Chapter 5
Sophia
“ W hat have you done?” Sophia demanded.
Mateo turned from his conversation with Daniel, confusion marring his happy face. He glanced over at Daniel, who chuckled and withdrew, leaving them alone.
Sophia popped her hip, her arms crossed, an expectant glower drilling into the side of her brother’s head.
“You’re going to have to be a little more clear. I thought you wanted me to propose to Nikki. You said yourself that she’s not?—”
Tossing her head back with a groan, Sophia shut her eyes and focused on her breathing. “This has nothing to do with the engagement.” She brought her focus to her brother, heat searing her whole body. She could feel Cameron’s eyes on her.
The worst part was that he still affected her the same way he had five years ago. The prickling of the hair on the back of her neck. The way her body reacted to his touch. She could sense him even if he was yards away.
He’d changed—matured some. His hair was different—cut in a style that was effortlessly mussed but probably took more time than it was worth. He still wore his facial hair neatly trimmed. And his clothing choice reflected years of working on ranches rather than the hippy look he’d favored.
He was mouthwatering gorgeous, and the jerk knew it.
This was bad.
So bad.
“Then what are you talking about?” Mateo demanded, yanking her to the present.
Her eyes cut to Cameron as if against her will.
Yup. He was staring right at her. It was a steady sort of stare—one that made her feel like he could see inside her soul and knew exactly how she was feeling.
The heat in her cheeks intensified, and try as she might, she couldn’t shove those feelings aside. “Cameron,” she spit. “What is he doing here?”
Her brother arched a single brow. For a moment she could see the cogs in his big, dumb head whirring, then suddenly a knowing smile spread across his face. “Do you know him from somewhere?”
Her mouth dropped open and that heat in her cheeks became even more prevalent.
“I don’t—we haven’t— no . I don’t know him.
” At least that much was true. She had thought she had known the kind of character Cameron had, but she’d been wrong.
He had been hiding his own philandering ways from her.
Of course she should have known better. She’d seen the way girls flocked to him. And he’d been good.
So good.
He’d known the right words to say to get past her defenses. He’d made her feel like she was the only girl in the room.
Then he’d stolen that feeling away.
Tears bit at the back of her eyes and she squeezed her arms tighter across her chest. “What is he doing here?” she repeated.
“He’s working. Just like the rest of the guys.”
Her brows rose. “What? No. You can’t let him work here, Mateo. You have to fire him.”
Her brother lifted both hands with his shoulders. “No can do, sis. He works via contract. We signed a contract for him to work here for the next year with the possibility of extending—though he said that’s usually uncommon. He gets booked out. He’s that good.”
Well, this was just great. Her brother had a man-crush on Cameron.
It wasn’t fair!
“Well, you’re going to have to tell him to leave me alone?—”
“Sophia, is there something you’re not telling me? Because it really does sound like you know him.”
She pressed her lips together in a tight line.
She hadn’t told anyone what had happened with Brent because Mateo had been dealing with his break-up with Caroline.
Besides, her brothers would have gone out and taught her ex-boyfriend a lesson, and she knew better than to let that happen.
After she’d let Cameron get past her defenses, she’d kept the whole ordeal secret because that one had been on her.
She’d been the one who allowed herself to believe that building a relationship with a guy she’d just met was possible.
Turning away from him and avoiding the stare of the man they were speaking about, she shrugged. “We might have met when I went to Texas five years ago. He didn’t make the best first impression.”
“Really? Because he comes highly recommended. You don’t know how hard it was for me to get a meeting with him.”
Sophia peeked at Mateo with a frown. He was glancing over at Cameron, who was now paying attention to something else.
He probably knew they were talking about him.
If he came so highly recommended, then he probably had other clients he could work with.
Why couldn’t he just break the contract and leave?
She swung her focus to her brother once more. To his credit, her brother looked concerned—like he was torn between making her happy and doing what he thought was best for the ranch. Ugh!
Guilt rumbled in her gut, and she knew she wasn’t going to be able to force Mateo to give up on something he wanted. He’d already sacrificed so much. His life was finally coming together, and if working with Cameron was the next step he wanted to take place, then so be it.
She sighed, pulling Mateo’s attention. “Fine. Whatever. Let him stay for the duration of the contract. What is it he does, exactly?”
“He specializes in breeding. The stronger the bloodlines, the better. He knows his stuff, Sophia. He can help create excellent racehorses, or work horses. The last couple of people he’s worked for swear by him.”
Sophia groaned again. “And that means he has to work with me since I’m in charge of our horses.”
Slowly, Mateo nodded, and that smirk returned to his face.
What she wouldn’t give to turn back time to stop this from happening.
Seeing Cameron again had opened up some deep wounds.
She’d managed to enjoy her life boyfriend-free since he’d ripped her heart out, and she planned on it staying that way.
Despite not knowing Cameron well, she knew he was one of those guys who enjoyed the chase.
He was unapologetically jealous and cocky to boot.
He probably just didn’t like the fact that she’d been the one to see through his charade before he could land whatever prize he’d been after.
Well, he’d just have to live with never adding her to his tally.
“Whatever. He’s only here for a year, right?” And he’d be an idiot to chase after his boss’s sister, so she should be safe.
Mateo nodded. “Just a year.”
She blew out a sharp breath. “You owe me.”
Sophia made sure to wear her tightest jeans and a shirt that showed a little more skin than she usually did when she worked. If she had to work alongside the man who broke her heart, the least he deserved was to see just what he had missed out on.
Her shirt was a button-up vest with no sleeves, and it rode up a little to show about an inch of her midriff. It was cute and made her feel like she could conquer the world. She reached for her leather gloves and her brown Stetson, then headed out to the barn.
Cameron specialized in breeding, so she didn’t know what he’d be doing besides picking what stallion got to breed with what mare. That didn’t seem like much of a career, and based on the way her brother had described it, Cameron was getting paid top dollar just to make decisions.
Why couldn’t Mateo trust her to do that job? She’d known that he wanted to start a breeding program for the horses. They were already the top brand when it came to breeding working dogs, and he’d said it shouldn’t be too much different to add another animal to the list.
He’d said as much when he returned from an auction last summer. He’d been in a flurry of excitement, and that probably should have been the first indication that he was going to turn her life upside down.
Yes, she should have definitely known.
She strode out to the barn with her head held high. It didn’t matter when Cameron planned to show up; he wasn’t going to get in her way when it came to her caring for her babies. The horses were her responsibility, and she was good at it.
Sophia entered the barn and practically stumbled to a stop. Cameron was already in the dimly lit barn. It was too early for someone like him to be working. At least that was what she’d told herself.
But she’d been wrong.
Ugh!
Sophia stormed toward him. There wasn’t a chance that he hadn’t heard her arrival. Even though he hadn’t turned to look in her direction, he was just as aware of her as she was of him. She knew it in her bones.
Before she got within ten feet of him, he drawled, “Good morning, Red.”
“ Don’t call me that.”
He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye with a mischievous smirk. “Seeing as that’s what I’ve called you for the last five years, it’s going to be a hard habit to break.”
“Tough! You’re going to have to figure it out!”
He chuckled, and the sound was like sunshine on her skin after the storm clouds had moved out.
Why did he have to be so irresistible? He was a flirt—a guy who manipulated the feelings of women.
There was a fine line between being a flirt who was open about not wanting anything serious and a flirt who made someone believe there could be more.
Heat seared her cheeks at the memories of their past. She’d told him she didn’t want to date. She’d been upfront about it from the get-go. But he’d weaseled into her heart in a matter of days and made her want more.
He was the devil in disguise, and she wasn’t going to let him manipulate her a second time. “What are you even doing in here this early? These horses aren’t your concern.”
Cameron arched a brow as he glanced up from the clipboard she’d only just noticed he had in his hands. “I’m sorry, but what exactly do you think it is I do?”
“You pick which horses get to breed with which horses.” She said it with a matter-of-fact tone that she hoped left nothing to the imagination. His job was ridiculous. They didn’t need him.
He tucked his clipboard under his arm as he folded them across his chest. “It’s that simple, huh?”
“Isn’t it?”
The smirk he gave her had her faltering. He took a step toward her, and she fought the instinct to take a step backward. Her eyes dipped from his eyes to his lips, and the memory of their kiss sent waves of electricity rippling under her skin. She swallowed hard and forced herself to focus.
“Yes.” That one word sounded less confident than she’d wanted it to be.
“You know what I think, Red? I think you need to put your nose in a book. See what it takes to have my job before you come marching in here telling me how to do it right.”
Her flush intensified, but whether by his low, husky tone, his proximity, or the fact that he’d put her in her place, she couldn’t be certain.
Her mouth went dry, and she fought for something intelligent to shoot back at him.
Unfortunately, it appeared the last of her brain cells had chosen now to disappear.
“Hey, Sophia. We still on for that date tonight?”
She stiffened. Cameron’s eyes left hers and whipped to the interruption with mild irritation.
The spell broken, she exhaled and took a step back from the man who had her locked in his sights.
Her legs shook as she took the steps toward the cowboy, who was oblivious to the tension in the barn as he retrieved a saddle.
He had a boyish charm about him that was so different from the searing magnetism of the man who was now at her back.
Sophia reached out and touched Ryan’s upper arm.
She gave it a gentle squeeze as she lowered her voice to a seductive purr.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She’d leaned in close but not enough to brush her lips to his cheek.
Her ears were attuned to the man bristling at her back, and she realized something.
He was jealous.
Good. He’d broken her heart. All was fair in love and war, after all.