Chapter Five

Stone silently cursed his brother to the seventh layer of hell. The bastard was definitely going to pay for setting him up in public so he had no choice but to comply.

A warm, soft hand settled on his arm. “Look, it’s okay if you don’t want to show me around.”

That’s just it. He did want to spend time with Jovy. Very much. That was the problem. She was too…everything. Pretty. Mesmerizing. Compassionate. He’d seen it in her eyes several times during their meal. And hell if he wasn’t a sucker for a compassionate woman.

Jovy Larson was dangerous. She possessed a power over him that had his sense of survival kicking in. The beauty was letting him off the hook. Giving him an out. One he should grasp with both damn hands. Tell her he had work to do, which was not a lie.

But his mother had raised him with manners. No way would he send her from the ranch without that tour.

Stone covered her hand with his, enjoying the feel of her touch on his skin more than he cared to admit. “I’d be happy to show you around.”

“You two go ahead. We’ll take care of your dishes,” Cord urged, smile tugging his lips.

Another smile? The third in less than twenty-four hours. This had to be a new record. Stone didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the breakthrough.

“Yeah, we’ve got it,” Leo agreed.

Another breakthrough. The mere fact that his friend had actually joined them for brunch was enough for Stone to fist-pump the air. But he refrained, again, not wanting to jeopardize the small steps both men had made.

Releasing her, he forced his expression to remain calm and nodded to his buddies. “Okay. Thanks.” But inside he was cartwheeling around the damn room. He was under no illusion who was responsible.

Jovy. The miracle worker. Her calm, accepting presence put everyone at ease.

He stood, then held out his hand to help her to her feet, his body tightening at the flash of leg and peek of cleavage bestowed on him as she rose. Her gorgeous curves made his teeth sweat. He did his best to put all that to the back of his mind as he led her out of the house for an outside tour of the ranch. “You’re not exactly dressed for this. I can’t guarantee you won’t get dirty.”

Instead of putting a halt to the tour, she cracked a smile. “I’ll survive.”

Of that he had no doubt. A little worried how she’d react to the men inside the converted barracks, he studied her as he showed her the common area, open kitchen, and a dozen small, individual quarters.

“This is nice,” she said, her expression pleasant. Genuine. “Do they have a bathroom in here, too?”

He pointed to the end of the hall. “Yes. A communal one back there with several shower stalls, including one with a lift.” The expense to put a bathroom in each quarter was too great. Besides, it allowed for extra space to add two more quarters and take in more men.

A minute later, surprise washed through him with some unknown emotion as they passed two men working out in the corner. The woman never batted an eye or shied away at the loss of limbs or disfigurement. It was as if she didn’t even see a difference. Shit. Was she for real?

She turned to him and smiled. “You ready to show me more?”

He wanted to show her more, all right. Which was bad. Very bad.

Stone nodded and opened the door, timing an inhale as she passed, enjoying her light, sweet scent. Might’ve even leaned into her. He was walking around in a haze. He had no idea why. Other than he was an idiot.

“Where to next?”

“The barn,” he replied, striding ahead. He felt bad for making her practically run to catch up, but he needed a few seconds of distance to regain control. It did the trick. He slowed his pace and motioned toward an empty field. “We’re hoping to someday build more barracks back there. So far, we haven’t turned anyone away, but a few of the men have had to double up because of the demand.”

If they didn’t do something soon, At-Ease would run out of room, and Stone was not prepared for those consequences.

Jovy ran an interested gaze around the area. “This is a great location. You have a good setup. Do you have any women here?”

He shook his head. “Not yet, but we will as soon as we can get a separate barracks built. I’d rather not invite trouble with a co-op.”

She nodded and walked alongside him toward the barn, her gaze still on the field. “It’s good you have the room to expand. Several times.”

“Yes.” He was a little surprised she’d clued in to that fact, but then reminded himself she was a business major. “We’re eventually going to need a bigger barn, too. It’s where we store our material and bulldozer and backhoe.”

Her attention returned to him as he led her inside the old structure. “Wow.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Cute, smart, and can move mountains?”

“Yes.” He smiled while his mind stuttered over the fact that she just flirted with him.

“Did you learn in college or a trade school?”

“My grandfather taught me and my brother when we were teenagers, but we did have to get certified,” Stone replied, happy to bypass the flirting elephant in the room. “He owned a construction company that he passed down to our dad. Brick and I started helping out while we were still in grade school.”

“You have a history in construction.”

It was a statement, not a question.

He nodded, leading her back outside. “It’s what we did before we joined the military.”

She fell into step and glanced over at him. “What branch of service were you in?”

“Army,” he replied. “Vince, Cord, Brick, and I were Rangers.”

She stopped dead, so he halted and faced her. “You four were Army Rangers?”

He nodded. “Five. So was Leo, the guy who sat next to Cord.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“That’s…pretty elite,” she replied. “My ex is in the army. He made it to the first phase of Ranger school at Fort Benning, but never went any further.”

Not surprising. Many didn’t. “It’s not for everyone. Did he fail? Or just choose to not go any further?”

He chose not to dissect the reason his back stiffened at the thought of her having a boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.

She shrugged. “Not sure. Adam didn’t like to talk about it.”

Failed. A slice of sympathy skittered through his chest. “Almost sixty percent fail during the first phase of training.” Over 35 percent failed within the first four days. Ranger Assessment Phase—RAP week—was grueling.

Her beautiful hazel eyes rounded. “That’s probably what happened. He was kind of mad at himself.”

Stone nodded. “It’s tough. He should’ve been proud just to have been accepted into the school.”

“That’s what I told him.”

Stone had gone through all three phases with Vince and Leo two years after Brick, Drew, and Cord. Some phases they passed by the skin of their teeth. Training was demanding and pushed you to your limits, but they each came out better, stronger, both physically and mentally. That’s why it’d been such a shock when Leo had fallen apart last year. The guy had made it through so much. Survived hell. How he got to a place in his head where—

Stone halted that exhausted train of thought and brought his mind back to the present.

“What is it?” Her open gaze regarded him closely. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just got stuck in the past. But that’s not why we’re here.” With a shrug and the desire not to invoke compassion he didn’t deserve, he went on to explain how some of the men took care of the day-to-day chores at the ranch, while others worked for the construction company.

If the woman was wise to why he’d changed the subject, she didn’t let on, just followed his lead. That endeared her to him even more.

“So, you and Brick, along with Vince and Cord, own the ranch?” She entered the horse stable with him where several men were cleaning stalls.

He stopped outside Galahad’s and turned to face her. “Yes. It was originally my grandfather’s, then father’s, then mine and my brother’s, but when we came up with the idea of At-Ease and Foxtrot Construction, Vince and Cord invested in it, too.”

“How many men do you employ?”

“Twelve right now, not counting the founders,” he replied. “It’s enough to run three small teams if we get busy.”

Excitement sparked behind her gorgeous eyes. “I’d love to see your business plan.”

He scratched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and grinned. “Yeah, so would I.”

“Wait.” She blinked at him like he’d grown another head. “You don’t have one?”

“Of course I do.” He held out his palm to tick off his fingers as he spoke. “Write estimates. Win bids. Send men out to work.”

Now she stared at him like he had three heads.

The colt lumbered over and nudged him, interrupting their conversation. Stone chuckled and stroked the horse’s broad nose. “Hey, buddy.”

Jovy’s eyes widened and she looked on with interest but made no move to step close.

“You can touch him,” he encouraged. “Galahad won’t bite.”

Her hands shot up, palms out, as she shook her head. “No. Thanks. That’s okay. He’s really big, and…uh…I still haven’t recovered from your girlfriend’s unexpected visit yesterday.”

A smile tugged his lips. “Lula Belle? C’mon. She’s a sweetheart.”

Jovy snorted. “Tell that to the ladder.”

His bark of laughter echoed through the building. The woman certainly had a way with words. Two men working nearby turned to stare. He couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t often he let his guard down and laughed. Not since last year.

“Did you grow up here?”

He released Galahad and cleared his throat. “Yes.” All of a sudden, the stables felt stuffy. Intimate. How the hell could a seven-thousand-square-foot structure feel like a broom closet? A welcoming breeze blew like a wind tunnel down the wide-open center aisle and removed some of the fuzziness from his head. “My grandfather left my brother and me a few properties in town.”

She set her palm on the stall, a safe distance from Galahad, and tipped her head. “What about your parents? Are they alive?”

The downfall to the wind was the fact that the smell of her perfume surrounded him. Sweet and inviting. Like her.

“Yes,” he replied. His voice sounded far away to his ears. “They moved to Albuquerque to be with my grandmother on my mother’s side a few months after my brother and I returned. What about your parents?”

He knew she had a grandfather, but not much else about her family.

Her gaze shifted to Galahad. “My mom drowned when I was four, and dad died of cancer when I was eighteen.”

Jesus. Stone’s heart squeezed so tight it cracked open, and he fought the urge to rub the ache. “I’m sorry.” He knew the sentiment was feeble, but he felt the need to say it.

“Don’t be.” She met his gaze and smiled. “I have a cousin, and an aunt and uncle, besides my grandfather.”

“No siblings?”

“No.” She shook her head, and a strand of hair blew across her face that had escaped her ponytail.

Without thinking, he stepped close and brushed the silken piece behind her ear. Damn, her skin was soft. So soft. Unwilling to let go, he trailed his finger down her neck, and the hitch in her breath ricocheted through him like a pinball. Release her and step back, his mind ordered. Great advice. Wonderful advice.

Why the hell wasn’t he taking it?

Her gaze shifted to his mouth, and son of a bitch, he felt the attention like a concentrated stroke to his groin. He was instantly hard, and in a whole hell of a lot of trouble. The woman was so close he could count the brown flecks in her hazel eyes. Fourteen. And meltingly gorgeous. It would be so damn easy to get lost in those warm depths and never return. Pure heaven. Her refreshing, open regard breathed life into his body, sending fire through his veins and a hypnotic thumping through his ears. He never felt so damn warm, accepted. Alive.

And he deserved none of it.

Fuck. What the hell was he doing? He released her and stepped back, dragging in a lungful of air. The sweet smell of hay went a long way to calm his nerves. Jovy was too beautiful. Too full of life. Too distracting. Christ. That was the last thing he needed. Leo had nearly died the last time Stone had been preoccupied with a woman. Instinct told him kissing Jovy would be much more addicting. Distracting. Lethal. Not only to him, but his men if he didn’t keep himself in check.

Sure, Leo had made strides since last year, but his buddy was far from out of the woods. Stone couldn’t afford to let the guy down again. If it meant not exploring the crazy-ass attraction flowing between him and his new tenant, then so be it. Stone’s needs, wants, didn’t matter.

The reminder of his failings returned Stone’s control, and he was able to face the woman without fear of yanking her close and devouring her luscious lips. Until he caught the flash of heat still evident in her gaze.

“Stone? Jovy? How’s the tour going?” Brick asked, striding into the barn, saving Stone’s ass from doing something stupid.

Like following through with yanking Jovy close and devouring her luscious lips.

“Good,” she replied, her voice a little breathless.

Grateful for the interruption, Stone turned toward his brother and nodded. “We’re just about done.” He certainly was. Overdone.

“So, I guess that means you can get on the McGregor estimate?”

Shit. Stone blew out a breath. “Yeah, as soon as I find the workup.”

Brick’s gaze narrowed. “You still haven’t found the paper?”

How the hell could he when the idiot set him up to show Jovy around all afternoon? He raised a brow. “Hello? Have you seen the office?”

“No,” his brother replied with a cheeky grin. “Kind of tough with all those papers lying about.”

The urge to flip the asshole the finger shook through Stone’s hand, but he refrained. Barely.

“I’d help, but I already told Cord I’d give him a hand installing a water heater for old Skeeter.” Brick slapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck.” Then nodded to Jovy before lumbering out of the stable.

She pushed that errant strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a long expanse of throat he’d stroked a few minutes earlier. His finger still tingled at the memory of her warm, soft skin.

“You’re looking for something in your office?”

He thrust a hand through his hair and exhaled a long breath. “Yeah. A paper with the list of work for the feed store in town. I’m supposed to call the client with the estimate tonight. If we land this, it could mean Foxtrot will get the contracts for their other two stores. And if that happens, we might be able to start breaking ground on another barracks.”

Why the hell did he tell her all that?

An eager expression crossed her face. “I’d be happy to help you look.”

Sweet offer. Bad idea. It wasn’t wise to be cooped up in close quarters with the tempting woman. “I hate to keep you from the shop. Especially with your grand opening a few days away.”

She waved a hand. “That’s okay.” A mischievous gleam entered her eyes. “Besides, I’ve been dying to get my hands on your paperwork.”

His body instantly hardened, having totally replaced “paperwork” with a different word.

“I can always paint tonight.”

And he really could use her help. “Tell you what,” he said, his mind already forming a plan. “You help me find that receipt, and I’ll bring two of my men with me to your shop tomorrow morning and help you paint. Deal?”

She grinned and held out her hand. “Deal.”

Stone shook it, but immediately released her, unwilling to tempt fate. “Okay, then let’s get started.”

An hour later, not only had he discovered the McGregor paper hidden between two folders, Stone uncovered his desk, too. Jovy was a miracle worker. The office looked a hell of a lot better. Clearer. Organized. Thanks to her and the app she suggested he download to his phone, which allowed him to take a picture of a receipt and automatically sent it to the appropriate file in an accounting program. Best of all, it was free. The woman not only saved him a shit-ton of time, she saved him a boatload of money, too.

Working side by side, they made a good team. While he snapped pictures, she manually filed the papers, and in no time, his desk was clear.

“You have a beautiful place, Stone. And these floors…” She bent down to run her hand over the tired wood. “Are they original?”

“Yes,” he replied, coming to join her in front of the desk. “They just need some TLC like the ones in the other room. No reason to get rid of them. We need to sand and refinish—and we will—but there are other things more important right now.” Like using the money to feed his men and keep a roof over their heads. Cosmetic renovations were low on the priority list.

She slowly rose to her feet and stared at him. Hard. His stomach clenched. What the hell did he do now? “What’s wrong?”

“You.” She poked his chest with her finger. “I’m beginning to realize that’s the norm for you.”

He frowned. “What is?”

“Looking beyond the surface and finding the good in things. People. Cows.”

A smile tugged his lips.

“You are something else, Stone Mitchum. You don’t discard. You support. Encourage. Cultivate self-worth.” She drew in a breath. “And you want to know the best part? You don’t even realize it. It’s second nature to you. God…do you know how rare that is in business?”

What was rare was the way the woman made him feel. Important. Treasured. Wanted. Even if she only meant how he handled his business. He couldn’t drag his gaze away. Her face was alive with conviction and passion, and the mixture was a heady cocktail he couldn’t resist. Stone needed—no, wanted to bask in the warmth of her appraisal, even though he knew it was dangerous. So damn dangerous. But he was drawn in. Mesmerized. It was too much and not enough. He needed to touch her. To feel the conviction. Taste the passion.

Screw it. To hell with his reservations and holding back. Stone cupped her head, marveling at the softness of the confined dark-chocolate-colored hair. Her eyes widened, and he held her heated gaze while he slowly lowered his mouth, giving her the opportunity to do what he could not. Pull away.

God, he hoped she didn’t.