Bound, Branded, & Brazen (23 page)

But the other night he had a feeling he’d woken the sleeping tigress. And he wanted to explore that further. A lot further. Which meant getting some alone time with her, which wasn’t going to be easy on this ranch with all these people breathing down their necks.

Brea stepped outside again, this time with Jolene, who as usual was going someplace in a hurry. That woman could eat up a stretch of dirt with her long strides faster than a cheetah on the hunt. Brea raced to keep up with her sister, and Gage enjoyed the view of her quick-stepping it down the path toward the barn. He especially liked the back view of her fine ass in tight jeans.

He also noticed that despite nearly running to keep up with Jolene, Brea took a second to glance his way as they passed the corral. He tipped his hat and winked and even from across the fence he saw her cheeks turn pink.

“You’re wading in dangerous territory, my man.”

Walker had come up and laid his forearms across the top bar of the corral fence.

“Yeah? How do you figure?”

“Brea is one of the owners of the Bar M now.”

“So?”

“So her, Jolene and Valerie are our bosses.”

Walker always was a little too worried about that kind of thing. “Again, so?”

“You mess around with Brea and piss her off, your job is history.”

Gage shrugged and grabbed the rope hanging from the hook on the outside of the fence post. He climbed over the fence, then looked at Walker. “Wouldn’t be the first job I was fired from. I can always get another. Besides, it’s not in me to stay in one place too long anyway.”

Walker frowned. “Being fired over fucking a woman is a shitty reason to lose a job.”

Gage laughed. “You got that wrong, Walker. Being fired over fucking a woman is the
best
reason to lose a job.”

 

 

Brea turned her focus on Jolene and a couple of the other hands. How she had gotten roped into working the calves in the pen today was beyond her. She supposed she’d spent entirely too much time holed up in the house working on her computer. She knew she couldn’t hide from Jolene—or chores—forever. She had been helping Valerie, until Jolene dragged her outside and said since she was part owner she could damn well earn her share.

Not that she had considered herself an owner of the Bar M. She intended to put her time in because Jolene had insisted, but she had a life—and a job—in Tulsa. While it was true that she had a computer and could do her job pretty much anywhere there was an Internet connection, it didn’t mean she intended to do it on the ranch. This wasn’t home for her anymore. It was Jolene’s place. Okay, and now that Valerie had settled in with Mason again, she supposed the two sisters could split ownership of the ranch.

Brea’s life was computers and programming and books. Not horses and cattle.

Though one horseman sure had caught her interest.

She helped push the cattle down the chute and looked across the yard at Gage, who over the past few days had managed to sweet-talk one unruly stallion into doing what Gage wanted him to do. No small feat, considering the stallion had strongly objected to the bridle and bit and then the saddle.

But Gage had an infinite amount of patience and had worked diligently with the horse until the stallion had finally acquiesced and given up the fight. And all without a whip or any damage to the horse’s beautiful spirit, which still showed through when the stallion tossed his nose up in the air.

The way Gage broke a horse—or trained it—was one of the things she liked most about him. He always let the horse keep its dignity, but Gage made it clear he was the one in control.

“You know, Brea,” Jolene said, huffing and puffing as she managed cattle that didn’t want to be led where Jolene wanted them to go, “if you’d quit drooling over Gage and pay attention to what we’re doing here, we might be able to finish this job before midnight.”

She snapped back to Jolene. “What?” Realizing the cattle were trying to mutiny and head in the other direction, she wrested control back and started moving them again. “Sorry.”

“Uh huh.” Jolene closed the chute gate and leaned on it. “If you’re going to be useless, I’ll just call someone else over.”

Brea followed Jolene toward the opposite end of the corral. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

Jolene glared at her. “Physically, yeah. Mentally, not so sure. I think your mind is across the way, undressing Gage.”

Brea looked over at Bobby, who was standing on the other side of the corral. Bobby grinned at her and Brea blushed a hundred shades of crimson before turning a livid look on her younger sister. “I was doing no such thing.”

“Please,” Jolene said. “Lust is written all over your face.” She nodded at Bobby. “Let’s take a lunch break and we’ll get back to this in half an hour. Tell the others.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bobby said before heading off. Jolene and Brea went into the house and grabbed sandwiches that Lila had made for them. Brea poured two glasses of lemonade and they pulled up chairs at the kitchen table. They ate in silence, Brea realizing she’d worked up an appetite. Typically she picked at food, but since she’d been on the ranch she’d done more physical work and it made her hungry. Getting outside and back to doing what she used to do before she’d moved into the city was . . . fun. Even if it wasn’t what she was going to spend the rest of her life doing, it was nice to get back to her roots again.

And also nice to watch Gage.

“You’re doing it again.”

Brea lifted her head to stare at her sister. “Doing what?”

“Getting that dreamy, moony, sickly sweet look on your face. It’s disgusting.”

Brea rolled her eyes. “I am not.”

Jolene pushed her empty plate to the side and picked up her glass of lemonade. “I’m serious. You must have it bad for Gage.”

She refused to answer.

“Did you fuck him yet?”

“Jolene!”

Her sister didn’t look apologetic in the least, instead tapped her fingers on the table. “Well?”

“I’m not going to discuss my sex life with you.”

Jolene smirked. “That means you have one. Good for you. Just don’t drag him off behind the barn to blow him while I need him working.”

Brea rolled her eyes. “You’re such a tart.”

Jolene waggled her eyebrows. “Don’t I know it. Now if only I could get Walker to see just how much of a tart I am.”

Thankful to turn the topic away from her and Gage, Brea leaned forward. “What about Walker?”

“I’ve got the major hots for him and he’s running scared.”

“Why? He doesn’t seem the wimpy type to me.” Walker was gorgeous. Tall, lean, one hell of a hot cowboy, filled with testosterone and 100 percent male.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t think so. But he won’t give me the time of day.”

“Maybe he’s not interested in you.”

Jo gave her a sideways look of disbelief. “Please. If he wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t bother. I know when a guy’s interested. Trust me, he is.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I’m his boss. He seems to think that’s an issue.”

“Oh.” Brea leaned back in the chair. “Well, you do basically run this ranch. I can see why he’d think that might cause a conflict.”

“Too bad. I want him. He wants me, I know he does. We’re going to tussle.”

“Just because you say so?”

Jolene grinned. “I always get what I want.”

“Must be nice to be that confident.”

“You should try it.”

Brea laughed. “I’m not you, Jo.”

“You don’t have to be me. You just set your sights on what you want and go after it. And don’t let anything or anyone get in your way. Life’s too short, Brea. Get what you want while the gettin’s good.”

 

 

brea spent the rest of the day thinking about what
Jolene had said, and realized she’d been patient long enough waiting for Gage. She wanted him again and was bold enough to at least admit that to herself.

But she wasn’t Jolene, didn’t have the self-confidence her little sister had.

Still, maybe it was time to stop assuming Gage would come after her.

When she was finished with the calves, she hung out near the barn and watched Gage train the horses. When he was done and climbed outside the fence, she took a deep breath and headed in his direction. She’d made it halfway before he spotted her, wiping the back of his neck with a rag as he watched her approach.

His lips lifted in that smile that made her toes curl in her boots.

“Afternoon, Miss Brea.”

“Gage.”

“Saw you working the cattle today.”

“Jolene made me.”

He laughed. “It’s your ranch, too.”

“So she keeps telling me.”

Silence.
Say what you came to say, Brea. He isn’t going to make the next move
.

“I want to see you tonight, Gage.”

One brow arched. “Is that right?”

If he shot her down, she was going to run to her room and hide in the closet until she died. “That’s right.”

“Where?”

“In my room. Late.”

He propped one arm on the top of the fence and leaned closer. “You want me to sneak into your room tonight?”

“Yes, I do.”

His lips quirked. “I’ll be there.”

She shuddered her next breath, her nipples tingling at the thought. “I’ll be waiting.”

Before she embarrassed herself by kissing him right there in front of God only knew who was watching, she pivoted and walked away, feeling his gaze on her the entire way back to the house.

She liked knowing he watched her.

Now could she be brave enough to let Gage into her room tonight, right under the noses of her family?

She was going to have to be, because she’d just invited him.

 

 

gage kept an eye on the goings-on at the house.
He’d come in and had supper with everyone earlier. Jolene gave him a knowing smile—Brea must have told her the two of them had something going on. Fortunately Valerie had eyes only for Mason, so he didn’t think he’d have to be too concerned about the two of them. They had remarried at the justice of the peace a couple weeks ago, and were practically honeymooning again, so absorbed in each other they didn’t notice anything going on around them. Walker just shook his head.

Gage knew Lila went to bed early. Valerie and Mason had left in the truck earlier. Jolene took off out of the house and headed toward the barn, then rode off and hadn’t come back, no doubt seeing to the cattle farther out on the property, because Walker had gone with her.

That left Brea alone in the house except for Lila.

Gage left the bunkhouse, the other hands occupied with a game of Texas Hold Em. They didn’t even notice him leaving. He went up to the house, careful to come in through the back door instead of the front. No one locked doors on the property. No reason to, first because they were remote and knew everyone within a hundred miles, and second because everyone who lived on the ranch was plenty handy with a shotgun in case of intruders.

Gage wasn’t intruding. He’d been invited, which had surprised and pleased him. Brea had finally been bold enough to be the one to do the inviting. Besides being busy as hell the past week, he’d also purposely held off instigating anything with her. He wanted her to realize she was worthy of having a man in her life. If she wanted him, she was going to have to come to him this time.

He climbed the stairs, inching his way quietly on the toes of his boots. He sure as hell hoped Lila was a sound sleeper, though he knew her room was on the first floor and on the east side of the house, far away from where the sisters slept.

Brea’s room was down the hall, at the end. No light shined there. He hoped she hadn’t chickened out and headed into town. He reached her door and turned the knob, easing the door open.

Soft candlelight bathed the room.

He moved in and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it. As he turned to face the bed, his breath stuttered.

Brea sat on the bed, one leg curled behind her. Her hair caught the flickering candlelight and looked like waving flames in the semi-darkness. She wore a silky dark slip that molded to every one of her lush curves.

Gage swallowed, his throat gone dry at the sight of her perched in the middle of the bed, her wary gaze following him as he made his way fully into the room.

She looked like a sex goddess, her hair falling over one eye, her lips glossy and full and slightly parted in invitation. Did she have any idea what that did to his cock?

He stopped at the foot of the bed, content just to look at her. Brea tilted her head back to capture his gaze.

“Say something,” she whispered.

“You’re beautiful.”

Her lashes dipped down, hiding her eyes.

“Look at me, Brea.”

She did.

“You’re beautiful. I wish I had a picture of you sitting on the bed the way you are right now. You take my breath away.”

“No, I don’t.”

“I don’t say anything I don’t mean.”

“Thank you.”

“This is nice. The candles, the room, you.” She had some snacks on the bedside table, some cheese, and a bottle of wine chilling. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the bottle.

“Would you like me to open this?”

She nodded and he grabbed the corkscrew.

“I wasn’t sure you even liked wine. It might be too fussy for you.”

He pulled the cork out and reached for the glasses. “I like it just fine.” He handed her a glass and took a sip of the wine. “It’s good.”

She held the glass and peeked at him through the fringe of her lashes, the action making her look even sexier than she already did. His cock tightened and swelled.

Down, boy.
The night was just starting. He was going to let Brea play this out her way, since she’d done the inviting.