Chapter 2
Bria
He was late.
I looked at my watch for the seventh time.
I hated when people were behind. It pushed me behind, and I really hated when I was behind.
It didn’t help that it perpetuated the stereotype of Black people never being on time.
It was why I always made sure that I was the first person wherever I needed to be.
I shuffled the papers on my desk. I’d specifically set aside twenty minutes to walk this guy through how we did things on the ranch, what his duties would be, and then show him to his room for the next few weeks.
Now I would only have thirteen minutes to get it all done.
That wasn’t enough time. Thank goodness I had thought to print out a list that I could give him.
That would have to do along with our ranch manual and the keys to his cabin.
I looked at my watch again. Now we were down to ten minutes.
This did not bode well for his rodeo lessons.
I pulled up the schedule of events for the week.
I was going to have to add at least fifteen minutes to the time I’d allotted for his classes.
That was the only way to make sure his tardiness didn’t cause any problems with the guests.
Finally, someone knocked on my door. I saved the new schedule and called out for him to enter.
“Hey Bria, our rodeo rider is here.” Carl smiled as he held his arm out to the man standing behind him.
“About time.” I crossed my arms, wondering if this guy had been late because that was his nature or because of Carl. We all loved the man, but he could talk the ear off a cow and still keep going. Now I might need to change the schedule again. That didn’t look good to our patrons.
I watched as piercing black eyes stared right at me. My breath hitched in my chest, but I kept my look neutral. I’d never been swayed by a handsome face and I wasn’t about to be now.
“Nice to meet you.” It took him a moment to step forward and hold out his hand.
I stayed in place. His smile was inviting, but there was something in his eyes that made me nervous. I’d never been looked at like this before, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. Most guys looked right past me. That I was used to. This was something different.
“You too.” I did the only polite thing. I stood and shook his hand. Tingles brushed over my skin and made their way up my arm just as he rubbed his thumb over the backside of my skin.
His eyes glanced down and then back up to mine. The smile that he’d been wearing turned sly, and I almost groaned. He was one of those cowboys.
I’d spent the majority of my life around men working on one ranch or another.
When I first noticed boys, I thought all cowboys were the same.
My first and only boyfriend taught me differently.
Now I’d met just about every kind of cowboy there was.
Everyone from the rugged cowboy to the flirty cowboy and the angry cowboy.
But the worst was the love ‘em and leave ‘em cowboy. This guy’s smile told me he easily fit into that category. Now I wasn’t as worried about him being late as I was having to make sure he wasn’t sleeping his way through every guest we had. That was just great.
“I took the liberty of printing out a list of duties for you.” I pulled my hand back and focused on the work. That was what I was good at. That was what I was built for.
“I also have a ranch guide for you as well.” I picked up the papers I’d set aside for him. “As you were late, we don’t have the time I’d planned to go over them, but I would appreciate if you read through these before your first class tomorrow afternoon.” I moved around my desk.
“I don’t think all that is necessary,” Carl said from his place by the door. “Junior here has been around enough ranches to know things work.”
“I’ll bet.” I mumbled. “Every ranch is different, and we need him to understand how we run things here if he is going to fit in.” I added at a normal volume.
“It’s fine.” Junior took the papers with the same smile.
What kind of name was Junior? It had to be a nickname or something. That was probably fine when he was ten, but a grown man still going by a nickname? That was weird.
“Thank you. If you have questions, I’ll be happy to answer them for you.” I picked up the keys to his cabin and held out my hand toward the door. “For now, let me show you to where you will be staying so you can get settled.”
“Sounds good.” He stayed put while I waited.
“Well?” I tipped my head for him to move.
“Ladies first.” He stayed in place.
I heard a snicker and looked to see a smile on Carl’s face. With a bit of an eye roll, I walked out of the office with the two of them behind me. Ten bucks said Junior was checking out my butt the whole way. I didn’t bother turning around to make sure.
We walked down the stairs and out the front door before Carl separated from us and headed back home to finish his lunch.
“You’re in good hands, Junior.” He patted him on the back. “I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast up at the house.”
“Your house?” Junior’s brows pulled together, and I bit my lip. I normally had breakfast with Carl and Lucinda, and I wasn’t interested in having an additional person join us.
“Absolutely. Lucinda wouldn’t have it any other way. Not on your first full day here, at least.” Carl was right about that.
“Then I’ll see you then.” He nodded, and we both watched Carl walk away. “Looks like I’m all yours.” He turned back to me with that same smile from my office.
“This way.” I headed toward the guest cabins.
I suddenly questioned if having him so close to our paying customers was a good idea.
It had been the easiest solution when Carl first told me about this added class.
Pretty much all of our employee housing was filled.
I’d thought taking an empty cabin would fill the space.
Now I was thinking it might be best to put some sort of barrier between him and the other women.
“So, how long have you worked here?” He surprised me by asking.
“Six years.” I told him.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.”
“Did you always want to work on a ranch?”
“It’s the only life I’ve known.”
“Me too.” He chuckled. “Do you only handle the staff?”
“No, I also coordinate some of the activities for our guests.” What was with all the questions? Thank goodness we were almost to the cabins.
“Which part do you like more?”
“I like them both.” I could see the first cabin a few feet away.
“My cousin’s girlfriend is starting an event planning business back home.” He shared. “She loves it, but it’s hard work.”
“It can be.” I replied.
“Have you ever thought about going out on your own?”
I stopped and faced him. “What are you doing?”
“Excuse me?”
“What is with the third degree?” I asked. “Are you poaching?” Was that what was going on here? Was he trying to get me to leave Wild Vista to work at his ranch?
“What?” he genuinely looked surprised. “No, I’m not poaching. I was just trying to get to know you.”
“Why?” I tilted my head.
“Because that is what people do.”
“Let me save you some time.” I put one of my hands on my waist and stared right at him.
“I’m not interested in some sort of two week fling.
We don’t run that kind of ranch. We have strict policies about fraternization between employees and guests.
As such, I would advise you to curb your normal tendencies and act accordingly. ”
“My normal tendencies?” He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
“I’ve met plenty of your kind.” I informed him.
“Cowboys that think because there are an insane amount of romance novels and books about them all they have to do is flirt a little and they can screw anyone they want. I guess they’d be the wide brim, hat wearing equivalent of a fuck boy, but that won’t fly here.
While it might be hard. You’re going to have to keep it in your pants for the next two weeks. ”
“Wow.” He shook his head, and the sound that came from his mouth held not an ounce of laughter.
“You’ve known me for all of two seconds, and within that time you assume I’m just out to fuck around simply because I asked about your job?
That or I’m trying to steal you away.” He added before I could respond.
“It didn’t take getting to know you or the questions. All it took was that player’s smile you flashed in my office.” I raised my eyebrow at him this time. “I can assure you I’m not the one you want to play with.”
He let out a quick gust of what sounded like laughter. “I somehow doubt that, but for the record, I’m not some rodeo fuck boy or any other kind of player either.” His lips turned up into the same smile from my office. “Did ever cross your mind that I might have found you attractive?”
“No.” I didn’t miss a beat.
“That’s a shame.” His face turned serious, and he stepped closer to me. So close that I could swear I felt the heat of his body, and I drew in a breath. The deep musk of leather and cowboy filled my senses, and for a second, I felt a little lightheaded.
“I don’t know about every other man you might have met, but I don’t fuck around.
” His coal black eyes held me captive. “And when I find a woman attractive, I don’t play games.
That isn’t how I was raised and it isn’t the person that I am.
I’m a straight shooter who likes to smile and happens to think you are very attractive.
If that interferes with the ranch code of conduct, then that’s too bad.
” The smile returned. “But then again, I’m only here for two weeks.
I’m not exactly patient, but when something is worth it I can wait, and I have a feeling you would be worth any wait.
” And if that wasn’t enough, he lifted my hand to his lips and dropped a kiss there without ever breaking eye contact.
I swallowed down the heat that shot up my body.
“Just do your job while you are here and only your job, and we will get along fine.” I pulled my hand away from his and pointed in front of us.
“You are in cabin four. I trust you can find your way, and I need to be getting back to my office. This has already taken longer than I’d allotted.
” I turned to head back, but stopped. “In the future, it would also help if you were on time for your lessons and any meetings we might have.”
“Oh, I promise to never keep you waiting.” This smile was lethal, and the wink he shot me didn’t help. It took everything in me not to run as I left him there and retreated back to the safety of my office.