by Laura Ann
Noah chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Hang on.” Noah grabbed the bucket of pellets and slipped back in, refilling the feeding station, then coming back out. He set down the bucket and put his hands on his hips. “Leroy is a cranky old coot, but he doesn’t usually chase people.” His eyes were sparkling as they looked at her, and Scarlett felt a small sense of pride that she’d made this moody cowboy laugh.
Totally makes the humiliation worth it. “So...it’s just me, huh?” Scarlett looked back and stuck her tongue out at the rooster, who was now in the middle of his brood. When Leroy flapped his wings and made a loud noise, Scarlett squealed and ducked behind Noah, causing him to laugh once again.
He looked at her over his shoulder. “I think you should have warned us that you were afraid of chickens.”
Scarlett put her nose in the air. “First off, I didn’t know I was. Second” —she pointed toward the rooster, being sure to stay tucked behind Noah— “that’s not a chicken. That’s a manic, rabid animal that you’re letting run loose among your hens.” Scarlett tsked her tongue. “I would have thought better of you, Mr. MacMillan.”
Another one of Noah’s deep chuckles was music to her ears.
“Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s see if we can’t round up those eggs, huh?” When Noah reached down to grab Scarlett’s hand to take her along with him, Scarlett didn’t complain in the least. In fact, she found herself happily tripping in his wake, wishing the coop was a lot farther away than it was. I am so weak. Stupid weak. One amused smile and I just go along with it. Jaz would call me an idiot. She grinned at the warm, peaceful sensation his hand gave her. But at least I’m a happy idiot.
When they got around to the door, Scarlett hurried forward. “Can I go in first?” she whispered.
Noah frowned. “Why are you whispering?”
Scarlett bit her bottom lip for a second. “What if there’s a chicken resting in there? I don’t want to wake them up.”
Noah smiled wide. “After your little performance in the pen, I don’t think anyone is still sleeping.”
Scarlett scowled. “Yeah, well...let’s see what you do next time you’re being chased by Leroy.”
Noah reached around her for the handle of the door. “Leroy likes me,” he said with a cheeky grin.
Scarlett shrugged and faced forward before she did something stupid, like kiss that firm set of lips that were awfully close to her cheek. Heat ran up and down the side of her body where Noah was reaching around her, and Scarlett made sure to keep her feet planted firmly. No way am I moving to the side to make this easier. If he’s going to open the door, I’m going to revel in every moment of it.
Noah opened the door and a burst of stale, hot air flowed over Scarlett’s face. A slightly pungent smell made Scarlett crinkle her nose. “Ewww...chickens aren’t supposed to stink.”
Noah burst out laughing. “I hate to break it to you, but chickens are some of the worst. We have to clean the coop regularly, or else you’d be able to smell them a mile away.”
“Sheesh,” Scarlett said as she stepped warily inside the darkened space. Boxes filled with straw were lined along the walls. Most of them were empty, but every once in a while, Scarlett spotted a hen, clucking softly as she nestled into her space. At the far end of the coop was an opening just big enough for a chicken to come in and out. Right next to the door was a lattice that was leaning against the wall, creating a ladder effect. “What’s that?” Scarlett asked, pointing to the strange steps.
“That’s where the chickens roost.”
Scarlett looked over her shoulder and frowned. “What?”
Noah smiled, his bright white teeth shining in the darkness. “It’s where they sleep.”
“Ah! Gotcha.” Scarlett studied the space again.
“Romantic enough for you?” Noah whispered in her ear.
Scarlett jumped at his closeness, then felt a shiver go down her spine. She looked over her shoulder once more. “I have to admit, there doesn’t seem to be anything romantic about chicken poop.”
Noah laughed, disturbing the last couple of hens still in the coop. “No, there’s not,” he agreed.
NOAH KNEW HE SHOULD back off a little, but the heat that generated between him and Scarlett was so addicting. He could feel her shiver and hoped it was because she was just as affected by his nearness as he was to hers.
When he’d scooped her up inside the pen, her arms had slid around his shoulders and the feeling had been amazing. She had fit so perfectly and it had been difficult to break that connection. Then he’d grabbed her hand, and sure enough, that chemistry had come flaring back to life just like he’d expected.
But the worst had been when she’d glanced over her shoulder, their mouths only millimeters apart. Noah had lost his connection to the outside world. For the first time ever, the smell and noises of the ranch ceased to exist. All there was was Scarlett and her inviting pink lips.
Both he and Scarlett jumped when a slam behind them shook the coop and the light from the doorway disappeared, leaving them in almost complete darkness.
“What was that?” Scarlett asked breathlessly.
Noah turned around and realized his suspicions were right. “Don’t worry. The wind just blew the door shut.” He fumbled in the dark to find the edge of the exit. “Here we go.” He put his hands on the wood and pushed, but the door didn’t move. “What the—?” He pushed harder, grunting with the effort. The wood groaned, but didn’t give in.
“Noah?” Scarlett’s voice was curious but not frightened, which Noah was grateful for.
He sighed and took his hat off to scratch his head, then slapped it back on. “The door seems to be stuck.” He glanced at the dirty window down the wall. “Just a sec. Let me see if I can see anybody out there.” Noah stumbled his way through the coop and used his fist to wipe the grime off the window. “Hey!” He beat his hand on the glass when he spotted Levi and Betsy walking away.
Levi glanced back and winked, then continued walking.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Noah growled, then cursed under his breath.
“Noah, what’s going on?” Scarlett demanded, her pitch a little higher than normal.
“Uh...”
“Why is the door stuck?” she pressed.
Noah paused. “I...think someone’s playing a joke on us.”
Scarlett’s head popped up next to his at the window. “A joke? Someone locked us in a smelly coop for fun?”
Noah could just make out her fierce expression, and he chuckled.
“What’s so funny about all this?” she growled.
“I’m sorry.” Noah stepped back to catch his breath. “But you’re not very good at being intimidating.”
Scarlett shook her head, but after a moment, her twitching lips pulled into a smile. “You’re right. I’m terrible at it. But it still isn’t okay that they locked us in here.”
Out of pure instinct, Noah wrapped his arms around her in order to comfort Scarlett. It wasn’t until she laid her head on his chest that he fully realized what he was doing...and how much he liked it. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he said softly. But I’m definitely not sorry for hugging you. I had to be a numbskull last night to think I could stay away from this. For years, he’d been restless and seeking something...anything that would help ease his loneliness. What were the odds that just as he’d reached a point to go find it, Scarlett literally showed up on his doorstep?
Scarlett looked up, putting her hands on his chest. “I’m starting to think you were some kind of superhero in another life,” she said with a half-smile.
Noah felt his neck heat and he swallowed hard. “Hero?” he croaked out, then cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize I’d done any hero work.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “I seem to recall you catching me when I fell off the horse yesterday, and just now, you saved me from a crazed animal.”
Noah felt his lips twitch at the mention of the rooster, but it fell away a
s she leaned in even closer.
“I guess I owe you a thank you.”
Noah’s eyes dropped to her lips as she spoke. Between the window and the opening for the chickens, there was just enough light to see their plush outline. The temptation was starting to prove too hard to resist. Slowly, Noah tightened his hold on her, forcing Scarlett’s upper body to fall into his. “You make me sound pretty amazing.”
Scarlett smiled. “Yeah, well...don’t let it go to your head. And if you ever say something in public, I’ll deny, deny, deny.”
Noah grunted a laugh.
“But still...” Pressing up on her toes, Scarlett left a sweet kiss just at the edge of his mouth. “Thank you, Noah,” she whispered.
Noah had to give himself credit. He waited a whole point-three seconds before using her proximity and gratitude to his advantage. Lowering his head, Noah caught her lips before she could pull back completely, and to his delight, Scarlett didn’t seem the least bit upset about it.
His arms continued to tighten as he moved his lips against hers, ignoring the fact that they were shut up in a filthy, old chicken coop. The hens and the eggs could go rot for all he cared. The fact that she was a guest of his parents’ ranch didn’t matter either. All that did matter was Scarlett and the wonderful feeling that in his arms was exactly where she belonged.
CHAPTER 11
Oh...my...word...Scarlett’s brain had completely shut down. She was no longer in a dirty hen house with killer chickens just outside the door. The only thing that mattered was Noah’s warmth, his powerful hold and his talented mouth.
“Scarlett,” Noah whispered, his voice husky as he kissed his way across her cheek.
“Hmmm?” She kept her eyes closed, closing off her eyesight and letting herself simply feel. Her heart beat a pounding cadence that mixed with the electricity rushing through. It all combined to create a heady potion.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, still whispering.
Scarlett stiffened and Noah pulled back a little. “What? Why?”
Noah sighed and rolled his neck. “One, we barely know each other. Two, you’re a paying guest. It’s not right for me to kiss you.”
Scarlett scoffed. “One, we can get to know each other. Two, who cares? We’re two consenting adults. I’ve already told you I’m not going to sue the ranch. I would never do that.” Is he really worried about that? Or is that just an excuse? Please tell me we aren’t going back to cold Noah. I’m going to get whiplash.
“I’m not saying you’re going to sue us, but office romance is frowned on.”
Scarlett smirked. “Good thing we aren’t in an office.”
Noah groaned and brought their foreheads together. “Lettie,” he whined, giving her a nickname she’d never heard before. “You’re killing me here. How am I supposed to be a gentleman if you keep doing that?”
Scarlett laughed lightly. “Maybe I don’t want you to be a gentleman. And I love the nickname, by the way.”
Noah shook his head, but smiled. “I thought you were all about those cowboy manners.”
Scarlett shrugged. “Only when it suits me.”
Noah snorted. “You do realize this is crazy, right? We’ve only known each other two days. And at the end of next week, you’re going home and I’m leaving here.”
Scarlett jerked back, then stepped out of his arms. “What? You’re leaving? Why would you do that?”
Noah jerked his hat off his head and beat it against his thigh. “Look, I...” He looked at her, then snapped his mouth shut. After a moment, he began to mutter incoherently. “Barely know her and I’m spilling all my secrets,” he muttered, spinning around to put his back to her.
Scarlett felt a sharp pain in her chest. No matter how attracted she was to the man in front of her, she had no desire to force him into anything. If he didn’t want to explain, she could bow out gracefully. “No one said you had to spill any secrets,” she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. “I’m sorry I took advantage of our alone time here. I promise it won’t—”
“I want out,” Noah interrupted quickly, turning to face her again.
Scarlett frowned and tilted her head. “Out of what? The coop? Our nonexistent relationship?”
She could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “The ranch.”
“Oh.” Scarlett didn’t know what to say to that. It was nothing close to what she’d expected him to say.
Noah took a large step toward her, reaching out and grabbing Scarlett’s hand. “I’ve been here my whole life, Lettie. I’ve sweated and bled on this dirt and helped my dad keep everything going even during years when we thought we would lose it all.” He dropped their connection and stormed to the other side of the coop, scaring a lone chicken back outside. “I...” He turned to her. “I don’t really know what I want, but I need a change of pace. Something different than this.” He waved his arm around, indicating the ranch.
“I see,” she said softly. “Where are you going to go?”
Noah shrugged. “I don’t know. Just something different.”
Scarlett nodded, her gaze on her boots. “So I guess there would be no point in us seeing what this thing is between us, huh?” She peeked up under her lashes to see Noah’s outline in the dark staring straight at her. She could feel the intensity of his gaze, and it sent shivers radiating down her back. How can we not explore this? It’s amazing, and I’ve never felt anything like it before.
“Probably not,” Noah said hoarsely.
Scarlett’s heart fell even though she knew the words had been coming. The amount of pain she felt at the admission was far greater than it should have been for a five-minute relationship.
“But if we don’t explore it, I think we might always regret it,” he added softly.
Scarlett’s head jerked up and she narrowed her eyes. “Do you mean that?”
Noah slowly walked toward her, the floorboards creaking under his weight. “I can’t explain our connection, but it’s strong and unique. Something I would imagine doesn’t come around very often. It seems like it would be a waste to not see where it leads.”
“I’m okay with that,” Scarlett said too quickly, then closed her eyes. “So much for playing it cool.” She mentally face-palmed herself.
Noah’s low chuckle sent a vibration through Scarlett as he finished closing the distance between them. Once more, his strong arms slipped around her waist. “Playing it cool might have been better for you, but I like knowing what you think.”
Scarlett lost her breath as he touched her. “So, you’re saying something good came from my humiliation?”
“I guess that depends on your definition of good,” Noah said with a grin. He reached up and toyed with her ponytail, giving it a soft, playful tug.
“There’s this little thing called technology, you know,” Scarlett said, setting her hands on his firm biceps. “Next week doesn’t have to be the end if we don’t want it to be.”
Noah tilted his head from side to side. “That’s true, but long distance really isn’t my thing.”
“How come?”
Noah grinned and Scarlett’s heart stuttered. “Because you can’t do this.” He leaned down and gave her another kiss. This one was so sweet and tender that Scarlett thought she might cry.
Absolutely nothing in her books could have prepared her for such a rush of emotions and sensations. Joke as she might, she’d never truly expected to find a cowboy of her own. If this goes the way I hope it will, Jaz just might find herself leaving the city after all.
NOAH HOPED THAT SCARLETT couldn’t feel his heartbeat. It was racing faster than a car at the races. Flirting with and kissing Scarlett, or Lettie, as he’d decided to call her, was the most fun he’d had in a really long time. When they finally broke away from each other, Noah kept his arms around her, not quite ready to let the moment go.
“We gathering eggs or what?” Lettie asked, her voice sounding slightly husky.
Noah dropped his chin to hi
s chest and held back a laugh. I guess she doesn’t mind breaking the moment. “Yep. And then hopefully Levi and Ms. Ray will decide to let us out of here.” He grabbed the wicker basket from where he’d dropped it earlier. “Be careful,” Noah warned. “Without light, you could easily crack an egg or two.”
“That would be just my luck,” Lettie muttered as they stepped over to the wooden nests. They worked together for the next several minutes, slowly and carefully lifting eggs from the nest and putting them in the basket.
“I think that’s about it,” Noah finally said, putting his hands on his hips and peering around in the dark. “We’ve been in here so long, I’m getting dizzy from the smell.”
“Seriously,” Lettie agreed, balancing the basket under her arm. “I’m kinda light-headed myself. Let’s hope they unlocked the door.”
“If not, I’ll break out the window,” Noah said. “Don’t worry.”
Lettie gasped. “No way! I’ve already messed with your horse. If we come away with a broken window, your parents are gonna think I’m a bad influence and kick me off the ranch!”
Noah laughed. “I won’t let them,” he teased, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Now, let’s see if it’s open.” He reached for the door just as some noise came from the chicken exit. Noah glanced back to see a large group of chickens coming back in from the scratching yard.
“Uh...Noah?” Lettie’s voice was shaking.
“What?” he asked, turning to see what she was afraid of.
“Please tell me the rooster isn’t coming in,” she whispered.
Noah looked toward the chickens again and bit back a curse. Leroy had decided to push his way to the front and was currently standing in the entrance. “I guess I won’t tell you then,” he hedged.
“Just my luck,” Lettie grumbled.
Noah hurried to the door and yanked on it. If Levi left him in here with a fighting chicken and angry woman, Noah was going to lay his friend flat the next time he saw him. There had never been a sweeter sound than the scraping of wood as the door swung open.