by V. F. Mason
Sending dad a quick message about me arriving safely, I decided to take a much-needed bath. I undressed, let my hair loose, and ran my hand through it, moaning. The pain from wearing a ponytail the whole day was showing. I usually leave it down in New York, but with the whole travel thing, I didn’t have the chance. For some reason, touching my hair brought back the memory of Shane looking at it as if he wanted to feel it, and heat ran through me at the thought.
I couldn’t believe, out of all the guys out there, my body had to react to him. Heading to the bathroom, I prayed the day would end quietly, because I wasn’t sure I could stand any more excitement.
Shane
After my chores in the stables were finished, I ran around the ranch, ignoring my aching muscles. Physical labor wasn’t enough to make me shut my eyes in exhaustion at night. Plus, it helped to keep my muscles in check and allowed my mind to drift. Sweat dripped down my forehead and spine, my hands sore from several blisters. I desperately needed a shower, and then I could go to sleep. I wasn’t looking forward to the next day, because I knew the reaction the new housekeeper would get from the men, and keeping them at a distance would be hard. But then again, it wasn’t as if it was my job to do that, was it? If Serena was willing, I couldn’t do anything.
I tried to ignore the rage inside me at thinking about her and other men, because that shit wasn’t fucking normal.
My loud groan filled the bathroom when the hot water hit my throbbing muscles, and I winced in pain when it touched the blisters and they stung. Even discomfort couldn’t take away my enjoyment of the shower; I could relax without feeling any shit. Guilt, mainly. But to my frustration, relaxation didn’t come. My body was hard, rigid, and restless.
My mind drifted to Serena, her curvy body and her red hair, which was the color of a beautiful sunset. I closed my eyes and leaned against the cold tile, resting my forehead and letting my mind take me somewhere far from there.
Soft hands gently enveloped my cock and slowly started to stroke it with experience I hadn’t expected, sending tiny bits of pleasure all over my body. With a groan, I kept pushing into the opening provided. Once a moan of pleasure left my lips, she stopped. I growled in displeasure and narrowed my eyes at her. She laughed, that minx, as I pinned her against the shower wall and wrapped her legs around my waist. Without thinking, I pushed inside her hot heat with one hard thrust. She gasped and then moaned, but I swallowed it with a kiss. As much as I liked the sound, I didn’t need the whole house to hear it. God, did it ever feel this fucking good before?
Groaning, my body registered the cold water on my back, and I opened my eyes. My hand was wrapped around my limp dick as I tried to catch my breath. That was one hell of a fantasy to jerk off to. I couldn’t believe that ten minutes in her company inspired me to do that. Jerking off hadn’t been out of the norm for me lately. After all, on the ranch, I only had my right hand for company. But never once in my life had a girl inspired me to such a reaction.
Grabbing the shower gel, I washed myself and tried to calm my raging emotions. I dried off with a towel, wrapped it around my waist, and exited the bathroom.
Out of nowhere, a loud female scream came from the hall and everything froze inside me. I opened the door, ready to run to Serena’s room. She was the only woman in the house, so I had no doubt it was her. Serena was running toward the stairs and didn’t look where she was going, which could have resulted in a fall.
Quickly, I caught her by the waist, stopping her movement and allowing me to steady her. She struggled for a bit but then stiffened, and our eyes locked. Her eyes were full of fear, and by the look of it, she was still in a state of shock. Since she wasn’t struggling, it gave me time to study her.
She was breathing heavily, and drops of water were all over her face, including one on her full lower lip. I wanted to suck on it and taste it with my tongue. The images from my fantasy where I did exactly that while jerking off weren’t exactly helping me either. She was wearing a towel too, and her hair was wet, leaving drops on the floor.
The reminder of her scream in my ears snapped me from my stupor.
“What’s going on?”
“He was inside, and I didn’t know what to do….” She rambled while shivering, and all of a sudden, she hugged me. I didn’t know what to do but hug her back. She was cold, but I was sure the shudders coming from her had nothing to do with that, but everything with the mysterious thing that scared her.
“Who?” Who the fuck would come into the house at that hour? I wanted to go check, but she had a death grip on me, and I couldn’t move or let go when she was so scared.
“Spider.” If not for the complete quiet in the house, I’d have missed her whisper. Fuck, that was it? Some spider scared her so much that she ran around the house almost naked? I couldn’t help myself. I threw my head back and laughed. Serena leaned back and glared at me, but before I could say anything, the sounds of the doors opening could be heard at the end of the house, and at once Carter and Ren ran toward us. The former had a baseball bat with him and the other a gun.
Hell, what did they think? That we had a robber in our house or something? No one would come here; it was too far away. The crime rate in Moonlight Rose was like below zero. They stopped abruptly and studied us with raised brows. Only then did I realize how we must look, the two of us almost naked and entwined in each other’s arms.
“Well, I was ready to be a dashing knight to save a lady, but looks like you have it all covered.” For the last year, I learned that Ren’s sarcasm was best to be ignored.
Carter said nothing, but then he never talked much. I liked him, but the look he gave me spoke volumes. Which was fucking insulting, since I’d fucked only one girl since I came here, and it happened only once. A mistake that brought so many problems I preferred not to think about getting laid in the small town ever again. It wasn't a big deal back then, because I’d planned to stay for a week.
And wasn’t that shit painful, given the fact I’d been stuck here for the last year?
“She saw a spider and freaked out. I came out here just a minute earlier than you.” From the corner of my eye, I noticed her skin becoming red as she realized what the guys thought.
“It’s true. I have arachnophobia. I can’t act rationally where spiders are concerned. I’m sorry I bothered you all. It wasn’t my intention.” She sounded so polite, as though any of us gave a fuck about that. It wasn’t like we blamed her. She had her thing. Who didn’t?
“No problem, honey. As long as I can see those beautiful legs of yours, I don’t mind the bother.” She blushed even more, and I wanted to smack Ren, not because of his sarcasm, but because he looked at her legs. Which made zero sense whatsoever. She wasn’t mine, and I didn’t want her to be.
Why the fuck, then, do you want to snatch her away and ravish her in your cave?
Fuck me, seriously.
Ren and Carter said goodnight, and left for their rooms, while we stood there like idiots and watched.
“Yeah, well, I’ll just go, and thank you again for your concern, and I’m sorry.” She swallowed loudly, took a deep breath, and stormed toward her room. For a second, I was confused why she would take such a stance, but then I remembered. Shit, that spider was probably still there, but she didn’t want to humiliate herself even more in front of us. I followed, stopping her before she entered the room. She didn’t want to look me in the eyes, and I didn’t push it.
“Where did you see the spider?”
“In the bathroom on the wall near the shower.” Her eyes were still glued to the floor, so I went inside.
Giving the space barely a glance, I entered the bathroom and searched for the spider. Sure enough, there was the tiny fellow.
“Well, buddy, didn’t you just almost cause someone a heart attack?” Picking up some toilet paper, I grabbed him, then took him to the window and let him climb down. According to Native American legends, animals, insects—and people who didn’t threaten or hurt you—deserved no
death. I agreed with them, so I let him go. Recently, I’d learned more and more about my ancestors, so I could use their teachings. “He’s gone. You can come inside.”
Serena finally raised her head, and I was sucked inside those beautiful eyes, which were filled with gratitude and wet with tears, but she didn’t let them slide down her cheeks. “Thank you. I know it’s silly.”
Raising her chin with my fingers, I drank in her beauty. She was the kind of girl who could turn into a craving, and that was a dangerous path. Although in that moment, I couldn't care less.
“Hey, it’s okay. We all have fears.” We stared at one another for several seconds, and I willed myself to step back. I couldn’t allow myself to feel anything toward her, not even lust. She worked for us, and she’d just arrived, for God’s sake.
“Goodnight.” Without waiting for a reply, I left the room and tried again to calm the hectic thoughts running through my head.
Serena
My alarm clock's ringing woke me up, which was like sinking needles into my already aching head. The display showed 5:00 a.m., for crying out loud. Groaning, I yanked the covers over my head, like they would make me disappear.
Cleaning up in the bathroom, I decided to wear shorts, a plain white T-shirt, and sneakers. It would probably be hot, so I thought it better to wear something loose, and I didn’t know where I would have to go, so it was better to wear closed shoes in case there was something dangerous. I really needed to get to know the environment around here, because I felt so unsure, like never before in my life, and I didn’t like the feeling.
I hustled downstairs to an empty kitchen and glanced at the clock. I had around forty minutes to get breakfast ready and on the table, and whatever other shit there was to do. I had no idea, actually. I should have probably done some research last night to know at least what they ate or where they kept the dishes. Movement behind me snapped my attention, as a man entered the kitchen.
He was medium height, probably five feet seven inches, and looked at me with a raised brow. He had long gray hair, which was braided down his back, and he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. His black eyes observed me with interest and amusement. By his high cheekbones and general posture, it was clear he had Native American ancestors. I wondered how many people who worked there had that heritage, because in the car Carter seemed to imply it was only Hawk. Maybe he was the one who made the wooden wolf?
“Hi.” I hoped I’d stop making an idiot of myself every damned time I met someone new on the ranch, or I would become some kind of joke for everyone. He said nothing and took an apron from behind the kitchen cupboard. As he moved to the cabinets, he took out a pan and poured water into it, acting as though I wasn’t even present in the room.
“The plates are in the cupboard behind the door, and so are the cups. Put them on the table, but with the tablecloth, which is on the top shelf.” I spun around and saw Carter in the doorway. He seemed too energetic for that hour of day for my liking.
“Sure, but, um, this guy… who is this guy?” It didn’t escape my notice he didn’t address anything to him, but maybe they had their morning chat before I came down.
“It’s Eknath, Hawk’s father. He came here for a visit, but he prefers to sleep outside. He has been cooking for us since Elizabeth left. Eknath was about to leave for home when we hired you, but since Shane said you know nothing about food, we asked him to stay. He’ll teach you several things ‘til you know what to do.” Carter was quite talkative when he found the topic interesting, and here I’d thought it was hard for him. Maybe the ranch was the only topic he found fascinating.
“But he didn’t say anything.”
“He doesn’t talk much. He speaks only when he thinks it’s important.”
Which meant I wasn’t. Whatever.
Since they’d given me an assignment, I spun into action. I found a beautiful yellow tablecloth that had some Celtic design on it made out of darker cloth. It really looked great, and I had a need to sketch it. That kind of thing would look good on a dress. As usual, I snapped a picture on my phone while no one was looking and saved it in my drawings album. I glanced at Eknath, who was boiling God knows how many eggs. At the same time, there was bread toasting. He put bacon in a pan, and then he started to make pancakes. Why would someone have such a heavy breakfast? I usually had a yogurt or toast and some fruit with green tea. I was never a fan of coffee, but I figured they would prefer it. I mean, if I had to wake up at that hour, maybe I’d get a new addiction too.
I heard the rumbling, loud voices and laughs and saw about twenty men come through the doorway. They all stood and stared at me. The younger ones—and there were around ten of them—looked at my legs and the rest of my body with heat in their eyes, and I thought I heard a low whistle from someone. The guys were okay-looking, some even handsome, but no one beat Ren and Shane. The older ones just looked relieved and smiled with kind eyes. They probably thought it was a good thing someone would be taking responsibility for all the housework. It was, after all, a job I had to do to get my dad off my back, and so far, it was easy. I mean, besides waking up earlier than the sun, there was nothing much to do.
“Get your asses moving. We don’t have all day for this.” The gruff voice was coming from someone I couldn’t see, but I was glad the men finally sat down. Eknath put the food on the table, and they ate it with gusto.
I took a plate too, picked up one pancake, poured myself something to drink, and looked around for somewhere to sit. There were several places between the cowboys, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk with any of them. There was a spot near Carter, but he was busy with some other old dude, and they looked deep in conversation.
“Sit with me.” A shiver ran through me, leaving goosebumps in its wake from his voice alone.
Shane.
Glancing up, I realized he was in front of me, wearing faded jeans, a shirt, and he held his cowboy hat in his hand. Add his boots into the equation, and he was a sexy package. It totally didn’t help that I’d seen him practically naked, so I knew firsthand how amazing his chest looked. My face heated, and with a nod, I joined him, hoping he wouldn’t notice my reaction to him.
When we sat near the end of the table, my eyes landed on his filled plate. How did he keep himself in shape if he ate like that every day? Most likely the amount of work these guys did burned off all the calories.
“You slept well?”
“Yes, thanks.”
Shane nodded and didn’t add anything else; actually, that was all the conversation I had. I didn’t get the point of me sitting near him, but whatever. Maybe he didn’t want to talk with me much because I was the help, or he thought I was a stupid, silly girl who was afraid of spiders. Either way, the guy wasn’t interested, so I tried to ignore him. What the hell was going on with me? Hooking up with a country boy wasn’t the point of coming here, and I didn’t need any more problems.
“Don’t they want to know anything about me?” I asked. It’s not as if I needed their attention, but weren’t they interested in what I was doing and who I was?
“They already know. Hawk spoke to them before he left. And it’s not like you need to know all of them by name.” His tone was cold and annoyed, while his hands clenched into fists.
Okay, then. I wasn’t searching for new friends, either.
They were friendly enough, and for the majority of breakfast, their eyes were on me, but it wasn’t like any of them made a move. Each one of them introduced themselves in case I needed their help on the ranch, but the look on Shane’s face was crystal clear. If I needed anything, I should ask him and no one else. Everyone left, including Shane, and I was left alone to clean. Needless to say, I had no freaking clue how to do that. I felt like a stupid, spoiled kid who was completely unprepared for real life. And the feeling sucked big time.
Freaking great!
I went to the sink and found some liquid stuff there. The bottle said it was for cleaning. I put it all over the dishes and looked for something to
clean it up with.
I grabbed the sponge and poured more liquid on it. Shit, I would need to use tons of moisturizing cream after the whole dish-cleaning thing. I took the pan in my hand and started to scrub it, but the dark thing, or whatever that was, wasn’t coming off. I scratched my nail and panicked because I didn’t want my nail polish to get ruined. I checked and discovered it was too late.
“Freaking shit!” I screamed, slamming the pan back in the sink and taking a deep breath.
Things like nails weren’t important, and I had to know how to do this. I was about to take my phone out to do an internet search on how to do the whole housework thing, when the door slammed. I quickly sank my hands under the water, and continued scrubbing the pan. I had to look busy or they would fire my ass.
“Oh my God!”
My head swung in the direction of a loud female gasp. Standing at the glass door was a pretty girl around my age. She was medium height, had beautiful, naturally tanned skin, and long, silky black hair. Her eyes were emerald green, like mine, but they were more vivid on her. In fact, I thought she looked like a young Angelina Jolie, and wasn’t that just hot? Her clothes did her no justice as they were frumpy and made it hard for me to get a clear look at her body shape. She had those big glasses on, which kept on sliding down her nose. She held several books in her hand and a backpack on.
“Who the hell are you?” Yeah, clearly politeness wasn’t her thing either.
“I’m Serena, the new housekeeper. And you are?” Smooth, really smooth. Not.
“Housekeeper? Why do we need a housekeeper?”
Like I was supposed to know the answer to that question. But the way she was standing showed she expected an answer, and she looked pissed. Her one hand was on her hip, while her narrowed eyes scanned the kitchen with a grim expression. After my dad’s speech back at home and the whole dishes thing, I wasn’t in the mood for her crap. Not to mention the early hour I’d had to get up.