Ranch Hand Wanted (Curves And Cowboys Book 3) Read online

  Just then, I felt warm breath on my shoulder and I turned to find the little Appaloosa mare I’d spooked earlier standing by my side.

  “You’re a good one, aren’t ya?” I said softly to her as I reached out a hand to rub her nose and she nuzzled my fingers.

  I looked up to find that Layla had stopped in her tracks. She had a strange expression on her face but the darkness was gone from her eyes.

  I took that as a good sign and hoped maybe I was wrong about her coming out here to tell me she’d changed her mind about hiring me on, after all.

  “Come here, Gracie girl,” Layla called to the horse, who obediently ambled over to her.

  I watched as Layla loved on the horse. I tried to hear what she was saying, but her words were too soft for me to catch from where she was standing at the paddock gate.

  “You know, Gracie was the last present my parents gave me,” Layla said in a voice loud enough for me to hear as she rubbed the mare’s head gently and turned to look at me with a sad smile.

  “They really know their horses. She’s a beauty.”

  “Knew. They really knew their horses. They’ve been gone for about a year now. A drunk driver took them from me.”

  I saw the pain written on Layla’s face and almost felt it rolling off her in waves. My heart went out to her instantly and I wished I knew what to say to make her feel better.

  But before I could come up with the right words, she filled the silence herself, and I kept my mouth shut. I might not be a genius, but I knew that sometimes the best thing to say was nothing at all.

  She told me about how close she and her folks were, how they’d built this place up from nothing together, and how she was afraid she might lose it to the bank.

  “They were so proud of me for gentling Gracie down. She was as mean as a snake when she first got here, believe it or not, and she still doesn’t like most people touching her.”

  Layla looked me straight in the eyes. For a second, it felt like she was looking into my soul. The heat of her gaze left me with a racing heart and a stirring deep inside that I’d never felt before.

  “I did some research on you, Travis Keene. You’ve had quite the life.”

  The knot in my stomach tightened. “I can explain…”

  She held up a hand to stop me. “I came out here to tell you that I don’t like you. Or trust you. But then I saw the way Gracie acts around you.”

  Layla turned and looked at the horse with love. I held my breath, waiting to see if I’d lost my shot at her and having a roof over my head that night.

  “I may not have faith in you but Gracie does. For right now, that’s enough, even though I can’t believe I’m saying it.”

  I gave a sigh of relief. “I won’t disappoint you, boss.”

  She leveled me with that no-nonsense look of hers. “I certainly hope not. Now, come with me, and I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

  Layla spun on her heel and headed for the house, leaving me there to watch her walk away and do my best to not drool as I did it.

  Chapter Four

  Layla

  My hands were shaking as I opened the front door and left it ajar for Travis. He was taking his sweet time to follow me. That didn’t surprise me – cocky guys always thought the world revolved around them.

  “Well, this is it,” I said as he finally climbed the porch steps and joined me. “I know it isn’t much, but it’s mine.”

  I watched him take in the sight of my childhood home. I kept it as tidy as I could, but dusting and other housework came after my duties to the ranch. I didn’t have time for the Better Homes and Gardens look.

  “No, it’s not much. But neither is my motel room or sleeping in my truck.”

  My jaw tightened instantly. It was unbelievable to me that he was still so arrogant. Even in a situation where he was getting a second chance and a helping hand.

  “You could always sleep in the barn, if you’d prefer.”

  Travis cocked an eyebrow at my sharp tone. “No, no. This will be just fine. Where’s my room?”

  I gave a heavy sigh and sent up a silent prayer that I wasn’t making a massive mistake. Then I led Travis up the stairs and into the small guest room at the end of the hall, across from the shared bathroom.

  “Yep, this should do it. I just need to run back to the motel to check out and get my things. What’s for dinner tonight?”

  I stared at him in complete wonder for a second. It was incredible to me that someone so handsome and good with horses could also be so inconsiderate.

  “I haven’t exactly had time to plan a meal,” I replied through clenched teeth. “I’m not used to having company, so I usually just rely on microwave dinners.”

  “That’s a real shame, Layla. But I guess it will have to do, won’t it?”

  He was bounding down the stairs and out to his truck before I had a chance to reply. I was left standing there with hands that were still shaking and a heart that wouldn’t stop pounding.

  I was in a total daze that I was going to have to deal with that man’s uppity ass in my home. If I wasn’t in such a bind, I never would have put up with him. Hell, I wouldn’t even have given him a second look!

  Well, maybe I’d give him another look. Those muscles of his are nothing to scoff at…

  Still, hard-body good looks or not, I knew men like Travis. They thought they were God’s gift to women and they were only after a one-night bedroom rodeo.

  He could forget about that! I might let him sleep in my guest room and care for my horses, but that was as far as things were going to go with Travis.

  I had no interest in him or what he thought about me or my place. But I found myself heading downstairs to tidy up a bit, telling myself all the while it was because I wanted to do it.

  And having to sweep away the memories of his big shoulders and muscled arms glistening in the sun…

  Travis

  It didn’t take long for me to pack and settle up my bill at the motel. Truth be told, I didn’t have many things anymore. I’d lost pretty much everything to the gambling.

  But those days were behind me. I was finally getting another shot at a real life, and I planned to make it work, even with a stuck-up and stubborn boss.

  Say what you will about her attitude…that woman has a body that just won’t quit!

  I found myself having some pretty vivid fantasies about Layla and her juicy curves as I headed back out to Rocky Ridge.

  I knew having those kind of thoughts about the boss lady wasn’t the best idea. But I couldn’t seem to keep myself from imagining what she looked like under those beat-up blue jeans of hers.

  I did love a challenge, after all, and she’d actually shown a chink in her armor earlier when she was telling me about Gracie and her parents.

  Normally, the ladies loved confidence, even cockiness. But Layla wasn’t like the other women I’d wooed in the past. I was going to have to go about things in a whole new way with her.

  As I pulled through the ranch’s front gate, it struck me that if I played my cards right, I had a shot at redeeming myself professionally and personally.

  I made a vow right then and there to knock off the cocky attitude. I was sick of blowing opportunities in my life. This was a chance at a fresh start and I wasn’t getting any younger. I didn’t want to waste it.

  I grabbed my bags, hopped out of my truck, and climbed the porch steps to my new home. When I opened the front door, I was greeted by the sight of Layla straightening up the living room.

  Her back was to me and her plump ass seemed to call out for me to caress it. I put a hold on my longing and decided to make a start on the new me right then.

  “Place looks real good, Layla.”

  She jumped and spun around, one hand clutched to her chest. Just watching her breasts bounce from the movement had me stirring inside of my pants.

  “You almost gave me a heart attack, Travis!”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry about that.
Didn’t mean to spook you. Hope you aren’t cleaning up on my account.”

  Layla’s face flushed a pretty pink and my desire for her spiked. I was enjoying seeing her show some real emotion and not just covering them with her typical all-business behavior.

  “Just realized the house could use some attention,” she said in carefully casual voice. “Are you hungry? I have some microwave dinners in the freezer.”

  “Why don’t you relax and I’ll make us something to eat? You’ve worked hard and I have to start earning my keep around here, after all.”

  Layla’s eyebrow arched and I watched her internal battle. I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to let go and allow me to turn over a new leaf or not.

  Finally, she gave a sigh and a small smile. “What the hell? I’ve got to loosen the reins sometime, I guess.”

  Another chink in the armor! I’ll have her won over and in my arms in no time…

  Chapter Five

  Layla

  I’ve been watching Travis closely for two weeks now, waiting for him to go back to the cocky cowboy that showed up here that first day.

  But he’s been a total gentleman. He gets up at the crack of dawn to start taking care of the horses. He painted the peeling barn without being asked. He’s even started cooking dinner for us every night.

  It’s been a shock to the system, to be honest. I kept waiting for him to say or do something to make me clench my teeth. But there’s been nothing. So strange!

  I woke up this morning feeling better than I had in a long time. Horse sales were starting to pick up and I actually had enough money to pay some bills and even think about adding to the herd to meet the demand.

  I’d just made my first cup of coffee and was thinking about how I had time to really enjoy it now when I glanced out the window and saw something that froze my hand before I could take a sip.

  Gracie was lying on her side in the paddock by the barn. She was motionless and not rolling or acting as if she would get up. That wasn’t like her at all and I felt panic flood through me.

  I set my cup down so fast that coffee sloshed over the rim. Scary thoughts of colic and other illnesses raced through my mind as I hurried to the front door and jammed my boots onto my feet.

  My heart was hammering inside my chest as I made my way across the barnyard. I couldn’t lose Gracie. I just couldn’t. I’d sell my soul to keep that horse alive.

  Before I could get to her side, I saw Travis coming out of the barn with the medical kit I kept in the tack room. He hurried over to Gracie with a determined look on his face.

  “What’s going on?” I called to him, trying to stay calm and avoid upsetting Gracie. “What happened to her?”

  “I think it’s colic,” Travis replied in a low voice. “I found her like this. We’ve got to get this medicine into her and get her to her feet.”

  If I wasn’t so worried about Gracie, I probably would have snapped at Travis. I knew how to treat colic. I’d grown up on a damn ranch.

  But I realized that my hands were trembling and I could use all the help I could get in that moment, so I kept my mouth shut.

  This wasn’t just any horse, after all, and I found myself doing something I hadn’t done with any man. I gave up control and let Travis take the lead. I needed him and I had to admit it.

  As Travis prepped the syringe, I sat nearby and stroked Gracie’s head, softly telling her everything was going to be just fine. I prayed that I was right.

  “Let’s get her up and moving,” Travis said after injecting Gracie with the medication that would hopefully save her life.

  He hooked a lead rope to her halter and we both encouraged the mare to get to her feet. Finally, she was able to stand and we began walking her in big circles, trying to get her to pass the life-threatening abdominal blockage.

  We took turns walking Gracie for hours. By the time the sun was starting to go down, she’d finally turned a corner and passed the critical stage. And she wasn’t the only one.

  I’d spent the day watching Travis save my horse’s life. I hadn’t been able to keep my eyes off him as he’d walked Gracie. He looked strong, confident, and in control.

  With a realization that felt like a lightning strike, it hit me that Travis had turned into the kind of man I’d been waiting on, and just hadn’t known it.

  By the time we got Gracie settled into her stall, I had to admit to myself that I’d fallen for my ranch hand, and wonder what the hell I was going to do about it…

  Travis

  With a final soothing word, I closed Gracie’s stall door and turned to smile at Layla. We’d worked hard to get the mare feeling better and I wanted to share in the celebration with her.

  Evening shadows were just beginning to creep down the barn aisle and I had to let my eyes adjust a bit before I could make out Layla’s features.

  Her eyes were wide with surprise and I thought something was wrong. I turned to quickly scan the barn in the dim light and didn’t see a thing.

  When I looked back at Layla, her eyes had grown soft and warm, leaving me even more confused. What the hell is going on with this woman?

  She answered my unspoken question by crossing the space between us in three quick steps and placing her hands on my chest.

  Layla’s touch sent a bolt of desire through me. We hadn’t had much physical contact during our time together. But I’d imagined plenty of it when I was alone in my bed every night.

  “Thank you for saving Gracie,” she said in a breathy voice. “You’re not the man I thought you were, Travis.”

  That was as close as she’d come to complimenting me since I’d been at Rocky Ridge. And it was the only opening I needed.

  I pulled Layla into my arms and crushed my mouth to hers. Weeks of longing to feel her flesh against mine rushed up inside of me.

  I both felt and heard Layla moan as our mouths met, which encouraged me to deepen our kiss and run my hands along the luscious curves of her body.

  She pressed harder into me and I slid my hand up to cup her breast, reveling in the soft heft of it, and making me realize how desperate I was to feel her bare skin beneath my own.

  Just then, Layla pulled her mouth away from mine and looked into my eyes. “Please, I need you…”

  I felt my heart swell and my cock stiffen at those words. I scooped Layla up in my arms, headed for the feed room, and laid her down in the pile of hay on the floor.

  Moonlight floods in through the windows and I drink in the sight of Layla lying there. Her hair is a beautiful mess and her eyes are full of desire. I watch her chest heave beneath her shirt and can’t wait another second to release her from her clothing.

  I kneel down and pull off her boots and jeans, feeling my own breathing grow heavier as I take in her thick, creamy thighs.

  After I strip off her shirt, the only thing keeping my eyes from the sight of her in all her naked glory is her thin bra and already moist panties.

  I’m taken aback by how badly I want Layla. I lock eyes with her and peel off my own clothing. When I’m fully nude, I lower myself down to the hay and kneel in between Layla’s thighs.

  I think about how much dislike she had for me when I first got to the ranch, and raging hardon or not, I give her one last chance to change her mind.

  I’ve never been the kind of man to take things that aren’t freely given. That’s not about to change now. I place my hand on Layla’s trembling leg. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything,” she said with a smile, sliding her hand up to take hold of my throbbing length and wrapping her fingers around me.

  It was in that moment that I stopped simply wanting to claim the boss lady. I knew then that I loved the curvy beauty in the hay.

  And I was about to show her how I felt without saying a single word…

  Chapter Six

  Layla

  It felt good to have the formerly cocky cowboy’s mouth on mine. It felt even better when he lifted me up in his arms like I
was as light as a feather.

  By the time Travis laid me down in the hay and stripped away our clothes, I was practically vibrating with my longing for him.

  It was unexpectedly sweet of him to ask me if I was sure about being with him. I knew that there was no changing my mind now, so I reached out and took him in my hand.

  I could feel him throbbing under my fingers and I gave a soft groan of desire. Travis leaned forward and pressed his hot and hungry mouth to my thigh and I spread my legs in welcome.

  When he slipped his tongue between my lips and I felt the wet heat on the most sensitive part of me, I arched my back and moaned, hungry for more.

  Travis licked and nibbled at me until I exploded into the most intense orgasm of my life. My thighs latched onto his head, not wanting to let him go.

  But at the same time, I thought I would go crazy with my need to have him inside of me. “Please, Travis, please…”

  He kissed his way up my body, setting my skin on fire as his lips pressed into the flesh of my thighs, belly, and breasts.

  “You want more, lovely lady?” he breathed into my neck. “Or should I stop now?”

  “God, no, don’t stop,” I groaned as I grabbed his muscled arms. “Please, don’t stop!”

  Travis kissed me, stopping me from saying anything else with the welcome taste and touch of his lips on mine. I slid my hands around his strong back and dug my nails into his ass, bringing him closer and showing him what I wanted.

  He slid inside of me with the same unerring confidence that used to drive me crazy. Now, it was exactly what I needed and I gave a satisfied moan as he filled up the part of me that longed for him most.

  All of it just felt right. Travis on top of me and moving inside of me. I was torn between wanting to watch his body move over mine and letting myself go completely by closing my eyes and embracing the electric sensation of our bodies coming together.

  But then he found the perfect pace and I forgot about everything other than his hips thrusting the object of my deepest desire into me over and over.