin dipped. He got the feeling it embarrassed her. Or unsettled her. Maybe both.
He backed off before she felt his pounding hardness. Mike jostled him, trying to rough house him and keep him put. Greg put strength into his movement. Mike was all muscle, sure, but of a leaner, more scrappy variety. Greg was thicker and more robust. He had to shoulder his way through horses, and before that cows and occasionally bulls.
He leaned back, his muscles shaking with the strain. He felt Mike’s hands on his arms, pushing. Greg dug in and put more weight into it, forcing another step.
Greg chuckled and moved his shoulders from side-to-side, knocking off Mike’s focused weight. He stepped back again, pushing Mike into whoever was behind him.
“Alright, alright, you win.” Mike tapped Greg’s arm and relented.
A grin spread across Greg’s face. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and stepped forward, noticing Sara and Christie smiling at their antics. Christie glanced to the side, and her smile dripped away. With a blank face, she turned and grabbed two plates. She nudged Sara to get her attention and then handed a plate over.
Confused, Greg followed Christie’s gaze. Paige was sitting on a log on the other side of the fire, fork daintily hovering in the air, staring at him with lust-filled eyes.
“Caught someone’s attention,” Mike said in a low voice, tapping Greg again. Mike pointed at the void between him and Christie. “Hurry up. I’m hungry.”
“To be clear,” Noah said in the same low voice as Mike, “I’m not saying I wouldn’t hit that. I’m just saying I wouldn’t want to spend all my time with it.”
“Thanks for clarifying, Noah,” Mike said sarcastically. “I’m sure Greg will take it under advisement.”
“It?” Greg asked, grabbing a plate. He took a few pieces of meat, then waited for Christie to daintily dab mashed potatoes on her plate.
“Since when are you a perfect Southern Belle? Get it on there.” Greg took the spoon from her and thrust it into the bowl of mashed potatoes. He slopped a glob onto Christie’s plate. “There ya go. Make ya strong.”
Christie giggled in a way that was wholly unfamiliar. Greg quirked his eyebrow at her. As she moved on, she looked back, then did a double take. Her shoulders hunched. “Sorry. Old habits.” She shook her head and went for the gravy.
“Old habits from when you were demure?” Greg laughed, slapping some mashed potatoes onto his plate. “How boring.”
Christie took some vegetables and moved away without an answering quip.
“What’s up with her?” Mike asked, snatching the spoon from Greg’s hand.
“Dunno. I’ve never seen her act like this.”
“Women get weird with a pretty new girl in their midst.” Noah jostled in.
“What are you, the woman whisperer all of a sudden?” Mike elbowed him out of the way.
“Careful, you guys are going to knock over the table,” Pete yelled.
“I do all right,” Noah said smugly.
Mike barked out a laugh. “You’re single.”
“By choice,” Noah replied.
“My ass.” Mike pushed Greg away from the vegetables. “C’mon Gertrude. Move along.”
Greg felt Paige’s eyes on him as he passed. He gave her a nod in hello, but continued on to the picnic bench with Sara and Christie, a little removed from the fire and sat next to Christie. “You boys act like clowns when you get together,” said Sara.
“Mike started it,” Greg said, his eating utensils clinking as he moved them. “Plus, he’s older. I’m allowed to act like this.”
“You’re nearly thirty,” Sara exclaimed.
“They don’t grow up until they’re fifty.” Christie shook her head and cut some roast beef.
Greg removed his hat and set it to the side. He stabbed his beef with his fork and then cut off a chunk before filling his mouth with moist and flavorful meat. “Hmm, Florence and Ethel really ou
tdid themselves this time.”
“What do you think I do in there? Pick my butt?” Christie shot Greg a look.
“Christie did the roast,” Sara said as she finished her plate. “And the mashed potatoes. I made sure Ethel and Florence knew that Christie would be helping to cook instead of just preparing.”
“Did you cook last year?” Greg asked.
Mike stepped over the picnic bench and set his plate on the table. “That new girl loves my work. Are you proud, sweetums?” He smiled at Sara.
“Oh yes, so proud.” Sara looked at Greg. “She didn’t, no. They wouldn’t let her. But after tasting the stuff Christie makes—a change needed to happen. Definitely. She cooks way better than those two.”
“Huh.” Greg shoveled some mashed potatoes into his mouth. He nodded and shoveled more. “Mmhm. Mmhm. Good.”
“The chef will be here soon, though, so he’ll plan the menu.” Christie speared a carrot.
“Baby steps.” Sara finished off her food.
“Wow, Sara. You cleared that away.” Greg chuckled. “You beat me.”
“My baby can eat.” Mike kissed her temple. “She’s got to feed Peanut.”
“Have you decided on names?” Christie asked.
Mike went back to his plate, looking down. It was Sara who answered. “We’re not sure yet. I’ve been looking at the baby books but nothing is jumping out, yet. And…you know…I just want to get a little further along. Just to make sure.”
Greg looked down at his plate. This wasn’t the first time Sara had been pregnant. It didn’t seem she wanted to go the whole hog until she was reasonably sure things would be fine. Greg understood, and then felt a pang of longing. He was ready for all of that. A wife, a baby, a settled life—he’d been around plenty. It was time to rein it in.
“Rightie-O. I’m going to hit the hay.” Christie stood and picked up her plate. She reached across the table and patted Mike’s face. “Be good, kid.”
“Yes, ma’am. I will watch my p’s and q’s.”
“See ya.” She moved away.
“What’s going on there?” Sara leaned forward to get Greg’s attention. “Did you piss her off?”
“No. I don’t think.” Greg shrugged and leaned back. “I don’t know. I have to call a spade a spade. She’s not into me.”
“Uh oh.” Mike looked up between bites. “What makes you think that?”
Greg shrugged and pushed his plate away. “Reality. I’d keep waiting if I thought she’d come around, but nothing has changed in all the time I’ve been waiting in the bull pen. She’s not into me.”
“I think she just has issues. She’s not into anyone.” Sara patted his hand.
Greg pulled his hands from the table and settled them into his lap. He didn’t really want pity masquerading as sympathy. Rejection was bad enough. “Be that as it may, nothing is changing. I need to move on.”
“What did Jake say?” Mike asked. “Did you bring it up?”
“He said something about Christie needing a harder road, and that I should wait.” Greg put his elbows on the table and leaned heavily on them. “I just don’t see it.”
“I’d do what Jake said, man.” Mike pushed his plate to the side. “He doesn’t say much, but he’s deep. He helped with Sara, and you can see how that worked out.”
“He’s single,” Greg reminded Mike.
“He hasn’t always been single,” Mike said. “He was married once. She died and I think he threw in the towel. But he knows. I think he used to be a player before he married his late wife. Seriously. I’d take his advice.”
Greg sighed and bent over the table. “A little longer, maybe. But I gotta move on.”
“Just sow your oats and be her friend until she comes around,” Sara said. “You have a line of girls that want to strip for you. Let them.”
“I’m pretty sure girls frown on man-sluts,” Greg said.
“Not enough to stop sleeping with them.” Sara pointed at the rest of Greg’s roast beef. “Are you going to eat that?”
Greg pushed his plate toward Sara. “I wasn’t talking about the girls that want to hook up. I’m talking about the girl that doesn’t.”
“For that, you’ve got me.” Sara greedily cut into the beef. “I’ll just tell her that I told you to. There really is no point to being a saint. Have some sex. Live a little.”
“Am I holding you back, or what?” Mike gave Sara a cockeyed look. “Do you need an open marriage or something?”
Sara gave Mike’s forearm a rub. “You’re great in the sack. I didn’t know how good sex could be until you. I don’t want Greg to miss out on that.”
“Ugh, you guys. Please shut up.” Greg dragged his fingers through his hair.
“You don’t want to hear about my prowess?” Mike said with a goofy grin. “Why not? Afraid you can’t compete.”
“You’re just lucky I didn’t get to Sara first,” Greg said.
“I know. She probably would’ve checked herself into a nunnery.”
Greg took Sara and Mike’s empty plates. “See you guys tomorrow.”
“Guests will probably start arriving in the late afternoon, early evening,” Sara said, her jokey demeanor drying up. “This is going to be your first season as the manager, and there’s a lot more goes on with that. You have a lot more to look after, including the employees. Jake scares the piss out of people, so no one messed with him, but they haven’t seen you in this type of situation before, and might act up. You need to keep them in hand.”
“I got it,” Greg said. “I’ve been at it a few weeks and it’s going fine.”
“Tourists, man.” Mike shook his head slowly. “They are a different beast. They’ll throw everything out of whack.”
“You guys act like this is my first year on the ranch. I got it.” Greg said, settling his hat back on his head.
“You’ll go down with the ship, man. Not a thing I can do about it. You’re going to sink.” Mike blew out an exaggerated breath. “I’ll say I knew him when.”
Greg smirked. “Shut up.” He moved away to Sara saying, “That’s not nice…”
Greg threw the paper plates into the fire before walking out into the night. The chilled air seeped through his light jacket, and made him shiver, trying to shake off the cold. He pushed a branch out of the way and wandered along a small path to a bluff overlooking the valley. The moon was large and nearly full, shining light down on the small, cleared landing. Below him the river cut through the valley, sparkling.
He took out his phone and brought up the text message app. He chose Christie’s name and then entered the same message that showed in the last three messages before it: G’night.
After pressing send, he stared at his phone as he always did after sending that message. Waiting. Hoping she responded. It was a little early, but he stared for a moment, all the same. And just like always, nothing happened.
He dropped his hand and ran his thumb across the side of the phone.
He wasn’t sure why he sent that message every night. She never returned fire, and she’d never even mentioned it. For all he knew, it annoyed the crap out of her.
He sighed and slipped his phone into his pocket. He just wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone like she’d always hinted. She locked herself tightly into her house, but it wasn’t impregnable. He could let her know that even if he wasn’t there beside her she was always on his mind.
The stars winked at him from overhead.
He was a fool. That kind of sentiment only worked when both parties were on board. She so very clearly was not. He needed to get it through his thick head and finally leave her be.
“Mind if I join you?”
Greg jumped and found Paige standing at the edge of the tree line with her hands dropped down at her sides, her shirt perfectly displaying a fantastic array of cleavage.
“Yeah, sure.” Greg moved to the side even though there was plenty of room.
“Thanks. Greg, right?” Her voice was soft and sult
ry and her movements accented her hips and bust.
“Greg, yeah. And you’re Paige?”
“Yes.” She came to stand right next to him and crossed her hands in front of her. “Beautiful.”
Greg hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “It’s pretty nice, all right.”
“What do you do here, Greg?”
“I’m the Stable Manager. But…here that means more than just managing the stables and horses. I’m also involved with the tourist side of the business. This’ll be my first year on that side of things.”
“Hmm.” She crossed her hands over her chest. “Burrr. It’s cold.”
“Oh, here.” Greg shrugged out of his jacket and draped it across her shoulders. The cold assaulted him immediately, coating his body in shivers. He pushed his hands more deeply into his pockets, bracing against the cold. She’d just ensured that this conversation was cut short. He’d freeze if he stayed too long.
“Have you been here long? On this ranch?” She hugged his jacket to her. “Thank you. This is nice and warm.”
Yes, it was. Greg would’ve liked to keep it on.
Trying to keep his teeth from chattering, he said, “Five years or so. I’ve worked my way up.”
“You’ve only been in the ranching business for five years and you’re a stable manager? Did you go to school for it?”
“No, I’ve been on a couple of other ranches. I’ve done almost every job you can think of.”
“Hmm.” Her shoulder bumped his gently.
Greg gritted his teeth. “Well, I better get going. I have to get up early.”
“Oh, sure.”
“Can I escort you back?”
She hugged his jacket closer. “No, I think I’ll just enjoy the night a little more…”
Her tone wound around him and crept into his body, warming certain parts. Arousal pulsed deep, recognizing her posture and the lust in her words. She wanted him to stay on a while, and he bet she’d make it worth his while. He might not be hitting home base tonight, but he bet she’d let him fondle her breasts and maybe dip his hands into her pants. In return, he was almost positive she’d stroke his cock.
A flash of raw desire blasted through him. It had been a year since he’d last had sex. He’d been waiting for Christie, hoping she’d come around. And in fairness, he didn’t want anyone else but her. No one else sparked his interest.
Conquering Love Page 5