Chapter 10
“You like them?” Logan asked. After working too long in the blazing heat, he’d knocked off early Monday and had driven to Reno to do some shopping.
“I love them.” She stood up and walked back and forth in the new hiking boots. “You knew my size.”
“I looked at your other boots.”
“You didn’t have to do this, Logan. They must’ve been expensive.”
He could afford them. “I told you I was going to get you a new pair. Secondhand boots are no good. Half the trick is having them mold to your feet. Let’s test them out.”
“Right now?”
“Sure. Why not?” They had a few hours of daylight left and it had cooled to a balmy eighty degrees.
“Okay, but nothing too strenuous. I’ve been weeding all day and it’s hot.” She gave him a long perusal that would’ve given him a woody if she hadn’t been frowning. “I don’t know how you manage to have boundless amounts of energy. It’s not even like you eat healthy. From what I can tell your diet consists of red meat, beef jerky, and curly fries. So what’s your secret?”
“Stamina. Lots and lots of stamina.” His lips quirked into a salacious half smile. “I’ll tell you what, you can pick the trail.”
“Let me change into shorts, first.” She crossed the living room and vanished behind her bedroom door, appearing fifteen minutes later in a pair of worn cutoffs that frayed around her amazing legs and outlined the curve of her outstanding ass. She also wore the pink tank top she’d had on the first time he’d met her and an exercise bra that made her breasts bounce every time she walked.
He was a dead man.
“You ready?”
Oh yeah, he was ready, just not for a hike. “Lead the way.”
He followed her to the bank of the river, trying, without succeeding, not to stare at her backside. All that weeding had made it very shapely. And the cutoffs were just short enough to show a little cheek.
A flat path followed the tributary, zigzagging through copses of pines. It was scenic but easy, more suited for a stroll than a hike.
“You weren’t kidding when you said not strenuous.” Even with her arthritis, his grandmother could handle this trail.
Annie looked over her shoulder. “Too boring for you?”
“Nope. It’s pretty.” And so was she. “Nice breeze too.”
She waited for him to come up alongside her. “I figured it was a good way for you to see more of the ranch. Sometimes the guys fish over there.” She pointed to an outcrop of rocks large enough to sit on. “You like to fish?”
“I’ve never tried it before. You?”
“I used to go a lot with my dad. He baited my hook for me and took off any fish I caught. I don’t think I’d like it otherwise.”
He chuckled and they kept walking. It was peaceful out here, nothing but the birds singing and a few frogs chirping. It smelled good too. Like pine needles, manzanita, and rushing water.
“These boots feel great.” She did a couple of pirouettes, her face shining like the sun. “Thank you, Logan.”
“You’re welcome.” God, he wanted to kiss her.
Instead, they continued on the trail at a leisurely pace. He took off his Gatorz, wiped a smudge off the lens with the hem of his T-shirt, and put the sunglasses back on. After that he took Annie’s hand. It seemed right. Natural. And she didn’t pull away. They did about a mile with their fingers laced together.
“You hear from your friend Gabe?” she asked.
“Yesterday. He’s stateside.”
“Does that mean you’ll be leaving soon?”
“I’ll stay long enough to finish the job. I won’t leave you in the lurch.”
“At the rate you’re going it won’t take long.” She’d come by before he’d left for Reno. The cottages were nearly clear.
“You smell good.” He recognized the scent she always wore. Something flowery mixed with coconut. Probably suntan lotion.
“I probably smell like sweat and dirt. The first thing I’m doing when we get back is taking a shower.”
He wanted to propose that they take one together. Nothing he’d like better than to see her naked, her breasts lathered in soapsuds. In the river she’d been so damn beautiful, her wet body glistening in the afternoon sunlight. Droplets of water clinging to her skin and lashes, her face bright with happiness.
“You’re already thinking of going back?” he said. “We just started.”
“It’ll be dark soon.”
He looked up at the position of the sun. It was setting over the mountains, streaking color across the sky. “We’ve got an hour.”
She groaned.
He took mercy. “We can start back, if you’d prefer.”
“No,” she said. “I could use the exercise.”
If she called this exercise. “No pressure.” He held up his hands.
“Let me retie my boot.” She rested her back against a tree for balance, while bending over to tighten her laces.
When she came up, he put his hands on either side of her, boxing her in. He leaned in and tasted her lips. Lightly at first, in case she objected to the kiss. But when she showed no signs of resisting him, Logan pressed harder until she opened for him. He slid his tongue inside, roaming freely, his lips moving over hers, sucking and nibbling. God, she made him so hot, like flames licking every inch of his body. His scalp, his neck, his stomach, his dick. His dick was on freaking fire, straining hard against his fly.
And she was giving as good as she got, rolling her hips against him, making sexy noises that drove him wild. Her hands glided up and down his arms and grasped his shoulders as if she couldn’t get enough. Logan wrapped his arms around her waist and spread her legs with his knee so he could step in closer and push his throbbing erection against her, into her heat. She pressed back. And when it wasn’t enough, she clutched his ass and pulled him in tighter, grinding against him.
In a second, he’d be taking her against the tree. He squeezed her breasts and she moaned, arching her back for more. This time, he ran his hands under her tank, pushed up her sports bra, and ran his thumbs over her nipples until they stood at attention. The bra was too constricting, so he pushed it up to her neck along with the tank top. He wanted to see her, hold her breasts in his hands, fondle and suck them.
She melted against him, her knees wobbling.
“I’ve got you, baby.” He ran his hands down her sides, easing her back so he could look his fill. What he saw blew him away: Firm breasts the size of peaches with puckering pink nipples. “Jeez, Annie, you’re so beautiful.”
He sucked one nipple while fondling the other and felt her shiver. Soon his mouth was all over her, kissing those perfect breasts, her throat, and the side of her neck. She unbuttoned his pants, slipped a hand inside, and stroked him.
“Annie. Ah, Jesus, Annie.”
He reached for her shorts, undid her buttons, and dipped a finger inside her panties. She was so wet for him that his chest expanded with pride. He wanted to strip her naked and lay her on the ground. When he tried to take his hand away, she whimpered. So he didn’t stop, sliding a second finger inside her until he thought he would lose his goddamn mind. She was so ready. Tight and hot.
He kissed her, licking into her mouth as she continued to stroke him. She knew just how to do it and he made a deep sound low in his throat.
At the same time, a crow shrieked. And just like that, she stopped.
“It’s just a bird, baby,” he whispered against her ear.
Annie pulled away from him, breasts heaving while she tried to catch her breath. “We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” He stared at her, missing their lack of contact, his body aching for release.
She pulled down her bra and top. “Because we’re in the open. Anyone could see.”
“Like who?” They were in the middle of nowhere. Just trees and the river.
“Oscar, Shane, Billy, Kyle. The McCreedy boys, whose ranch is just over there.” She nudged her head toward the other side of the river while she buttoned her shorts.
Okay, she had a point. But she wasn’t saying they shouldn’t do it. She just didn’t want to do it out in the open, which made Logan want to throw her over his shoulders and run to his cabin with his pants around his ass. She gave his groin a meaningful glance. Pack it in. But those brown-sugar eyes of hers only encouraged his erection to come back to life. So he pulled down his shirt to cover himself, instead.
“Give me a minute, okay?” He walked to the river’s edge, crouched down, cupped his hands, and splashed cool water on his face.
Logan couldn’t remember ever being this sexually worked up. On long deployments there’d been plenty of dry spells. And when he’d returned to Coronado he’d make up for it with a long line of lovelies who were happy with no-strings-attached hookups. Some of the guys in the teams were married but most were divorced. A cautionary tale. Relationships were difficult enough. Try maintaining one from a war zone while conducting top-secret missions that you couldn’t talk to your partner about.
But Annie had him twisted up like a horny high schooler. What had just happened between them felt like a dozen flashbangs going off in his head . . . in his pants. The intensity of it still gripped him and made his blood pound. By the panting noises and the way she’d rocked into him, he’d say it was just as powerful for her. Now, however, she was giving him the silent treatment, which made him nervous. Usually women liked to talk. They liked to reexamine everything under a microscope and express their feelings.
“You okay?” he asked, still dousing himself with cold water. He had half a mind to jump in the river with his clothes on.
“A little in shock.” That at least explained why she was being so quiet.
“Shock that we fooled around in the open like that? Or shock that it was so good?”
“A little of both, I guess.”
He gazed up at her as she pulled a few leaves from her hair. She didn’t so much as look shocked as she did scared to death. Ah, hell, maybe he’d acted like an animal.
“Was it too much?” he asked.
She shook her head. He rose, tucked himself in, and buttoned his jeans.
“You want to go back?” It was dusk and soon it would be dark.
“Yeah, I think it’s a good idea,” she said.
He crossed over to her in three steps and wiped a few twigs from the front of her tank, careful not to touch her breasts. Then they walked back to the house in silence. It felt tense, like maybe she was mad.
“Annie, talk to me. Are we okay?”
She giggled, which was the last thing Logan expected. “We’re fine,” she said. “But I’m frustrated.”
His brows winged up. “We can fix that the minute we’re inside.”
“But you’re still going to leave, right?”
“Not today, not tomorrow—but yeah, I’m still gonna leave. There’s nothing for me here, Annie.”
She shot him a look as if to say, I’m here.
“I’m trying to be completely honest.”
“I know.” She took his hand and together they climbed the stairs to her apartment.
* * *
Annie didn’t know what she was getting herself into. Until ten minutes ago, she’d been convinced that she and Zeke had had good sex. Very satisfying sex. On occasion, even mind-blowing sex.
Everything else about their relationship had sucked, but not the physical part. Yet now, after one short—but fierce—make-out session with Logan, she was forced to question everything she’d ever considered good. Because what they’d done in the woods had been explosive. Transcendent. Magical.
Perhaps she was getting carried away, but she’d never been kissed and touched that way. First, there was the attraction. She could have a happy ending just looking at Logan. Then there was the intensity he put into everything he did. From swinging a machete to going into protective mode at the ring of a gunshot, this was not a man who did anything lightly, including getting to second base.
She turned off the water, got out of the shower, and dried herself with a towel.
“Hey, Annie?” Logan knocked on the door of her bathroom. “A truck just parked in the driveway. Either the driver has the code to the gate or someone’s breaking in. Want me to check it out?”
She pulled the towel tighter, opened the door, and rushed to the living-room window.
It was Flynn’s truck. She watched Gia and Flynn unload their luggage.
“They’re home,” she said. “I better get dressed.”
Logan stood next to her, peering out of the glass. “Barlow looks different. Less lawyerly.”
She laughed. “What does that mean?”
“Last time I saw him he was in a suit.”
They were both wearing shorts. Gia had on a peasant top and Flynn was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. Annie was anxious to say hello and share with them the progress Logan had made with the outbuildings, but thought she should give them time to unpack and unwind.
Logan tilted his head to get a better view. “Are they gonna be freaked out that I’m here?”
“No.” Not once she explained the situation. “You should talk to Flynn about Raylene, about her and her husband contesting the will.”
“I don’t want to bother the guy at home. I’ll call him at his office.”
“Flynn won’t mind.”
She started for the bedroom but he grabbed her arm. “We’re not going to finish what we started?”
“They’ll probably come up and say hi.” It was bad timing. Besides, she was having second thoughts. Or nerves. She couldn’t tell which.
“They had to pick now of all times to come home,” he said. “I’ll wait while you get dressed.”
She went inside her room and threw on a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved floral print top that scooped low in the front. It was new, at least for her. She’d bought it at a thrift store in Davis before moving to Nugget.
When she came into the living room, he raised his brows. “Nice blouse. You’re killing me, Annie.” Logan patted the space next to him on the sofa.
“You like it?” She pulled the shirt back so her boobs didn’t hang out and joined him on the couch. “I thought the color was good.”
Before he could say more, there was a knock. She tossed him a look that said I told you so and got up to answer the door. A tan and relaxed Gia stood at the threshold, holding a colorful basket.
“I thought you’d want the basket for the farmers market, but Flynn said you’d prefer this.” Gia held up a Mexican hammock. “So we got you both.”
“Welcome home.” Annie wrapped Gia in a hug and sensed the moment she spotted Logan.
Gia let go of Annie and nodded hello to Logan. “Oops, bad timing. Sorry. Why don’t you call me later?” Gia snuck another peek at Logan and started to go.
In the short time Annie had lived at Rosser Ranch, she’d never had a man over. She could only imagine what Gia must be thinking and it wouldn’t be far from the truth. If her landlord hadn’t come home, she and Logan would’ve resumed where they’d left off in the woods.
“No, stay.” Annie stopped Gia before she went down the stairs. “This is Logan Jenkins. He’s helping with the bunkhouses, cottages, and foreman’s house.”
Logan was already on his feet. “Nice to meet you.”
Gia studied Logan for a second. “You answered the ad?”
“Not exactly,” Annie responded. “It’s sort of a long story. Why don’t you get settled in and we can talk later . . . or tomorrow?”
“Okay. That sounds like a plan.” Again, she started to leave, but this time Logan stopped her.
“Your fiancé knows who I am,” he said. “I want you to know that I’m not here to make trouble.”
Gia looked from Annie to Logan, confused. “How do you know Flynn? And why would I think you’re here to make trouble?”
Logan started to answer but Flynn appeared at the open door.
“I came up to say hi and—” He stopped abruptly and stared at Logan.
“Flynn,” Gia said, “this is Logan. He says he knows you.”
Logan put up his hands, palms out. “As I just told Gia, I’m not here to cause problems. After the reading of the will I stayed in Sacramento a couple of nights, trying to wrap my head around everything: Ray, Raylene, the money. Then I started driving aimlessly—well, I guess not so aimlessly—because I wound up here. I wanted to see the town . . . this ranch . . . know where the Rosser part of me came from.”
“Come in,” Annie told Flynn and Gia, who still stood at her entry. “Sit while I get you both cold drinks and Logan can finish.”
With all four of them huddled together in the living room, Annie’s apartment seemed to shrink. It was pretty small to begin with. Flynn and Gia found seats and Annie poured them glasses of sun tea she’d made in a glass jar on the deck.
“Did you have a nice time in Mexico?” she asked.
“It was great,” Flynn said, not taking his eyes off Logan.
Annie couldn’t tell if he was angry. Flynn was good at keeping his expression neutral. It probably helped him in court. But Annie knew he was hyper-protective of Gia and if he thought Logan was a threat there would be trouble.
Logan must’ve sensed it too because his posture became more rigid.
“We’ll get to our vacation in a bit,” Flynn said. “I want to know more about what Logan’s been doing here.”
Annie started to say “a hell of a lot of work for piss-poor wages,” but Logan cut her off. He gently brushed her leg, which to the casual observer would’ve looked like nothing. An accidental bump. But she intuitively knew it was a signal that he didn’t want a champion.
He told Flynn about meeting Annie, her assuming he was there to apply for the job she’d posted, and how he’d taken it just so he could stick around and learn his paternal history. Flynn listened to the story and Annie still couldn’t gauge his reaction. She wanted to pull Flynn outside and tell him that despite what he might be thinking, Logan didn’t want to take Gia’s ranch away from her or anything else. He didn’t even want to stay in Nugget and was just here to do some soul-searching. He was trying to find out where his life had started.
“So you just showed up, got past the security gate, and passed yourself off as a job candidate?” Flynn asked, his tone even but tinged with skepticism.
“Yes, sir.” Logan said. “Raylene mentioned the ranch during our meeting and I suppose that’s when I got curious.”
“You understand the sale of Rosser Ranch is a done deal? There’s nothing you can contest. It was your father’s to sell and he sold it.”
Logan all but rolled his eyes. “I have no use for a ranch.”
“Everyone has a use for money. And the ranch is worth a good deal of it and you damn well know that. So if you’re here to get something you weren’t given—”
“He’s not trying to get anything,” Annie shouted, unable to sit on the sidelines any longer. Flynn had no right talking to Logan like that. “Raylene is the one who is trying to contest the trust, not Logan.”
Gia put her face in her hands. “Oh God, she’s going after the ranch?”
In the last year, Gia had lost her job, her reputation, and nearly everything else that was dear to her. Annie understood how another threat could push her over the edge.
Flynn started to say something but Logan interrupted. “Everyone calm the hell down. I don’t want the ranch and as far as I know, Raylene doesn’t want it either. She and her husband want my share of the money.”
“And you know this how?” Flynn pinned him with a laser stare.
“She, Butch, and their attorney sat across from me at the Ponderosa and said they were contesting the trust, that they had no proof that I was even Ray’s son.” He cocked his head at Flynn. “They basically called you a charlatan and said I was in cahoots with you.”
Flynn let out a laugh. “Oh yeah. I wish them luck with that argument. Who’s the attorney?”
“Steve Danvers.”
“Never heard of him.” Flynn seemed a lot less concerned about Raylene than he did Logan, Annie observed. “So you just came to Nugget to take a stroll down memory lane?”
“Since I don’t have any memories of the place, no,” Logan said, and Annie could hear the anger in his voice. “You want to know why I came, why I’ve been clearing brush in the hot sun for minimum wage? You want to know the real reason? I came to figure out why he—Ray Rosser—didn’t want me. What could be so wrong with me that a father didn’t want his only son?”
Logan got up and stood military straight. It had taken a lot for him to say what he had, especially in front of strangers. He’d never told her those exact words, but she’d suspected that it was part of his fact-finding mission. What child wouldn’t want to know why his own flesh and blood had rejected him? Annie tried to make eye contact but he wouldn’t look at her.
“I’ll let you all catch up,” he said. “I have an ethics thing about finishing jobs I was commissioned to do, but if you want me gone, I’ll go.”
He made it to the door when Annie started after him. But Flynn beat her to the punch, stopping Logan halfway down the stairs.
“Logan, stay,” Flynn said, his face softening. Apologetic. “Finish the job and take all the time you need to find what you’re looking for. But let me say this: Ray Rosser was a cold-blooded son of a bitch. You ever think maybe you were too good for him and that’s what was wrong with you?”
“The thought has crossed my mind,” he said, and headed in the direction of his cabin.
Annie didn’t wait. She followed him.