Breaking the Bad Boy (9 page)

“Hello, Joss,” he said and handed the huge bouquet of flowers to her. “Barefoot in the kitchen, you look lovely.” She looked at her feet.

“I have socks on. These are beautiful,” she said and went back into the kitchen to find a vase for them. “I’m not sure Brent can have flowers in his room yet, but I can enjoy them.”

“They’re not for Brent, Joss, those are for you,” Jake said coming closer to her and looking disappointed at the presence of the roses on the table in the kitchen.

“Oh. Well thanks, Jake, but why on earth would you bring me flowers, is it because I just blew a week’s pay at your store?”

“You don’t make it easy on a man, Joss,” he said to her. She stood up from under the sink with a vase in her hand.

“Nothing should be too easy, where’s the fun in that? What’s wrong, Jake, you look like you’re passing a kidney stone,” she said jokingly.

“I’ve come to make my intentions known, Joss. I’ve been a widower for two years now, and I’m ready to move on. I didn’t think I was until you came into my store and nearly knocked me flat,” he said with a shy grin.

“Oh Jake, please don’t,” she said her eyes huge.
Fuck
!

“Now just hear me out, Joss. I know you have a reputation for being a wild child, but I’m a good guy, and the store is turning a handsome profit,” he was listing his assets; she was in a Jane Austen western.

“Jake, I…” he held up a hand to stop her.

“Despite your dubious reputation, I aim to try to make an honest woman out of you,” he said smiling.

“Oh, well, Jake, I’m flattered, sort of. Well, I was until you said ‘dubious reputation,’” she started. “Did you discuss me with your son at all? He may have set you straight about me being a wild child.”
One naked guy in the barn and your reputation’s shot forever.

“I haven’t said a word to anyone, Joss, I barely know what I’m doing here myself, I couldn’t just let you slip through my fingers and not give it a try. Although, it would make me happy to know you didn’t sleep with Shane, I know it’s none of my business,” he said looking hopeful.

“I didn’t sleep with Shane, and you’re right, it’s none of your business. But Jake, I…” he held up his hand again and she stopped.

“Now, I know I’m a little older than you are, but I’m healthy and strong, and I could keep up with you,” he said grinning at her and taking a step closer. “I could make you happy, Joss, really happy. Let me try. They don’t call me
Big
Jake for nothing,” he said in a softer voice. Shocked, she stepped back a little and found she was pressed right up against the fridge. A Jane Austen western porn movie, she thought and almost laughed. He put his hand by her head and leaned in for a kiss. She put her hand on his chest to stop him getting any closer.

“Jake, please don’t, you’re making me very uncomfortable,” she said turning away. “I’m sorry Jake; I don’t want to complicate or compromise our friendship like that. I like you, and I’d hate to lose your friendship. Thank you for asking, though, I’m terribly flattered,” she turned back to him and smiled. He was staring at her neck where he could see her rapid pulse, and he could smell her, and he simply couldn’t pull away. “Please step back.”

“Joss, you’re so unbelievably sexy, I…”

The screen door squeaked open.

“Honey, I’m home,” Buck called from the doorway, slamming the screen door. “Whatever you’re cooking smells great.” He walked into the kitchen slowly, giving Jake enough time to step away from Joss. “Thanks for picking up the condoms, darlin’ we were running dangerously low,” he stopped when he got near the kitchen and looked up. “Oh, I didn’t know we had company.”
Like hell you didn’t
, she thought.

“Jake, this is Buck,” she said and watched as they shook hands appraising each other.

“See ya, Joss, swing by the store again real soon,” Jake said looking at her. She nodded biting her lower lip. Jake walked out and she turned away from Buck to search the cabinets for chocolate. There was nothing, so she washed her hands at the sink, not ready to look at Buck’s self satisfied smile. Then she felt the heat of him immediately behind her.

“He’ll still take you if you go to him right now and tell him I’m an asshole,” he said softly right behind her right ear. She exhaled loudly.

“I don’t think he needs anyone to tell him that,” she said and he laughed softly, blowing his warm breath on her neck. He put his lips there a second later, and she jumped, adrenaline shooting through her. “Please,” she whispered, not knowing what she meant by it. Please don’t do that, or please take me here on the kitchen table. His hands went to her hips and he moved her back into him. Okay, she thought, it’s please take me right here on the kitchen table. He ran his tongue up her neck to her ear where he lightly bit her earlobe. A tiny moan left her throat surprising her, and enflaming him.

“You taste really good, Duchess,” he growled in her ear softly, “I knew you would.” And then he let go of her and walked silently away. Her body swayed dangerously as she got her breathing back under control. She opened her eyes and looked out the window. Fernando stood in the yard staring at her. She frowned at him and he shook his head and walked away.

With shaky hands she finished making the lasagna and put it in the oven. It was a good thing he was leaving in the morning, he was far too disconcerting. He was just messing with her, throwing her off her guard, making her want him like that. He would be the first in a long time.
Why was there no chocolate in this house
?

She shook her head and grabbed the crossword and a pen and went out to the porch with a beer. Ten minutes later she was halfway done with the puzzle when something caught her eye in the distance. Coyotes? She wondered, squinting a little at them. No, they were wolves, she stood up and went to get the binoculars and slammed into Buck’s chest and she squeaked. He grabbed her so she wouldn’t fall, she guessed, and his eyebrows went up. She looked into his eyes and shivered when she thought of his mouth on her throat and she walked past him into the house, grabbed the binoculars and came back out.

She leveled them on the wolves in the distance and sure enough, there were two mature wolves loping across the field. This was so cool; she thought and smiled at Buck. “Do you see them? I’ve never seen wolves here before.” She put the binoculars back to her eyes and he stepped in front of her blocking her view. Lowering the binoculars she glared at him with an arched eyebrow. Why was he so childish? He shook his head minutely and took the binoculars from her hand. Looking past him she saw two hands coming to the house Buck handed the binoculars back to her and cocked his head for her to step inside with them, and she did.

The three men spoke briefly and looked up at Joss smiling. When the two left, Buck stepped inside again.

“Ranchers don’t care for wolves, Duchess. It’s healthier for the wolves if they don’t know about them,” he said.

“Why would you be any different?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps I have a more democratic spirit when it comes to animals,” he looked at her. “Speaking of animals, in about an hour the crew I asked to join me tomorrow is going to show up here to bunk for the night. Brent’s asked me to ask you to make yourself scarce.” He grinned. “You can stay in your room or you can stay in my room. I got a fresh box of condoms just going to go bad.”

“Brent said that, did he?”

“Nope, that was all me,” he said.

“You’re insufferable,” she said.

“Yes, I am,” he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards and gave her a big grin. “Your room or my room?”

She shook her head at him. “Insufferable,” she said and made to go past him and he touched her arm to stop her.

“Keep the house locked up while I’m gone, Duchess. Somebody deliberately opened that fence, and I don’t know why, but I’d hate to think it was to get me out of the way for a few days. Be careful, I have big plans for you, I’d hate for you to get hurt.” He walked back outside.

Big plans? She thought of his tongue on her throat and she shivered again. How did he do that to her? Asshole.

Joss took her dinner to her room and checked her email and read part of one of the books on her book shelf she hadn’t read before. She was antsy and she wouldn’t be able to sleep and she felt trapped. She listened to the men eat and laugh and grow quiet out in the living room, and decided it was safe for her to go out and drink a shot of the frozen vodka.

She felt bad about Jake, he was a nice man, if somewhat deluded. If Buck hadn’t shown up she would have had to tell him she wasn’t interested anyway. She did try to tell him, but he had not been listening to her, backing her up to the fridge and sniffing at her neck. Weird behavior. She liked it when Buck did the same thing five minutes later, though.

It surprised her to think she had a reputation as a wild child, and it pissed her off a little, too, but she supposed she’d earned it. It only took one count of public nudity and she had the scarlet letter emblazoned on her chest for life.

Joss didn’t bother with any lights, she knew her way to the kitchen. She put her dish in the sink and found the freezer without incident.

With the loss of her little brother and the subsequent departure of her mother, Joss had acted out. She had been a wild child in high school, drinking early, and often. School work hadn’t been much of a challenge, and she maintained good grades, she just needed to fill the void and didn’t know how to do it. The girls hated her, but boys flocked to her. That was when she discovered the effect she had on members of the opposite sex.

Boys her age and older would do anything for something as simple as a kiss. Joss pushed the boundaries until Billy Tomlinson pushed right back. She had always thought she was smarter than most people, she was definitely smarter than Billy, but when he touched her it was as if her brain just wanted to sit back and watch. Her body became a tingling mass of sensation. Joss had only felt that heat one other time until Buck slid silently into her life. And Buck was silent. She had never encountered anyone so quiet and still. If he didn’t disturb her so much he would be very soothing. Every movement was graceful and deliberate.
Stop it, Joss.

A wild child, she huffed out a snide laugh. By today’s standards she was more like Pollyanna, but twelve years ago she was a regular vamp, caught in the act. She guessed once that reputation was in place it was hard to shake. She filled a small glass and put the bottle back in the freezer. Was Jake’s thinking that she was sleeping with Buck better than just being told that she wasn’t interested, she wondered? He was definitely making her uncomfortable pushing her up against the fridge like that. He was starting to piss her off, even. The whole grabbing her waist thing was too much; she would have to tell him to cut it out.

She had the distinct impression that Buck would not do anything to her she didn’t absolutely want him to do. That didn’t leave much, the man oozed competence. Buck, what was she going to do about Buck? He was undeniably delectable with his bad boy good looks. She didn’t like pretty men on the whole, and Buck was gorgeous, but not pretty. His eyes were pretty, though. “Stop it, Joss. He is a very bad boy,” she said out loud in the silence of the house.

She’d be back in
Denver
before anything started with Buck, right? Something had already started with Buck, who was she kidding? It had been a long time since someone touched her like he did a few hours ago in the kitchen, and had such an effect on her. She looked across the black living room towards his bedroom. It called to her, but she wouldn’t go. He was a treat, but he was also an asshole, and she didn’t need that in her life, she needed to concentrate on Brent.

She began walking back to her room but made a detour to find the unfinished crossword puzzle. Someone had moved the coffee table away from its usual position in front of the couch, and she barked her shin on it. “Fuck,” she whispered fiercely and reached for the couch. When she got there she stepped on something left on the floor and pitched forward supporting herself with the couch cushions which turned out to be a firm thigh instead. “Fuck,” she hissed even louder, and two hands rose from the couch and pulled her down on to a warm hard body which she poured her frozen vodka on. She heard him gasp and she gasped a second later when she was pulled on top of that and it covered her chest, too.