by Reeni Austin
And then Ramon charged inside, wiping the sweat off his brow as he removed his hat. He smiled like he had something clever to say to his employees, but he was interrupted by Patty's greeting of "Hola!" and his eyes abruptly shot in their direction. Glaring at Joe, Ramon put his hat back on.
It was the first time Marcy had seen Ramon in a cowboy hat. She assumed he always took it off before entering the house.
Until this moment, seeing Ramon like this, she had never understood the appeal of a sexy cowboy. Maybe it was his hat. Or maybe it was the tight, well-worn T-shirt that hugged his slightly damp, hard-working body like a second skin.
Or perhaps it was the way his full lips pursed, hiding his gritted teeth as he stormed over and wedged himself between her and Joe. Whatever it was, he was hotter than ever. Out of all the guys in the room wearing cowboy hats, he was the only one who made her pulse quicken and her toes tingle.
Ramon's fingers curled gently around her elbow, the feel of them making her wish they were in her bedroom. To Joe, he offered a curt, "Excuse us." And, ignoring Patty, Ramon swiftly guided Marcy out of the trailer.
It happened so fast, Marcy didn't think to say goodbye to Joe or any of the other guys.
As he marched her down the steps to the field, Marcy asked in a shaky voice, "What's wrong? Did I do something?" She secretly wondered if he was jealous, but the past few minutes had left her head spinning.
Ramon muttered, "Told you not to come out here unless I'm with you," as he stomped forward, pulling Marcy along.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Marcy cleared her throat. "Patty asked for my help and I guess I didn't think about it. It's part of my job, to help her. What's the big deal? They all seem pretty nice. I didn't feel like I was in danger or—"
"Joe's a player," Ramon said, interrupting her. "Nice guy, but a player. And he's got this weird, on-again, off-again girlfriend mess goin' on. Miguel's a player, too." He snorted. "And don't even get me started on Silas…"
Ramon continued until they arrived at the back door of the house, giving her a rundown on each of his guys like he was reading from a list. He followed her through the door into the cool air of the air conditioned downstairs, stopping a few steps inside.
When he finally let her go, Marcy asked. "If those guys are so terrible, why don't you fire them?"
He looked at her like she was crazy. "They're excellent workers. But that's different." Eyes downcast, he glanced off at the wall, his voice quiet. "I don't trust 'em around you."
Marcy gasped. She had been afraid to let herself think it, but now… "Are you jealous?" she asked. "Is that the reason you didn't want me to go out there in the first place?"
Eyes still on the wall, Ramon let out an exasperated sigh, his face turning a light shade of pink as he absent-mindedly adjusted his hat.
Again, Marcy asked, "Are you jealous, Ramon?" She put one hand on her hip in a defiant stance. "Is that why you marched me in here, like a child?" She blinked up at him, hoping he'd make eye contact. "Or do you think I'm some air-headed floozy who's gonna hop into bed with every smooth-talking cowboy I meet? Because I slept with you, it means I'm a slut who's gonna sleep with them, too? Let me tell you—"
"I don't share!" Ramon's angry brown eyes finally met hers. He muttered under his breath for a moment, then said, "Damn it, woman! I told you not to go out there unless I'm with you!"
"Oh, so you're giving me orders now? I technically work for your brother, not for you. You can't control where I go, or—"
"The hell I can't! This is my house and you woke up with me this morning. And yesterday morning. And—"
"Is this some kind of immature territorial issue, where you have to be in charge of the women you're sleeping with? Like, 'I had her first so leave her alone'?" She took a tiny step forward. "Or are you jealous?"
Ramon flinched, tilting his head to work out the tension in his neck. "I don't know. Just don't go out there again."
Marcy smirked. "Oh, I think you do know. You just don't wanna admit it." Her eyebrows rose. "Isn't that something, Mr. Blunt? The man who claims to be so honest and straightforward." Grimacing, she shook her head. "But you're not being very honest right now, are you?"
Nostrils flaring, Ramon stared down at her. "Your job is inside the house. That's where the maid works. Inside the house."
Marcy's mouth fell open in a huff. "Oh really? I'm just the maid. The hired help you run to when you're lonely at night. I'm not a real person to you, am I? Might as well be a cow."
Growling, Ramon lifted his arms to his sides, then yelled, "Are you ever gonna stop throwing that cow thing up in my face? And you know damn well you're more than just the hired help to me."
Shrugging, Marcy asked, "How would I 'damn well' know that? Was I supposed to read your mind? All you ever tell me is 'I'll see you in bed tonight.'"
"Well, you are. Okay?" Ramon's eyes were huge. "There. I told you." He spun around to the door, opening it, then lifting his arm, gesturing outside. "See that little green shed over there?" He moved his arm. "And that bright yellow fence post? Pretend there's a line between 'em." He gave her eyes a hard stare. "And don't cross that line."
"Don't cross that line…" she softly repeated, wondering if it he meant it as a metaphor for their relationship.
Their eyes locked in a silent, excruciating showdown, then Ramon readjusted his hat and walked out the door.
Marcy was relieved he'd left. She had nothing more to say. Well, nothing that wouldn't make her sound naive. They had only met this week. They had made each other no promises. And it was too soon to talk about relationship stuff like feelings, or their possible future together. Besides, Ramon didn't seem the kind of guy who'd wanna talk about his feelings anyway.
Marcy took a deep breath, then slouched off to the kitchen to do the one thing that relaxed her: cleaning. And when she was finished with that, she'd find another room to clean. Anything to keep herself from going crazy over Ramon.
* * *
Ramon hustled through the field, trying to quell his urge to smash Joe's face. After all, it wasn't Joe's fault a good looking little curvy woman invaded their territory. Got all the guys stirred up like a nest of angry hornets.
But damn it! He'd told her to stay away! There was too much testosterone and stupidity on that ranch for any woman to be safe near those guys for too long. Shit. They were probably all flirting with Patty by now, too, but at least she was married and knew how to hold her own.
Ramon grumbled to himself. No matter how much he wanted to deny it—even to himself—the idea of Marcy being anywhere near Joe or one of the other guys pissed him off so much he could barely think straight. He glanced around the property right then, looking for anything to punch or kick.
Marcy was his. Even if it was only for another few weeks, she was his until she left. Didn't matter if she knew it or not.
Shit. That's crazy.
He spotted a thick branch lying on the ground under a tree, and ran to it. He glanced around to make sure no one saw, then picked up the heavy branch with both hands and gave the tree one violent crack. The branch splintered and broke in half. Ramon let his half fall to the ground.
And he was still pissed.
Shit. He'd looked forward to arguing with Marcy since he first met her, but why the hell'd it have to be about that? He knew he had to stop that conversation before it went to "where is this going?" What a miserable fucking question. How was he supposed to know where it was going? How was he supposed to be anyone's "someone" when his life was just about to turn upside down? As soon as Henry came back, he and his brothers' lives would change forever. He didn't have the patience to deal with a woman's bullshit while he dealt with his own.
But… even if Henry came back and the truth came out and it wasn't as bad as he feared… what the fuck? Wasn't he supposed to be over Marcy by now? Why was he still constantly thinking about her? Why did he care so much if one of his guys came on to her, or hell, took her out on a date?
Instantly, his fac
e and neck turned red… his rage was back with a vengeance…
"Damn it!" Ramon kicked the branch, twisting it up in the air.
He took a few breaths, balled up his fists and held them still at his sides, then stalked off to a barn to be alone. Better to avoid the trailer lest he take out his aggression on the first cabron to make the mistake of talking about Marcy.
* * *
Marcy was in the living room on Friday night with everyone—except Ramon—as they watched movies and talked, as usual.
When Ramon came inside for the evening, he claimed he had work to do. Instead of joining the family for dinner, he took a shower and went straight to his office.
Marcy hadn't spoken to him since their argument that afternoon. Her heart was ripped in half between anger, and missing him. No one knew how she was feeling. She didn't tell Cara or Patty about the argument, fearing an "I told you so," from Cara, or Patty trying to intervene with Ramon on her behalf. When Patty asked what happened when Ramon escorted her out of the trailer, her simple reply was, "I don't wanna talk about it."
At eight-thirty that evening, Marcy's ears perked up at the sound of footsteps in the foyer, which she barely heard over voices mingling with the television. She turned in her chair to see Ramon's head peeking into the room, his eyes wide, waiting for her to see him.
Without thinking, Marcy rose to her feet. But wait… Maybe she should sit back down and let him suffer. Let him be all by himself tonight, in his confused little non-commital world.
But, she knew if she didn't speak with him tonight, she would be the one suffering. Lying awake without him. Staring at the ceiling. Wondering if he was on the other side of that wall, thinking about her just the same.
So, Marcy glanced around as she slunk out of the room, hopefully unnoticed.
She padded out to the foyer then around the corner where she saw Ramon at the foot of the stairs. He whispered a shy, "Hey," and her heart jumped.
"Hey," she whispered back.
They stared into each others' eyes. Then suddenly he pulled her into his arms and captured her lips in a kiss.
Marcy grabbed the back of his T-shirt with both hands, and felt his strong arms around her waist, lifting her in the air. Never breaking that kiss.
Her anger instantly melted away.
Ramon held her there for a little while then gently set her down and pulled away, leaving her breathless and wishing they were already in bed. Taking her hand, he started quietly up the stairs.
When they arrived in Marcy's room, Ramon locked the door. At once, he kissed her, and his hands went to her shorts, tugging them down.
She reached for his zipper.
Their clothes peeled off in a frenzy of passionate kisses until they were both naked and locked in each others' arms, drifting slowly to the bed.
Just as Marcy felt the backs of her legs touch the comforter and Ramon's erection pinning her from the front, he kissed her ear, then whispered, "I didn't plan to do this tonight but I want you so bad…"
She swallowed hard and flattened her palms against his bare chest, pushing him away enough to peer up at him. "Then why'd you bring me up here?"
Ramon licked his lips then turned his eyes up to the ceiling. He let out a heavy sigh, and Marcy noticed his desire softening…
Stunned, Marcy looked up at him, awaiting the worst. Her stomach clenched. This is the part where he tells her it's over. He has to keep his distance or risk leading her on. And maybe he'd be right. But she'd get over it quickly, wouldn't she? It had only been four days. It couldn't take her that long to—
In a weak voice, Ramon interrupted her avalanche of disappointment with, "You wanna maybe leave the house and have dinner with me tomorrow? It's my only day off."
Marcy inhaled a quick gasp. "What? You mean, like, a date?"
He pulsed his fingers against his temples, groaned, and sat on the bed. "Fuck, woman. What have you done to me?"
She sat beside him, hands folded in her lap. "Is it really that bad? We don't have to call it a date. We can just—"
"No." Ramon placed a firm hand on her knee. "It's a date. I can't take all this in-between bullshit anymore." He sighed and stared down at the floor. "Look, I'm not good at this stuff. I'm sorry."
Marcy nodded and put her hand on his. "It's okay. Neither of us expected this to happen. I think we're both a little gun shy."
Ramon sighed in relief, his eyes darting to hers. "You too, huh?"
"Yes. Very much so. I came here for a job. And to be with my friends. I didn't expect…" she paused, thinking of a way to say it that hopefully wouldn't scare him off, "whatever this is."
"Well, imagine how I feel." One side of Ramon's mouth quirked up in a half-smile. "Didn't know we were getting a maid. And suddenly, here you are. Keepin' me up at night. Makin' me think all kinds of crazy shit."
Her heart soared. But one thought sent it crashing back down to the ground. "Do you think it's because I'm convenient? If I moved out of your house, would you forget all about me?" Then she bit her lip, feeling stupid. "I guess that's a hard question to answer without being psychic, huh?"
Ramon chuckled. "You're so cute." He patted her leg and gazed into her eyes. "Look, baby doll. I don't claim to have all the answers. We only just met a few days ago. I don't know what we're doin' or where we're goin'. It's too soon for that. But I know we got… something." His gaze strengthened. "And whatever it is, it's enough to make me dread the idea of you moving outta here and going back home."
She nodded. "I feel the same way. You said it perfectly."
He smiled. "That's probably a first for me."
Marcy returned his smile. "So, tomorrow. Dinner?"
"Is that a 'yes'?"
"What? To dinner? Did I forget to say it? I meant to. Yes."
"Good." His hand tightened around her thigh. "What kinda food do you like?"
She shrugged. "It's your town. Take me to one of your favorite places. I'll get to know the real you."
"Hmm." He gave her a thoughtful look. "That might work. We can talk about it in the morning." He drew his hand to his mouth, covering a huge yawn. "I'm sorry. You're probably sick of seeing me yawn."
"No. I just wish you didn't work so much."
Nodding, he said, "Yeah. Me too. But at least I have tomorrow off."
"Really? You don't even take a full weekend? Have you thought any more about letting me help you?"
"A little. Maybe we can talk about it tomorrow." He yawned again. "Sorry. I gotta go to sleep. Damn woman in my bed, keepin' me awake all week." He winked.
Marcy smiled, hiding her disappointment. "Okay."
Ramon glanced down at her nakedness and let out a weary breath. "Shit. Can't believe I'm about to go to sleep with all this sexy right beside me." He kissed her temple. "Don't worry. I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
CHAPTER 12
Marcy awoke on Saturday morning to bright sunlight streaming through the window and birds chirping outside her window in shrill harmony.
But Ramon was gone.
With a disheartened sigh, she peeled the covers off, threw on a robe, and headed to the bathroom to start her day with a shower.
Fifteen minutes later, she saw Ramon downstairs as he exited the kitchen en route to his office.
"Mornin'," he said, his face lighting up.
"Good morning." She made no effort to hide her enormous smile.
Ramon gave her a quick once-over from head to toe, grinning, then a hint of pain flickered across his face as he said, "Turns out I have to work today."
"What?" Marcy asked, disappointed. "Does that mean we're not having dinner?"
"No, it just means I'll be busy all day till then. But we're still on, for sure." He grinned.
"Good." Her disappointment was instantly replaced by a wave of relief.
"I was thinking maybe tonight I'd show you around the ranch, if you want." Ramon shrugged and casually added, "It's okay as long as I'm with you," with a wink.
She responded
with a roll of her eyes and a light groan. "Sure."
He laughed. "Hey, my house, my rules."
"Yeah, yeah."
"So, do you have any shoes you don't mind gettin' dirty? Flat ones that cover your toes?"
"Uh…" In order to pack a light suitcase, she only brought four pairs of shoes with her, including the heels she wore on the plane. "I have a pair of loafers but otherwise, no."
He sighed. "That's what I figured. I took a peek at your closet this morning."
"Then why'd you ask?"
"Thought maybe you had 'em hidin' somewhere else." His head shook. "We'll get you some new shoes today. I don't need you gettin' mad at me because you stepped in somethin' out there, you know?"
"Do I need boots, like yours?"
"Nah. Just something a little more… outdoorsy."
"And hopefully stylish?"
Ramon huffed a grunt out of the side of his mouth. "Women. Anyway, plan on four o'clock. Hope you don't mind an early dinner."
She smiled. "Four o'clock's fine."
He stood still in the hallway, gazing at her with a grin, possibly ready to kiss her.
Then Isaac burst in from the living room, frantically jumping up and down as he yelled, "I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait!"
Ramon and Marcy looked at each other with the same stunned laughter. This sort of behavior was unusual for Isaac.
Victor followed him into the foyer. "Yes, you can."
Ramon turned to them. "What's goin' on, hombrecito?"
Isaac whimpered, almost crying. "My pawty! I can't wait a whole week!"
Victor sighed. "We've been talking about his party a week from today. He's a little too excited."
With his little hands over his eyes, Isaac wailed loudly, then shouted, "I want it wight now!"
Victor knelt down to Isaac's level and spoke calmly. "Buddy, you can't have it right now. It's next Saturday and you'll have to wait."
Isaac's face scrunched up and he lifted a hand to Ramon. "Wuh-moan!"