The Rancher Meets His Match

by Kate Pearce

  She touched his hip. “I’m fine.”

  “That’s great.” He paused. “Do you want—”

  She knelt up behind him, wrapped her arms around his torso, and bit him gently on the neck. “I want you to stop fussing, come back to bed, and sleep with me before we get to do this again.”

  He tried to keep his voice light even though he knew he was smiling like a fool. “Wow, you really are bossy in bed, aren’t you?”

  She bit him again, this time harder, which made his dick twitch ready for round two, and attempted to pull him backward into the bed. The resulting skirmish left her on her back with him looming over her, one thigh planted between hers. Her gaze lowered to his groin.

  “You can’t possibly be ready for more?”

  “It sure looks like it. Sleeping is for sissies.” He slicked a hand over his most prized possession. “You make me so hard.”

  Her smile was beautiful enough to make him speechless.

  “That’s so sweet of you.”

  “I don’t feel sweet.” He cupped her mound, his voice rough. “I want you again right now.”

  She pretended to sigh and crooked her finger at him. “Then, come down here, cowboy, and show me what you’ve got.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  She’d been right about one thing. He was a demanding lover who gave everything, and expected the same in return. He’d coaxed her, teased her, laughed at her, enraged her, and effortlessly offered her everything she’d ever wanted in a sexual partner. And she’d drowned in his demands, aware that he’d willingly gone along with all of her fantasies too.

  A slight snore escaped him and Julia smiled. She was currently curled up against his side, one bent knee over his stomach with the hardness of his thigh pressed against the softness of her well-satisfied flesh. He lay on his back, his mouth slightly open, with one arm draped around her shoulders. Normally, she hated sleeping with her boyfriends after sex, but this just felt right.

  The rainstorm had finally abated, and it was quiet outside—apart from all the night creatures that howled, chirped, and squeaked through the darkness. Julia had never felt so much at peace. Both her body and her mind were in harmony for the first time in years.

  How could she possibly have thought he’d be forgettable? That one night with him would be enough to satisfy her desires for the rest of her life? She stroked her fingers through his chest hair and reminded herself of all the reasons why they couldn’t be together. They argued all the time, he teased her too much, she got in his face . . . none of those things were good indicators of a stable and lasting relationship. She craned her neck to check the time on his watch and considered getting up, but that would mean the end of their idyll, and she wasn’t quite ready for it to be over yet.

  With a sigh, she pressed her cheek against his warm skin, pulled the sleeping bag back over her shoulders, and allowed herself to enjoy the uniqueness of Kaiden Miller for as long as he kept sleeping.

  The next time she woke she was alone in the bed, and sunlight from the opened window slanted across the cabin. There was no sign of Kaiden, but he’d obviously been busy. The fire had been raked out and was stacked with wood again, there was a kettle of water steaming on the stove and a protein bar sitting on the table had her name written on it.

  Julia got out of bed, wincing at her own stiffness, and walked over to the window. Outside, Kaiden was already busy changing the tire on her truck. She considered rushing out there just to remind him that she was perfectly capable of doing it for herself, but something stopped her. For the first time in about twenty years she didn’t feel sure of herself. What the heck was she going to say to Kaiden? God, what did she even want to say?

  She hurried back to the bed and discovered that he’d picked up her clothes and set them in a neat pile beside the fire. The kitchen had been scrubbed with something that smelled lemony and he’d also set out a bowl and washcloth for her beside the kettle. Despite his easygoing attitude, he was a surprisingly organized and tidy person.

  She had a quick wash, shivering as she uncovered each portion of her skin, and climbed into her clothes, not caring they weren’t fresh because she was so glad to be warm. She stuck the protein bar in her pocket and eyed the door. She needed the bathroom, which meant she’d have to walk past Kaiden and at least acknowledge his presence.

  “This isn’t high school prom, Julia,” she muttered to herself. “Grow up, get out there, and just be your normal self.”

  Except she didn’t feel like her normal self. She felt super aware of everything, the rasp of the washcloth against her skin, the slight swelling on her lip where he’d accidentally bitten her as he climaxed, the languorous ease of her limbs . . .

  “Stop it,” she said firmly. “You really need to pee.”

  Just before she went out the door, she grabbed the dish mop and brought it out with her to deal with any spiders.

  “Hey,” Kaiden called out to her as she came down the steps.

  “Hey, sorry I slept in.” She raised her hand to shield her eyes against the sun to try and see him. “I’ve just got to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

  She scurried off, scolding herself for the totally fake cheerfulness of her voice, knowing that he wouldn’t miss it. She was horribly aware that unless she wanted to spend the rest of the day with the spiders she’d have to come back out at some point and talk to him.

  When she did return, he had his back to her and was busy jacking up her father’s truck. He’d already removed the spare tire that had failed and had the new one standing by.

  “Anything I can do to help?” Julia went toward him.

  “Yeah, can you find my other glove? I must have dropped it when I moved the tire.”

  Julia glanced around and discovered it beside his open toolbox.

  “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” His attention was all on the positioning of the jack, which she quite understood. “Can you put it down beside me? I’ll have this done in no time and then we can be on our way.”

  He sounded his usual easy self, like nothing had changed between them at all and why shouldn’t he? They’d had very specific rules, and he’d obviously taken them to heart and was abiding by them, which was exactly what she’d wanted.

  “Great!” Julia replied. “How about I pack up all the stuff in the cabin while you do that so we won’t waste any more time.”

  “If it’s not too much trouble.” He stood up and checked the height of the truck with a critical eye. “I already spoke to Nate. He said to tell you that your dad is fine and that Mike’s father, Brian, stayed over with him so not to worry about rushing back.”

  “That’s great.” Aware that she was repeating herself, Julia went back toward the cabin. “I’ll get started.”

  Two hours later they were on their way in their separate trucks, which meant that Julia didn’t have anything else to do but follow Kaiden and keep an eye out for rough spots on the trail. He had dropped a kiss on her forehead as she’d gotten in her truck, but other than that, he’d kept his hands to himself, and so had she, which made things a lot easier.

  To her surprise, he drove straight up to the front door of her home, parked, and waited for her to join him. He grimaced as she approached.

  “Lots of work going on here today. It’s going to get loud.”

  “And I’m probably going to be in the way.” She paused, her gaze on his face. God, she wanted to touch him so badly. “If Dad is okay about it, I might skip out for the day. I have to go to Bridgeport for a work-related matter. Would you like to come with me?”

  He blew out a breath and looked over at the collection of trucks parked by the barn.

  “You’re not making this easy, Julia.”

  “Maybe I’m just not ready to let you go just yet.”

  He gazed down at her, his usual smile absent, and didn’t reply.

  “Maybe we can spend the day together and find our friendship again?” Julia asked. “Or am I just being stupid here?
”

  “Like decelerating the threat level?” Kaiden offered.

  She shrugged. “Something like that. Unless you have to work—which I quite understand.”

  * * *

  Kaiden stared into her brown eyes and mentally berated himself about a thousand times for what he knew he was about to do.

  “I’ll need to talk to the guys and make sure they don’t need me for anything first.”

  Her face lit up. “That’s . . . awesome! I’ll have to ask Dad, too, but he loves having everyone here. He’s been happier than he’s been for ages so I think he’ll be fine with it.”

  She started for the door. “I’ll be back out in an hour. I’ll come and find you.”

  “Great, you do that.” Kaiden waited until she’d gone inside before he found a rock to kick against the side of the barn. “You’re a fool, Kaiden Miller. You just don’t know when to let things go.”

  Yet, Julia was right, wasn’t she? They had to find a way to go on together that didn’t involve them both being naked. He pictured the way she looked when she came, her head thrown back, her whole face contorted in ecstasy, and groaned again.

  Yeah, he was a fool just like his father said. Too scared to ask for what he really wanted and content to live off the scraps everyone else threw his way.

  Despite his best efforts, none of the contractors needed either his help or advice. For once, the job was progressing smoothly, everyone was getting along, and so far there had been no major problems. He got the sense that the guys were working extra fast to get the work done for Juan, who was well known and liked in the local community.

  By the time Julia came back out, he’d also spoken to his mom, who now knew where he was but was still wondering out loud why he was avoiding his father. He hadn’t had an answer for her, but the thought lay heavy in his mind. Maybe he was becoming some kind of expert at avoiding anything unpleasant in his life.

  “Wow.” He did a double take as Julia sashayed down the path toward him. “You look . . . different.”

  She smoothed down her pencil skirt with her fingers and offered him a slightly anxious smile. “It feels weird wearing a skirt and heels again.”

  “You look great,” Kaiden hastened to reassure her although she didn’t look like “his” Julia anymore.

  In some weird way, seeing her dressed up in her business attire reminded him of the gulf between them, so maybe it was for the best. She seemed to have taken their parting of ways and return to the real world in her stride, and he wasn’t going to spoil it for her.

  “Thank you.” She’d tied her hair up at the back of her head and carried a navy jacket over her arm. “Are you still okay to come with me?” She paused. “I know it was kind of presumptuous of me to ask, and probably came out of left field, but—”

  He held up his hand. “It’s okay, I get it. The sooner we get back to normal the better, right?”

  “Yes.” She nodded so hard her ponytail bobbed along. “That’s what I was hoping.” She took a quick breath. “I still want us to be friends.”

  He had nothing constructive to say to that so he changed the subject.

  “We should go in my truck.”

  “Why?”

  “Because yours is almost out of gas and you need to get that tire changed out again. When you get a moment, take it down to Ted Baker’s place, and he’ll set you right. I can pick up my spare from him when he’s finished.”

  “Oh, yes, Dad wanted to know how much he owes you,” Julia said as he opened the passenger door for her.

  “Nothing. Like I said, I’ll get the tire back.” He waited for her to get in and frowned as she hopped around like a demented frog. “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t reach the running board in this skirt,” Julia admitted.

  As he reached for her, he pretended to sigh. “Women and their stupid fashions.”

  “So, you’d rather we dressed in jeans and boots all the time instead?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” He picked her up and deposited her easily in her seat. The scent of her, up close and personal, made him never want to let her go. “Do you want me to do your seat belt up for you too, honey?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Do you want me to kick you in the nuts?”

  “Wow, harsh.” Kaiden shook his head. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

  * * *

  Julia plugged the coordinates Melanie had given her into the navigation system and sat back to review the case notes while Kaiden drove. There wasn’t much to go on, yet. Melanie wanted a visual of the potential land to assess its proximity to the town, the major services, and the highway system. Sometimes potential sellers weren’t quite accurate in their descriptions.

  MZB always tried to make sure that at least one of their associates actually went and viewed each potential site. It meant that future negotiations between clients and sellers were less likely to fall apart over something basic. Normally, it was the kind of job Julia would give to a new hire, but as Melanie had asked her personally, and she needed a few allies at the firm right now, Julia was more than willing to help out.

  “So what are you doing today in Bridgeport?” Kaiden asked as he turned off the county road.

  “Assessing a land parcel for a potential client.”

  “For a new home?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” Julia wasn’t about to spill any office secrets. “This is only a preliminary assessment of one of several possible sites.”

  “Do you do this a lot?”

  “Go out and see places? Not much anymore. I need more billable hours.” She half smiled. “Got to pay for that remodel.”

  “I wish I’d never suggested it now.” He glanced over at her and then back at the road, which was getting bumpier. “Thanks to me, you’re stuck in that place.”

  “I think you’re taking on way too much responsibility for something that is definitely not your fault,” Julia said evenly. “I’m ‘stuck’ at that place because I love the work. The money isn’t really the issue. I have enough saved to cover all your bills, so please don’t worry.”

  “I wasn’t actually thinking about myself,” he said abruptly. “I was thinking about you.”

  “Oh.” Julia stared out the window. “That’s . . . very sweet of you.” She checked the navigation, which seemed to have disappeared. “Are we close now?”

  He pointed toward a roofline at the end of the road. “I’m going to take a guess and say we’re supposed to end up there. I can’t see anything else that looks like a structure, can you?”

  “No.”

  She collected her paperwork in a tidy pile and replaced it in the folder. There was a jeep parked outside the small dwelling and a man was watching their approach. He was dressed quite smartly so she assumed he had to be the seller’s representative.

  “I think that’s our guy, there.” Julia pointed out of the window.

  “Ya think?” Kaiden brought the truck to a stop. “Do you want me to stay here, or would you prefer me to get out with you?”

  Aware that they were in the middle of nowhere with very patchy cell coverage, Julia opened her door. “You’re welcome to join me. It shouldn’t take long.”

  She walked up to the guy and extended her hand.

  “Hi! I’m Julia Garcia from MZB and associates. You must be Cameron.”

  “That’s me.” Cameron’s gaze drifted over her shoulder toward where she assumed Kaiden was standing. “Hey.”

  Kaiden spoke up. He’d left his Stetson in the truck and donned his dark glasses. “Don’t mind me. I’m just here to protect Ms. Garcia.”

  Julia fought a smile as Cameron looked way more impressed than he should’ve.

  “I’ve got some additional information from the ranch owner since I last spoke to your colleague at MZB.” He handed over another file. “There is a map of the boundary fences, the access to the river, and the best places to fish. He also said that there is an old roadway within the property that used to connect right through t
o the outskirts of the town, which maybe could be revived?”

  Julia opened the folder and looked at the maps. “This is all really helpful. Thank you. Is it possible to take a tour of the boundaries noted here?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ve got permission from the family to access the property and all the relevant keys and codes for the gates.” He patted his pocket and gestured at his jeep. “Would you like to come with me, or follow along behind?”

  Julia turned to Kaiden and raised her eyebrows.

  “What do you think?”

  He regarded her impassively and took a long, slow look at the jeep as if assessing its defensive capabilities. “I’ll sit in the back.”

  * * *

  It wasn’t a big ranch. From the style of the fencing and the general layout, Kaiden guessed it had been started about the same time as his own family’s place around a hundred and fifty years ago. The Millers had arrived from the East Coast after a long and perilous journey in a wagon train where they’d lost several family members and eventually settled in Morgan Valley alongside the Morgans, the Lymonds, and the Gómezes.

  It was also evident that the place was run-down, something that became even more apparent when they pulled into the yard of the ranch house. There were a few chickens about, but no other signs of life. Kaiden made sure to get out of the jeep first so that he could come around and get the door for Julia. Her decision to go along with his bodyguard fantasy was giving him life.

  “All clear, Ms. Garcia,” he said as he scanned the area.

  “Thank you, Miller.” She stepped out of the jeep like the queen she was and turned to Cameron. “Does anyone live here right now?”

  As if in answer to her question, the front door of the house creaked open. An extremely old dog came out, cast them an inquiring glance, and lay down on the covered porch like it was far too much effort to bark.

  “Can I help you, folks?”

  Kaiden looked at the elderly man who had followed the dog out of the house and frowned. The guy looked vaguely familiar.

  “Oh, hey, Mr. Evans! How are you doing today?” Cameron advanced toward the old man. “Do you remember me? I came out here with your granddaughter Jackie last week.”