“Why only lease for a month?” he asked, those incredible gray eyes of his still boring deep.
Her mind scrambled to come up with a truthful answer. Something told her the man didn’t suffer liars. Shoot. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. A stone and a hard place. Despite having no plans to act on their attraction, she felt compelled to be as honest as possible with him, and yet, even though her grandfather hadn’t forbidden her to talk about the contest, it had sort of been implied.
“Is there a chance you’ll stay longer?” Brick asked before she replied, forcing her to drop Stone’s gaze and turn the other way.
“Possibly.” If she didn’t win. There was no way she could work at Larson Industries, day in and day out, knowing she’d failed her father.
That scenario had never crossed her mind. Until now. She immediately shook it off. She intended to win. There was no other option.
“A woman with the name Jovy belongs in a town called Joyful,” Brick stated. “Isn’t that right, Leo?” He addressed the quiet man seated across from them next to Cord.
Her heart squeezed at the shadows she saw in Leo’s eyes as he nodded. If anyone needed to be at the At-Ease Ranch, it was this man.
Brick handed her another platter and winked. “You improve the scenery.”
Stone stiffened next to her as a few of the other men smiled in agreement.
Heat rose up to her cheeks. It’d been a long time since she was paid a compliment. Maybe the next four weeks weren’t going to be so bad. A pleasant thought she repeated in her head as she passed a plate of fried chicken to Stone followed by garlic mashed potatoes. Maybe her meal would taste as delicious as this food smelled. It was possible. She needed to remain strong. Perse—
Brick set a plate of sizzling steaks in her hands.
Ah, come the frig on!
That was mean. Her stomach growled for the hundredth time, and for a split second, the room grew faint as the succulent aroma tested her resolve…and her ability to hold the plate still.
“Here, let me help you.” Stone grabbed the dish as if he thought it was too heavy for her.
Bless him. It wasn’t the weight of the T-bones, it was the weight of not being able to eat the damn steak. Heck, she was so hungry, she’d even eat the bone.
Swallowing back her drool, she forced her fingers to release the plate to Stone, and grumbled a thank-you while her stomach mourned the loss.
“Okay, Jovy.” Vince entered the room with pancakes, fruit, and some kind of delicious-smelling zucchini that sizzled on the plate he set in front of her. “I cooked everything on a separate stove, so you don’t have to worry about the cross-contamination of gluten.”
Her heart squeezed and meat envy dissipated at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Vince. My stomach appreciates it. Trust me.” Too many nights she’d spent in the bathroom paying the price for other people’s negligence.
Pride lit his face. “The pancakes were made with almond flour, flax seed, and almond milk, so enjoy.”
“Thanks, I will.”
She spent the next ten minutes listening to the men talk about construction while she fed the beast in her stomach. The Jersey boy was unquestionably an aficionado in the kitchen. Her food was so delicious she almost forgot about the steak. Almost. Her gaze lingered on the last two T-bones Vince slapped on two plates he took out the back door.
Stone followed her gaze, then turned to face her, keeping his voice low. “There are a few guys who have trouble dealing with crowds. Vince always takes their meals to their quarters in the stable we converted.”
Jovy wanted to ask more, but wasn’t sure if her question would upset the other men. She nodded and focused on her food again, but her appetite waned.
Her problems, her plight, seemed foolish compared to what the men on the ranch had gone through. Seen. Were still dealing with.
She set her fork down and pushed her plate away, happy to have at least made a good dent in her specially prepared food.
“You okay?” Stone asked.
“Yes. Just full.” The concern in his gaze made it hard to breathe. She searched for something to say. Anything that would cut through the weird haze his concern put in her head.
“Jovy,” Brick said, capturing her attention. “Would you like a tour of the ranch?”
Despite having over a hundred things left to do before V-Spot officially opened on Wednesday, she was in no hurry to leave. Weird. She smiled. “Yes. That would be nice. Thank you.”
“Good. I’m sure Stone won’t mind showing you around.” Brick rose from the table with his empty plate and slapped his stunned brother on the back.
Great. She couldn’t very well back out now. And heaven help her, she didn’t want to.
Chapter Five
Stone silently cursed his brother to the seventh layer of hell. The bastard was definitely going to pay for setting him up in public so he had no choice but to comply.
A warm, soft hand settled on his arm. “Look, it’s okay if you don’t want to show me around.”
That’s just it. He did want to spend time with Jovy. Very much. That was the problem. She was too…everything. Pretty. Mesmerizing. Compassionate. He’d seen it in her eyes several times during their meal. And hell if he wasn’t a sucker for a compassionate woman.
Jovy Larson was dangerous. She possessed a power over him that had his sense of survival kicking in. The beauty was letting him off the hook. Giving him an out. One he should grasp with both damn hands. Tell her he had work to do, which was not a lie.
But his mother had raised him with manners. No way would he send her from the ranch without that tour.
Stone covered her hand with his, enjoying the feel of her touch on his skin more than he cared to admit. “I’d be happy to show you around.”
“You two go ahead. We’ll take care of your dishes,” Cord urged, smile tugging his lips.
Another smile? The third in less than twenty-four hours. This had to be a new record. Stone didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the breakthrough.
“Yeah, we’ve got it,” Leo agreed.
Another breakthrough. The mere fact that his friend had actually joined them for brunch was enough for Stone to fist-pump the air. But he refrained, again, not wanting to jeopardize the small steps both men had made.
Releasing her, he forced his expression to remain calm and nodded to his buddies. “Okay. Thanks.” But inside he was cartwheeling around the damn room. He was under no illusion who was responsible.
Jovy. The miracle worker. Her calm, accepting presence put everyone at ease.
He stood, then held out his hand to help her to her feet, his body tightening at the flash of leg and peek of cleavage bestowed on him as she rose. Her gorgeous curves made his teeth sweat. He did his best to put all that to the back of his mind as he led her out of the house for an outside tour of the ranch. “You’re not exactly dressed for this. I can’t guarantee you won’t get dirty.”
Instead of putting a halt to the tour, she cracked a smile. “I’ll survive.”
Of that he had no doubt. A little worried how she’d react to the men inside the converted barracks, he studied her as he showed her the common area, open kitchen, and a dozen small, individual quarters.
“This is nice,” she said, her expression pleasant. Genuine. “Do they have a bathroom in here, too?”
He pointed to the end of the hall. “Yes. A communal one back there with several shower stalls, including one with a lift.” The expense to put a bathroom in each quarter was too great. Besides, it allowed for extra space to add two more quarters and take in more men.
A minute later, surprise washed through him with some unknown emotion as they passed two men working out in the corner. The woman never batted an eye or shied away at the loss of limbs or disfigurement. It was as if she didn’t even see a difference. Shit. Was she for real?
She turned to him and smiled. “You ready to show me more?”
He wanted to show her more,
all right. Which was bad. Very bad.
Stone nodded and opened the door, timing an inhale as she passed, enjoying her light, sweet scent. Might’ve even leaned into her. He was walking around in a haze. He had no idea why. Other than he was an idiot.
“Where to next?”
“The barn,” he replied, striding ahead. He felt bad for making her practically run to catch up, but he needed a few seconds of distance to regain control. It did the trick. He slowed his pace and motioned toward an empty field. “We’re hoping to someday build more barracks back there. So far, we haven’t turned anyone away, but a few of the men have had to double up because of the demand.”
If they didn’t do something soon, At-Ease would run out of room, and Stone was not prepared for those consequences.
Jovy ran an interested gaze around the area. “This is a great location. You have a good setup. Do you have any women here?”
He shook his head. “Not yet, but we will as soon as we can get a separate barracks built. I’d rather not invite trouble with a co-op.”
She nodded and walked alongside him toward the barn, her gaze still on the field. “It’s good you have the room to expand. Several times.”
“Yes.” He was a little surprised she’d clued in to that fact, but then reminded himself she was a business major. “We’re eventually going to need a bigger barn, too. It’s where we store our material and bulldozer and backhoe.”
Her attention returned to him as he led her inside the old structure. “Wow.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Cute, smart, and can move mountains?”
“Yes.” He smiled while his mind stuttered over the fact that she just flirted with him.
“Did you learn in college or a trade school?”
“My grandfather taught me and my brother when we were teenagers, but we did have to get certified,” Stone replied, happy to bypass the flirting elephant in the room. “He owned a construction company that he passed down to our dad. Brick and I started helping out while we were still in grade school.”
“You have a history in construction.”
It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded, leading her back outside. “It’s what we did before we joined the military.”
She fell into step and glanced over at him. “What branch of service were you in?”
“Army,” he replied. “Vince, Cord, Brick, and I were Rangers.”
She stopped dead, so he halted and faced her. “You four were Army Rangers?”
He nodded. “Five. So was Leo, the guy who sat next to Cord.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“That’s…pretty elite,” she replied. “My ex is in the army. He made it to the first phase of Ranger school at Fort Benning, but never went any further.”
Not surprising. Many didn’t. “It’s not for everyone. Did he fail? Or just choose to not go any further?”
He chose not to dissect the reason his back stiffened at the thought of her having a boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.
She shrugged. “Not sure. Adam didn’t like to talk about it.”
Failed. A slice of sympathy skittered through his chest. “Almost sixty percent fail during the first phase of training.” Over 35 percent failed within the first four days. Ranger Assessment Phase—RAP week—was grueling.
Her beautiful hazel eyes rounded. “That’s probably what happened. He was kind of mad at himself.”
Stone nodded. “It’s tough. He should’ve been proud just to have been accepted into the school.”
“That’s what I told him.”
Stone had gone through all three phases with Vince and Leo two years after Brick, Drew, and Cord. Some phases they passed by the skin of their teeth. Training was demanding and pushed you to your limits, but they each came out better, stronger, both physically and mentally. That’s why it’d been such a shock when Leo had fallen apart last year. The guy had made it through so much. Survived hell. How he got to a place in his head where—
Stone halted that exhausted train of thought and brought his mind back to the present.
“What is it?” Her open gaze regarded him closely. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just got stuck in the past. But that’s not why we’re here.” With a shrug and the desire not to invoke compassion he didn’t deserve, he went on to explain how some of the men took care of the day-to-day chores at the ranch, while others worked for the construction company.
If the woman was wise to why he’d changed the subject, she didn’t let on, just followed his lead. That endeared her to him even more.
“So, you and Brick, along with Vince and Cord, own the ranch?” She entered the horse stable with him where several men were cleaning stalls.
He stopped outside Galahad’s and turned to face her. “Yes. It was originally my grandfather’s, then father’s, then mine and my brother’s, but when we came up with the idea of At-Ease and Foxtrot Construction, Vince and Cord invested in it, too.”
“How many men do you employ?”
“Twelve right now, not counting the founders,” he replied. “It’s enough to run three small teams if we get busy.”
Excitement sparked behind her gorgeous eyes. “I’d love to see your business plan.”
He scratched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and grinned. “Yeah, so would I.”
“Wait.” She blinked at him like he’d grown another head. “You don’t have one?”
“Of course I do.” He held out his palm to tick off his fingers as he spoke. “Write estimates. Win bids. Send men out to work.”
Now she stared at him like he had three heads.
The colt lumbered over and nudged him, interrupting their conversation. Stone chuckled and stroked the horse’s broad nose. “Hey, buddy.”
Jovy’s eyes widened and she looked on with interest but made no move to step close.
“You can touch him,” he encouraged. “Galahad won’t bite.”
Her hands shot up, palms out, as she shook her head. “No. Thanks. That’s okay. He’s really big, and…uh…I still haven’t recovered from your girlfriend’s unexpected visit yesterday.”
A smile tugged his lips. “Lula Belle? C’mon. She’s a sweetheart.”
Jovy snorted. “Tell that to the ladder.”
His bark of laughter echoed through the building. The woman certainly had a way with words. Two men working nearby turned to stare. He couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t often he let his guard down and laughed. Not since last year.
“Did you grow up here?”
He released Galahad and cleared his throat. “Yes.” All of a sudden, the stables felt stuffy. Intimate. How the hell could a seven-thousand-square-foot structure feel like a broom closet? A welcoming breeze blew like a wind tunnel down the wide-open center aisle and removed some of the fuzziness from his head. “My grandfather left my brother and me a few properties in town.”
She set her palm on the stall, a safe distance from Galahad, and tipped her head. “What about your parents? Are they alive?”
The downfall to the wind was the fact that the smell of her perfume surrounded him. Sweet and inviting. Like her.
“Yes,” he replied. His voice sounded far away to his ears. “They moved to Albuquerque to be with my grandmother on my mother’s side a few months after my brother and I returned. What about your parents?”
He knew she had a grandfather, but not much else about her family.
Her gaze shifted to Galahad. “My mom drowned when I was four, and dad died of cancer when I was eighteen.”
Jesus. Stone’s heart squeezed so tight it cracked open, and he fought the urge to rub the ache. “I’m sorry.” He knew the sentiment was feeble, but he felt the need to say it.
“Don’t be.” She met his gaze and smiled. “I have a cousin, and an aunt and uncle, besides my grandfather.”
“No siblings?”
“No.” She shook her head, and a strand of hair blew across her face that had escaped her ponytail.
Without thinking, he steppe
d close and brushed the silken piece behind her ear. Damn, her skin was soft. So soft. Unwilling to let go, he trailed his finger down her neck, and the hitch in her breath ricocheted through him like a pinball. Release her and step back, his mind ordered. Great advice. Wonderful advice.
Why the hell wasn’t he taking it?
Her gaze shifted to his mouth, and son of a bitch, he felt the attention like a concentrated stroke to his groin. He was instantly hard, and in a whole hell of a lot of trouble. The woman was so close he could count the brown flecks in her hazel eyes. Fourteen. And meltingly gorgeous. It would be so damn easy to get lost in those warm depths and never return. Pure heaven. Her refreshing, open regard breathed life into his body, sending fire through his veins and a hypnotic thumping through his ears. He never felt so damn warm, accepted. Alive.
And he deserved none of it.
Fuck. What the hell was he doing? He released her and stepped back, dragging in a lungful of air. The sweet smell of hay went a long way to calm his nerves. Jovy was too beautiful. Too full of life. Too distracting. Christ. That was the last thing he needed. Leo had nearly died the last time Stone had been preoccupied with a woman. Instinct told him kissing Jovy would be much more addicting. Distracting. Lethal. Not only to him, but his men if he didn’t keep himself in check.
Sure, Leo had made strides since last year, but his buddy was far from out of the woods. Stone couldn’t afford to let the guy down again. If it meant not exploring the crazy-ass attraction flowing between him and his new tenant, then so be it. Stone’s needs, wants, didn’t matter.
The reminder of his failings returned Stone’s control, and he was able to face the woman without fear of yanking her close and devouring her luscious lips. Until he caught the flash of heat still evident in her gaze.
“Stone? Jovy? How’s the tour going?” Brick asked, striding into the barn, saving Stone’s ass from doing something stupid.
Like following through with yanking Jovy close and devouring her luscious lips.
“Good,” she replied, her voice a little breathless.
Grateful for the interruption, Stone turned toward his brother and nodded. “We’re just about done.” He certainly was. Overdone.
In the Ranger's Arms (The Men of At Ease Ranch) Page 5