The Reluctant Virgin [Ride 'em Hard 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (6 page)

“How far up does the stream travel?” she asked, hoping to pretend their little encounter never existed.

He cupped his hand over his eyes. “Beyond our property. The Garner Ranch is the next one over, so I assume that’s where it starts.” He pointed far off to the horizon.

“There isn’t much flow for the equipment. I wonder if the stream is being dammed up river.”

He stood there staring at her with hunger in his eyes. She doubted if he even heard the last few things she’d said. If only she didn’t reciprocate his desires she’d be just fine. If only.

What the fuck was wrong with him? How many women had crossed his path over the years? And of those how many had he cared about enough to date longer than a couple weeks? There was something about the Taylor girl that pulled him in. She had an air of innocence that was refreshing and very different from the women he usually spent time with. Her inexperience brought out his dominant side. He wanted to teach her, claim her…which was ridiculous.

As much as he wanted to make his father proud as he watched from the heavens above, Josh just couldn’t stomach the idea of commitment. People died. The fewer people he was close to meant he’d have less chance at getting hurt. Falling in love with a good woman was exactly what he didn’t need in his life right now. It would throw his world off axis, and after his father’s death he couldn’t deal with any more drama or heartache.

Sex he could handle, and he wanted it from Cindy in a big way. But she was a good girl, and good girls usually required something in return. He imagined she’d only bedded a handful of men in her life. Maybe it would be best to curb his desire for another couple hours until she was gone. It was just so damn difficult with the petite blonde beauty standing next to him. Her kiss made the world stop for those few minutes. That level of intimacy was something he rarely experienced. He never wanted it to end even though it terrified him.

“Did you hear anything I told you?” she asked. No, he hadn’t. He was too busy studying the flecks of gold in her blue eyes and the light smattering of freckles across her nose. This was bad, very bad. Josh had to get the fuck away from the little temptress before he did something he’d regret. Like offer her the world and mean it.

“No, sorry. My mind must be elsewhere. If you have all the information you need, maybe we best head back. I have a ton of stuff to get done around the farm today.”

“Oh. Okay.” She worried her lower lip as she walked back to the mare. Cindy had a cute, round ass and long legs for her height. She did walk with a slight limp, and he wondered if she’d sprained her ankle recently. Then erotic visions of oiling down her body and massaging every soft curve filled his head.
Fuck!

Riding back to the barn with a painful hard-on was an unpleasant experience when sitting in a hard, unforgiving saddle. He quickly dismounted and led his horse to the barn, needing a few minutes alone. Rather than mind his manners and help Cindy off her horse, he disappeared from her sight. He needed a quick reprieve from her addicting presence. She was making him weak when he’d been perfectly happy having new women as often as the wind shifted. It may have been a while since he’d had time for a fast woman, but he used to have his fill. He got a high from new relationships—the unknown, the anticipation, the hunt. But it never lasted. The thrill would fade, leaving him unfulfilled. Now he was thinking about crazy things like watching the stars with Cindy at night, sharing his fears, and riding her long and hard in the hayloft.

“Back already?” asked Adam. “Matthew just left.”

“Sorry about that. I should have stayed to help.” There wasn’t much money in hay, but it was something. Besides, neighbors were supposed to help each other out, not begrudge one another.

“I’m sure you’re forgiven since he has a date with Ms. Taylor tonight.”

“What are you blathering about?” He loosened the girth strap on his stallion as he spoke, trying not to appear too interested.

“Matthew said she agreed to dinner.”

“And where the fuck was I? I was with her every blasted minute.”

Adam hooked his hat on the edge of the stall and ran a hand through his hair. “You were saddling up the horses. What can I say? The man moves fast.”

He shouldn’t care one way or another. In fact, wasn’t he trying to avoid and push away Cindy? This was good news. Then why did it fester and churn in his gut nearly making him sick?

“That’s just dandy, Adam.” He ground his molars together. Matthew was a good friend and neighbor, but right now he felt like the enemy. He heard a truck door slam shut. Josh forgot what he was doing and rushed to the entrance of the barn. Cindy was behind the steering wheel of her truck.

He ran over to her open window.

“Where you rushing off to?”

“I’ve got the information I need. Mr. Oakley will be in touch.”

“Mr. Oakley? What about you?”

She brushed stray blonde hairs from her face. “My part of the job is done. If you go through with the installation, I may see you in the future on a service call.”

He felt a trickle of desperation enter his veins. “And what did Matthew Garner do for you to agree to dinner?”
Fuck.
Why couldn’t he keep his big mouth shut?

“He told you?”

“Doesn’t matter who told me. Did that kiss between us mean nothing to you?”

She closed her eyes momentarily. “Josh, what are you doing? You’re the one who kissed me.”

He supported his forearms on the window ledge of the truck, leaning in slightly. “Tell me you didn’t like it, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“Like you said, it doesn’t matter. This was a business affair, nothing more. If I wanted a man, don’t you think I’d have one by now?”

“Is Matthew that man?”

She exhaled her irritation. “He’s just an old friend, not that it’s any of your concern.” Cindy shifted the truck into reverse, the vehicle jerking an inch back.

“I’m sorry.” He slapped the side of the truck, signaling her to depart. Josh was acting like a lovestruck fool, and even he could see how pathetic he was acting. It was time to tuck all the new emotions deep, deep down where they couldn’t toy with him.

He tilted his Stetson and then turned his back. The tires ground the loose gravel on the drive as the pickup left his property. He felt stiff and hollow. Maybe his daddy had been right after all. Life just wasn’t the same if you couldn’t share it with a woman you loved. He’d once asked his father if it was worth the heartache of losing his wife. His answer was simply, “yes.”

“What was that all about?” asked Adam. He’d been standing in the same spot long after Cindy left the ranch. His mind was processing so many things at once—past, present, future. He finally concluded that the cute blonde would only make him weak. Maybe he’d pick up a hot little number at the bar tonight to take his mind off things.

“Business. Just business.”

“You have eyes for her, don’t you?”

His defenses rose. “I was just playin’. A girl like that sleeps with curlers and a nightdress. I need a woman with spice.”

He returned to the house, needing to be alone with his thoughts. What he’d said to Adam wasn’t entirely a lie. Good girls didn’t interest him. Then why the fuck couldn’t he stop thinking of Cindy?

After dropping into his recliner, Josh replayed their many brief conversations, including their last in his head. She’d mentioned Matthew was an old friend. Since his neighbor had never left town, a born and raised local, it meant Cindy lived here once upon a time. It could have been long before his daddy bought their ranch, but he was beginning to put two and two together.
Taylor.
Was it possible that the stunning, ball-breaking, blonde irrigation specialist was actually the shy Taylor girl?

He’d only known her briefly, not enough to call her a friend or acquaintance. She’d been cute back then, but nothing compared to now. It was like comparing apples and oranges. She had filled out, had a mature beauty, and confidence. If she was the Cindy Taylor from his past, why didn’t she say anything? He had so many questions. How was her family getting along since they lost their ranch? Did she remember him at all? Had she dated Matthew Garner before she left?

He was starting to think it would have been better to let his wheat scorch under the heat of the sun than get Oakley to send that girl to his door.

Cindy parked her truck on the side of the road, away from any prying eyes. She’d put herself in a horrible predicament. She had promised two men a dinner date and offended a third. Chance was probably preparing for their night out, and she secretly had been looking forward to it. Although she knew she had to stay single for her own self-preservation, it didn’t mean she lacked for wanting. Some nights she couldn’t even sleep her body was so hot-wired and squirmy. But she’d force her inappropriate thoughts away and start counting down from one hundred. It didn’t take away the urges, but it kept them at bay long enough for her to function.

If she drove home now to make her dinner date with Chance, she’d be ditching Matthew. She wasn’t even sure why Matthew Garner wanted to go out with her. Was it just to reminisce about old times? She hated everything about her former life, and he was an icon of those bygone days. Why couldn’t he leave her alone? He’d never asked her on a date before she left town at twenty. No man had. She was so used to rejection and people considering her a second-class citizen that it was difficult to fathom she had three men vying for her attention.

Chance and Josh she could understand. They were men doing what they did naturally. But Matthew? He knew she was a cripple. He may have even seen her without her leg, because when they were in high school, one of the girls from town thought it would be funny to hide it during one of the annual corn roasts at the Garner Ranch. It was just one of the many humiliations she had to live through. Life was a constant struggle by no fault of her own. She had no accident or illness to blame. Her missing limb was the result of a rare birth defect in utero. It was the only life she ever knew. And she hated it.

Her cellphone began to ring. She reached over and picked it up, thankful for the distraction from her thoughts. It wasn’t easy going through college and studying her ass off to be the best in her field. She was a strong woman, proud of her independence. She wouldn’t ruin that by sulking or feeling sorry for herself. Those days had to be left in the past. “Cindy Taylor.”

“I thought you drove plum off the face of the earth, little lady.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Oakley. It got late so I stayed the night. I’ll be heading back shortly with all the information about the Granger Ranch.”

“He sound interested?”

“Maybe a little too interested.”

“Now what kind of talk is that? We’re in business to sell.”

“Yes, sir.”

She finished up her brief conversation with her boss. He was harmless, a sweet older man nearing retirement age. She’d originally applied for the job so she could make a difference for farmers in the same predicament as her parents. No family should lose their home and livelihood because nature wouldn’t cooperate on the Alberta prairies. She still recalled how much her parents suffered after the bankruptcy.

Now she had to make a personal decision. Cindy felt like she had a devil on each shoulder, one Matthew, one Chance. Nothing romantic could develop with either, so she’d only be leading them on if she went on a dinner date. As much as she’d like to kiss her dreaded virginity good-bye and embrace the love of a good man, she knew she’d freeze up when things got serious. She was beyond insecure about her missing limb, certain a man would up and leave her for a whole woman once it was discovered. So she’d stay strong and remain single.

She finally decided she’d take Matthew up on his offer. At least she wouldn’t have to hide anything from him. He knew the real her, faults and all.

Cindy drove back into town and parked her truck at the feed center. It had changed a lot since she’d last been in town. It used to be a small one-man operation, but now it was a thriving business with cowboys and traders going in and out every few minutes.

“Boo!”

She gasped, tightening her grip on the steering wheel.

“Matthew, that’s cruel!” He’d managed to sneak up from behind her truck and grab her arm through the open window. “You’ll have me in an early grave.”

He laughed, leaning against the driver’s side door. She’d never looked at Matthew as a potential mate before. He had been nice, funny, and down-to-earth, but not relationship material. Her eyes were usually focused on the ground back then. Now she could see a new side to him. His chocolate-colored hair was tousled and a sensual amount of scruff darkened his jawline. He’d lost his baby face and now had chiseled features worth of a
GQ
magazine spread. His body had grown substantially, filling out like his older brothers. The Garner men were known for their size and strength, and apparently Matthew was no different. Why on earth did he want to entertain dinner with her?

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said.

“How so? Did you get reservations at the best place in town?” she teased. The local diner was the only place to eat out. Cindy expected no more than a hamburger and fries.

“Cute. But I’m more creative than that.” He started to open her door. “Come on. Leave your truck here. We’ll take mine.” She was hesitant of leaving her mode of transportation behind. What if things went sour?