by Asha Daniels
One seemed almost regal in his aristocratic looks, his chiseled features. The other was more roguish, just like a man who rode a horse. But the man who caught her had a dangerous look about him. Dark. Forbidden. He was a man of action. Sensual. Sexual. Standing well over six feet somethin’, his arms were inked, the colors vibrant, his physique powerful and buff, his hair cropped short.
Her nipples were so hard, scraping against her bra, that she almost reached up to adjust the lace. She’d never had this kind of reaction by simply touching or being touched. The current flowing between them was off the chain, forcing her hair to stand up on the back of her neck. “Thank you for catching me.” Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
“My pleasure. Gotta watch your step around here. Never know what you might run into,” the hunk said before taking a step back. His eyes locked onto hers, reaching into her mind, her very soul. This wasn’t undressing her with his eyes.
This was creating a spicy appetizer, slathering on extra hot sauce and devouring. She was suddenly unable to breathe. She could also swear she could read his mind.
I could take you right here, feasting on your body, devouring your sweet pussy. Would you like that, sunshine? Would you love to have me fulfill your every desire?
Georgia blinked several times, trying to find any words to say.
“Are you all right, sunshine?” the hunk asked, ever so quietly.
“Fine. Just… fine.”
“Over here, gentlemen,” Shane stated, his tone having changed yet again. This time more authoritative, almost arrogant. “We need to have a conversation.”
The hunk tipped his head, giving her another look of longing before turning his attention toward the front.
“Wow. They grow them very big in these parts. Whew,” Jessica whispered, her hot breath cascading across Georgia’s cheek.
Georgia took a couple steps to the door and couldn’t help but turn around and look in their direction. The other two were watching her, admiring her was more like it. The dangerous man was glaring at Shane, nodding yet very unhappy.
“Wonder what that’s all about.”
“I have no idea.” And she didn’t care. The man’s heated gaze had left her flustered. “Let’s find the cabin.” I need a cold shower. Georgia remained tingling all over, goose bumps along her arms. The way he’d touched her, gripped her arms to keep her from falling had been so sensual. She had a feeling, an intuition that their paths were going to cross again.
And she couldn’t be more excited.
“Did you get a load of that girl?” Josh muttered, mostly under his breath. “Cherry red hair and a voluptuous body. Whew, baby. My idea of perfect.”
“Absolutely gorgeous but way out of your league,” Toby answered, laughing as he took another look.
“Out of all our leagues. We’re here to work. Remember?” Savage almost snarled, but his skin remained on fire, his dick rubbing against his way too tight jeans. The electricity shooting between him and the dazzling woman was indescribable. He opened and closed his hands. Shit. They were still tingling from touching her arms. What the hell?
“I’m Shane Marshall, General Manager of the Lone Wolf. I know Richard is going to want to talk to you, boys. I hope the cabin is acceptable. The employee cabins were all filled up and we have a boat load of guests given the recent rodeo, so you have one of the nicer cabins on the property. In other words, don’t tear it up.”
Savage slowly turned his head toward the man behind the counter. The cowboy was far too slick in his opinion, but he needed to play nice, even if he could sense the man was none too thrilled they’d been hired. Who the fuck did he think they were? Even the look on Shane’s face held disdain. They weren’t wanted. Fucking fantastic. He tamped back his anger, biting his tongue.
“The cabin is fantastic. More than we would have expected,” Josh answered for all of them, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “We’ll keep it clean and tidy.”
“Glad to have you on board, but there are a few rules that need to be followed to the letter,” Shane continued, his eyes remaining on Savage.
Savage wanted to lash out, but he’d agreed to this bullshit. Working on a dude ranch wasn’t his thing, even if the work was honest and they all had a place to stay for the time being. He could save the money earned and get the hell out of dodge to find a new life. When Josh had explained what they were doing, he almost kicked the guy’s ass. Maybe his buddy knew better. He shot another look at the beautiful woman just seconds before her friend yanked the redhead out of the door and shook his head. Way out of his league as well.
Funny how he could have sworn he’d captured her essence in the single touch. She was searching for more than just a good time. His cock twitched, pinching in his jeans.
His thoughts shifted to just a few days before, the sexy blonde he’d spent the night with. A grunt was ready to surface given the thought. He’d awakened sandwiched in the middle of three women, all naked. Every limb intertwined with another. And all three reminded him of Barbie dolls. You bet he’d slipped out fast, never looking back. The decision had been fueled on beer and tequila, a dangerous combination in so many ways. He wasn’t a one night kind of guy.
“Focus,” Toby muttered.
“Whatever.” The standard answer Savage usually gave.
“Richard is in his office. I’ll take you back. You have tonight completely free. Work begins at five sharp. Sometimes earlier depending on the number of guests coming in.” Shane moved from behind the counter, snagging another employee to handle check in before leading them to a back hallway. “Meals are served three times a day, mostly at the kitchen facility near the cabins. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, but if you are seen even once intoxicated in front of a guest, you are gone. Understood?”
“Sure thing,” Toby said with conviction. “We won’t give you any trouble.”
“Good.” Shane remained quiet until he knocked on a door at the end of the hallway. “My brother is fair but strict. Keep that in mind.” He opened the door then took a step back. “See you in an hour and don’t be late.”
Savage glowered after the man but kept his cool. There was no need to pick a fight of any kind. He walked in and was surprised at Richard’s warm smile. The man was much older; his gray hair and beard giving him a pleasant appearance.
“Come on in, boys. I don’t bite.” Chuckling, Richard stood and walked around the desk. “Close the door if you don’t mind.”
The office was spacious yet maintained a cozy feel. Savage tried to relax. This was going to be an excellent gig for them.
After shaking everyone’s hand, Richard sat on the edge of his desk. “Richard Marshall. Don’t let Shane give you a hard time. He’s just learning the business. He thinks I’m getting too old to handle the place by myself. Hell, he could be right.”
“Nice place you got here. Not what I expected,” Toby offered, his smile genuine.
“And what did you expect, boy? Tumbleweeds and broken-down buildings?” Richard laughed but there was sadness in his eyes, if only for an instant. “Truth is, business has been down. I need good people, but kids don’t want to work for what I can pay.”
“You seem to be booming,” Josh said as he studied the pictures on the walls. “And celebrities too.”
“We’ve had our share of movie stars, politicians and world class athletes as guests, but those days seem to be slowing down. We hosted a rodeo so that’s why you’re seeing so many people. Normally, we’re half of this in guests, if we’re lucky,” Richard said then sighed. “We should have some amazing events this summer, so hopefully things will pick up. Let’s get down to business, boys. I’m sure you’d like to get settled. I hired you for your various skills.”
“Skills?” Savage bristled then backed down seeing the harsh look on Josh’s face.
“Josh, I know you can fix any kind of machinery there is, and I need that. The equipment and some of the vehicles are getting old. I should have replaced a few pieces a long time ago. Just had to w
ork on other aspects of the business first,” Richard started then turned his attention to Toby. “Toby, you used to be a rodeo star and given the success from this invitational we just had, I’ve decided to do some additional shows here. I’d like you to consider honing those skills of yours. Find the best talent this side of the Mississippi. Plan something around the Fourth of July and a huge celebration for Labor Day. Good money and if we can get listed on the circuit, we’ll go a long way in our abilities to grab more guests.”
“Wow. I’d be honored,” Toby said, his face flushing. “I wasn’t a star, but I know my way around a corral. Any particulars you’re thinking of?”
“Nothing comes to mind. Just get me a plan this week, including costs but feel free to take the reins so to speak.” Richard grinned.
“Easy enough,” Toby said, his grin widening.
“And Savage. You have a brilliant mind for numbers with regard to marketing. I need vibrant campaigns to compete with the newer resorts. My guess is that you have a damn good eye. Let alone you’ll attract the ladies.” Richard laughed then seeing Savage wasn’t responding, he shook his head.
The man had been searching their backgrounds. Fucking fantastic.
“Let’s put everything on the table, boys. Shall we? We’re all adults here. I know every detail about your time in prison and I’m not going to lie to you. There are a few employees who won’t take kindly to working alongside ex-cons, but what they have to say I don’t care about. My operation. My decisions and I’m a damn good judge of character. I have faith in all of you as well as your abilities. Keep your nose clean, help ignite this failing business and you could have a job here as long as you want it. That goes for all of you.”
He could tell Richard was saying the words to him directly. Savage shifted from foot to foot. Marketing. He hadn’t worked a full-time job dabbling in advertising or any type of business in far too long. “You’re trying to market the resort to bring in fresh clients, especially from outside the state.” The words weren’t a question. He knew the answer.
“Yes, and in an entirely different way than has been handled up to this point. We have a hell of a lot of competition in the area, including what I’d call our nemesis across town. You should consider visiting Rattlesnake Ranch. Just opened last year.” Richard’s statement was a clear directive.
Savage could tell there was more.
“Taking away all the business?” Josh ventured a guess.
“Unfortunately, and the owner uses some pretty dicey tactics, if I do say so myself.” Richard let out an extended and ragged breath.
Whatever was really going on was a heavy burden for the man to bear. Savage caught a glimpse of fear in the man’s eyes.
“This isn’t something for any of the other employees to hear, but if we don’t have an excellent season, I will have to think about laying people off, even closing the doors. I have two developers itching to take everything, turn this place into a housing development. I’d rather die than allow that to happen, but I’m bleeding money.” Richard glanced down at the floor. “I love this place. The ranch is my heart. It would be a shame to let it go without a fight.”
“We’ll do all we can, Mr. Marshall.” Toby’s voice was low, the words heartfelt.
“I appreciate it.” Richard stood, giving them each a nod. “You might be called outlaws, but I don’t want you to react in any manner. I’ll deal with indiscretions as needed.”
“Outlaws? We did our time for something that should never have landed us in jail,” Savage said. Hearing the snarl in his voice, he didn’t care at this point. He wasn’t going to be treated like a second class citizen.
Richard walked closer until he stood only inches from Savage. “People can think what they want, son. What you know and more importantly, what you accept in your heart is all that matters. Let them talk. Then walk away. I need your expertise and that’s why I hired you.”
Josh gripped Savage’s arm. “We’ll be fine. You can trust us.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. This is a damn good place. Some folks find their true love, romance and passion. Others find their very souls.” Richard kept his eyes locked on Savage.
“We won’t let you down, Mr. Marshall.” Toby inched closer.
“Excellent. I’m not big into formalities around here; however, I’m certain that Shane told you about some of the rules. Be mindful of the guests. Some of them are true city slickers and will drive you nutty.” Richard laughed. “Others will be enticing, if you know what I mean. Just remember that they are our guests.”
“Which means no falling in love,” Toby teased.
“Exactly, son. That goes for our other employees as well. You’ll get close and I get that, but you’re here to do a job.” Richard broke into another large smile. “If you keep your head straight, we’ll get along just fine. And by the way, it’s Richard. Mr. Marshall makes me feel so damn old.”
“Thank you, Richard. We appreciate the work.” Josh held out his hand.
Savage gave the man a respectful nod and was the first to walk out the door. Falling in love. Right. That was the very last thing on his mind.
“I can’t believe this cabin. For employees?” Jessica moved around the living room, touching every piece of furniture, exclaiming every few seconds. She floated into the kitchen and when she turned on the light, she gasped. “My God. This is bigger than your apartment.”
“What isn’t bigger than my apartment,” Georgia muttered as she tossed her bags onto the wooden floor. Everything was wide open yet had such a cozy feel from the leather furniture and wooden floors covered by beautiful throw rugs. Even the artwork captured her attention, seductive in the colorations and alluring landscapes. The furnishings were perfect and a place she could call home. Giggling, she felt like a kid in a candy store. Maybe being a bad girl, including a little white lie wasn’t so horrific after all.
Jessica hummed as she opened the refrigerator. “Hey, sunshine. A bottle of wine with a note. We’re so happy to have you. Enjoy.”
Sunshine. The hunk had actually called her that. “Stop teasing or you’re sleeping outside.”
“Uh-huh. I saw the way you two looked at each other. Next, you’ll be planning a wedding.” As she pulled the wine out of the fridge, she gave Georgia a shake of her head. “By the way, my dear friend, exactly what did you tell the folks here that you could do?”
“I just mentioned that I’d worked for an entertainment company. You know, food, wine. Just like I said.” Cringing, she walked closer to the kitchen, heat creeping up from the base of her neck.
“Interesting. That was for like a month until you got fired, if I seem to recall. Why would you…” Jessica chuckled as she opened cabinet doors, finding two glasses, then pilfered through the drawers until she found a wine opener. “Never mind. I know why, and I don’t blame you.”
“Don’t say it,” Georgia threw out. She was already feeling guilty enough.
“Fine. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Just be careful. You know what they say about lies begetting lies.”
“Yeah. Yeah. What were you saying to me in the car about taking chances?” Georgia bit her cheek, thinking about Mr. Dark and Dangerous. No wedding in her distant future but a wild tryst? Maybe. Mmm… Even his tattoos were sexy. He had a look about him, as if he used to be in the military. That would explain the short hair, the perfectly toned muscles and the gorgeous ink.
“I said never mind, sunshine. You’re a big girl. You’ll just get spanked if you’re caught. Hey, maybe by one of those sexy men.” Jessica winked.
“Jessica!”
“I’m teasing you. Let’s have a glass of wine to celebrate before you meet with your boss.”
“Wine breath. Perfect. But yes and no more talk about spankings. I’ll drop the bags into the rooms.” She found her way to the first bedroom and released the breath she’d been holding. A hard spanking. A round of punishment. She had to get her mind out of the gutter. This could be the perfect job for her, if she
applied herself. If you continue the lie. The lie! “Shut up,” she muttered then rolled her eyes.
Everything had a beautiful touch, yet nothing was feminine. As she brushed her hand over the comforter, rustic in nature, she realized this place was a goldmine, but needed some finesse. The second bedroom was much the same, albeit somewhat smaller. Dropping Jessica’s things, she headed back into the living room. The sun was just beginning to set, creating vibrant colors floating across the sky. “Just incredible.”
“Let’s take this outside.” Without waiting, Jessica unlocked the set of French doors, walking out onto the deck. “Wow.”
She snagged her glass of wine, inhaling the scent then trailed behind her. From where she stood, she had the most amazing view of the mountains and a lush green pasture, wildflowers growing from almost every corner. “I could live here.”
“So could I.”
“Do you believe in karma?” Jessica asked absently.
“Karma. I don’t know. I’d like to think there was a magical land complete with knights fighting for a woman’s honor.”
“Don’t you mean spanking her ass?” Jessica eased against the railing. “I’m not necessarily teasing. You want a strong man. I have the distinct feeling you’re going to find exactly what you need right here in cowboy land.”
Georgia wrinkled her nose before taking a sip. She wanted the prince, her white knight, her man of honor. She wanted a man to adore and protect her, all the while providing guidance. As she glanced at the colors crisscrossing the sky, she realized she’d just described the three men she’d seen earlier. Maybe there was such a thing as karma.
Maybe.
If only she could believe.
Chapter 3
“A honky-tonk bar. Really?” Georgia heard the disdain in her voice. What had she expected exactly? Rattlesnakes. The name created vivid imagery in her mind. The bar was also close to their competitor and from what she’d seen driving in, the ranch reminded her of Disneyland. Maybe that’s what vacationers wanted these days.