Unsure of how to handle Hyrum because she felt lied to, her first reaction was to deck him, but what if Maggie lied? She decided to actively avoid him for the next few days, refusing to sit beside him during meals and keeping conversations short and impersonal. It wasn’t easy. The memory of their night together made her want to jump on him, but she felt him watching her every move. Maggie’s thoughts that she said were still in my head.
He instructed Allen to teach her how to ride. The second in command saddled Molly, a gentle, caramel-colored mare. It gradually assisted her in conquering her fear of horses. During the afternoons and early mornings, she trained with Dakota in the kitchen, mastering the subtleties of Southwestern cooking.
Despite the new distraction, she couldn’t shake the feel of him inside her, his taste on her tongue, or the rumble of his voice. She wanted him again, and again, and again, but she wasn’t the clingy type. Crystal had learned a long time ago that amazing sex was just that, and to expect more was naive and stupid. She didn’t need the baggage.
A romance would just be an unnecessary distraction.
“What have you done to Hyrum?” Allen asked during day five of their lessons.
Crystal stiffened. “Nothing, why?”
“He’s been irritable and snappy for days. In my experience, a man only gets that way for two reasons: women and money trouble. The ranch is secure, so the only logical conclusion is that you’re behind his mood; it’s affecting everyone.”
“That’s bullshit,” she said defensively. “I made it easy for him.”
Allen arched his brows. “How?”
Crystal’s discomfort in the saddle made Molly unsettled. Allen immediately noticed it and took action to calm the horse.
“I don’t see why it’s any business of yours. I’m writing a romance about a cowboy falling for a girl who is coming home to her family ranch after the city life was not for her. She is a veterinarian and starts working for an old veterinarian ready to retire. I’m doing what I was sent here to do and helping Dakota with all the meals. I’m earning my keep and not guessing problems for Doc.”
“Crystal, I’m the second in command,” Allen stated. “If something’s affecting the boss, it is my business. If you want to screw around, that’s your business, but find another victim.”
“That’s not fair!” Crystal said, dismounting. “He was the one who made advances towards me, not the other way around. I’m sorry for assuming he was looking for a casual fling, and I was not, but I wasn’t going to cry all night because he didn’t want more.”
Allen retreated a bit and closely examined her face. Softly, he pointed out. “You never gave him a chance.”
“Maggie told me he only likes one-night stands; I was making it easy for him not to explain,” Crystal stated.
“Maggie lies about everything. What did she tell you?” Allen asked.
“That she is dating Hyrum and that she is waiting for him to stop cheating to marry him. She pretty much told me they are a couple. That he likes to have one nightstands, she was kicked off the Ranch because it was okay for him to cheat but not her,” Crystal said.
“Maggie is married to someone else; she is messing with you,” Allen said.
“That’s enough,” came a voice from behind the fence. “Maggie cheated on me, and you’re the first woman I’ve been with since her.”
Crystal’s posture became rigid as she noticed him leaning on the fence, gazing at her. A sensation tugged at her gut, and she swallowed it down with care. Maggie is married. That bitch! Crystal thought. So, is Hyrum telling the truth?
“Feel like going for a ride before supper?” Hyrum asked.
Allen’s expression warned her against rejecting him, but Crystal stood her ground. “No, thank you,” she replied and proceeded to walk away from him. “I have writing to do before Dakota needs help with…” She was torn between laughter and screams as the loop of rope fell and tightened around her waist.
Laughter won out.
“You idiot!” She laughed as he pulled her to him. Though he was smiling, his eyes were locked on hers. He placed his hand on the back of her neck when she was within reach. Crystal ceased her laughter.
“Put Molly in the stables, will you, Allen?” he said, facing her.
“Sure thing, boss.”
Their lips met, and the kiss consumed all her thoughts.
Suddenly, they found themselves on his horse, navigating through his land.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Hyrum asked.
“I was making things easier for you. We agreed for one night, so I refrained from bothering you thereafter. I thought you didn’t want anymore,” Crystal began. “I was told that is the way you like it.”
Hyrum nodded. “One night usually sufficed for you?” He desired more, even though he didn’t fully comprehend why he wasn’t satisfied. He needed more. To erase any uncertainties, he brought her closer, pushing her buttocks against his erection that had formed when she got on the horse in front of him.
Crystal let out a gasp. “All men I have been with like one nightstands and that’s alright with me.”
Softly against her ear, he expressed his desire for more and sensed her shiver. “So much more than you can imagine,” Hyrum whispered before changing the subject. “I never asked you about your writing topics.”
“Some articles here and there, some short stories, but that’s not where most of my money comes from.”
“Oh?”
Crystal shifted uncomfortably.
“Romance novels,” Crystal muttered.
Hyrum couldn’t help but burst into laughter and hugged her tightly. He didn’t care about the painful elbow to the ribs.
“I guess you won’t take me seriously from now on.”
“It’s not my place to judge how a person makes a living, Crystal. I gave up a career in the city hospital to become a doctor and cowboy.”
“Then why the hell are you laughing?”
“You seem so cynical,” he replied. “I never thought you would make a living writing sex.”
“I might be exploiting a vulnerability,” she defended herself.
“I don’t think so,” he said softly. Despite her preferences, she possessed a romantic streak that added an adorable contrast to her cynicism, making her even more endearing.
He was angry that Crystal ran away but too captivated to confront her. She had decided to stop running away from him.
He wanted her in his bed tonight for as long as he could keep her.
He halted near a tree in the corner of a meadow and dismounted her from the horse. In the grass, they stared at each other until she finally snapped. Her lips were on his in a heartbeat, as though she was letting loose a week’s worth of need.
Crystal displayed a high level of aggression, passionately kissing and licking him all over, causing him to react with curses and crossed eyes. She didn’t give him the chance to demonstrate his dominance. The woman he was with this time was a complete hellcat, riding him until she trembled, screamed, and climaxed.
Hyrum finally realized why he couldn’t get enough of her, so he dropped her off at the cookhouse and went to put Boxer in the stable.
While helping Dakota with the final touches to supper, she smirked at him and shook her head, doubting her sanity.
The truth struck him with the force of a ton of bricks.
Hyrum, the rugged rancher, had developed strong feelings for the nerdy writer he was responsible for. Despite knowing it was foolish and reckless, he had already embraced the idea that love was not a choice. It just happened.
Then he thought about how much he liked her and how easily she’d fit into his life and with his men. She possessed toughness, hustler-like gambling skills, and cooking abilities.
He was aware that writers have the ability to work from any location.
How to convince her was the problem.