Chapter Four

Isaac sat in a rocking chair on the front porch of the ranch house, waiting for Lucky to arrive, hoping she wouldn’t until Trent was fast asleep in his bed with the overhead fan drowning out all the softer noises. He hadn’t told his brother he’d hired a woman ranch hand and he didn’t plan on telling him any sooner than he had to. He relished the look on his face when he discovered her gender.

And from what Lucky had told him, she’d be just as good if not better than any male ranch hand that didn’t have nearly the amount of experience she claimed to have.

If she didn’t work out, well, no harm, no foul. He’d let her go. She had her job at the Ugly Stick to fall back on. He’d liked her on the spot and really hoped this little experiment worked out.

Trent poked his head through the door and asked, “Aren’t you going to hit the rack?”

“In a bit. I’m enjoying the night air, peace and quiet after the noise of the Ugly Stick.”

Trent stepped out on the porch, walked to the edge and leaned against one of the support beams.

“You have to admit this is one of the only places you’ve ever been where you can hear yourself think,” Isaac said softly. He’d tried to bring Trent over to his way of thinking. He knew how hard their father had been on him and that he’d treated him badly, always demanding more than he had to give and punishing him harshly when he didn’t live up to John Jameson’s expectations. Which was practically always.

The times Isaac had stepped in and disagreed with his father, he’d gotten the same treatment and Trent got twice the severity. He’d learned early on to stay out of it. It saved Trent additional grief.

He understood why Trent hated the ranch, but he wanted Trent to see that it wasn’t the place that was bad, but their father’s mistreatment. The Triple J Ranch was perfect now that John Jameson no long ran roughshod over his sons. The old man was probably rolling over in his grave at how they were running the operation since he’d been gone, but Isaac didn’t care.

They needed help but hadn’t pursued it yet, probably more out of cussed determination to prove to their dead father they could get along just fine without him.

Up until Dusty had knee replacement, they had managed fine. Granted it took a lot of their free time and their regular jobs had suffered for it, but they’d proven, if not to their dead father then to themselves, that they could manage the ranch.

Now they needed help.

“It is peaceful here.” Trent’s comment was low, almost lost in the faint breeze.

“It’s ours now. We can do whatever we want with it.”

“Like sell?”

Isaac didn’t comment. He’d said all he was going to say, even telling Trent he refused to sell. If his brother still felt the same in a year, he would relent. But he had to at least give it a year. If Trent couldn’t let go of the old hurt and anger a year after their father’s death, he never would and it would be time to let go of a place that only held bad memories.

“Do you really like living in Houston?”

“It’s closer to my work.”

“You can design structures from anywhere and get your work delivered on time. It’s the beauty of satellite Internet and express shipping. And I go when and where I need to.”

“As long as we have an able-bodied foreman to leave the ranch with. Which we don’t have.”

“He’ll be back.” Isaac wasn’t ready to break the news to Trent about the new hire. Not right before Trent would hopefully go to bed.

“Not soon enough.”

“Getting itchy feet?” Isaac asked.

Trent hesitated. “I don’t have the connection to this place you seem to have.”

“Have you given it a fair shake?” Isaac stood. “I mean, really given it a chance since Dad died?”

Trent continued to stare out at the Texas landscape bathed in indigo-blue moonlight. “I’m going to bed. There’s a fence down on the northeast corner. I want to get out there early and get it up before the cattle discover it and wander off.”

“I’m right behind you in a little bit. I’m still unwinding from the fun at the Ugly Stick. We should play poker every Ladies Night.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t bring one of the ladies home. Or better yet, go home with one.”

Isaac hid a grin in the dark. “I can be picky too.”

Trent snorted. “You’ve dated just about every woman in the tri-county area and you’ve yet to settle down. I’m not the only one who doesn’t like to commit.”

“I know. I have to admit, I’m just as picky when considering a lifelong promise to love, honor and cherish.”

“You could always go for Kylie Sandell.” Trent left that jab hanging.

“Not in a million years. She and her mother are toxic.”

“Speaking of toxic, we promised a load of fertilizer to be delivered to Mrs. Sandell’s house. She asked for horse dung for her rose garden.”

“Only the best for her prize roses.” Isaac’s eyes narrowed. “Why did you promise to deliver it to her? You know she’ll pick it apart.”

“She’s an older woman. I was taught to respect my elders, especially women.”

“You could have said no.”

“I know, but it’s done. I made a promise and I’ll deliver on that promise.”

Isaac sighed. “I’ll help. Someone needs to watch your back. That Kylie is as sly and conniving as her mother. The rotten apple didn’t fall far from the poison apple tree.”

Trent chuckled. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Isaac breathed a sigh of relief when Trent finally went inside.

He listened for the sounds of his brother entering and exiting the bathroom and finally the house fell silent.

Checking his watch, he noted it was thirty minutes past midnight. The Ugly Stick closed at midnight on Thursdays, even when it was Ladies Night. Before he’d left the saloon, he’d askedAudrey if he could use the five-gallon jug of gasoline she kept on hand for the bar’s lawn-care equipment. Thankfully, she’d filled it the day before. He’d poured all five gallons into Lucky’s truck. That should have been enough to get her to the truck stop in Temptation where she could use the forty dollars he’d given her to fill her tank. If all went well and she didn’t have trouble following his directions, she’d be driving up the driveway in the next five minutes.

Headlights shined through the trees heading up the road to the ranch.

Isaac stepped off the porch and waved Lucky to park on the side of the house Trent rarely visited, hoping the lights wouldn’t alert Trent to a visitor at this late hour.

When Lucky turned off her lights and climbed down from the old pickup, she smiled. “You didn’t have to stay up and wait for me to come. But thanks.”

“I didn’t want you tripping in the dark, trying to find your way around.” Isaac turned toward the house. “If you’ll follow me.”

When he didn’t hear her behind him, he turned to see her standing with her back to him, staring up at the night sky. “Wow. I didn’t know how much I missed this.”

“Missed what?”

“The night sky.”

“Have you been living in a city?”

“Not a city, but I’ve been living in a small town outside of San Antonio. Even the small towns have a lot of lights that shine all night.”

“I can wait to show you to your room if you want to sit out on the porch for a while.”

“Do you mind?” She gave him a tentative smile. “After the noise of the saloon, this is heaven.”

“Sure. Let me get your gear, then you can come sit on the steps with me.”

“The boxes can stay in the backseat. I just need my clothes.” She grabbed a duffle bag from behind the seat and slung the strap over her shoulder.

“I’ll get that.” Isaac took the bag from her.

“I’m a ranch hand. I don’t expect special treatment just because I’m a girl.”

“I know, but chivalry isn’t dead.” He slung the bag over his shoulder. “Humor me.”

“You’re the boss.” She followed him to the porch, dropped the duffle bag and sat down on the steps, leaning back on her elbows. “It’s beautiful.”

Isaac sat beside her and leaned back on his elbows as well. “I think so.”

“Someone else doesn’t?”

“My partner thinks he wants to move back to Houston.”

Lucky shot a glance at Isaac. “I personally can’t see how anyone would prefer Houston over this.”

“Me either.” Isaac continued to stare at the night sky. “Tell me about yourself, Lucky.”

She stiffened beside him. “You might not want me to work for you if I tell you about myself.”

Isaac chuckled. “Unless you’re a convicted felon, I can’t imagine you’ve done anything fire-worthy.”

Lucky hesitated. “Well, actually…”

“I won’t believe if it if you tell me you’ve killed someone, unless it was justifiable homicide.”

She laughed and relaxed a little. “No, I haven’t killed anyone that I know, but you might as well know now.” With a deep breath, she told him, “I have an unlucky streak the size of Texas.”

Isaac wiped his hand across his forehead. “Whew! For a minute there I thought it was something big.”

“Maybe you don’t understand.” Lucky faced him. “The good people of Comfort, Texas, ran me out of town because of my bad luck.”

He laughed and stopped mid-chuckle at the serious look on her face. Lucky really believed her luck was the issue.

“I mean look at what’s happened already. I pushed Audrey’s truck into a ditch and destroyed half her liquor stores. I’m bad luck.” Though tears welled in her eyes, she didn’t let one loose. She bit into her lip, making Isaac want to pull her close and kiss her troubles away.

“Ah, Lucky. It can’t be that bad.” He couldn’t resist and gathered her in his arms.

“Since my father died, I have no home to go to. But the real bad luck started the day my fiancé was killed in a car wreck. A wreck I should have died in too.”

Isaac’s chest tightened. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry you lost your fiancé, but I’m glad you didn’t die in that wreck.”

She leaned into him, her cheek resting against his shoulder. “I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m just tired.” She looked to the stars. “Tired of things going wrong around me, tired of moving on.” With a soft snort, she gave him a crooked smile. “Most people don’t know how lucky they have it.”

The faraway look in her face and the hollow tone in her voice nailed it for Isaac. He held her, his arms secure around her. “You must have loved him a lot.”

“I did, but it’s been two years. I’m finally getting over it, but my luck hasn’t changed. I really wish it would.”

“You’ve had some tough breaks.”

“I didn’t come here to cry over my crappy life,” she said into his shirt, without pulling away. “But thanks.”

After a while, he pushed her to arm’s length. “Did you ever consider that maybe your streak of bad luck brought you here? To Temptation, the Ugly Stick Saloon and the Triple J Ranch? Do you believe in fate?”

She leaned back, looked at him and shrugged. “Mostly when she slaps me in the face.”

“I believe fate brought you here and you’re just what the Triple J Ranch needed. And maybe the Triple J is what you need to get back on track.”

“I hope so.”

“Here’s to starting over.” He waved his hand in the air.

“Please tell me you sprinkled some magic dust with that wave.”

“Better. Consider your slate wiped clean. Lucky Albright has only good things ahead of her.”

Lucky didn’t look as confident as he felt. Isaac leaned forward and brushed her lips with his, liking the feel of hers. All soft and plump. Ripe for kissing.

Lucky’s eyes widened and her lips opened on a gasp. “What was that for?”

“For good luck.” He pulled her against him and kissed her again, this time lingering over the connection, his tongue darting out to skim the seam of her mouth.

“And that?” she whispered.

“That was because I couldn’t resist a beautiful woman in the moonlight.” He smiled down at her and pulled her to her feet.

She leaned up on her toes and kissed him back.

He laughed. “And what was that for?”

“I like the way you taste.”

“I could get used to you around here.”

The sad look in her eyes faded and she smiled.

Isaac’s heart flipped. Hell, the moonlight had nothing on Lucky’s smile. Her face lit up half the county and made him want to laugh out loud with joy. He could spend a lifetime making her smile. “You have a beautiful smile.”

Her smile faded to just a hint of one and she glanced down at her feet. “Thank you.”

With a finger beneath her chin, he tipped her head up. When she stared up into his face, his entire body lit on fire. The woman had no clue how desirable she was. For a moment, he hesitated, considering crushing her to his chest and taking more than a chaste kiss. But then he was afraid of scaring her on her first night at the ranch. Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out, willing his pulse to stop banging so hard. “It’s getting late. Let me show you to your room.”

“I am tired.”

“Right. Look, Lucky, I haven’t told my partner about you yet. I thought I’d give you a chance to show him what you’re made of before I break it to him that I’ve hired a ranch hand.”

Lucky pulled free of his hand. “You haven’t told him?”

“No.”

“And he won’t like it that you’ve hired a woman. Most cowboys wouldn’t.” It was a statement, not a question.

Isaac winked. “You got it. Thus the need to show him you can handle the work before he has a chance to say no.”

“Does he make all the decisions?”

“No, but it helps to get his buy-in. He can be cranky when he wants to be.” Isaac stood, pulled her to her feet and snagged her duffle bag.

“I’ll consider myself warned.” Lucky followed Isaac up the stairs. “And don’t worry. I’m a very good ranch hand.”

“I’m counting on it.” Isaac slipped an arm around her waist and ushered her into the house. “And you’re much better looking than any of the other hands on any ranch I’ve ever been to.”

Isaac had to admit to himself he’d hired Lucky on a lark, partly because they needed a ranch hand, but mostly because he knew the fact she was female would get under his brother’s skin.

But now that he knew she was honest enough to own up to the baggage that came with her, he liked her even more. What a bunch of horseshit the last town she’d lived in had heaped onto her. No one deserved to be kicked out of town for a bad streak of luck.

Lucky seemed genuine, just the type of girl Isaac had searched for all his life and that even Trent had said he was looking for. No pretense, no frills, pretty without being conscious of the fact, and a good hard worker.

Yeah, his and Trent’s luck was about to change and he looked forward to having Lucky around making it happen. And if he could steal another kiss from her and maybe more, well, that was just icing on the cake.

Lucky followed Isaac to the last bedroom at the end of the hallway, her mind on the kiss and the way Isaac made her feel when he held her in his arms—safe and warm, and burning hot at the same time. The cowboy from earlier that evening had left her feeling hot, twitchy and off balance, and yet she’d craved kisses from both men. And if she was honest with herself, a whole lot more. It had been a long time since she’d made love to a man.

When Isaac pushed the door open, he left the light off. Moonlight poured through the window, filling the room with a deep blue glow. Her gaze went straight for the bed and her blood pulsed, driving heat to her belly and lower.

He applied a slight pressure to the small of her back, ushering her through the doorway. “If you need anything, my room is right across the hall.” He turned her, his hand sliding around to her hip. “And I mean anything.”

“Even a kiss?” she said, before she could think about what she was starting.

He smiled. “That goes without saying.” He bent, his mouth coming down over hers, his lips claiming hers in a sensuous stroke.

She leaned up on her toes, her fingers circling the back of his neck, urging him closer. Lucky parted her lips, allowing his tongue inside to glide along hers. He tasted of mint.

He cupped her bottom and lifted her, wrapping her legs around him, pressing her breasts against his chest. “Stop me if I’m going too fast.”

For a moment she considered it, but after the craziness of the day, she needed to feel wanted, and wanted to feel needed. “What if your partner wakes?”

“Let him get his own woman.”

“Isaac.” Lucky braced her hands on either side of his face. “Just for the record, I’m not your woman.”

He grinned. “I’m sorry. You’re right and I know that.” His grin faded. “So what is this?”

“Two people taking advantage of moonlight?”

“Works for me.” He kicked the door shut behind them. “And maybe when we get to know each other better, I’ll convince you otherwise.”

He laid her in the middle of the bed and pushed her tank top up, trailing kisses along her belly.

Lucky writhed against the sheets. “Wow, that feels nice.”

“You think so?” He pushed the shirt up higher, exposing her lacy bra. She thanked the heavens for the miracle of dirty laundry. Normally she wore simple cotton bras because they didn’t itch as much when she worked out in the heat. Feeling feminine and sexy, she allowed him to pull the shirt up over her head and toss it to the floor.

He reached around her back and flipped the hooks open, sliding the straps down her arms, her breasts spilling out.

Lucky had always been a little self-conscious about her breasts. Growing up as a tomboy, they were annoying and in the way. Not until she’d met Sean had she realized how prized they were by men.

Isaac cupped one with his big, rough hand and flicked the nipple with the tip of his tongue.

“Sweet tea and grits!” she called out.

He chuckled and did it again.

Her back arched off the bed as if it had a mind of its own, pushing her breast deeper into Isaac’s mouth. Lucky’s breath caught and held, waiting for him to stroke her again.

When he did, a sharp zing of electricity sang through her veins, headed south to her core, awakening fires long banked. She feverishly worked the buttons on his chambray shirt, desire pushing her faster. Nothing less than skin on skin would do. When she released the last button, she pushed the shirt over his shoulders.

He leaned back, shucked the shirt and stood and slipped out of his jeans.

Lucky’s throat dried and her tongue swiped over her lips.

The man was beautiful, not an ounce of fat anywhere. His shoulders were wide, his arms bulged with well-defined muscles and his broad chest narrowed to a trim waist.

As her gaze wandered farther south, her belly tightened and her eyes widened. His cock jutted out long, hard and thick. Her pussy clenched, a wash of juices slicking the channel in anticipation.

When he reached for the snap on her jeans, she suddenly became conscious of where she was and what she was doing. “Wait.” She crossed her hands over her crotch. “We really shouldn’t. You’re the boss. I didn’t come to the Triple J to seduce you.”

Isaac laughed aloud. “You’re seducing me?”

She frowned. “Well, yes.”

“Then I’m not doing this right.” He shook his head, urging her hands aside with his. Then he bent to kiss her along the waistband of her jeans. “I should be wooing you, making you crazy with desire until you lose yourself in the moment.” He blew a stream of warm air into the gap between her jeans and her belly, then kissed her skin there. “I should make you want me so much that you wouldn’t even realize I was stripping the clothes from your beautiful, incredibly sexy body.”

“I’m not beautiful,” she said, but she didn’t stop him when he tugged the zipper down and dragged her jeans from her legs.

His gazed raked over her from her breasts to her sex, his eyes darkening in the moonlight. “You don’t see what I see.”

“No, but I see you.” Caught up in his seduction, she reached out to touch his hip, her hand sliding over the hard contours of his ass, loving how taut and firm he was.

His fingers wove through the hair at the apex of her thighs, parting her folds to that little nubbin she’d been stroking when she’d watched Audrey and Jackson get it on in the storeroom. The image of the lovers going at it among the boxes sent blasts of lust through her, and she let her knees fall to the side, inviting him in.

His first stroke against her clit had her digging her heels into the mattress. The second made her rise to greet the third and fourth. “If this is seduction, I’m a complete amateur.”

Isaac parted her folds and bent, placing his face close to her pulsing clit and blowing on the hot little bundle of excited nerves.

Her eyes widened and she tensed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sealing the deal. Once you’ve had this, there will be no going back.”

Unable to move, she watched in total fascination as his tongue slipped out and tapped the strip of flesh.

Nerve endings erupted in an explosion of sensations, centering at her core and shooting outward to her entire body tingling with awareness.

“Sweet tea and grits!” she cried again.

Isaac laughed. “What did you say?”

“Oh, please. Don’t stop now.”

With a reassuring smile, he complied, sending her up and over the edge, her body rocking into an earth-shattering orgasm. When she thought she couldn’t take any more, he quit, pulled his wallet from his back jeans pocket and dug a condom out of its folds.

Still writhing from the extreme pleasure of his tongue, Lucky couldn’t wait and welcomed him when he thrust into her drenched channel.

He filled her, stretching her, sliding deep inside.

“Okay?” He held still for a moment.

“More than okay,” she replied, shocked by the breathlessness of her voice.

He continued in slow, steady moves, building in speed and strength.

Lucky returned to ecstasy with him until, once again, she cried out, her body tightening, her breathing ragged, catching with the intensity.

Isaac thrust once more and held steady, his jaw tight, his eyes closed, his cock throbbing against her channel.

When at last Isaac collapsed on the bed beside her, Lucky lay against the bed, her thoughts spinning as she returned to earth and reality. She had just made love with one of her new bosses.

Damn. Had she screwed things up yet again?

Isaac lay on the bed beside her, brushing his hand along her arm. “Whatcha thinking?”

“I’m thinking you should leave and let me get some sleep.”

His hand stilled and he withdrew it. “Okay. I know this is all new to you. I’ll give you your space. But this can’t be over. That was too damned incredible.” He rolled out of the bed and stood beside her, naked and too handsome for her to look away.

“It might have to be. I should never have done that.” She pulled the sheet up over her naked body. “I’m here to prove myself as a ranch hand.”

“And I vow to prove that you can and will be much more than that.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Good night, Lucky. Sweet dreams.”

Trent woke in a grouchy mood. Hell, he hadn’t slept much and when he did he dreamed about her. The tall, slender cowgirl who’d captured his attention at the Ugly Stick Saloon last night. He found himself still wanting that kiss she’d refused to give him.

Telling himself it was because she’d refused him that he still wanted it. He always wanted what he couldn’t have and took it as a challenge to acquire it.

But he had to know more about the woman than just what she looked like. A name would have been a start. Her phone number would be even better. He had neither and he’d woken up with a hard-on thinking about her, which added to his bad mood and frustration.

Dressing quickly, he pulled on his boots and passed through the house, entering the kitchen with no intention of eating. In his mood, he’d do everyone a favor by working off his frustration before he tried making conversation.

“Hey, the ad paid off. I hired someone.” Isaac sat at the table, a plate of scattered crumbs in front of him, a coffee mug in one hand, the newspaper in the other.

Trent stopped long enough to glare at his brother. “That quickly? How come I didn’t get to interview this ranch hand?”

Isaac glanced up from the newspaper. “It’s a done deal. If it doesn’t work out, we can hire someone else. In the meantime we have help.”

“When does he start?”

Isaac opened his mouth to reply, hesitated, then said, “Today.”

Trent snorted. “Good. We could use the help. I hope he’s good.”

“I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how good.” Isaac ducked behind the newspaper, a smirk on his face.

Trent’s eyes narrowed, but he’d already reached conversation saturation point for the morning and he was still grumpy and frustrated.

Though he could use a cup of coffee, he didn’t want to be bothered with more talk, so he pushed through the back screen door and strode across the yard.

The day before, he and Isaac had hauled hay and stacked it inside the barn. They’d been hot and tired when they’d stacked it and it wasn’t exactly as good as it could be in Trent’s opinion. Which was just fine with him. Hell, rearranging the bales ought to work the kinks out of his mood.

Trent went to work stacking the hay on another wall, one bale at a time. Halfway through the stack, his muscles burned and he’d worked up a good sweat. He was feeling better and had almost forgotten the woman at the saloon.

With several tall columns of bales leaning against one wall, Trent was about to start a stack in front of them when a noise made him turn around.

A slim figure in jeans and a chambray shirt entered Thunder’s horse stall.

Thunder hadn’t been ridden since Dusty the ranch foreman had been tossed and ended up in the hospital.

Trent started to say something to the new ranch hand about the horse and his temperament. Before he could, the hand emerged, leading a placid Thunder out by his lead rope. If the horse had an attitude, it wasn’t on display that morning.

The cowboy had his head dipped, his cowboy hat pulled low. Between the dim lighting in the barn and the shadows from the rim of his hat, Trent couldn’t see the cowboy’s face. Covered in sweat and hay, Trent didn’t feel much like introducing himself yet. But he watched as the young man led the horse out of the barn. A few minutes later, he returned and entered the stall with the wheelbarrow, and soon had a pile of soiled straw loaded into it.

Trent resumed his work on the hay, keeping a watch on the new guy from the corner of his eye.

One stall after the other the young cowboy worked. When he completed the last stall and was pushing the last wheelbarrow load of soiled straw toward the door, Trent decided it was time to inspect the job and introduce himself.

“Wait up, there.” Trent tossed the bale he’d been carrying, dusted the straw off his gloves and crossed to the ranch hand. He glanced past the man’s shoulder into the cleaned stall and noted it was cleaner than he or Isaac usually got it. “Name’s Trent Jameson.” He held out his hand. “Nice work you’ve been doin’ there.”

For a moment the cowboy froze. Then gripped Trent’s hand with his own gloved one. “Thanks.” The cowboy refused to look up, keeping his chin tucked in, his head lowered.

Trent couldn’t look the man in the eye. He didn’t trust a man who wouldn’t look him directly in the eye. “You got a name?”

“Lucky.”

“Lucky.” Trent digested that. “Nickname?”

The ranch hand shook his head and tipped his hat lower over his head. “I better go dump this.” As he hurried around Trent, the wheel ran over Trent’s toe.

“Ow!” Trent yanked his foot back and teetered on one leg.

“Oh my gosh!” The cowboy’s hands flew in the air and the wheelbarrow dumped over, the contents rushing out, knocking Trent backward. He slammed into the freshly stacked hay bales and they swayed.

Trent glanced up, his breath hitching.

Crap.

“Oh no.” The young cowboy launched himself at the hay, tripped over the pile of dung and straw and, instead of catching the bales before they toppled, sprawled out on top of Trent.

The bales tipped and fell, one after the other, landing on or near them.

Several grunts sounded from the cowboy who took the bulk of the pummeling.

His hat flew off and long sandy-blonde hair tangled with the loose hay flying around the interior of the barn.

Trent blinked the hay and dust out of his eyes and stared up into pretty gray eyes, the color of storm clouds. “You!”

The woman he’d been dreaming about kissing planted her hands against his chest and tried to push herself off him.

“Yes, me.”

He opened his mouth to admit he thought he’d never see her again. Thinking better of it, he demanded, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Working.” Jerking her leg out from under a heavy bale, she managed to roll off him and onto the ground. “What does it look like?” As agile as a cat, she shot to her feet.

“I can see that. But why?”

“Isaac hired me as the new ranch hand.”

“What?” Trent stood and stared at her.

“Is it so hard to believe a woman can be as effective and efficient at ranch work as a man?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, you didn’t have to.” She stood, brushing the hay from her jeans but missing the straws stuck in her hair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get to work cleaning this up.”

“I didn’t say I agreed with Isaac’s decision to hire you.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “You gonna fire me?”

He glared at her. “I don’t know.”

“Well, until you say otherwise, I have work to do.”

Trent climbed over the bales to stand in front of her. “Like I said last night. You’re trouble.”

Something clouded her already stormy eyes. “Maybe, but I work hard and I know my way around a ranch.”

She grabbed a bale and threw it up onto the stack.

“I gathered that.” And she was beautiful with fire in her eyes and hay in her hair. Trent worked alongside her until they had all the hay stacked in neat rows. When they were done, he brushed straw off his body and grinned. She’d worked hefting as many bales as he had. So, she could lift bales.

Lucky flicked hay off her shoulders. “If we’re done here, there’s a fence on the northeast corner of the property I intend to fix.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because it’s a two-man—person—job.”

“I’ve strung fence with and without help. I can handle it.”

“Maybe so, but we use the buddy rule around here. Unless you’re working around the house or barn, you always take a buddy with you. That way if one or the other is hurt, you have someone there to help.”

She looked at him through slitted eyes. “You’re making that up.”

He held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

Her eyes narrowed even more. “When were you ever a Scout?”

His lips twisted. “Okay, so I’ve never been a Scout. But we do use the buddy system. I’ll go with you.”

Her full, soft lips tightened. “How do you usually get there?”

“I take the four-wheeler. You can ride on the back.”

“Is that how you and your partner…er, brother ride out?”

“We usually take a couple of four-wheelers, but one of them is in the shop for repair.”

She hesitated then nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Trent gathered the come-along, a roll of barbed wire, pliers, a hammer and a couple of metal fence posts and the heavy pounder used to drive them in.

Lucky took half of the supplies and carried them out into the open, then went back for the other half while Trent pulled the four-wheeler out of one of the storage areas in the barn.

Loading what she could in the box on the back, she settled the fence posts over the box and Trent strapped them down along with the pole pounder.

“I’ll get my hat and be ready to go.” Lucky disappeared into the barn.

Isaac joined Trent, carrying two water bottles. He settled them in the box with the tools. “I take it you’ve met our new ranch hand.”

Trent gave Isaac a withering look. “Yeah. You could have warned me.”

“She has the experience and know-how. And from the looks of it, the stamina.” Isaac’s lips twitched.

“Don’t go there.”

“Well, she’s a lot easier on the eye than some of the ranch hands I’ve seen hanging out at the Ugly Stick.”

“We needed someone to do the job, not someone to stare at. Dusty’s not coming back for another two months.” He’d done his share of staring and Isaac was right. The woman was a looker. Not a traditional beauty, more statuesque and fresh-faced all at once. She didn’t wear makeup or hairspray in her hair, but she had a natural beauty and her skin glowed with good health.

“So if she doesn’t work out, we hire someone else and let her go.” Isaac’s face brightened. “Hey, maybe she can cook.”

“What’s wrong with my cookin’?” Trent asked.

Isaac snorted. “Nothing if you like everything burned to charcoal.”

“I don’t burn everything.”

“All you ever do is grill.”

Trent’s brows rose in challenge. “And you’re any better?”

“No. That’s my point.”

“Just because she’s female doesn’t mean she can cook.”

“True. But I like her. A lot.” Isaac turned a big smile at Lucky as she emerged from the barn. “Ah, there you are. Something you should know. The newest ranch hand on the ranch has K.P. duty for the first week.”

Her brows furrowed. “K.P.?”

“Kitchen patrol. You’re cookin’ tonight.”

“But I—”

Isaac’s shoulders rose and lowered. “It’s one of the rules of livin’ at the Triple J Ranch.” He raised his fingers like a Scout. “I swear.”

Lucky cocked her head toward Trent. “He’s never been a Scout either, right?”

Trent’s mouth quivered as he fought laughter. “Right.”

“Fine. But be warned. I’m not much good in the kitchen.” She glanced at Trent. “You ready?”

“I am.” He mounted the four-wheeler and Lucky slipped onto the back, her hands resting lightly on his waist.

Isaac frowned. “Hey, where are you two going?”

“From what I hear, there’s a fence needing fixin’ on the northeast corner. See ya this afternoon.” Trent goosed the throttle and the four-wheeler took off with a jerk, forcing Lucky to wrap her arms around his middle. That was one way to get the woman to hold him.

Ranching suddenly had a new appeal to Trent, one he’d never known existed. If Lucky didn’t work out as a ranch hand, he might still get that kiss he’d been hankerin’ after. Then he’d have her out of his system and he could get back to his regular, grumpy, frustrated self.

Lucky held on as they bumped across pastures. She got off at each gate, opening and closing them behind the ATV. Each time, Trent took off with a jerk and she had to hold on tighter or risk being left on her ass in the grass.

Riding on the back of the four-wheeler gave her the needed time to digest her feelings and pull herself together.

Had she known Isaac and Trent were co-owners of the Triple J Ranch…

What?

She sure as hell wouldn’t have done the nasty with Isaac. But would she have given up the chance to work there? Declining a real job offer so that she could go pound the pavement to find something that suited her as well?

Not hardly. And she was only working nights at the Ugly Stick Saloon. Based on her first visit there, she might be more of a disaster working there and be fired before the first full night.

The previous night she’d spent cleaning up the storeroom mess. She didn’t count any of that time as paid hours she could use toward reducing her debt to Audrey. But now that she had an idea of how much she’d destroyed due to her carelessness, she could start paying off that part of what she owed Audrey.

Lucky couldn’t get over how warm and friendly Audrey had been when she had all but ruined her business and truck.

She’d vowed to make it right and she would.

In the meantime, if she wanted to keep the job on the Triple J Ranch she’d likely have to work twice as hard as any man just to prove she was good at the job.

So be it.

Working at the Ugly Stick, she could put feelers out to other ranchers. If things didn’t work out at the Triple J, she’d consider moving on and have a plan in place to ease her transition.

Though things had started out shaky, after looking at it from all angles, it was not one of her worst disasters. She’d make it through this one easily.

Her challenge would be resisting her bosses.

Isaac had been nothing but nice, chivalrous and so damned sexy when he’d kissed her the night before, she hadn’t been able to resist. She could see herself falling for his charm and cheerful demeanor and he’d been so good in bed, gentle, caring, everything a lover should be. Her heart raced at the image of a naked Isaac pulling her into his arms. Yes, she could fall for the nicer brother.

Trent Jameson was the one who had her worried. Not only had he tried to blackmail her for a kiss, he was entirely too attractive in that bad-boy way for a mere mortal woman to resist. Even a woman who fancied herself a cowboy. Yes, she’d been a tomboy since she knew the difference between men and women. But she was also a woman with needs and the hormones to remind her of those needs. She’d denied herself for way too long and now her needs were clouding her brain.

Riding with her legs wrapped around Trent, her breasts pressed against his back, her pulse was pounding, and she was in a lather. And for the second time in two years her girlie parts were hot, wet and ready for more than mending fences could satisfy.

She hopped off the ATV and put some distance between her and the man causing her the disconcerting feelings. Hell, she’d already been with his brother. It would be wrong to have these lusty feelings for Trent.

The bad boy tilted his head to the side. “The fence is over here.”

“I know. I was just stretching the kinks out of my legs.” And trying to rein in her raging desire that had other places aching to be touched.

Trent adjusted his jeans and untied the fence posts and pole pounder from the top of the utility box on the back of the ATV.

By the time he’d thrown them on the ground, Lucky was back in control. Or so she told herself.

She reached for the hammer, nails and barbed wire, her hand colliding with his, sending shockwaves up her arm and back to her core, making it ache even more.

Maybe she should just give him that kiss he’d wanted the night before. She could hope he was a terrible kisser and she’d be over him before anything started.

She glanced at him. Those full lips curled upward on the ends like he knew a secret. The secret that she was as horny as the women at Ladies Night out the previous night. The night before with his brother had only stirred in her a desire for more.

Fire burned up her neck into her cheeks. She spun away and went to work, praying they’d finish quickly and she could go back to the barn. Surely there would be more horseshit to muck. Backbreaking, disgusting work would wipe this man’s sexy presence out of her mind.

She’d made it all the way to the broken fence without the wire cutters before she got her head back on straight. Turning back to the ATV, her breath caught and lodged in her throat.

Trent had chosen that moment to remove his shirt and hang it on one of the posts and then bent to check the loose strands.

All the air left Lucky’s lungs in a rush and for a moment she felt light-headed.

The man could make a helluva living stripping. She’d pay top dollar. And she could forget about forgetting him. No amount of horse droppings or sweaty labor would put that image out of her mind.

Her knees shaking for the second time in as many days, she snapped her gaping mouth shut, grabbed for the wire cutters and hurried back to the fence.

Using the wire cutters, she clipped the broken barbed wire.

It had just enough tension left in it to spring back.

“Fuck!” Trent yelled.

As soon as the curse word left his mouth, Lucky knew what she’d done wrong. She’d been in such a hurry to get to work, she’d forgotten how barbed wire could curl up again when the tension was released.

Cringing, she turned toward Trent and gasped.

The strand of barbed wire had wrapped around his bare chest, digging into his skin, each barb poking a hole. Blood dripped in many places.

“Sweet tea and grits!” She hurried toward him.

“Don’t touch,” he said, his voice curt, his mouth set in a grim line.

“But I have to get you out of that.” She searched for the ends of the wire.

“You can’t unwind it.” He hissed, easing one of the barbs away from his skin. “You have to cut away each barb.”

With the wire cutters still in her hand, she moved close to him, carefully stepping over the wire on the ground.

“I’m so sorry. I should have remembered.”

“Just get it off before I bleed to death.”

Slowly and with as gentle a touch as possible, she cut on each side of the barbs until those digging into him were removed and he could step free of the rest of the wire.

“Good thing each four-wheeler is equipped with a first-aid kit,” he muttered. “You can find it in the utility box.”

Lucky pointed to the ATV. “Sit there while I take care of the wounds.”

He flexed his arms. “It’s not that bad now that I’m not a human pincushion.”

“Please. I feel bad enough. At least let me clean them and put antibiotic ointment on them.”

“On one condition.” His mouth curved upward.

“A kiss?” She sighed. “If that’s what will make you sit…fine.”

He settled on the seat and waited.

Lucky hovered close by, alcohol pads and a tube of ointment in her hand. “Now? Aren’t you in pain?”

“More than you know.” His fingers closed around her wrist and he dragged her close. “I promise to be a very good patient.”

“You’d better be.” She frowned, knowing a kiss would be a very bad idea. With a quick peck on the cheek her plan, she leaned toward him, aiming for one of those high cheekbones, though the jaw line covered in rough-looking stubble called to her as well.

He must have guessed her intent and thwarted it by turning his head at the last minute, putting his lips square in line with hers. Before she could squeak a protest, he wrapped his hand around the back of her head and crushed her lips with his.

To keep from falling into him, Lucky braced her hands on his chest, her fingers pressing into the smooth skin, layered over hard muscles. Her legs straddled one of his massive thighs and she couldn’t breathe, nor did she want to.

If she died there and then, so be it. The kiss was everything she’d never expected, but suspected could be possible. The precise reason she’d avoided it in the first place.

Her blood turned hot, racing through her veins, her heart hammering against her chest and a delicious ache built down low, where her crotch rubbed his thigh. She moved just a little, and the friction of his jeans against hers sent shockwaves through her nervous system. She moaned, her fingers clutching at him in an attempt to drag him closer.

What felt like only a moment or maybe a lifetime passed before he raised his mouth enough she could suck air into her lungs.

“Holy hell,” she groaned, her body plastered to his like a woman desperate to get naked. And oh, how that thought made her hot all over again.

“Holy hell is right.” His fingers tightened at the back of her head, threading through her hair. “Who knew there was passion beneath the denim and cowboy hat?”

Warm breath feathered across her mouth and her lips parted. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“But it did.” His lips brushed across hers in a feather-soft caress.

She shivered with desire so strong it scared her. Sanity crept in and Lucky pushed against his chest. “It did, but it won’t again. It can’t.” It would be wrong to kiss both brothers, wouldn’t it?

“Wanna make a bet on that?” He let go, his eyes smoldering, sexy and completely mesmerizing. If she were the type of girl who could be easily mesmerized.

“I don’t gamble,” she said, her resistance wavering.

“Because you know you’d lose.” He held out his arms. “I’m in your hands, nurse.”

She retrieved the bandages, ointment and alcohol pads from where she’d dropped them on the ground, shoved them into his hands and backed away. “I think you can handle it from here.”

“Won’t you feel a huge sense of guilt if I contract lockjaw because I couldn’t reach one of those on my back?” He gave her a poor-me, sad-puppy look.

Her eyes narrowing, she counted to ten then snatched back the items and went to work on the puncture wounds, less than gentle in her application of the alcohol.

“Sheesh! Go easy,” he said.

“I should have come out here alone. None of this would have happened.” And she wouldn’t have been tempted by the brother of the man she’d made love to the night before.

He captured her hands. “Never work the ranch alone.”

“I know, I know. Buddy system.”

“Right.” He let go, his hands drifting down her sides to her hips, steadying her while she applied ointment and bandages to his wounds. “You’re pretty good at that.”

“It’s not rocket science.” She patted one last bandage in place and stepped away.

His hands fell to his sides and he stood.

Tall for a woman, she felt short and feminine next to Trent who was at least another five inches taller than she was. She had to look up to stare into his eyes. Those deep brown, bottomless, soulful eyes. “You and your brother have the same chocolate-brown eyes,” she commented.

“Is that so?” He frowned. “That’s about where the similarity ends.”

“You can say that again.”

His frown deepened. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t kiss anything alike.”

“What the fuck?” He grabbed her wrist. “You’ve kissed my brother?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. But then that would be my business, not yours.”

“It damn well is my business.”

“What I do with my lips is my business alone.” She planted her fists on her hips. “Why don’t you stay here and let me finish the fence?” she said.

“Because it goes faster with two. As long as one isn’t wrapping the other in barbed wire and kissing the other’s brother.”

Guilt washed over her. “I’m sorry. That was careless of me.”

“The barbed wire? Or kissing Isaac?”

“The barbed wire.”

Trent glared and touched one of the bandages, exaggerating a painful grimace. “If you feel that badly, I’ll let you kiss my booboos tonight after I’ve had a shower.” He waggled his brows.

Lucky glared and turned away. She refused to be caught up in his teasing and got back to work, careful not to cut a strand of wire without holding on to the loose end and then easing it to the ground. Four of the old wooden fence posts had rotted. She pounded two of the metal posts into place and Trent pounded the other two. By the time they’d finished stretching the wire with the come-along, the sun was beating down on them and they’d worked up an honest sweat.

“Are you hungry? Or would you prefer to cool off first?” Trent pulled his shirt on over the bandages, leaving it unbuttoned.

She pushed loose strands of her long straight hair back off her damp face. “Cool off.” Thinking the ride back to the barn on the back of ATV would do the trick, she climbed on, not really wanting to press her sweating body against his.

When he goosed the throttle, she was once again forced to hold on or fall off the back. He turned the vehicle and headed a different direction than the one from which they’d come.

“Where are we going?”

“To cool off,” he shouted over the engine.

That same feeling of dread and titillating anticipation filled her. This was going to be a very bad idea. With her hormones raging and her arms clinging to him, she tamped down a moment of panic. What if she couldn’t resist him?