A Rancher's Desire (6 page)

“Dear God, I’m gonna do something stupid today.” Aiyanna stood wide eyed, watching Julian as he herded his horses. The herding part isn’t what had her feet frozen and her mouth slightly open.

No, with it being a few weeks into summer the heat in Virginia had already started to ratchet up and that inevitably meant less clothes would be worn. Apparently, that was also the case for her rancher because there was no full shirt in sight and God help her, Aiyanna was
so
grateful for that.

His Stetson, a tight, white tank, dark jeans, and boots were the only things that made up his wardrobe for the day. Oh, and sweat. Sweat counted as a part of it right? How could it not with the way it glistened off of each and every cut of his abdomen, arms and back making his shirt virtually see-through. Aiyanna leaned forward and watched him move with his horse in a fluid grace that had her mesmerized. Okay, honestly it wasn’t the riding, it was the sweat but that was to be expected considering the fact he was so damn beautiful.

Julian finally looked up and caught her staring from the side of the fenced in pasture. The smile that lit his face and eyes left her breathless and Aiyanna felt herself tumble deeper down the rabbit hole.

She hiked her book bag higher on her shoulder as he directed his horse to trot over to where she was standing, wishing that she had chosen to wear something other than jeans, a v-neck tee, her work boots and a Falcons cap. Not wanting to tempt fate anymore than she was by coming here, she’d chosen to keep her clothes as simple as possible. But Julian was blowing through all her walls with one smile so the point had been moot.

He finally stopped in front of her, his horse’s hooves kicking up dust. Julian’s grin never faded. “You’re early,
Hermosa.”

Gripping her bag’s strap and tilting her head back so she could look up at him, she said, “Sorry. I wanted to check everything out a little bit earlier so I can get started on some sketches.”

Climbing off the horse’s back, he leaned on the only barrier between them as his blue gray irises sparkled down at her. “No apology necessary. What would you like to see first? The house or the grounds?” Then he took his Stetson off so he could pull that damn tank top up and over his head. He re-situated his hat then wiped the sweat from his neck and chest.

Jesus.
“Um,” she swallowed and tried to keep her gaze on his and not his pecs—which were
incredible.
“The house?” Aiyanna finally squeaked.

Julian’s smile widened. “As you wish.” He called out for a ranch hand to take the horse he’d been riding back to the stables then asked her to move back from the fence a few feet. She did so and he placed one hand on the fence so he could jump it.

He enveloped her smaller hand in his and linked their fingers before taking the other one and tugging on the brim on her cap. “You look adorable in this.” Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, Julian then turned and started for the house, pulling her along.

It was official. She was going to do something stupid.

Julian found Aiyanna in his kitchen studying the room as closely as she’d studied the others. He’d left her for twenty minutes or so to shower. Somehow, the sweat combined with dirt from work left him feeling less than presentable in her presence. Sweat combined with
her,
on the other hand, would have been more than welcome.

“So, what do you think?” he asked as he pulled on a t-shirt.

Aiyanna sighed and shrugged. “This place is beautiful. What more could you want done to it?”

She was right—his home
was
beautiful but he didn’t have enough space. There was one floor, three bedrooms, and two baths along with the kitchen, dining room and living room. Julian walked over to his refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of juice. He held it up and waited for Aiyanna’s nod before he grabbed her a cup and filled it with ice. Placing both on the island in front of her, he sat opposite.

“This would be perfect if I planned on remaining alone for the rest of my life. I need more space.” His fingers tapped the counter. He told her exactly what he wanted to have done.

Aiyanna sat back, rolling her cup between her palms. “Wow. I take it you don’t plan to be a bachelor for very long, huh?”

He chose his words very carefully because if he told her what he was feeling he knew for a fact that she would run. Instead, Julian simply shook his head. “Bachelorhood is for my brother.”

Her eyebrows winged. “You have a brother?”

“Yes. Older by two years. What about you? Any siblings?”

She nodded. “A twin.”

His eyes widened and she smirked. “Whatever perverted fantasies you have, kill them. He’s my
fraternal
twin.”

Julian deflated and she laughed. “Stop pouting. Even if he were a she, I’d sooner kill you than go down
that
road.”

He frowned harder. “I don’t pout.”

Aiyanna folded her arms across her chest as her head cocked to the side. The calculating look she gave him made him squirm. “This brother of yours, is he a bull rider too?”

“Yes,” Julian answered slowly.

“Is he as big as you are?”

He shrugged. “An inch or two taller.”

“Does he look like you?”

He suddenly felt like he was being set up but answered anyway. “Yes.”

“Then any imaginary fantasies I have about him—”

Julian scowled and sat straighter, leaning across the island towards her before he interrupted. “Will get him killed on sight and fed to my dogs.”

Aiyanna simply shook her head and smirked. “Hypocrisy.”

“Havan and I are two separate entities,
Hermosa.
Different thoughts and different logic. Make no mistakes; I wasn’t excited at the prospect of your twin being female. It fascinated me that there could be someone close to you in terms of looks and attitude,
period.
You could be
cloned
and it still wouldn’t be as good as the original.” Satisfied that she had no response for that, he stood and held out a hand. “Now it’s time for me to show you the grounds.” She took it and he linked their fingers again, enjoying the feel of her soft skin as he walked them through the kitchen and out the back door.

Aiyanna had much to learn about him, starting with the fact that he wanted no one but her and he
always
worked to get what he wanted. 

Chapter Five

He had to stop staring at her mouth and he had to stop
now.
Julian was fighting everything in his being that was screaming for him to get Aiyanna to admit that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. A month—it had been a
month
since her first visit to the ranch and in that time period, he’d managed to coax her into having breakfast with him every other day along with lunch and when she wasn’t too tired from working, they had dinner.

Construction had recently started on his house and it had taken some doing but he’d finally got her to do the designs
her
way. After a few fights that typically ended in him apologizing, she agreed but it was on one condition. Aiyanna wanted Julian to teach her how to ride a horse.

It was one request that he was more than happy to oblige. Now, if he could just stop staring at her lips and fantasizing about what they tasted like, he’d get somewhere with his lesson but it was a hard thing to do. In all the time that they’d spent together, he never did more than hold her hand or kiss her cheek; fearing that if he pushed for more she’d reduce what they had to the physical attraction they shared.

“Julian?” Aiyanna’s voice was soft and curious as she stared down at him from her position on his horse, Shadow. The huge, black Arabian had been with him since he bought the ranch and had quickly become Julian’s favorite. Because of Shadow’s size and build, he carried Julian with ease. He was also the calmest out of the stable and  gentle; making him perfect for Aiyanna’s first lesson.

He snapped out of his daydream and cleared his throat. “Uh...yeah...what was I saying again?”

Those wide, beautiful, brown eyes stared down at him as she smiled and his cock thumped against the zipper of his jeans. The things this woman did to him. “You were showing me how to control the reins.”

“Oh...ah...yes. Okay, put your hands here and here.” He showed her how to hold the reins. “Now, the most important part you want to remember is to
always
move
with
the horse and not against it. Otherwise, you will wake up tomorrow way sorer than you should be. Understand?”

She nodded once.

“Good.” He moved to the side of her and a few steps back. Reaching up, he placed a hand at the small of her back, clicked his tongue twice and Shadow started off in a slow walk. “For every one of his movements, your hips should match it; roll along with it.” He kept his hand on her lower body and felt it follow fluidly with the horse’s movements. Damned if that didn’t make his problem worse. For a brief second, Julian imagined her hips rolling along his in the same fashion and lost his footing, almost falling.

Aiyanna looked down at him again, one brow quirked. “Julian, are you okay? You seem really out of it.”

Her innocence was so damn cute. Especially now when she didn’t realize that all she had to do was breathe and he wanted her. Any other woman would’ve overdone every move they made, trying to find the natural sensuality that Aiyanna had in spades.

Wearing something as simple as another ball cap—this one logoed with the Giants and turned backwards—a t-shirt, and a pair of jeans, she had him panting after her but didn’t even know it. It wasn’t just her body that made Julian want her though. Aiyanna’s mind worked in the most amazing of ways. She analyzed every thought that ran through her head before she let it leave her lips.

He could tell from the small line that formed between her brows when she was in deep thought about something. Her logic and outlook on the simplest of things never failed to leave him in awe.

Case and point, last week when he’d taken her out to one of her favorite Italian restaurants, the waitress had spent as much time as possible hanging her cleavage in his face.

It was all for naught considering Aiyanna had been wearing a gorgeous, yellow halter sundress that caused her breasts to sit up like beautiful brown offerings just for him and he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of them from the time that he’d picked her up.

Disgusted with the lack of attention she was getting, the waitress had sat his menu down in front of him and stomped off. Julian was too busy wondering how he could get Aiyanna’s top to “accidentally” come down to care.

“You could’ve at least
pretended
to be looking down her shirt, Julian. I think you hurt the girl’s feelings.” She hadn’t even looked up from her menu when she spoke, a small smile dancing around her lush lips.

He would’ve been amazed if he hadn’t still been staring down Aiyanna’s
dress contemplating on exactly how hard he had to suck her nipples to make her come. Later that night as he was lying in bed, his cock tenting the sheets and craving the scent of lilacs and orchids clinging to the supple skin of his
Hermosa,
was when he realized how different she really was.

When he’d pointed out the fact that any other woman would’ve been annoyed, she simply smirked and said, “I may not always be hyper-aware of what you’ve deemed my innate sexiness, but Julian if you lean across that table any further it’s going to cave under the massive weight.”

The words made him smile then as they did now. Aiyanna called his name again, concern etched into her features.

Julian finally answered her. “Sorry,
Hermosa.
It seems I’m lost inside my own head today.”

“Understatement, dude,” she drawled.

He finally stopped Shadow and reached up to grasp Aiyanna’s waist. Taking her by surprise, he lifted her from the saddle and gently brought her booted feet to the ground, smiling at her shocked look.

Silly woman, she obviously held the illusion that he couldn’t handle her abundant curves. She was
so
wrong. He backed her into Shadow’s side, towering over her.

“Would you like to know what has me so distracted?” Julian questioned, leaning in to run his nose long her throat. Her smell teased his primal urges and he couldn’t help but to press a kiss to her collarbone.