Damn.
She’d been so close to letting her fingers do the walking down that yummy muscled torso and beyond.
“Seriously. I never kid when it comes to art.”
Her gaze flew to his. He’d gone from playful to deadly serious. “I suppose. I’m not scheduled to work today anyway.”
“Work here on the Bar 9? That could be fun. You and me—”
“I’m not working here on the ranch.”
“Then where?”
Would a polite look of distaste cross his face when he discovered she was just a cook? “I took a job as a cook and a waitress at the Last Chance Diner.”
Carter’s eyebrows lifted again. “When did you do that?”
“The day we met at the rodeo. Dad and I stopped for supper and I saw the help wanted sign.”
“Ah. So are you any good?”
“At what?”
His hot gaze lingered on her mouth before a mischievous smiled curled his lips. “At cookin’ of course, what did you think I meant?”
“Can you blame me for being suspicious? Especially after all the innuendos dripping from your silver tongue?”
“Baby, those aren’t innuendos, but the gospel truth. And I can’t wait to show you all the tricks my silver tongue has in store for you.” The tight black T-shirt went over his head, covering up his abs of steel. Dressed, he grinned and leaned over her. “I’ll be back as quick as I can. Be ready.”
He brushed his lips across hers and vanished out the door.
Carter had to remind himself no matter what went on with Macie, Cash was still essentially his boss. Surprisingly enough, he and Cash worked well together—albeit in complete silence. They unloaded the new mares and helped Gemma pick up the debris from the storm.
www.samhainpublishing.com 79
Lorelei James
The morning was muggy. The wisps of clouds didn’t stifle the heat. Luckily the night’s rainfall kept the dust to a minimum. With three of them working, it didn’t take long to clean up the broken tree branches. By the time they finished, the electricity was back on.
After Gemma and Cash drove off to check cattle, Carter moved his truck from the ditch where he’d been forced to leave it during the storm. Before he climbed out, Macie emerged from the camper, twirling her car keys in her hand. It pleased him to think she’d been waiting for him.
He smiled and let his eyes roam over her. “Darlin’, you look—” good enough to eat
“—great.”
Macie fussed with the straps on the long gauzy white dress. “Is this all right? I didn’t know what to wear.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “No nudes. If this is where you tell me I’m supposed to get naked—”
“No. I’ll be workin’ on portraits. Pen and ink or charcoal; I haven’t decided which.
I’ll wait to see how the light is today.” She’d look stunning in any light. As he studied the angles and lines of her beautiful face, that intriguing expression appeared again.
“What? You’re staring at me.”
“Get used to it, ’cause I’ll be doin’ it a lot.” His comment seemed to make her more uncomfortable so he backtracked. “Doesn’t look like you’re ridin’ with me.”
“I’ll follow you in my car, that way I can leave when I want.”
He didn’t like it, but he managed a bland, “Fair enough.”
Carter’s place was a couple of miles up the road—shorter on horseback. Driving the potholed gravel road on autopilot, he imagined Macie riding bareback, a beaded buckskin dress sliding up her slender thighs, her curtain of silky hair flowing behind her as she rode wild and free across the Wyoming prairie.
The image froze in his mind. It would work as a still life as well as a medium-sized sculpture. He’d need to capture the texture of the fringe and the beads, the smooth line of her leg, the flexing muscles of the racing horse and the proud set to her chin.
So intent was his brain on cataloging the minute details that he jumped when a loud knocking echoed next to his head. The fog lifted and he saw Macie frowning at
She’d been so close to letting her fingers do the walking down that yummy muscled torso and beyond.
“Seriously. I never kid when it comes to art.”
Her gaze flew to his. He’d gone from playful to deadly serious. “I suppose. I’m not scheduled to work today anyway.”
“Work here on the Bar 9? That could be fun. You and me—”
“I’m not working here on the ranch.”
“Then where?”
Would a polite look of distaste cross his face when he discovered she was just a cook? “I took a job as a cook and a waitress at the Last Chance Diner.”
Carter’s eyebrows lifted again. “When did you do that?”
“The day we met at the rodeo. Dad and I stopped for supper and I saw the help wanted sign.”
“Ah. So are you any good?”
“At what?”
His hot gaze lingered on her mouth before a mischievous smiled curled his lips. “At cookin’ of course, what did you think I meant?”
“Can you blame me for being suspicious? Especially after all the innuendos dripping from your silver tongue?”
“Baby, those aren’t innuendos, but the gospel truth. And I can’t wait to show you all the tricks my silver tongue has in store for you.” The tight black T-shirt went over his head, covering up his abs of steel. Dressed, he grinned and leaned over her. “I’ll be back as quick as I can. Be ready.”
He brushed his lips across hers and vanished out the door.
Carter had to remind himself no matter what went on with Macie, Cash was still essentially his boss. Surprisingly enough, he and Cash worked well together—albeit in complete silence. They unloaded the new mares and helped Gemma pick up the debris from the storm.
www.samhainpublishing.com 79
Lorelei James
The morning was muggy. The wisps of clouds didn’t stifle the heat. Luckily the night’s rainfall kept the dust to a minimum. With three of them working, it didn’t take long to clean up the broken tree branches. By the time they finished, the electricity was back on.
After Gemma and Cash drove off to check cattle, Carter moved his truck from the ditch where he’d been forced to leave it during the storm. Before he climbed out, Macie emerged from the camper, twirling her car keys in her hand. It pleased him to think she’d been waiting for him.
He smiled and let his eyes roam over her. “Darlin’, you look—” good enough to eat
“—great.”
Macie fussed with the straps on the long gauzy white dress. “Is this all right? I didn’t know what to wear.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “No nudes. If this is where you tell me I’m supposed to get naked—”
“No. I’ll be workin’ on portraits. Pen and ink or charcoal; I haven’t decided which.
I’ll wait to see how the light is today.” She’d look stunning in any light. As he studied the angles and lines of her beautiful face, that intriguing expression appeared again.
“What? You’re staring at me.”
“Get used to it, ’cause I’ll be doin’ it a lot.” His comment seemed to make her more uncomfortable so he backtracked. “Doesn’t look like you’re ridin’ with me.”
“I’ll follow you in my car, that way I can leave when I want.”
He didn’t like it, but he managed a bland, “Fair enough.”
Carter’s place was a couple of miles up the road—shorter on horseback. Driving the potholed gravel road on autopilot, he imagined Macie riding bareback, a beaded buckskin dress sliding up her slender thighs, her curtain of silky hair flowing behind her as she rode wild and free across the Wyoming prairie.
The image froze in his mind. It would work as a still life as well as a medium-sized sculpture. He’d need to capture the texture of the fringe and the beads, the smooth line of her leg, the flexing muscles of the racing horse and the proud set to her chin.
So intent was his brain on cataloging the minute details that he jumped when a loud knocking echoed next to his head. The fog lifted and he saw Macie frowning at
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