Pebblebrook was like a city in itself. Annabelle would be lying if she didn’t admit that she was jealous. Not that she wanted a large spread like this, she’d be so content with getting her bed-and-breakfast up and running. Still, she was envious that Colt had known exactly what he’d wanted, apparently from the time he was a kid, and had accomplished it all. Granted, the majority had been handed to him, but Colt had stepped up as part of the new generation to lead the ranch to the next level and beyond.
Anger bubbled within her. He had it all and he still wanted more. She wasn’t about to go down without a fight. The bed-and-breakfast, her childhood home, was all she had to make something of her life and to secure a stable future for Emily and Lucy. So whatever he had in his head about her land, he could think again.
“Do you plan on taking me back and forth several times a day?” she asked, glancing back at him.
She hated looking over her shoulder because each time she did, she saw that sexy scruff along his jawline and those striking blue eyes. Not to mention the movement pressed her lower half deeper into the V of his thighs. It was like this man was created to drive her out of her ever-loving mind.
And she couldn’t forget the fact she’d seen him sans shirt. Like that was an image she’d ever forget. Colt Elliott had embedded himself in her deepest fantasies...not that he would ever know.
“If I’m not around, I will have Ryan or Josh take you. They are my most trusted employees.”
“It’s a ride home, Colt.”
His bright blue eyes zeroed in on hers, then dropped to her lips for the briefest of seconds. “They’re both married.”
“Just because they’re married doesn’t mean they’re committed,” she countered, hating the bitterness in her tone. “And I can take care of myself. I’m working for you, I’m not a little sister you need to watch over.”
A corner of his mouth kicked up in a naughty grin that had her toes curling in her boots. “Considering my thoughts, it’s best we aren’t related in any way.”
Annabelle jerked back around, her heart beating double time in her chest. “You aren’t going to flirt with me, Colt. I’m here to make sure those payments are made on time and I get to keep my house. So whatever it is you’re thinking, keep it to yourself.”
“But you’d enjoy every one of my thoughts,” he whispered in her ear.
The brush of his lips along her cheek sent tremors racing through her. How could she hate him and be so turned on at the same time? This man stood in the way of her only chance at a stable future.
No, her father had stood in the way, Colt was just an extra hurdle she had to jump. She really didn’t want to be one of those bitter, scorned women, but every man in her life had let her down. Why the hell would she expect any different from her new employer?
Besides, he was just trying to throw her off her game. And, damn it, it was working. She had to be sharper from here on out...and he needed to keep his shirt on.
“Let’s just stick to business,” she suggested as they neared a massive two-story barn.
She forced herself not to gape at the large stone archway that led into the tunnel where the horses were kept. The wide planked sides were weathered, but in that deliberate, expensive way. A smaller door up top no doubt led to the hayloft.
Annabelle couldn’t help but wonder how many women Colt and his sexy, Southern charms had seduced up into that romantic space. She vowed not to be one of them. She wasn’t naive. She knew he looked at her with interest, but she and her fiancé hadn’t even consummated their relationship, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let Colt Elliott charm her into bed.
“These are the stables for our older horses. We have two mares and three stallions housed here. Ryan tends to oversee this group.”
A man in a fitted plaid shirt stepped through the doorway, leading a gorgeous black stallion by the reins.
Colt steered Lightning toward the barn. As they neared, the forty-something man turned toward them.
“Ryan, this is Annabelle Carter,” Colt said. “She’s going to be working with me for the foreseeable future.”
“Ma’am.” Ryan nodded with the tip of his hat. “Pleasure to meet you. Colt, the engineer called earlier and needs you to call when you get a chance.”
“I’ll do it this afternoon,” Colt replied.
Every time he spoke, the rumble in his chest vibrated against her back. There was something entirely too intimate about this situation. The way she fit so perfectly between his thighs, the way her body heated that had nothing to do with the sun, the way he looked at her mouth like he wanted to devour her.
And she knew without a doubt he’d methodically planned this mode of transportation and made it nonnegotiable just so he could annoy her further. Added to that, he must be well respected because his employee didn’t bat an eye at the sight of the new recruit and the way she’d arrived on the scene.
“Also, Monte from the feed store called and our truckload will arrive around two this afternoon.”
“We’ll unload it in the barn on the west side. Make sure to tell Josh. We need all hands for that.”
Ryan nodded once again and tugged on the reins of his horse. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
He climbed onto the stallion and headed around the side of the barn.
“He seems nice. It’s strange how the two of you get along.”
“You’re hurting my feelings, Belle.”
She cringed. “Don’t call me that.”
“What do you prefer? Annabelle suits you, but it’s a mouthful. Besides, I want my own name for you.”
“Ms. Carter would work fine. Or, you don’t have to refer to me at all.”
That low chuckle sent even more tremors through her, causing her body to respond in ways she did not want where Colt was concerned.
“Oh, come on now, Belle. That’s no way to start your first workday.”
Fisting her hands on the horn of the smooth saddle, Annabelle forced herself to take calm, deep breaths. “I offered to get a different job, I’d prefer a different job, actually. I just needed some time to start getting a paycheck.”
“I can give you time, but then you’d lose your land.”
“Isn’t that your ultimate goal anyway? To see my father and me fail? I’m not naive, Colt. I figure you want our property for something.”
“I don’t like to see anyone fail,” he corrected as he led them toward the front of the property. “But if I’m going to be in a fight, I want it to be fair so my victory is that much sweeter.”
A fight. She had to remember that’s exactly what this was with him. She was fighting for her life, her future.
All she’d wanted was to take her meager savings and start minor renovations on her house to bring it up to par for her dream.
But then life had intervened. Her sister and fiancé were taken away, Annabelle found herself an instant mother to twin babies, and her father had ultimately failed her when she’d needed him most.
She wasn’t going to fail him, though. He was hurting. He’d lost his daughter, was trapped in his own hell with his addiction, and Annabelle would fight to the death if necessary to keep her family safe. She would make a home for Emily and Lucy, take back her land, and see the B and B come to fruition. Anything less was not an option.
Colt Elliott may have knocked her down a peg, but she was determined to fling him off his podium.
* * *
Colt’s shoulders burned, his arms strained as he hoisted the last bag of feed onto the pile he and Ryan had created. Josh had been taking loads and dispersing them to other barns.
And Annabelle had been holding her own. Sweat had her little tank clinging to her back. Damp tendrils of hair had escaped her ponytail and were now plastered against her neck. She’d gone home for lunch and had returned just before the shipment had arrived. He’d been busy and asked Ryan to take her and bring her back...using the truck.
But there was no way he was missing an opportunity to deliver
her back home. They’d worked hard and he was utterly exhausted. He could only imagine how she felt as someone who wasn’t used to this type of work every day.
He had a walk-in shower with three rain heads and jetted sprays waiting on him. Not to mention a bottle of bourbon he’d just acquired from a special selection that had been aging in a barrel for decades. He loved his contacts in Kentucky.
Guilt nipped at his conscience. When Annabelle went home, she had two babies to take care of and he highly doubted she took any downtime for herself.
Annabelle continued stacking boxes from the pallets into the corner of the barn. She didn’t once stop to look his way, didn’t say a word, and didn’t complain. She was already a better employee than the stable hand he’d fired last week...only she wasn’t a regular employee. She was there under duress, against everything she wanted.
Part of him wanted to tell her to go, to let her father handle the mess he’d made, but he knew she wouldn’t go for that. She was too proud, too loyal to her family. She’d lost her sister and her father had completely let her down. And from her tone when she’d briefly mentioned her fiancé, he’d let her down, too. Colt had to assume the man was the twins’ father, but he honestly had no clue...and it wasn’t his right to ask.
The more tidbits into her life he discovered and pieced together, the more admiration he had for her. “That’s the last of it,” Ryan stated.
Colt pulled his hat off, swiped his forehead with his arm and turned to Ryan. “Go ahead and take off. I’ll finish up here.”
“Want me to give her a lift on my way out?” Ryan asked, nodding toward Annabelle on the other end of the barn.
“I’ll take care of her, as well.”
Ryan eyed Colt and he knew what was coming.
“Don’t say it.”
Ryan merely shrugged. “Someone needs to. You’re playing with fire.”
Oh, he sure as hell hoped so. Was there any other way to play a game of seduction?
“I know what I’m doing.”
Ryan’s brows lifted. “Do you? Because your father may have had a vision, but he wouldn’t have put someone through this just to gain the land.”
Colt jerked his work gloves off and shoved them into his back pocket. “Which is why she’ll be with me. I won’t let her do more than she’s capable of.”
“Did you know her hand was bleeding?” Ryan asked.
Colt jerked his attention toward her once again. “What?”
“When I walked by earlier, she was wiping her hand on her pants and I saw blood. She’d torn her work gloves.”
Damn stubborn woman wouldn’t ask for help no matter what.
“I got her another pair,” Ryan went on. “But I have a gut feeling she’d fall over before she came to one of us for help.”
That she would. Colt raked a hand over the back of his neck and nodded. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
“That land is going to be yours regardless,” Ryan added in a low whisper. “Why don’t you just let her go?”
Reasons he couldn’t even explain. When she’d shown up yesterday morning and literally busted through his ranch, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. He’d always gone after what he wanted—livestock, business deals, employees...women.
Annabelle Carter was a total game changer.
Colt kept his eyes on Annabelle as she stacked her last box. Guilt slammed into him when she pulled off her glove and examined her hand.
Without glancing at Ryan, Colt said, “See you in the morning.”
His trusted worker wisely walked away. Colt moved across the cobblestone walkway, closing the distance between him and Annabelle.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”
She spun around, clearly startled. “I’m fine.”
With a hand to her chest, she tipped that defiant chin. Damn if he didn’t want to kiss her. That fire in her eyes dared him to come closer, so Colt took a step forward until they were toe to toe. He’d never backed down from a challenge and Annabelle was one fight he was enjoying...except for her injury.
Colt gently curled his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand out so he could examine it. She had a nasty blister that had been worked too hard.
“I have a first aid kit in the office.”
When he met her eyes, he was surprised anger didn’t look back at him. If anything, he saw desire. Interesting...and useful. Passion left people weak and he’d definitely home in on that.
Annabelle blinked, as if she realized she’d been caught staring at him. Pulling her hand back, she held it against her chest once again.
“I’ll take care of it when I get home. I need to start dinner.”
“The hell you say?” He hadn’t meant to shout, but was she kidding? “You’ve worked all day.”
Annabelle let out a humorless laugh. “Well, Colt, in the real world people work, make their own meals and tend to their families. We all can’t live the life of luxury and sit back, living the dream.”
Is that how she saw him? He’d worked his ass off taking over this ranch when his father had fallen ill. He’d poured more blood, sweat and tears into this land than any male in the Elliott family. Being the youngest, he always felt the need to prove himself, especially against his brothers. How the hell could he compete with a surgeon, a war hero and a Hollywood star? He was a damn rancher. A billionaire, but still a man who wore dusty boots, a worn hat that had been his father’s, and holey jeans.
“You can take two minutes and let me clean that wound up.”
When she stifled a yawn with her good hand, he muttered a curse and stomped off to get the first aid kit. Why did she have to be so stubborn and why did he have to find her even more attractive because of it?
By the time he came back, she’d taken a seat on one of the heavy wooden benches between the stone stalls. Her lids were lower and she seemed to have finally run out of steam. Perfect. Then she wouldn’t be able to argue with him.
“You work harder than nearly any man I know,” he told her, opening the kit.
“Does that mean I get a raise?” she asked, leaning her head against the wall behind her.
Colt laughed as he placed her hand in his palm. He swiped around the perimeter of the cut with an alcohol pad, careful not to get near the wound. He blew on her hand to dry the moisture. When she trembled, he glanced up to find her eyes on his. That shade of green never failed to kick him in the gut. She could pierce a man with that stare and have him wound in her web so fast, he’d have no idea he was caught until it was too late.
“I know you hate me, but you really shouldn’t be fighting your father’s battles.”
A sad smile crossed her face. “Isn’t that what family is all about? When one is weak, others stand up and take the lead. We’re all we have left. My mother passed when Trish and I were younger. Now that Trish is gone...”
She shook her head and he wanted to know so much more. When he’d wanted a woman in the past, he’d never asked personal information. Backstory had no place in the bedroom. He had to remember that here because he could so easily let this niggle of guilt guide his emotions.
He had a goal. He had a vision he would see to the end, to honor his father, to prove to his brothers he wasn’t just playing cowboy and to prove to himself he could do it. The dude ranch was only one more business deal away...he just had to get past this fiery vixen to make that vision a reality.
Five
“What the hell, Colt?”
Nolan slammed the office door, jerking Colt’s attention from his empty tumbler. He was going to need another round because he’d been waiting on his oldest brother to show up and let him know exactly what his thoughts were on Annabelle.
Gripping the glass, Colt met his brother’s angry gaze. “All right, get it out of your system.”
“Did you think to ask my opinion—”
“Not once.”
Nolan crossed the room and flattened his palms on the glossy desk. “
You have Neil Carter’s daughter working here for what purpose?”
“He owes me money. She confronted me and said she was taking over the payments.”
“So you put her to work like some pack mule?” Nolan shouted. “Do you think Dad would want this?”
Slowly, Colt came to his feet. He refused to sit there and let his brother talk down to him. “Dad left the control of this ranch to me because I understand his vision and I’m the one who’s busted my ass my entire life to stay true to it.”
“Don’t throw that in my face,” Nolan countered.
Colt shrugged. “Simply stating a fact. I don’t tell you how to do surgeries.”
The muscles in Nolan’s jaw ticked. Colt wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but he wasn’t going to be reprimanded or have his decisions second-guessed. He’d done enough doubting of his own actions...something he never did with business.
“You want this dude ranch so damn bad, but you’re going about this the wrong way.”
Colt grabbed his glass and headed to the bar in the corner. His hip irritated him a bit more today, but that was expected on days he worked harder. It was just one more area where he refused to give in and let life get him down.
“We need that property and Neil was about to lose it to the bank. If I hadn’t stepped in, someone else would’ve. Besides, it’s all over now and perfectly legal.”
Nolan turned, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “I agree that someone else would’ve gone after that land. It’s your actions afterward that I don’t understand.”
Colt had gone over this in his own head, as well. “At first I wanted Neil to learn a lesson and actually work for something. Then when Annabelle showed up, hell... I couldn’t resist.”
He didn’t look up at his brother, didn’t want to see disappointment staring back. Colt had his reasons for his actions and he wasn’t going to be deterred by anyone...not even his oldest brother.
“I don’t want to see you hurt again,” Nolan stated as he crossed the room to stand before the bar. He rested his palms on the etched edge. “Dad would be proud of how smooth this place is running and the growth since he’s been in the assisted living facility. You don’t have to prove anything at this point.”
Twin Secrets (Mills & Boon Desire) (The Rancher’s Heirs 01) Page 4