15
E ven the sanctuary of the Bullshit Box and the stack of bills in front of me can’t keep my mind off the one person plaguing me for the last week.
Ruby.
I want her. So fucking bad.
Which pisses me off.
That girl was like a ray of sunlight making me come alive. Her laugh, her sweet kiss, hell, even her adorable ramble of curious questions. If she’s not giving them to me, I don’t want anyone else to have them.
Ever since our night together, when I was the asshole who kicked her out, I’ve thought about her more times than I can count. Which means I’ve stayed away from her. Pure fucking torture. But it’s the smart thing to do.
We’re both here to do our jobs.
I need to put my focus on the ranch and not on the girl skipping past my cabin every goddamn morning.
Shifting in my chair, I ignore the sound of my brothers’ boisterous laughter as they crowd into the Bullshit Box. Gritting my teeth, I shuffle through payroll and vendor purchase orders. Only it’s fucking pointless. Every thought is of her.
My eyes fall to Ruby’s white ribbon tied around my wrist. I meant to give it back to her, but there’s something in me that knows it’s mine.
It felt right with Ruby that night.
That one night and only that one night.
No more.
Even though I know once wasn’t enough.
Even though I fucking crave her. Those pert breasts.
That tiny waist. Her long rose-gold hair.
But it’s not just the sex I crave. I crave her .
I miss talking to her. The conversation we had at my place was like a shot of calm for the soul.
When I woke up the next morning, I realized I still wanted her.
I wanted that sun-drenched creature in my sheets.
I wanted to go back for round two, to fuck her until we were both limp and panting, and then bring her coffee in bed.
Hell, she was just as eager for it as I was.
The thought has my dick jerking in my pants. My goal that night was to make it the best she ever had. To feel her come undone around me and send her off with the memory of my cock inside of her.
Christ, who am I kidding? I’m the one who’s come undone.
She’s not out of my system.
Not by a country fucking mile.
My gaze lifts from the desk to linger on the window. Every ounce of self-control disappears as I search for Ruby, for a flash of sundress, for that strawberry blonde hair.
I grunt. Fucking unfair is what it is.
Because now I have to walk around this damn ranch acting like I haven’t seen her naked. Like I haven’t tasted that perfect pussy of hers, had her perfect body spread out on my bed just for me.
Because that’s what Ruby is.
A perfect fucking angel.
How I’ll ever be able to stay the hell away from her, God only knows.
“Charlie, you listening?” Davis’s even rumble tears me from my thoughts.
“What?” I tear my gaze from the window, trying hard not to let on I’m looking for Ruby. My brothers stare at me with various degrees of amusement on their faces.
“I said I got the security system up and running,” Davis says.
I grunt. “Good.”
Wyatt looks at me with suspicion. “What’s that?”
“What?”
He swirls a finger. “On your ugly face.”
Ford wiggles his brows. “Wy, I think it’s a goddamn smile.”
Davis pauses the new security monitors to watch the harassment. “I think you’re right,” he says, sounding only a little irritated we’ve interrupted his spiel. His eyes drop to the ribbon tied around my wrist, but he keeps his mouth shut.
Unlike Wyatt.
A smirk spreads across my brother’s face. “I’ll be damned. You got laid.”
I ignore him. Any fool who talks about the woman they had in their bed doesn’t deserve them.
But Wyatt doesn’t take the hint.
“Was it Ruby?” he demands.
“If you gotta know ...Fallon.” I flash him a smug look and settle back in my chair.
His smile drops off the face of the earth. “Asshole.”
Davis snaps his fingers, getting us back on topic. “We’re up to twenty posts now.” He pulls our Instagram page up on the computer. “Five hundred followers.”
I stare at the screen. Social media’s Greek to me, but if it works, it works.
Ford runs a hand through his shaggy dark blond hair. “Not bad.”
I shrug. Once again, my eyes scan the window for a familiar sundress. “Getting somewhere.”
“Morning, boys.”
We all look up to see Tina in the doorway.
“Hey, Tina,” Ford drawls. “Come for a kiss?”
Davis shoots him a glare. “Let’s fix this mess before you get us hit with another lawsuit.”
Tina chuckles. “A kiss can wait. This can’t.” She sweeps her chocolate curls away from her face and looks my way. “Charlie, we have a call about a group for next year. Are we taking reservations that far in advance?”
Davis straightens. “How big?”
“For two weeks,” Tina says, leaning against the doorway. Happiness dances in her eyes. “The entire ranch is booked.”
Excitement crackles around the room. While we always have guests, we’re never to capacity. Truth is, we’ve been running the ranch more like a hobby than a business.
Davis blows out a breath and looks at me. “That’s good.”
“That’s great,” I agree.
With a hoot, Wyatt rips out of his chair. “Fuck yes!” He glances at Colton, who’s loping around the corner. “You hear that kid! Forty guests already booked for next year.”
“Cool, man.” Colton flashes two thumbs up and a bright smile.
“Lock ‘em in, Tina,” Davis orders.
“Yes, boss,” she says, and disappears with Colton.
“Damn,” I marvel, rubbing my jaw. It’s working. Whatever Ruby’s doing, she’s doing it right.
Pride flares through me. This girl’s saving our asses, all by herself.
I shove up from the desk.
Ford spins around in his chair. “Where you going?”
“To find Ruby.”
I’m at her place faster than I knew I could walk. Heart thrumming in my chest, I rap my knuckle on the screen door. When there’s nothing but silence, I open the door a crack and step inside.
“Ruby?”
More silence.
My eyes drift. On the table is her laptop, a small notepad beside it. But what catches and holds my attention is a journal on the coffee table, opened to a lined-page. From my vantage point, I can see it reads:
Ruby Bloom’s To-Do List (so do it!):
1. Get a tattoo.
2. Have sex. Good sex.
3. Stay up all night and see the sunrise.
4. See a California sunset.
5. Swim in the Pacific.
6. Go dancing.
7. Ride a horse.
Is that what she’s doing? Traveling across the country to finish a bucket list? I chuckle, something warm and hard hitting me in the chest. Only she would do that. This sweet, wild girl who has me thinking about her more than I should.
As I take a second look, I’m pleased good sex has been crossed off the list, but my mood sours when I stare at the rest of it. Ruby on a horse—hell no. And picturing Ruby dancing or watching a California sunset with anyone other than me pisses me the fuck off.
Then I swear, realizing I’m acting like a possessive bastard.
I exit her cottage, feeling like an asshole for invading her privacy, and rake a hand through my hair. I’m getting antsy. I don’t like not knowing where she is.
Truth is, no matter how much it scares me, I can’t stay away from her.
I don’t want to.
Playing with the ribbon wound around my wrist, I scan the ranch for blue eyes and a sundress. Then I start walking.
I know where to find her.
She’s in the barn.
It’s the fifth time this week I’ve caught her sneaking out of her cottage to make her way down the east trail path.
Ruby stands at the middle stall, speaking in soft gentle tones to a young Appaloosa foal.
She’s on tiptoes, her long hair swishing across the middle of her back, looking so much like a down-home country girl that I bring a hand to my chest to rub at the ache in my heart.
The dress she’s wearing could be made of glass.
I can see every curve, every gorgeous piece of Ruby Bloom.
Damn.
Goddamn.
I cross my arms and clear my throat. “Another man stealing your heart?”
At my voice, she startles, then half-turns. Her face brightens the moment she sees me. “What’s it to you, Cowboy?”
Cowboy. I like it.
Fucking love it.
I eye the pony, nuzzling his way back to her outstretched hand, and lift a brow. Lucky it’s a horse and not a man.
I can’t even fight the grin on my face. “I went looking for you.” At her raised eyebrow, I go on. “Got a group of forty booked for next year. Ranch is filling up. Got some followers too.”
Joy leaps into her eyes. “Good. My partners put the word out. I’m so glad, Charlie. It’ll only get better. You’ll see.”
Her sincere yearning to help us, her kind words kick me in the balls. I’ve never met anyone like Ruby. Someone so ... so good.
Golden.
Self-control fucked, I cross the space between us. “How many you have in there?” I ask, slipping her hand into mine. I run my thumb over the delicate skin on the underside of her wrist.
She stares at me. “How many what?”
“Hearts.” She jerks her wrist away, but I lean in, my gaze locking with her gorgeous blue eyes. “Because you, darlin’, have got more life in you than a field of wildflowers.”
Her lips curve upward. “Sweet talk will get you nowhere, Cowboy.”
“No sweet talk. We got some important things to address.”
“Oh?” she says, studying me with curious eyes.
“You’ve been staying away,” I say, backing her up against the stall door and pinning her in place. My voice comes out thick, strained.
“We both have.” She meets my stare with steely defiance. “This is a job. That’s all.”
Fuck, but I hate how much it stings.
“It is, but—”
She puts a palm on my chest. “No buts, remember? We agreed.” Her gaze drifts down, her long lashes black against her cheek. “One time.” She says it easily like it hasn’t just set off a lightning strike inside of me.
“That’s bullshit.” I say it before I can stop myself.
Her blue eyes widen. “Charlie—”
“We’ll come back to that.” I run my hands down her shoulders, over all that smooth skin, and hold her close. “Now we’re gonna have a talk about your open-door policy.”
Ruby’s cheeks pink up. “It’s the country.”
“It’s Resurrection.” Skimming a hand over her delicate jaw, I tilt her chin up so she meets my eyes. “You lock it, you hear me? It’s not up for debate.”
Her luscious lips part. “I will.”
“Good.” I drop my hands to her waist, needing to come clean. She expects honesty from me and she’ll always get that. “I won’t lie, Ruby. I went into your cottage looking for you. I saw your list.”
Fear flashes in her eyes. “And?”
“Mighty long list of to-dos.”
“So. I’ll get them done.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“Help me? How?”
“You’re helping us, and I’ll help you finish up that list.” Her attention flicks to the pony. “No horses,” I say, clenching my jaw. The thought of her on a horse has me losing my mind. “And no California sunset. But everything else I can do.”
Her brow arches. “You’ve got big ambitions, Cowboy. Don’t you have a ranch to run?”
The thought comes automatically—fuck the ranch.
I run a thumb over her full bottom lip. Hands-off isn’t happening. Not anymore. “Whatever you want this summer, Ruby, I’ll give it to you.”
Her wary gaze drops to the ribbon tied around my wrist. “Just the summer?”
“Just the summer.” This ends when the season does.
“Are you sure?” A teasing smile toys at her lips, but not before I catch a hint of sadness in her blue eyes. And damn, do I want to understand it. “The last thing I want to do is make you fall in love with me.”
I chuckle, despite the clench in my chest, her words ringing in my head. “Never gonna happen, darlin’.”
Interest dances across her face. “And why is that?”
“I don’t fall in love.”
Not anymore.
“Lucky me,” she says and bows back against the stall door as if to rope me in even more.
And goddamn does she. Like a moth to the flame, I follow.
I can’t stop myself from grabbing her up in my arms and holding her to me. Ruby rides her small hands up my chest. A sexy little gasp pops out of her mouth and my dick clenches.
I lower my mouth to hers. “Say yes. Say yes and I’ll help you with every damn thing on your list.”
I need to hear her say it. I can’t handle the possibility that I’ve had her in my bed for the last time.
“Yes,” she whispers on a breathy sigh. “Yes, Charlie. You. I want you.”
Thank fuck.
“The summer,” I say.
“The summer,” she agrees.
And then she smiles. It breaks every hard shadow inside of me.
Her light.
Framing her face with my hands, I put my lips on hers and inhale. She tastes of sunshine and flowers. I want to breathe her in deep and keep her there.
This girl’s gold. I can’t stay away.
Ruby moans into my mouth and I kiss her deeper. Harder. I slide my hands into her silky hair, grip her by the neck and keep her there. Against my lips.
The summer. This only lasts for the summer.
Her tongue slips over mine, but before I can slide a hand down and part her slender legs, the pony’s long velvet nose nudges her shoulder, breaking our connection.
Ruby laughs, light and musical, a delicate sound that has my cock turning to concrete.
I eye the pony with a wry grin. “Thanks a lot.”
“He’s jealous,” Ruby says, her eyes glassy and heavy lidded.
“I don’t blame him,” I tell her, and then I’m drawing her back into that kiss. I crush her against me, desperate for this girl who’s wrecking me from the inside out.
Her heartbeat mingles with mine where our bodies join, and for the first time in a long time, I feel sunshine in the darkest parts of me.