Chapter 2

I turn back to the house and look down at Sadie who’s sitting next to my feet and looking up at me with the intent stare that only a herding dog can manage.

“Well, I guess this is it. Come on girl,” I say, opening the door and stepping inside. “Holy shit,” I breathe out, taking in the gorgeous house. The wall of windows gives an amazing view of the mountains, and I’m surprised by how homey the whole place feels. There’s a comfy looking leather couch and chairs, a huge rug that’s laid over the dark wooden floor, and the fireplace looks big enough to roast a whole damn pig in.

Okay, so Hank has great taste in furnishings and he’s tidy. I bet his kids helped him decorate this place, or his grandkids, I think with a laugh. Finding the stairs, I haul my bags up and open up the first bedroom I come to, letting out a small gasp when I see how damn cute the room is. There’s a window overlooking the stables, a small, white desk, and a full-size bed that’s made and ready to go. He’s even folded an afghan and placed it at the end of the bed.

Curious, I leave the room and go exploring. Sadie gives me a look like she knows I’m doing something I’m not supposed to when I open the door next to mine and walk into a much more masculine feeling room. This one has a king-size bed with dark gray bedding and a stack of books on the nightstand, all of them westerns.

“Figures,” I mutter to Sadie who’s still looking at me like I’m committing the world’s biggest crime.

Leaning closer, I catch a whiff of cologne from the bedsheets and let out a soft moan, shocking the hell out of myself. Damn, that smells amazing! My pussy reacts to the manly scent, clenching and soaking my panties as I let out a mortified laugh.

“I can’t believe I just got wet smelling some old dude’s cologne,” I say to the empty room, already backing out before anything else happens. I’m going to have to face this old guy later with my guilty, wet panties. Gross!

When I head back downstairs, I see someone walking toward the house from the stables. His stride is confident and powerful, and I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from his broad shoulders. He’s wearing a dark cowboy hat, so I can’t see his face too well, just enough to see a chiseled jaw covered in dark stubble. Who the hell is this guy? Maybe Hank sent the vet over to check on me.

“Maybe you could pretend to be sick and help a girl out,” I say, looking down at Sadie who just wags her tail and runs to the door, giving an excited bark that has me laughing and opening the door. Most dogs don’t get that excited to see their vets, but I can totally get why she’s excited to see him. Hell, I want to drop on all fours and wag my ass at the sight of him, too.

“Hey, girl,” he says in the sexiest, deepest voice I’ve ever heard. His face breaks out into a huge smile, revealing perfect teeth and a dimple that has my nipples so hard they’re almost busting through my T-shirt.

I try to not stare at the way his jeans and white T-shirt accentuate what’s got to be a fucking work of art underneath. All that tanned, hard flesh is making my head spin, and when I finally tear my eyes from his rock-hard biceps, I see a pair of vivid green eyes looking at me with an amused grin playing at his lips.

“You must be Jamie,” he says, and the sound of my name coming from his lips has me wetter than I’ve ever been.

“Um, yeah, that’s me,” I say, sounding like an absolute idiot. “Did Hank send you to check on me?”

When he gives me a confused look, I start babbling unable to stop myself. “Jerry left a few minutes ago. I’ve just been settling in. I found my room, and Sadie’s been keeping me company.” The little voice inside my head is screaming at me to shut the hell up, but I can’t seem to stop. “It sure is beautiful out here. I’ve never seen so much open space in my life.” I survey the land like I’m a fucking cowgirl in a made-for-TV movie and want to die from embarrassment. His laughter finally knocks me out of my babbling trance.

“I’m glad you like it here, Jamie. I wasn’t sure what to expect after speaking with your father, but you’re not the little lawbreaker I was expecting.” When I’m still too shocked to say anything, he smiles, showing me that sexy dimple again and holds his hand out. “I’m Hank.”

“Wait. What?” My eyes run over his gorgeous, hard body, trying to make sense of what he’s just said. This is not the decrepit, geriatric I was expecting. Yeah, he’s still twice my age, but there’s nothing old about this guy. He’s the very definition of masculinity, and every part of my female body is responding to him in a way that scares the hell out of me. I numbly shake his hand, letting out a soft sigh when I feel how calloused and large it is. God, I bet those hands would feel amazing running up my body, gripping my thighs and spreading them wide as he fucks me as hard and rough as I want. Truth is, I’ve never had sex, and I’d very much like Hank to change that with a quickness.

“You were expecting someone else?”

His question drags me from my pervy thoughts. “Yes, I thought you’d be older,” is all I say, unable to pull my hand away from his grasp. He doesn’t seem in a hurry to let me go, but finally he drops my hand with one last caress of his thumb. My heart gives a corny flip-flop, and I curse myself for behaving like some love-struck idiot, the kind of girl I’d always laughed at before.

“Well, I’m a lot older than you, little girl,” he says before walking past me and into his house.

“I’m eighteen,” I say to his broad, retreating shoulders.

He laughs and walks to the fridge to get a bottle of water. Setting his cowboy hat down on the counter, I run my eyes over his full head of dark hair. There’s a tiny bit of gray starting to show through, and why the fuck does that make my pussy clench?

“I’m not going to take it easy on you,” he says after downing the entire bottle.

“I never asked you to.”

He arches a dark brow at me. “And I expect you to do what I say when I say it.”

“Are you always this bossy?” I ask before I can stop myself.

His lips quirk up the tiniest bit. “You have no idea.”

He makes it sound like we’re no longer talking about ranching rules, and my mind immediately drifts to him taking charge in the bedroom, demanding I kneel before him and suck him off. God, my inner thighs are soaked, and I’m starting to worry that a wet stain is forming on my jeans. His green eyes watch me as I fidget, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

“Are you okay? There’s a bathroom right down the hall if you need it.”