The Army Ranger's Surprise (the Men of At-Ease Ranch) Read online

  A brow quirked above his devilish gaze.

  “I-I didn’t mean that like it sounded.” Heat rushed into her cheeks. And damn, she couldn’t stop a brief vision of them naked and rolling in her sheets from flashing through her mind.

  A sexy grin tugged his lips. He knew.

  Dammit.

  “Tell you what.” He picked up their drinks and handed hers to her. “How about we enjoy our beers and call it good?”

  “Okay. This time.” She returned his smile, but when she reached for her beer, her fingers brushed his palm. Their gazes meet, and the universe disappeared again.

  What was with that? Unsure what to do, especially since he didn’t act on the heat flaring in his eyes, she broke contact and sipped her beer.

  Getting involved with him was playing with fire.

  Trouble was, her life lacked fire.

  …

  Later that night, Leo returned to the ranch with several things on his mind. First and foremost was Kaydee. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the damn woman out of his mind. And the more time he spent with her the more she lingered in his head. Good or bad? The jury was still out on that one. But he did know he liked touching her. A lot. Too much. He found that out when he screwed up that afternoon and caused her to hurt herself.

  Getting out of his truck, he muttered a curse and slammed the door. He hadn’t meant to startle her today. Hell, he hadn’t exactly been quiet, and yet when he’d spoken, the poor woman jumped and whacked her thumb with a hammer. Leo knew firsthand that hurt like a son of a bitch. He hated that he caused her so much pain.

  She insisted she was fine, but he could tell by her dilated eyes and tight lips that she was hurting. Overcome with the urge to erase that look from her face, he’d unthinkingly grasped her hand and kissed her thumb. The act—which felt as natural as breathing—was so out of character for him. He didn’t recognize himself, but he did recognize how his body reacted to the feel of her skin. She was soft and warm and smelled like raspberries. His whole body immediately sprang to life. It was an awakening of sorts, and again, he wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.

  The image of her gorgeous brown eyes and how they widened with the same damn awareness rushing through him flashed through his head. He always knew Kaydee was special, so of course touching her would be, too. If Nate hadn’t come out of the house when he had, Leo would’ve discovered how she tasted as well. He’d wondered about it for several damn months now. The interruption was probably for the best, though.

  “Are you going to stand in the driveway all night?” Stone asked from his perch on one of the porch chairs.

  Leo hadn’t even seen him sitting there, or Vince. Hell, either the porch light was too dim…or he was.

  Probably the latter.

  “My guess is the answer’s yes,” Vince said, lopsided grin on his face. “He’s too busy smiling to move.”

  He was smiling? With a shake of his head, he stepped onto the porch, leaned against a post, and folded his arms. “You two done yet?”

  “Hmm.” Stone rubbed his jaw. “Wonder who put that smile there?” he asked as if Leo hadn’t spoken.

  He cocked his chin. “Hey, I smile.”

  Stone snorted. “Yeah, if you have gas.”

  “Or ate one of Emma’s pies.” Vince grinned.

  “Still smiles, so they count.”

  Vince tipped his head and narrowed his gaze. “Well, you weren’t here for Emma’s pie tonight, and we don’t need to fumigate the place, so…?”

  He shrugged. “So, what?”

  “So, you’re saying your visits to Dallas are just to see your grandmother?” Stone asked.

  Leo unfolded his arms and held the man’s stare. “Yes. I told you I wanted keep an eye on her while my mom’s away, remember?”

  Vince’s brow rose over an amused gaze. “You’re busted, pal. We’ve been in your shoes. We know the signs. Don’t even try to tell us a girl isn’t the reason for the visits.”

  “No.” His lips twitched. “But she is an added bonus.”

  “Added bonuses are good,” Stone said.

  “No, they’re great,” Vince said. “I should know. I discovered that firsthand with Emma.”

  His buddy was right. Vince’s stint as Emma’s pretend boyfriend had turned into the real deal, and he attributed that to their killer chemistry. Kind of like what Leo had with Kaydee. Not that he was about to admit that to the two smiling idiots.

  Time to change the subject to the other thought on his mind. “So, Stone, I’ve been thinking.”

  “That’s dangerous,” Vince muttered good-naturedly.

  Leo good-naturedly flipped him off.

  “About what?” Stone asked.

  “About your offer to build me a house on this ranch.” The more he thought about it, the more he knew what he wanted to do. He loved the ranch and helping men and women who had a tough time fitting back into society. Like he did. But he’d changed. It was time to show it. “I’m interested, but only on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That you let me buy into the ranch and business like the others.” He held his friend’s gaze. If he saw any sign of pity, or anything similar, he was gone. He wasn’t looking for a handout.

  “Done.”

  Leo blinked. “Done?”

  “Yeah, done,” Vince echoed.

  He frowned, bouncing his gaze between the two men. “But don’t you have to talk it out with Brick and Cord? I should’ve called a meeting.”

  “No need,” Stone said. “We’ve already had this discussion.”

  Vince grinned. “Yeah, we were just waiting for you to bring it up.”

  “No shit?”

  Stone grinned, too. “No shit.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand. “Welcome aboard.”

  Leo hesitated. “Wait. I need to know how much everyone contributed.”

  “Not everyone put in the same amount,” Stone said.

  “Yeah,” Vince said. “Cord and I had family obligations that ate into our savings, but we put in what we could.”

  A ripple of relief washed over Leo. “I have a good chunk now. A few more months and I’ll have more saved up. But until then, I don’t feel comfortable doing anything.”

  Stone nodded, his hand still stretched out. “Deal.”

  “Deal.” A smile tugged at Leo’s lips, and as he shook Stone’s hand, an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time rippled through him.

  Pride.

  Years of self-doubt and loathing had blocked any appearance of positive emotions. It felt good, damn good, to have his body riddled with them for a change.

  “Yeah, welcome aboard, Leo.” Vince stepped close to shake hands.

  “Thanks, but I’m not aboard until I get all the money together.” He released Vince’s hand and stared at Stone. “And hold my own like Vince and the others.” He needed to prove to everyone that he was back on his feet and reliable again.

  “Then I think it’s time you had your own crew,” Stone said. “You already proved you can handle the position when you covered for Vince last summer. I’ve just been waiting for you to ask.” The smile on Stone’s face was brighter than the dim porch light. “I have a kitchen remodel lined up to start on Monday. You want it?”

  Hell yeah. “Thanks. I don’t know what to say.” The fact that his buddy thought so highly of him, after all his poor choices, was damn humbling.

  “Say yes.”

  “Yes.”

  God, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed being regarded as a valued member of the team. But even through all his trials and tribulations since leaving active duty, none of them ever turned their backs on him. He owed his friends everything. Especially Stone.

  Leo just hoped he didn’t let his buddy down.

  Chapter Four

  On Friday, Kaydee put in an extra shift at work to cover for Rose when her boss called to tell them she wasn’t coming in. Thankfully, she’d had just enough time to make it home t
o pick up her grandfather and Ava and drop them off at the rec center for bingo night.

  “Thank you, dear,” her neighbor said. “Leo’s on his way but stuck in that dang traffic. I told him not to worry, you had us covered.”

  “Anytime.” She smiled, not because she just found out Leo was on his way. Nope. The smile was nothing more than a polite gesture to her friend.

  That was her story and she was sticking to it.

  “You wouldn’t have to take us if you’d let me drive, Kaydee.”

  She met her grandfather’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “If it wasn’t going to be dark when bingo was over, then you know I would’ve let you.”

  They had this same argument every week.

  He rolled his eyes. “I had one scrape.”

  Kaydee sighed. “Three, Grandpa. You had three.” And she was damn glad he’d been able to walk away from the last accident with just a broken wrist.

  “If it weren’t for that damn dog running out in front of me, I wouldn’t have swerved and hit the stupid tree.” He folded his arms across his chest and grumbled.

  “I hate when that happens,” Ava said. “Ever play chicken with a goat? I did. Damn thing charged right down the middle of Pickler Road straight at me.”

  Kaydee glanced sideways at the woman, unsure if she was pulling their legs. But her gaze was serious. “What’d you do?”

  “Swerved, like Nate,” Ava said. “Only, I didn’t hit a tree. I took out a section of Old Man Turner’s fence. He was right pissed about it, too.” The woman chuckled. “But seeing as it was his goat that was loose, he didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

  “Or four,” her grandfather added from the back seat.

  The three of them were still laughing when Kaydee pulled into the rec center parking lot.

  “We’ll see you in two hours,” Ava said, opening the door. “Oh, and I left chicken for you and Leo in the Crock-Pot. Enjoy.”

  Apparently, she was having dinner with Leo at his grandmother’s house. Alone. Her heart skipped a beat as she drove home. Would he think she engineered it? She hoped not. Not that she didn’t want to have dinner with him. She did. Very much. But she’d never orchestrate it so deviously.

  Anxiety choked the life out of her glee.

  What if he didn’t want company? Poor guy probably had another physical day at work and was no doubt exhausted. Last thing he needed was his grandmother’s neighbor pushing herself on him.

  Maybe she’d get home before he arrived and could just slip into her house unnoticed. Leo was more than capable of feeding himself. Yeah. That was what she’d do.

  Relief and disappointment mixed when Kaydee parked at her house and noted no truck in Ava’s driveway. She had gotten home before Leo arrived. Getting out of her car, she clung to the relief and used it as a shield to ward off disappointment. She didn’t need any more complications in her life. Work was complex enough.

  With that thought in mind, she’d just reached her sidewalk when Leo honked his horn and pulled into Ava’s driveway. Her pulse hiccuped. He got out and headed her way.

  So much for getting inside before he arrived.

  “Hey, Kaydee,” he said as he crossed the street. Something was up. Something was different. In a good way. His stride was a little more confident than normal. He appeared taller. “Thanks for taking my grandmother.”

  “Of course.” She smiled and pretended the heat flooding her cheeks was caused by the evening sun. “I usually take the two of them anyway. You really don’t need to rush up here on Fridays for that.”

  Traffic was horrible. She didn’t wish it on anyone.

  “Thanks. I appreciate it, but I don’t mind.” He stopped in front of her and his smile and gaze were…well, brighter. Stronger.

  She blinked, trying to figure out what was different.

  “And forget about going home,” he said. “My grandmother already instructed me to feed you. She apparently has dinner in the Crock-Pot for the both of us.”

  Kaydee snickered. Leave it to Ava. “So I’ve been told.”

  “Then come on, let’s eat.” He motioned toward his grandmother’s house, that sexy smile still lingering on his lips.

  Was she staring? She couldn’t help it. He had great lips. They were full and talented…at least they were talented in her many fantasies.

  Realizing he was waiting for her reply, she regained control of her wits and returned his grin. “Yes, sir.” She saluted before crossing the quiet street.

  Yeah, something was definitely different. When they reached his grandmother’s sidewalk, he fell into step alongside her. She glanced sideways at him from under her lashes. He was still smiling. It was a record. Leo never held a smile for longer than a few seconds. This was going on two minutes.

  Once inside the house, she continued into the kitchen, trying to come up with something to say. “This is your grandmother’s place. Not mine. I should be following you.”

  He snickered from behind. “As if she’d mind.”

  “True.” She chuckled.

  Ava was a firm believer in get-it-yourself-you-know-where-it-is.

  Leo grabbed dishes for them from the cupboard and placed them next to the Crock-Pot, while she fetched the silverware and set it on the table.

  “What would you like to drink?”

  Drinks? He was getting them drinks?

  She turned to face him. “All right. What gives? I’m dying of curiosity, Leo. Why are you so happy?”

  “Water it is.” He swiped two bottles from the fridge and deposited them on the table next to their silverware. “Are you saying I’m never happy?”

  “No.” She eyed him carefully, trying to assess what was going on behind his mischievous gaze. “But something has definitely happened since I saw you on Wednesday.”

  He straightened up and smiled even wider. “I’ve been given my own crew. Start our first job on Monday.”

  “That’s wonderful, Leo!” Without thinking, she launched herself at him. His grandmother had confided in her how hard he’d been working the past year, and how important it was to him to pull his own weight both at the ranch and at work. “Congratulations.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. He deserved something good to happen to him.

  “Thanks,” he rumbled, banding his arms around her tight.

  The feel of all that lean, hard muscle stole her breath. All of a sudden, her joy for him turned to something a lot hotter as awareness surged through her body in wave after wave of heat.

  That was new.

  He must’ve felt it, too, because he stilled and drew back just enough to hold her gaze. “You’re not making this easy.”

  “M-making what easy?”

  “Resisting you.”

  Well hell, he wasn’t making things easy, either. She already liked him. A lot. That could prove problematic when she was free to leave.

  But that was two years from now. A lot could happen in two years.

  With her heart pounding a crazy beat in her chest, she tipped her head and decided to take a chance. “What if I don’t want you to?”

  Something flashed through his eyes, an aching hunger that matched her own. Muttering an oath, he stepped back into her personal space.

  The butterflies in her stomach fluttered to life, then swarmed up a storm as she watched his mouth slowly lower to hers. For a split second they shared a breath before he covered her lips with his in a knee-weakening kiss she felt to the tips of her hair.

  As if wanting to savor her, he inched his hands up her arms, over her throat, to caress her jaw with his thumbs. Unexpected and amazing, a current surged through her, tingling her body to life. She had the goose bumps to prove it. He tipped her face and deepened the kiss.

  Damn, he was a good kisser. The best. She ran her hands up his chest, over his shoulders to hold tight, enjoying the feel of his solid strength against her curves. He was hot and hard, and it was weird how her whole body softened because of it. Taking his time, he sampled and tasted,
teasing her lips with his tongue until she almost whimpered. But she wasn’t a whimperer.

  She wasn’t much of anything when it came to sex. Oh, she enjoyed it, but it usually took her a while to get there.

  It wouldn’t with Leo, if his kiss was anything to go by. Need vibrated through her, and she was mere seconds away from melting into him. If it weren’t for needing oxygen, she never wanted it to end.

  Just when she was about to pass out, Leo broke the kiss, setting his forehead against hers while he sucked in air. Doing the same, she tried to make sense of what just happened.

  It wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed. Goodness, she’d had her fair share, but this one was exceptional. More than her mouth was engaged. It was as if her whole body jolted to life.

  “Damn, Kaydee.” Still breathing heavy, he drew back enough for her to note that his blue gaze was dark and hungry. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time now.”

  “Me, too.” She slid her hands from his shoulders up into his gorgeous hair, loving the feel of the soft strands on her fingers. Such a contradiction to his hard body. “I’ve also wanted to do this,” she said, tugging his head down until their lips met again.

  Back and forth, she teased and drank, giving his mouth the same treatment he gave hers a minute ago. Kaydee didn’t know what prompted Leo to finally make a move, but damn, she was glad he had.

  So damn glad.

  Apparently, he was, too, because he slid one hand up her back and used the other to hold her head at an angle while he swept his tongue inside her mouth, and proceeded to drive her wild.

  Over and over he explored, and she explored, too, brushing his tongue with hers, eager to learn his taste, his likes, and his loves. She simultaneously touched his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He let out a groan and crushed her closer.

  A love. Definitely a love.

  Empowered by that knowledge, she gladly met him stroke for stroke. He was a master, and she desperately wanted to climb up his body to feel more of him. She needed more.

  But once again, lack of air had them drawing back and inhaling while their foreheads met. Spurts of hot air hit her face as she worked to regain control and she tried to remove the fog from her brain.