Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Jack
There’s nothing more peaceful than getting up at four in the morning before the rest of the world, just as the sun is starting to rise every morning. A thermos of coffee, the early morning silence is the best way to start my day.
I’ve always been an early riser, as the ranch manager, it’s important to set a good example and be the first one to get to work.
The air is crisp, carrying the scent of dew and hay.
I pull my hat lower against the early morning chill and head toward the barn, my boots crunching on the gravel.
There’s always something to be done, and I like to get a jump on it before the day gets away from me.
As I’m checking the feed bins, I hear the soft creak of the barn door behind me.
I glance over my shoulder and stop short when I see Brynn stepping inside.
She’s dressed in jeans and a flannel, her hair tied back in a loose braid, and she’s heading straight for the tack room.
It’s barely been ten minutes since I came out here, and she’s already up and moving.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice breaking the quiet.
She jumps, spinning around to face me. I stifle a laugh as I see this adorable woman in some sort of karate stance, thinking that’s going to protect her if I was an attacker.
“Jack! You scared me.”
“Were you going to karate chop me to death?” I say drily as I cock an eyebrow at her.
“If I hit you in the throat, it gives me enough time to run away,” she says with a harumph. She raises her chin defiantly as she looks directly into my eyes.
I cross my arms, leaning against the stall door. “Sure it will, darlin’. What are you doing?”
“I’m saddling up. I need to check the fences and the pasture before I make breakfast, get Livy to school, and then be at the shop to open by ten. It’s what I always do.”
I arch a brow. “Not anymore, you don’t.”
Her hands pause on the saddle she’s lifting. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’ve got it covered,” I say, nodding toward my horse, already saddled and waiting. “That’s what I was about to do.”
Her mouth drops open and then closes just as quickly. She shakes her head, her grip tightening on the saddle.
She’s used to doing everything herself. She’s going to fight you every step of the way.
“I appreciate it, Jack, but it’s just easier if I handle it. I know where the weak spots are, and it’ll save time.”
“Easier for who?” I ask, stepping closer. “You can’t keep doing everything yourself, Brynn. That’s why I’m here.”
“I’m not trying to do everything,” she snaps, her voice rising. “I’m just trying to make sure things get done right.”
“And you think I can’t?” The words come out sharper than I intend, and I see her flinch. “I know how to run a ranch, Brynn. But you have to let me do it.”
Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t say anything. She turns back to the saddle, her movements jerky.
“You don’t have to micromanage this place anymore. There’s a reason your father hired me, and unlike these other assholes, I’m not going to get paid for doing nothing. I earn my keep,” I continue.
She whips around on her heel and pins me with an icy glare. “I’m not trying to micromanage.”
“We must have very different definitions of the word because you absolutely are.”
“I’m just… I’m used to doing it myself.”
“Well, it’s time to get unused to it,” I say, stepping closer. I put my hand on top of hers and gaze into her eyes. “I don’t think you heard me. I’m checking the fence line and the pasture. You’re not going anywhere.”
“You can’t tell me…” she hisses.
“That’s where you’re wrong, darlin’,” I say in a husky voice. “You’re not going to do my job, so I suggest you unsaddle the mare and go on about your day.”
She huffs indignantly, but I don’t back down. I can see the fire in her eyes, but when she realizes that I’m serious, I can see her eyes soften. She starts to relax a little.
“I don’t…you can’t tell me what to do.”
“You’ve got enough on your plate with your dad, Olivia, and the shop. Let me take care of the rest.”
It’s like something in her snaps with my words, and she quickly rips her hand out from under mine. She keeps working, ignoring me, and I feel my patience wearing thin. I reach out and grab the saddle, pulling it out of her hands.
“Go back inside, Brynn.”
She whirls around, her eyes blazing. “Don’t tell me what to do, Jack. I’m your boss, and you won’t talk to me like this.”
“Someone has to,” I fire back, my voice low. “You’re running yourself into the ground, and for what? To prove you don’t need help? I get it—you’re strong and capable. But this isn’t about that. It’s about trusting me to handle things.”
We’re toe-to-toe now, her chest rising and falling with each angry breath. I can feel the heat radiating off her, see the fire in her eyes, and it’s doing something to me I can’t explain. Before I can stop myself, I reach out and cup her face, my thumb brushing against her cheek.
“Jack,” she starts, her voice barely a whisper, but I don’t let her finish. I lean in, capturing her lips with mine.
The kiss is hard and demanding, a clash of frustration and something deeper I’ve been trying to ignore. She stiffens for a moment, then melts against me, her hands gripping the front of my shirt. I slide my arms around her waist, pulling her closer, and for a few seconds, the world falls away.
Her lips part beneath mine, and I feel her surrender to the heat that flares between us. The taste of her is intoxicating, a heady mix of desire and longing. I deepen the kiss, pouring all my pent-up emotions into it, losing myself in the sensation of her soft curves pressed against me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve kissed a woman and felt this much passion and need.
Desire pulses through me as our lips move in a fiery dance of need and longing. I can feel her heart racing against my chest. This intoxicating scent of vanilla wraps around me, and I can’t get enough of her.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me impossibly closer, and I let out a low growl of desire. It’s as if a dam has burst between us, releasing all the pent-up emotions we’ve been suppressing for so long.
I can feel the bulge in my pants grow. I move her so that her back is against the stall. Her hips buck forward until they’re pressed against my hard shaft. My pelvis grinds toward her, achingly slow.
I’m about to rip through these jeans to get to her. Fuck, I want to bury myself inside her right now.
Her hand moves downward until it is cupping my erection. She moans, her tongue tangling with mine as I reach down to cup her perfect butt cheeks in my hand.
There’s a loud thud, like the barn door is opening, and she immediately pushes me away from her. We’re both breathless.
I search her eyes for any sign of regret. But all I see is raw passion and a hunger that matches my own.
“I…I need to go,” she whispers breathlessly before she ducks under me and scurries out of the stall quickly.
I’m left there staring after her as Nick walks into the barn.
His eyes flicker toward me, curiosity written all over his face. He smirks and then nods a good morning.
“Hey, Jack, saw you heading into the barn. I’ll ride to check the pasture with you. Do you need help with the horses?”
I nod, desperate to distract myself from the events that have just unfolded. “Sure thing, Nick. Let’s get to work.”
As we work side by side, I can’t stop thinking about her. The way her lips felt beneath mine, the warmth of her body pressed against me… It’s been so long since I’ve felt this kind of connection with someone. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a woman on my brain.
None of that matters, though, because I’m not getting involved with any woman ever again. It doesn’t matter how she makes me feel or how good she kisses.
No woman will ever put me through any kind of pain ever again.