Chapter 5

Zoe

1.12am Saturday.

Twelve. Twelve. He made me come TWELVE times before he did what he said he’d do and bent me over the table.

I can barely move. I feel like I just ran ten miles, went to the gym then climbed five flights of stairs.

My legs are aching, my inner thighs feel raw, and I don’t even want to think about what my lady bits look like right now.

This is insane! What kind of a man sets an orgasm record and then surpasses it in the same night?

I look over at him and am almost relieved he’s fallen asleep. A lazy smile creeps over my face as I think about how incredible he is in bed.

Molly is going to flip when I tell her I not only met a sexy cowboy, but he spent all night giving me mind-blowing orgasms and the hottest sex of my life.

My smile falters a little as he turns on his side and I see the drag marks my nails left down his back.

Sex is one thing. A relationship is a completely different thing. Yes, he’s gorgeous, and an incredible lover, but we live in different states, he has a giant chip on his shoulder regarding his brother, and I have…my own baggage.

My stomach twists into knots as I stare at the scratch marks on Tyler’s back. Did he really mean what he said about me never wanting another man again? Or was it a heat of the moment kind of thing?

I should be sleeping, but between thoughts of where this weekend will end up, and not getting to make the call to Agent Brewer, I just stare at a water stain on the ceiling.

The rain has stopped, the fire is down to embers and I stare at them until my eyelids grow heavy and Tyler’s regular breathing lulls me into sleep.

I wake with a start, shivering and wondering where I am when I realize it’s lighter in the cabin.

With a yawn, I stretch and see Tyler sitting at the table, staring at me. His lips tug into a smile as he holds up a towel. “You still want to go see the waterfall?”

I can’t have had more than four hours sleep, and my body feels even worse than last night, and I’m sure I have a slight hangover.

I groan as I pull myself to sitting. “Don’t suppose Joel has coffee?”

Tyler shakes his head. “Liam will be here soon. So, if you want to go, we need to leave before he arrives.”

The last thing I feel like doing is hiking to see a waterfall. What I want is to crawl into the bed at the ranch and get room service like I planned.

Rather than sound petulant, I crawl out of bed and find my clothes. At the least, I need a shower and some time to concoct a story that won’t land Tyler in trouble.

When Tyler looks me over such heat, I feel it from across the room; I can’t look at him when I lace my boots. “Don’t look at me like that.”

He chuckles and folds his arms over his chest. “Like what?”

I frown at him. “Are you always this cheerful in the morning?”

His smile doesn’t shift. “I don’t normally wake up with a beautiful woman in bed with me.”

He takes a sip from his water bottle and grins. “I could get used to it.”

I know where this conversation is going, so I need to voice my thought before Liam arrives. “If I stay the whole weekend, we can’t you, know carry on like this, can we?”

His smile slips a little. “We can’t keep screwing in Joel’s cabin if that’s what you mean by carrying on.”

I run my hands through my hair and wish I had a comb or a way to brush my teeth. “I mean, this was amazing. It really was. But I’m not sure I want to spend the weekend sneaking around when I have a perfectly good bed I haven’t slept in.”

His eyes narrow and his jaw works as he caps his water bottle and pushes back from the table.

If I didn’t know he was annoyed with me from his body language, I’d know it now when he shakes his head. “Right. Got it.”

But he doesn’t. He doesn’t have anything. Maybe the wrong end of the stick. “Can we keep, you know, having fun when I’m back at the ranch? Can’t we just be discrete?”

He frowns but finally seems to grasp I’m not rejecting him, just asking how we can make this work over the next few days.

For a second, I think I might have convinced him but when he meets my gaze, it’s a strange blend of reluctance I’m not sure I fully understand. “And what happens if we get caught? I lose my job, and you go back home?”

He shakes his head. “I like you, Zoe. Fuck, I really like you. And I’d be lying if a part of me doesn’t want to sneak in your room each night. But Liam won’t look the other way if he finds out. He’ll fire me, kick me out of my place, and there’ll be no one to stop him from completely wrecking the ranch.”

I swallow, stomach churning as I try to think of how to explain myself. “I guess it’s complicated for us both. Back in Houston, my job, and my life, it’s enormously stressful. Here with you, I can be honest, I can relax, I can be…”

His lip twitches. “A wild cat?”

I nod slowly, pleased he at least understands why this is an impossible situation. “It’s not that I don’t want to.”

His eyes shift to the door and he turns his head as though listening. “Liam’s here.”

I hear the slightest sound of an engine and know this incredible experience is over.

He gives me a sad smile. “I’ll tell him I slept on the floor.”

I nod, but when Tyler spins on his heel and leaves me alone, I tidy the bed and try to reason with myself I’m doing the right thing.

This little fantasy was just an unforgettable one-night stand.

We don’t know each other. He has no idea what I’m like outside of this cabin.

There are almost fifteen hundred miles between us.

It can’t be real. Can it?

***

Tyler

Liam looks as pissed as I’d expected him to look. He hates driving the tractor, so I’m not surprised when I see a casual worker Gary Thurlow climbing out of the driver's side.

I haul myself over the tree, and I extend a hand to Gary, and he complains as he shakes it. “You need a new clutch.”

I nod agreement, eyes shifting to Liam as he checks out the UTV. “I know. It’s on the to-do list.”

Gary shakes his head almost at me but I suspect mostly at Liam. He lowers his voice. “How you holding up? Lot of changes at your place of late.”

I answer him as Liam heads towards the cabin, using the same reply I always do when asked. “Getting there.”

He doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t do small talk so he just helps me so we can shift the tree.

While I give Gary directions, Liam stands glaring at me and I know he’s going to be pissed off no matter what I say to him.

I ignore him, use hand signals to gesture to Gary and try not to look at her as Zoe appears.

While I help Gary, Liam switches his charm on and I have to look away as he apologizes to her.

I keep my eyes averted as he tells Zoe there’s a hot shower and a cooked breakfast waiting, and an upgrade to the deluxe package.

She accepts everything he’s laying down without making a fuss and just gets in the UTV.

When I catch her glancing at me, looking distinctly sexy with her bed hair, and crumpled clothes, I know I’ll do everything in my power to see her again before she goes.

One night isn’t enough.

When Liam shuts the door and stalks over to me, his fake smile disappears. He lowers his voice as he steps closer. “You better not have messed this up.

I force an edge to my words. “I did everything I could.”

He nods and sets his shoulders. “We’ll see.”

I flinch when he turns back to the UTV. My eyes stay on Zoe as Liam climbs in and starts the engine.

The UTV jumps but slowly begins to move upward. I step aside before he runs me over, and with growing tightness in my chest, watch my brother drive away with Zoe beside him.

Gary jumps down from the tractor and gives me a leery smile. “Maybe I should start showing tourists around the ranch?”

I know he’s joking but I can’t seem to muster the energy to laugh about it. “Any news on Burt?”

He shakes his head and follows me back into the cabin. “Still in Silver Falls.”

With a nod, I grab the emergency kit and check I haven’t left anything behind in the cabin. “Did Joel turn up?”

Gary shrugs as we walk up the muddy track to the tractor. “Not that I saw. But I only came in because Liam needed a hand.”

I climb in the driver's seat, a knot of worry growing as I put the tractor in reverse. “Why you up here? Problem with one of the animals?” he asks.

I turn the tractor before I answer him. “One of the horses is lame. Joel’s wife thought he was spending the weekend here.”

Since Gary doesn’t know anything about Star, we spend the rest of the journey in relative silence.

By the time I drive through the gates, the night’s activities are taking a toll and I know I need to get some sleep.

I park the tractor in the shop and show Gary a few things I need him to take care of since I’ll be down for the count.

When I’m sure he’s got everything under control, I head back to my cabin and try not to look in the direction of Zoe’s.

Bone weary, and yawning, I check on Star and am pleased to see she’s been given a fresh bed of straw and a ‘Walk Only’ sign on her stall.

I can only imagine Burt took her of her and made sure she wasn’t accidentally ridden.

With a promise to come back and see her, I head to the office and try the phone again.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear a dial tone. Too tired to find the number myself, I call the operator and ask her to put me through to the hospital.

After a few minutes of being transferred to a few wards, I finally get a surly ICU nurse who tells me she can’t give out any information on patients.

Exhaustion tugging at me, I make a mental note to call Burt’s sister to see if she can confirm he’s okay.

When I trudge down the steps, I ignore my hunger and my desire for caffeine and step inside my tiny cabin.

I kick off my boots and don’t bother to undress before I collapse in my bed.

I just need some sleep. Then maybe I can figure out how I’m going to be able to say goodbye to Zoe.

***

Sunday 7.12am

Zoe

From inside the small dining room at the ranch, I’m smothering yawns when Liam pushes a coffee in front of me.

“Breakfast is on the way.”

I’m so exhausted, I’m not sure whether I want food, sleep, coffee or a shower more.

What I don’t want is Liam sitting next to me. “Again, you have my sincerest apologies.”

Since it’s the seventh time he’s apologized, I just drink my coffee. He seems to take my silence as an invitation to keep talking. “And of course I’d be happy to rebook you for another weekend. Completely free of charge.”

I drink my coffee and shake my head. “You really don’t have to.”

He sits back in his chair, and takes his hat off, and runs his hand through his hair. “I’ll find a way to make the rest of your weekend more pleasant.”

I swallow, wishing he wasn’t staring so much. “I’m not sure I’ll be staying on for the entire weekend.”

His face darkens and he looks out the window. “Because of Tyler?”

I nearly choke on my coffee. “Not at all. He’s not the reason I’m leaving.”

Liam’s expression doesn’t shift. And when he looks in the direction of the kitchen, I know he’s got something to say. “Look. I’ll be honest with you. Tyler is an ongoing problem. I try my best to keep him away from guests. But occasionally, when I’m short-staffed it’s impossible.”

It’s such an odd thing to say, I find myself wanting to know more. “Why is he a problem?”

Liam looks tortured as he blows out a sigh. “I keep Tyler on because I promised Dad. But he’s the reason the other hands left. He’s the reason the manager retired.”

It’s such an unexpected disclosure, and one so completely different from Tyler’s version of events, I drink my coffee and try to keep him talking.

“He resents you?” I ask.

A faint smile flickers at his lips. “I suppose I can understand it. I got the ranch he grew up on. His girlfriend left him, our father dies, but I’ve done what I can—”

I cut him off, heart skittering in my chest. “His girlfriend?”

Liam nods, eyes flicking over my shoulder. “Meg. She disappeared not long after dad got sick.”

Meg? The same Meg who was nursing Tyler’s father? I open my mouth to ask him a question but pause as the cook appears with my French toast.

She’s pretty. A perky blonde, a little older than me, but Liam’s eyes are roaming over her like she’s on the menu too.

Her eyes shift to him, and heat rises to her cheeks. When I see the wedding band on her finger, I inwardly flinch at the interaction between them.

I smile as pleasantly as I can, and thank her, all the while mentally calculating the information Liam’s giving me to see if it adds up to anything.

When the cook is out of earshot, I try to keep Liam talking without giving away my interest. “It sounds like he’s lost a lot in a short space of time.”

Liam nods and grips his cup, and I can’t help but notice a jagged scar across his knuckles. “He has. I do what I can to help. But he’s always resented me being here. And that’s only getting worse.”

No longer hungry, the French toast tastes like cardboard as I force it down. “He seems to have an affinity with the animals,” I say between mouthfuls.

Liam nods. “He’s better with them than people.”

He shakes his head. “But his resistance to my rules is getting to be dangerous. He never should have taken you off ranch without my permission yesterday.”

My heart starts to thrash wildly in my chest. “No, really he was fine. He was extremely concerned about my safety.”

Well, that and other things.

Liam looks more than relieved. “Well, I’m pleased to hear that. It’s always a risk anytime he’s alone with a woman. Let alone overnight.”

My food solidifies in my stomach. “What do you mean?”

Liam shakes his head. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. The past is past. He wouldn’t risk his job.”

He pushes away from the table and I have to stop myself from yelling at him. “I think I have a right to know who I spent the night with.”

Liam looks out the window, and his shoulders tense. “When Meg disappeared, there was talk about the circumstances.”

I swallow and abandon my food. “About Tyler?”

His expression turns grim. “She was dad’s nurse. Always on time, always at dad’s side. Then one day she just vanishes.”

My hands start to tremble as my exhausted brain tries to reconcile what Liam is saying with what I know of Tyler.

But I don’t know Tyler. And this wouldn’t be the first time I made a mistake due to hormones and lust.

If I hadn’t already decided to leave, this sealed it.

As I start planning on how I can make an exit on so little sleep, one thought keeps floating to the surface where I can’t avoid it.

Liam knows my home address and Tyler knows what I do for a living.

Whether I stay for the weekend or leave right now, together they both know way too much about me.

With that in mind, I decide to catch a few hours sleep, a shower, and then hopefully, I can slip away without either of them noticing.

***

Tyler

Sunday 10.12am

I’m showered, almost awake and am heading to the office when I see her open her door.

My pulse speeds as I check to see if Liam is around before I close the distance between us.

I can’t let her go without telling her I want to see her again outside of the rules Liam has set on my life.

It’s just a plane ride. I could make it to Houston. If she gives me enough confirmation, I could make that happen.

She sees me just as I reach the deck. Her hair is wet, and she’s wearing black knee-high boots with a heel and a red dress that hugs all her incredible curves.

I have to stop my interest in her from showing on my face while I make sure no one is around. She doesn’t look at me as she drags her suitcase out the door. “Oh. Um, I need to go.”

I shift so I’m blocking her exit. “Stay.”

She blows out a sigh and steps back allowing me to step inside her room. “I can’t,” she says.

My fingers start to twitch with the urge to touch her. Her chest starts to rise and fall making it impossible not to notice her breasts and the way her nipples are starting to harden.

My cock starts to get stiff when she licks her lip. “Tell me you don’t want me.”

Her grip loosens on her bag and it drops to the floor. “Dammit, Tyler. That’s not the problem.”

With my eyes on her chest, I slide along the wall and twist the lock. “Take off your panties.”

She groans and for a second I think she’s going to say no, but she takes a shuddering breath. “I’m still going to leave,” she whispers.

I slowly walk towards her and place my hands on her hips. “You keep saying that. But here we are.”

When I kiss her, she doesn’t hesitate, her body presses against mine and she wraps her arms around my neck.

I slide my hands over her ass and pull her dress up, so I can tug her panties down.

When her ass is exposed, and I can’t think about anything but tasting her pussy again, I push her backward so she’s lying on the bed.

With her boots still on, I tug her panties down and spread her legs. She whimpers as I start to lick her until she’s quivering and coming quietly in my mouth.

I don’t have time to keep going, so I grab her hips and slide her down the bed so I can take her from behind.

She obliges and gets on all fours, giving me a sensational view of her ass. I unbuckle my jeans and slide my cock inside her.

She moans so loud, I’m sure someone is going to hear, but I’m not about to tell her to be quiet, so I just slide in and out, feeling how wet she is, relishing the sound of her noises, the smell of her until she’s making guttural noises and I’m coming gasping, and gripping her hips.

I swipe my cock and she rolls over and places a hand over her eyes. “I can’t keep doing this.”

She shakes her head, pulls her dress down and herself to sitting. “I was leaving. I can’t get involved in this shit between you and your brother. I have enough stress in my own life.”

Any buzz I had from sex, is rapidly dissipating as she finds her panties and slips them over her boots.

I near growl the words at her. “What did Liam say to you? Is he why you’re leaving early?”

She stares at me then grabs her purse. She digs around until she finds a hairbrush.

When she doesn’t answer my question and seems to be both pissed off and upset as she brushes, I know Liam said something. “Why does everything have to be complicated? Why can’t things just be simple?” she says.

I check my watch and know I’ve already pushed my luck. I can’t be seen leaving here. “Like they were in the cabin?” I ask.

She closes her eyes and sighs. “Where it’s just you and me and we don’t have any other BS to contend with.”

I stare at my boots and can’t think of a single thing to say in reply. “So, you walk away because it’s not all a perfect Hallmark movie?”

She zips up her bag and I hear the lock unclick before I look up at her. “I’m not asking for perfection. I’m not asking for anything.”

I get to my feet and don’t even think about what I’m saying. “Tell me what Liam said to you?”

She releases a breath and looks uneasy as she chews her lip. “He told me Meg was more than your dad’s nurse.”

I’m so stunned I just stare at her until she backs away. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

Her fingers are on the door handle before I’m recovered enough to reply. The words come out in a rush. “What else did he tell you?”

Her face pales and she swallows. But I’m so angry I don’t stop. “Did he tell you dad’s last words were that I keep working here?”

As her confusion and disbelief grow I know Liam has done what he always does. He’s twisted the truth until it’s a version that paints him in a good light.

Her hands are shaking but I keep talking, no longer sure why I am. “Did he tell you you’re too good for me?"

She interrupts me, her voice high as she steps back. “Stop it. Just stop it. This is too much. I can’t get involved in some weird rivalry between you two.”

All my muscles tighten. “Yeah. Well, sorry I wasted so much of your time. Maybe you picked the wrong brother to fuck. I’m sure Liam would have been happy to see you leave.”

She slaps me hard enough to make my eyes water. “Not everything is about your brother.”

I curse and yank open the door so hard it smashes against the wall. “No. It’s about the truth. But I guess the truth isn’t what matters most to women, is it?”

I don’t stick around to hear her reply, just stalk off towards the stables.

I ignore Liam when he appears at the top of the office stairs, looking like he wants to ask me a dozen questions, none of which I plan to answer.

I don’t acknowledge a guest as they say good morning.

Anger is building like molten lava and worse than knowing Liam’s planted ideas in her head, is knowing that she probably believed him.

I find Gypsy and tack her up so I don’t have to see Zoe drive off.

I need to get out of here for a while and clear my head.

I need to get as far away as I possibly can before I beat the living shit out of Liam and leave him bleeding like roadkill for the damn scavengers to pick over his carcass.

I climb on Gypsy, and gallop her out the stables, past Zoe’s cabin, past startled guests, past Liam yelling for me to slow down, past the riding circle, and jump the fence.

***

Zoe

I’m so angry with him storming out, I slam the door and grab my suitcase.

Of course, Liam picks now to appear. I dig my nails into my palms to keep from slapping him too when he opens the passenger door.

I toss my bag inside and barely acknowledge him as he stands far too close, watching my every move.

I search in my purse for my keys, trying to hide my tears as I avoid Liam’s gaze.

I duck my chin and manage to get in the driver’s seat before he leans inside the open window. “Sorry to see you leave so soon. Any chance you’ll be back again?”

I force a smile. “I don’t think so. I need to go.”

I push the key in the ignition and hope he’ll take the hint, but he just smiles. “That’s a real pity. I was going to take you for a ride to the waterfall.”

My skin starts to burn as his eyes travel over my body. “Got a real sweet horse picked out for you.”

I buckle my seat belt and to avoid his gaze, I ask him a stupid question. “What horse?”

He smiles and looks supremely confident as though he’s convinced me to stay. “Star.”

Shit. Shit. That bastard.

I narrow my eyes. “If you knew anything about the animals on this ranch you’d know she can’t be ridden.”

He jerks out of the window, all the smugness leaving his face as he scrambles to come up with a reply.

And if I wasn’t so utterly confused about how I feel right now, maybe I’d take a little more pleasure in the stunned expression on his smug face.

But as I put the car in drive, and floor the gas, all I can think about who I’m leaving behind at Laughing Cat Ranch.

Guilt is tugging at me as I drive along the highway, past the long stretches of fields that belong to the ranch.

Tears start to blur my vision as I speed towards the airport. I don’t even know if I can get a flight. I could be on standby for hours.

I curse at my error and blink away tears I’m not sure I understand. What did Tyler expect? It was impossible for me to stay and unrealistic for him to think I would.

Logically I shouldn’t feel this bad. I shouldn’t have an ache in my chest and a lump in my throat.

I shouldn’t be thinking about his body, his lips, his tongue. I shouldn’t. But I am. He made sure I would. He did this to me on purpose. Satiated a craving I didn’t even know I had.

Damn it. Damn him for doing this to me.

I am not this woman. I refuse to yield to the need he’s stirred in me.

And no matter what my heart is trying to convince me I cannot go back for him.

I swipe my eyes, square my shoulders and prepare to return to my life. All the while, brushing away the ridiculous notion that if I just fought a little harder, I could somehow make this work.

I reach Silver Falls and suddenly realize I’m driving past the hospital Burt must be in.

It would be so easy to go see if I could visit him. Maybe hang around waiting for Tyler. I’m almost convinced I could do that when I realize I risk Liam being the one who I see first.

I clench my jaw and speed past the hospital and pull over just long enough to reserve a seat on the first available flight back to Houston.

When I’ve confirmed my check-in time, I look at my messages and wince at the amount I’ve missed.

I return a couple and leave most until I can use my laptop. I blow out a breath and glance at myself in the mirror.

My eyes are red, rimmed by shadow, and my face looks puffy and sallow. My body still aches, but one thought of Tyler’s skill in bed, his passion for me, and I know if he gave me an apology, I’d invite him into my bed again.

I screw my face up and shake my head at myself. “Get a grip. You are not going back there. You are not that kind of woman.”

I groan as I close my eyes, and to stop me from thinking about how great the sex was, I think about how defensive he got.

But was it justified? Was I wrong? If I’d arrived and looked at the facts, kept a clear head and looked at the evidence, would I have been so quick to judge?

I mentally tick off all the irregularities and compile them into chronological order as best as I can.

Liam shows up at just the right time to worm his way into his dying father’s life.

Tyler never sees the evidence he’s really the long-lost son.

The father dies, the will has been changed and the nurse looking after the deceased is missing.

My eyes pop open and a surge of purpose replaces the pang of loss I’m feeling.

This is who I am. Methodical. Single-minded. Driven. Smart. I am not some hormonal, reckless and wild train wreck who has sex on the brain.

I was so busy avoiding conflict; I never stopped to consider I’m perfectly positioned to find out the truth Tyler thinks I don’t want.

I grab my cell and dial while my brain starts to see past the fog of lust.

It can’t all be coincidence. And if it is, at least I’ll know for sure and I can stop this craving for Tyler.

When a terse voice picks up, the words spill out before I can stop them. “This is Agent Zoe Foster. I may have stumbled on something here in Montana,” I say.