by Reeni Austin
She was so lovely and lively. Vibrant. Soft. Hopefully she'd be okay with a no-strings-attached relationship. He'd love to have her as his little plaything for the next few weeks.
But he surely couldn't offer her more than that.
More than anything, Ramon was determined to keep his attraction a secret lest Patty and everyone else try to insinuate there was more going on.
He'd thought of Marcy practically every minute since he went to her room the previous night. She'd surprised him. So bold. So quick with a comeback.
Mmm. A feisty little thing.
But… shit. Maybe she was a tease. Hell, maybe it was all a trap. Maybe Cara hated him enough to plant Marcy there to see if he'd hit on her to use it as a reason to get Victor to leave…
Nah. That seemed pretty far-fetched. She was flirting with him.
Ramon often used his lunch hour to socialize with the guys in the trailer where they ate, but not today. He was well rested and wanted to see her again with a clear head instead of his usual exhaustion.
He was on the back porch, taking off his dirty boots, when his phone rang.
It was Armando.
Why the hell was he calling from his honeymoon? Surely, it wasn't about Henry.
Ramon answered the phone with a snicker. "Pendejo. Four days of marriage. She kick you outta bed already?"
Armando laughed softly. "Uh, not hardly."
Ramon let out a quiet groan. "No details, please."
"Don't worry. You heard from Henry yet?
"Are you out of your mind? You interrupted your honeymoon for that?"
"I figured he might've called after the wedding to say why he didn't show up."
"Well," Ramon lied, "haven't heard from him."
"It's been how long now?"
"Three weeks."
"Should we try to find him?"
"No. I'm sure he's fine."
"Are you lying to me?"
"No."
"Okay then. If we still haven't heard from him by the time I visit next week, we need to track him down."
Confused, Ramon said, "Wait. You said, next week? Thought your honeymoon was longer than that."
"I've had a few business issues come up and Katie's got some family drama goin' on with her parents' divorce. Oh, and Isaac made us promise to come to his birthday party."
"I hope you weren't plannin' on stayin' in your old room 'cause—"
"Yeah, I heard you have a new house guest. Patty told me last week." Armando laughed. "Oh wait, that was supposed to be a surprise, wasn't it?"
Ramon seethed. They were all in on it. Yeah, well, he'd show 'em. He didn't need anyone playing matchmaker on his behalf. There'd hopefully be a night or two of sweet lovin' in his future… but that was all. "Okay. You go have fun now. It's my lunch break, so…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell everyone I said hi."
Ramon hung up and slid his phone into his pocket. He hated lying to his brothers, but it was only for a little while longer.
Standing on the porch, he took off his hat and studied his reflection in the sliding glass door. He took a moment to comb his fingers through his hair, then he opened the door and walked in.
Downstairs, it sounded empty. Ramon felt a twinge of disappointment. But he went upstairs anyway, knowing it was a long shot.
He walked down the hall past her room on his way to his own. The door was wide open and he did a double take, not expecting to see her.
But there Marcy was, folding laundry. "Hey," she said.
Caught in her gaze, he stared into her sparkly green eyes, blinking and reminding himself to be cool. "Hey, yourself. Didn't think anyone was home."
"Oh. Sorry."
"No, it's fine. I didn't mean it like that. There's no one downstairs so I just assumed."
"Well, Tom and Patty are out sightseeing. Victor and Cara had an appointment." She looked him up and down. "Your clothes are so clean. Were you downstairs in your office? I didn't hear you."
"No, I'm workin' outside but I don't always get dirty. It's not like I'm out there ropin' calves or somethin'."
"Oh." She shrugged. "Sorry. I don't know anything about ranches."
"I could show you around some time."
Marcy's nose wrinkled as she reached into the basket for a shirt to fold. "I don't know if it's really my scene." Then her eyes perked up. "Oh! But I'm ready for that haircut whenever you are. Cara and I found a beauty supply store this morning so I'm all set."
"Oh. Already?"
"Uh-huh."
"I'm on my lunch break. Could we do it now?"
"Yeah, but don't you have to eat lunch?"
"I'll just grab somethin' quick. No big deal."
"Oh. Okay, then. I was thinking we could do it in the bathroom. Unless you want me to wash your hair first. Then we'll use the kitchen sink and come back upstairs for the cut."
"Uh… kitchen sink sounds fine."
She nodded. "I'm on my way." She dropped the shirt she was folding and grabbed a bag from the floor.
"Okay. Give me a minute and I'll be right down." Ramon ran to his room, excited by the thought of her dainty little fingers running through his hair. But he had to freshen up first. He went straight to his dresser for deodorant. Briefly, he thought about cologne, but decided it would be too forward.
Next, he took off his jeans and changed into a pair of loose-fitting cotton shorts he sometimes wore to bed. They'd be a lot easier to take off, if necessary.
Ramon looked in the mirror, smelled his shirt, then rushed out to the hall. He almost made it to the stairs when he had a thought: Fuck it. I'll be obvious. As he walked back to his room, he lifted his T-shirt over his head, then balled it up and hurled it onto his bed.
And now, he was ready for her.
* * *
Marcy waited in the kitchen, her heart pounding faster by the second. She didn't expect him to jump so fast on the offer of a haircut.
Maybe he was for real last night. Her body had an obvious physical reaction to the thought of fooling around with him. And surely she wouldn't fall for this guy. Such a jackass. He was destined to go through life lonely. It made her a little sad to think about it.
But oh well. Maybe he was happy alone.
That morning, Marcy told Cara she wanted to buy some new tools to cut Isaac's hair. And it wasn't a lie—she would likely be using those same tools on Isaac soon for his regular haircut. But Marcy kept her real reason for the rush shopping trip a secret.
Cara would flip out if she knew Marcy was attracted to Ramon.
Marcy wore a tighter top than she usually wore. A test, to see if he really was attracted to her.
As she heard him walk downstairs, she rearranged her shampoo and towels on the table, waiting until he was a few steps inside the room before she looked up.
And there he was. Shirtless. Lean and perfectly muscled. Wearing only a pair of gray cotton shorts. Eyes burning into hers… so intense…
Ramon casually strolled up to the sink and stopped without breaking eye contact.
She took a long, deep breath. "You changed clothes."
He smirked. "In case we're messy. Didn't want 'em gettin' wet."
Her breath hitched at the obvious sexual connotations. She calmly nodded. "That's smart."
Ramon's eyes fell down to her body. "So? Tell me what you want me to do."
Throw me down on the floor. "Um… sit here." She tapped the chair. "Let's see if you can lean your head back and reach the sink."
He immediately sat, then tipped his head backwards. "Did I reach it?"
"No. Almost." She shrugged. "You'll have to stand up and bend forward."
"Nah." Ramon eyed the kitchen counter, then moved a mixer and a blender. "This'll work." He hopped up on the counter, almost banging his head against the cabinet above. Then he flashed Marcy a grin and laid down, his knees bent.
She laughed. "I never would've thought you'd fit up there."
"Guess I'm lucky I have this big ole kitchen."
/> Marcy quickly put a towel under his bare shoulders and moved her bottles to the sink, struggling to focus on the task at hand. She turned on the water to let it warm up, fantasizing about squeezing herself up on that counter with him. A moment later, she sprayed his hair and asked, "Is the temperature okay?"
"Mmm." Eyes closed, he let out a moan like he was in ecstasy, loud enough for her to hear over the running water.
As she wet his hair, she fantasized about sliding her hand down to his bare chest. It practically begged for her touch.
She stopped the water and squirted shampoo into her palms. Then she began massaging his scalp with her fingertips.
"Oh yeah," Ramon said. "That's nice."
Marcy slowed in response to his reaction.
"Mmm. Yeah." He opened his eyes and looked at her. His words came out thick and slow like honey. "You're so good at that."
Silently, she gazed into his eyes and pulsed her fingers methodically. She took a quick glance down at his crotch to see if there was a bulge. Unfortunately, his shorts were baggy, and she didn't want him to catch her looking. Maybe she'd have to work a little harder to get him aroused. So, she proceeded to give him a thorough scalp massage as she worked the shampoo and conditioner through his wavy hair.
Ramon closed his eyes and tilted his head in the direction of her fingers.
She asked, "You really like that, huh?"
"Yeah. It's nice to have a sexy woman wash my hair."
His eyes didn't open, so she didn't respond. But she took another glance down at his crotch. He didn't appear excited, at all.
Damn it! Why can't I tell if he's for real?
Finally, Marcy rinsed and toweled him off, anxious to finish. "Okay," she said. "Let's go upstairs."
He immediately hopped off the counter, grabbed a towel, and followed her.
When they arrived at the base of the stairs, she stopped and looked up at him, feeling on display at the idea of walking upstairs in front of him.
But Ramon extended his hand, and with a subtle grin, politely said, "After you."
Marcy gulped and headed on up, feeling his eyes burn into her ass with each step.
In the hallway upstairs, she gestured at the bathroom where she had already placed a chair.
Ramon took a seat, his eyes boring into hers.
Reluctant to cover him from the waist up, she hesitated before handing him the cape. After he took it, she snapped it behind his neck, then picked up her comb and shears.
"How short do you want it?" she asked.
"Whatever you think's best."
"Do you usually wear it much shorter than this?"
"Not much, no."
"Okay. I won't take much off then."
As she combed his hair, Ramon said, "So, tell me again why that lady slapped you that one time? Did she ask for red hair and you gave her brown or something?"
Marcy squinted. "You're still curious about that?"
"Uh-huh."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "It's just interesting. That's all."
"Uh, okay." Marcy thought back to that day as she snipped his hair. "Well, she wanted this silvery gray color but I made her hair a little too white." She sighed. "There was only a few shades' difference."
"She slapped you for that?" Ramon turned his head to look at her.
"Keep your head still, please." She carefully repositioned him with her hands. "Yeah. She got out of her chair, grabbed her purse, screamed at me in front of everyone. Then she slapped my face." She patted her cheek. "Right here."
"Did it hurt?"
"It stung for a while. She was a beefy old broad."
Ramon chuckled. "Did you think about slapping her back?"
"I wanted to, sure. But I'm not that stupid. I was gonna scream at her but she called me 'Denise' again and I knew she was out of her mind." She groaned. "That was all I could take of that line of work. I was so freakin' tired of customers thinking they were always right."
Ramon howled with laughter, and she pulled her hand away. "I don't think I've laughed this hard in years."
Marcy watched him in amazement. When he settled down she asked, "I know it's kinda funny, but it's not that funny."
He laughed a moment longer, then calmed down. "It's funny 'cause it sounds like something I'd do if I had a business where I had to deal with random people off the street like that. I know all the local business owners around here and they tell me some messed-up shit. I could never own a restaurant or a retail store where the customer's 'always right.'" He lifted his hands, making air quotes under the cape. "I'd be like, 'No you're not. Fuck you, customer." He shrugged. "'You don't like it? Get outta my damn store.'"
Marcy chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. But you wouldn't be in business for long with that attitude." She combed his hair and lifted it to cut.
"I know. That's why I'm glad I'm in the cattle business. Of course, I still gotta deal with people's bullshit, and sometimes I gotta act nice when I don't feel like it. But it's nothing like that. I have long standing relationships with my vendors and customers. Not cranky old ladies who get mad because their hair's not silver enough." He gazed at her. "I admire how you didn't just go home and cry about it… or did you?"
"No. There were no tears."
"Yeah. You're a lot like me. You stand up for yourself and don't take shit from people. I like that."
Marcy's face twisted as she processed his words. "Okay. I don't think anyone's ever admired that quality in me before. So, thank you. I think."
"You're welcome. What'd people say when you told 'em you quit your job?"
"Well, I got lucky and found another job a few hours later. That bookkeeping job. One of my former clients, in fact, who liked how I did her hair. Anyway, by the time everyone knew what happened at the salon, I already had another job. So it wasn't a big deal."
"What about your parents? Did they say anything?"
Marcy sighed. "I barely knew my parents. I was raised by my grandmother, and she'd passed away before that."
"Oh." Ramon's voice got quiet. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's okay. Really."
"All right." He nodded. "So, what happened with the new job you got? Did they go outta business because you were a bad bookkeeper?"
Marcy stuck her hand to her hip and shot him a mean look. "No, they went out of business because people stopped buying furniture." Her attention returned to his hair, lifting it with a comb. "I'll have you know I was awesome at that job. I got certified and everything."
"Why didn't you just get another bookkeeping job then?"
She shrugged. "Don't really like sitting at a desk all day. But I enjoy cleaning and organizing. When I started my business it did so well at first." She sighed wistfully. "I guess I kept hoping it'd pick up again someday."
"I hate sitting at a desk, too. Unfortunately, that's my life about three quarters of the time."
"Really? What, like, bookkeeping? Anything I can help with? I don't mind."
"Maybe, if you really want to. You said you didn't like it though."
"Don't like it as a full-time job. But just a few hours here and there? It'd be fine."
"Well, I do the bookkeeping, but I spend most of my time with a cattle management software. It's the only thing that keeps me sane between running three properties."
"I didn't know that kind of software existed."
"Yeah. But it doesn't do the job for me. Just makes it easier for me to keep an eye on things."
"Well, if I can help while I'm here, let me know." Marcy choked out an uncomfortable laugh. "Feel like I need to earn my keep somehow. Victor's paying me way too much. I think I'm his latest charity case."
Ramon's eyebrows furrowed. "How much is he paying you, if you don't mind me asking?"
She took a deep breath and considered not telling him, but she felt it was his right to know. "He grosses up my salary so I net seven hundred a week."
Ramon's mouth fell open. "Sh
it. Yeah, you're overpaid. I didn't mean that the way it sounded, sorry."
She nodded. "It's okay. You're right. I'm overpaid."
"Wow. He even has you on payroll."
"Yep. It's legit. Your brother's a very generous man."
"Nah. He ain't that generous. He could afford to pay you a lot more."
"He could pay me a lot less, too, so I'm grateful." Marcy smiled. "That's why if you need extra help with something, just ask. Hair, bookkeeping…" Her voice trailed off as the phrase, "sexual favors" floated through her thoughts.
Ramon's eyes twinkled, the side of his mouth quirking up. "Yeah." He dragged his tongue across his bottom lip. "I'll figure out a way to make you earn that money."
She stepped behind him so he couldn't see her blush.
They spent the next few minutes quiet.
When she picked up her clippers to use on the back of his neck, but he stopped her, saying, "No, it's okay. I like my hair a little long."
"Well, you're the boss," she said.
Ramon gave her a sinister chuckle.
Marcy put her shears down and bent forward in front of him, running her fingers through his hair to see if was even.
His eyelids were at half-mast as he gaped at her breasts.
She let him look for a little while then unsnapped the cape and pulled it away. "There's hair all over you," she said, "You may wanna take a quick shower or you'll be itchy all day."
Ramon stood, gazing down into her eyes. Quickly he pushed the door closed. Then, in a slow drawl, he said, "I will if you'll take it with me."
Warmth started in her core and flooded her body, making her toes tingle. Her mind was blank, unable to form a response.
Ramon stood squarely in front of her and nodded toward the shower, his tone casual. "Come on."
Marcy's breath hitched as she thought it over.
His eyes narrowed, making her pulse quicken. Then he leaned slightly forward.
Was he going to kiss her?
At once, a voice boomed the hall. It was Victor. "Marcy? Are you up here?"
Marcy gasped and rushed past Ramon, opening the door as he pulled back the shower curtain to step inside.
She grinned at Victor. "Here. Here I am."
"Hey." Victor smiled, then lifted one brow, his smile disappearing as he looked past Marcy at a partially-clothed Ramon. "Uh…"