Shades of Grey (7 page)

“Macy won’t let him hurt me.” She lifted her chin defiantly.

“But what if Macy steps out a while? What if John Baines is the only one behind the bar? That guy is almost as bad as Clark with his wild ways at times. I worry about you, Sarah. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She huffed out a blast of air. “You only worry because if something happens to me you’ll be short on wages.”

Ouch.

“What the hell’s gotten into you? You really think so little of me as to believe that? I don’t give a shit about the wages! I give a shit about
you!
”

Fuck. Aww, fuck.

She gawped at him, blinking rapidly, high colour staining her cheeks. “No, no you don’t.” She backed away, unable to get far with his grip on her wrist. “Let me go. I must see to the men.”

“Sarah?”

“What?” She gritted her teeth.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“Of course I did, I’m not deaf!”

“So me telling you I care about you means nothing?”

He didn’t want an affirmative answer, but, hell, he had to know one way or another. If she said his affection meant jack shit, he’d pack his bags and get the hell out of town. Staying here when she didn’t want him would hurt too much. He could start again—he’d done it countless times before when people started getting too close to finding out what he was—but he was fucked if he’d ever forget her.

“It means nothing,” she whispered. “Now let go of my goddamn wrist and move the hell away!”

He’d sworn he’d never push himself on a woman, but instead of letting her go he pulled her to him, holding her clamped to his chest. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers, sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips, praying she’d open up for him. If she didn’t, then he’d have a firmer answer than that she didn’t want him.

She closed her eyes and parted her lips, flicking her tongue out to invite his inside. Fierce longing overtook him, and he held her closer, tighter, showing her the best way he knew how that she meant more to him than being just his boss. A low whimper left her, reverberating on his tongue, and he took it as a sign she was eager for more. Braver now that she’d melted a little, he closed his eyes and trailed one hand up her back, caressing the swell of her ass cheek with the other. Fuck, but she felt good, moulded to him the way she was, as though she’d been made just for him.

She raised her hands between them, smoothing her palms up his chest and over his nipples. Sensation rocketed through him, goosebumps spreading right along with it. Excitement pooled in his belly, transferring from there to the root of his cock. He moaned, holding her tighter still, fingertips digging into the soft flesh of her ass. His cock twitched, growing so damn fast he almost lost his breath. He canted his hips, gently pushing into her lower belly so she could feel his need.

Sarah broke their kiss, gazing up at him, all anger erased from her eyes. He felt for her, for whatever reasoning she had going on in that pretty little head of hers that forced her to rebuff help from any man. But, hell, if she pulled away now…

“I don’t want you to care for me,” she whispered.

“Why the hell not?” He swallowed, throat tight. “What’s so bad in letting me help you every now and then?”

“Every now and then. That’s why. I can’t just have you every now and then, and that’s all it would be, isn’t it?”

“Why would you think that?” Had someone in her past loved and left her? Used her? He didn’t know—didn’t know much about her because she gave very little away. When she’d cried earlier, let out whatever emotions she’d been holding in, he’d thought he’d made some headway. Her icy veneer had turned to water—it had washed away whatever sorrows made her seem so cold and angry most of the time, only for them to return now—mistrust the main culprit if her words were anything to go by.

“Because you’re a man,” she said.

“I don’t understand.” He frowned. What bastard had upset her apart from Clark? If he got his hands on them… The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Fuck, he didn’t need that now. He willed himself not to shift, to remain a man so he wouldn’t scare her shitless, make her even more wary.

“Men don’t want bossy women like me. They want someone they can control. Who’ll do as they’re told.”

He threw his head back and laughed then, loud and hearty. The danger of him shifting disappeared. “You think I don’t know I can’t control you? Shit, the arguments we’ve had would tell anyone you’re a stubborn woman who wants things all her own way.”

“You really think that?” She furrowed her brow.

“Well, don’t you?”

She nipped her bottom lip with her teeth, thinking, he’d bet, and he took the time to caress her some more, softly, with no rush. She felt fine, so damn fine, and she didn’t move away, didn’t look uncomfortable from what he was doing. That was something, wasn’t it? A start?

“Is that how I come across?” she asked, running a fingertip around the neck of his T-shirt.

Her skin met the dip below his Adam’s apple for a second, and he held his breath. Fuck, his cock and bollocks ached. He could taste her on his tongue and wanted another sample, but kissing her now wouldn’t wipe the creases from her forehead and the hurt from her eyes.

“Kind of.” He rushed on. “But it isn’t a bad thing to want your independence, and I understand it must be hard allowing other people to help you out when you’ve been used to doing it all yourself. The men working for you—that’s different, I get that. But a man around the house? Yeah, I can see why that would get your back up. But I’m here for you. I’ll help you out when the work day is done.”

“I can’t—”

“You can, honey. It doesn’t make you weak. Think of it as delegating. You’re the boss. You can ask the men for help by way of giving orders if it makes you feel better. Anything to take the load off you, give you more time to devote to this place. You pay them, for fuck’s sake. They’ll be earning at the same time as doing what you usually do out there. Your house needs sorting out—it won’t be long before it gets dangerous to live here. We’ve got a hard winter coming on. What if you tell the other men I’m on house duty? That you’re paying me to fix it up?”

“I suppose…”

“And as for Macy Jo’s.” He kissed her soundly before she could say anything then eased back to look down at her. “I don’t have to go in with you, but I can wait outside. Look through the window, see if things get nasty. Right?”

She nodded, eyelids growing heavy.

“It’s been a bad day, Sarah, honey. How about you go out there and tell the men to take the rest of the day off? I can make sure the horses are stabled. If you go lay on the sofa, you’ll be rested enough for tonight.” He eased off on holding her so tightly. “Did you feel that?”

“What?” She frowned again.

“There you go again. Making out you don’t know what I mean.
That!
” He raised his hips some.

“Uh, yeah. I feel that.”

“It isn’t just about sex, you know.”

“It isn’t?”

“Not with me, no. You want me to come clean?”

“If you must.”

“Oh, yeah, I must. I’ve thought about you all day, every day since I first started here. You’ve gone and burrowed yourself right into my goddamn heart and mind, you know that, woman? I want to care for you, be there for you—if you’ll have me.”

She smiled a little, looking at him as though she wasn’t sure whether to trust. “I might do.”

The teasing little— “You might do? So that’s how it’s going to be, is it?”

“How what’s going to be?”

She was trying hard to keep laughter out of her voice, he knew it.

“You keeping me on a string until you decide to let me know where I stand. Where
we
stand.”

“Something like that.”

“Like I said.” He pecked her on the tip of her nose. “All your own way. But, hey, I’ve waited twelve months already, and I’ll wait another twelve, and twelve more if that’s what it takes.”

“Are you serious?” She cocked her head, her hair bowing with the movement.

“Deadly.”

She stared at him, sizing him up if he wasn’t mistaken.

“All right!” She straightened her back and shoulders, a proud stance if ever he saw one. “I’m ready to delegate.”

“You are?” Well, this was a turn-up for the books. He widened his eyes and suppressed a smile at having won his first victory with her. She might just be seeing shades of grey after all.

“Yes, but if you overstep the mark, you can bet your ass I’ll let you know about it.”

He laughed again, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”

“I’m going to lie on the sofa.”

“And?”

She pushed away from him and walked to the kitchen doorway. Leaning on the door frame like that, she looked all kinds of sexy and then some.

“And you need to go tell the men to take the rest of the day off. Get one of them to fill in the worksheets for the day before they go.”

“Me?” He raised his eyebrows, unable to hide his shock.

“Yes, you. I just changed your job description. Get to it, foreman.”

* * * *

Travis walked across the grass towards Clark, thankful that his toe wasn’t giving him any trouble. Another shift would see it healed completely. How he’d explain that to Sarah he didn’t know, but if he guessed right they’d be taking things slowly, so she wouldn’t be seeing him naked any time soon.

The black-haired bastard was giving a mare some exercise in the paddock, a beautiful chestnut with the longest mane Travis had seen in quite a while. Unless he counted Sarah’s. The mare’s tail swished as she trotted, glinting in the soft rays of the dying sun. The day had been fresh and bright after the storm, the ground drying up like it hadn’t taken a beating from the pelting rain the night before.

He watched Clark closely, looking for signs of unease, but found none. Clever bastard knew how to hide his emotions. Despite hating the man, he had to admit Clark had a way with the horses.

He approached the fence, and Clark glanced over, murmuring to the horse and bringing her to a stop. He tied her reins to a post, his arms rigid and bronzed from the hot summer they’d just had. Clark spun to face Travis, and stalked over to lean on the fence.

“What the fuck do you want?” Clark asked.

“Fill this out,” Travis said, holding the clipboard up with the worksheet attached.

“Fuck you.” Clark presented his back and took a step away.

“I wouldn’t walk away from me if you value your job.”

Clark halted, spine stiff. Sweat gleamed on his neck, and he clenched his hands into fists. “Like you’ve got a say in whether I work here or not, asshole.”

“I do when I’m your foreman.”

Clark flew around, eyes narrowed to slits, mouth a grimace. “You’re fucking
what?
”

“You heard me right. So fill this in. Then go home. Early day today.” He held the clipboard higher.

Clark hesitated then took it, taking down the pencil he had wedged above his ear. “So that’s how it is. New guy gets to be foreman over those of us who’ve been here longer. What did you do, fuck her into agreeing?”

Travis gritted his teeth.

Clark looked up from writing. “You did, didn’t you?”

Was that hatred Travis saw in his eyes?

“No, I didn’t. Not all men have to fuck their way through life to get somewhere.”

“You taking a pop at me?” Clark sniffed then hawked onto the ground. “Because if you are, you’d better fucking think again. There’s people around these parts. People with guns.”

“That a threat?”

“It’s whatever you want it to be, fucker.” Clark thrust the clipboard at Travis.

Travis took it and looked down at his writing. As he knew it would, it matched the note left on Sarah’s fridge. “Nice hand you got there. Sheriff Laurie is investigating a note found at Sarah’s this morning after a break-in. Very similar. Funny, that.”

“Fuck off. You can’t prove nothing.”

“Not me, no.” He left it there, continuing with, “Now go home. I don’t want to see you back here until you start work Monday.”

Clark opened his mouth to say more but refrained. He pulled open the gate, stalking past Travis, close enough for their jeans to touch. Travis waited a few beats then turned to watch the son of a bitch’s retreat…

Then smiled. He’d have that motherfucker’s face meeting his fist if it was the last thing he did.

Chapter Six

The old threadbare couch was still comfortable, and its position within the sitting room meant Sarah could lay and watch the developing sunset. The sky was alight with passionate reds and yellows as the sun descended for the day. She was tormented by her thoughts and couldn’t resist checking the clock every few minutes.

Sarah was a woman of action. Her father had always taught her to be in their face and show your opponent you weren’t scared. That was why she could break and train some of the fiercest horses.

As much as Travis didn’t want her facing Clark alone, she would, even surrounded by the asshole’s cronies. All she needed was the time and the patience to get out to Macy Jo’s bar before Travis got back from touring the ranch. Clark had left in a huff, but not before he’d looked back to the house with a sneer. Sarah had seen the threat on his face and now she was ready to act.

Travis had made it clear he felt something for her and wanted their relationship to be so much more, and deep down she was relieved to have a man around the house—one who’d admitted to caring. But, as much as she liked the revelation and how her body reacted, she must remain a realist.

Why couldn’t she tell him she was pleased he’d taken some of the weight off her shoulders? Why couldn’t she explain that it was because she wasn’t male that she acted the way she did? Oh, she knew it sounded ridiculous now she was a grown woman, to still think of how she’d felt as a young girl, but some things stayed with you no matter how hard you tried to get rid of them. Telling yourself things didn’t bother you sometimes didn’t work.

When Travis finally decided he’d had enough of banging the boss, he’d leave—move on to the next town and the next bunch of girls. She’d seen it happen to women several times over the years and was determined not to let it happen to her. The town would still be here in his absence and so would she, except her reputation would be ruined. It may be the twenty-first century and all that bollocks, but in a small town, a reputation was the only thing you had going for you. Daddy’s was as firm as steel even after his death, and she was determined that hers would be the same.