Boots and Twisters (7 page)

“I know, but chivalry isn’t dead.” He slung the bag over his shoulder. “Humor me.”

“You’re the boss.” She followed him to the porch, dropped the duffle bag and sat down on the steps, leaning back on her elbows. “It’s beautiful.”

Isaac sat beside her and leaned back on his elbows as well. “
I
think so.”

“Someone else doesn’t?”

“My partner thinks he wants to move back to Houston.”

Lucky shot a glance at Isaac. “I personally can’t see how anyone would prefer Houston over this.”

“Me either.” Isaac continued to stare at the night sky. “Tell me about yourself, Lucky.”

She stiffened beside him. “You might not want me to work for you if I tell you about myself.”

Isaac chuckled. “Unless you’re a convicted felon, I can’t imagine you’ve done anything fire-worthy.”

Lucky hesitated. “Well, actually…”

“I won’t believe if it if you tell me you’ve killed someone, unless it was justifiable homicide.”

She laughed and relaxed a little. “No, I haven’t killed anyone that I know, but you might as well know now.” With a deep breath, she told him, “I have an unlucky streak the size of Texas.”

Isaac wiped his hand across his forehead. “Whew! For a minute there I thought it was something big.”

“Maybe you don’t understand.” Lucky faced him. “The good people of Comfort, Texas, ran me out of town because of my bad luck.”

He laughed and stopped mid-chuckle at the serious look on her face. Lucky really believed her luck was the issue.

“I mean look at what’s happened already. I pushed Audrey’s truck into a ditch and destroyed half her liquor stores. I’m bad luck.” Though tears welled in her eyes, she didn’t let one loose. She bit into her lip, making Isaac want to pull her close and kiss her troubles away.

“Ah, Lucky. It can’t be that bad.” He couldn’t resist and gathered her in his arms.

“Since my father died, I have no home to go to. But the real bad luck started the day my fiancé was killed in a car wreck. A wreck I should have died in too.”

Isaac’s chest tightened. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry you lost your fiancé, but I’m glad you didn’t die in that wreck.”

She leaned into him, her cheek resting against his shoulder. “I’m not looking for sympathy. I’m just tired.” She looked to the stars. “Tired of things going wrong around me, tired of moving on.” With a soft snort, she gave him a crooked smile. “Most people don’t know how lucky they have it.”

The faraway look in her face and the hollow tone in her voice nailed it for Isaac. He held her, his arms secure around her. “You must have loved him a lot.”

“I did, but it’s been two years. I’m finally getting over it, but my luck hasn’t changed. I really wish it would.”

“You’ve had some tough breaks.”

“I didn’t come here to cry over my crappy life,” she said into his shirt, without pulling away. “But thanks.”

After a while, he pushed her to arm’s length. “Did you ever consider that maybe your streak of bad luck brought you here? To Temptation, the Ugly Stick Saloon and the Triple J Ranch? Do you believe in fate?”

She leaned back, looked at him and shrugged. “Mostly when she slaps me in the face.”

“I believe fate brought you here and you’re just what the Triple J Ranch needed. And maybe the Triple J is what you need to get back on track.”

“I hope so.”

“Here’s to starting over.” He waved his hand in the air.

“Please tell me you sprinkled some magic dust with that wave.”

“Better. Consider your slate wiped clean. Lucky Albright has only good things ahead of her.”

Lucky didn’t look as confident as he felt. Isaac leaned forward and brushed her lips with his, liking the feel of hers. All soft and plump. Ripe for kissing.

Lucky’s eyes widened and her lips opened on a gasp. “What was that for?”

“For good luck.” He pulled her against him and kissed her again, this time lingering over the connection, his tongue darting out to skim the seam of her mouth.

“And that?” she whispered.

“That was because I couldn’t resist a beautiful woman in the moonlight.” He smiled down at her and pulled her to her feet.

She leaned up on her toes and kissed him back.

He laughed. “And what was that for?”

“I like the way you taste.”

“I could get used to you around here.”

The sad look in her eyes faded and she smiled.

Isaac’s heart flipped. Hell, the moonlight had nothing on Lucky’s smile. Her face lit up half the county and made him want to laugh out loud with joy. He could spend a lifetime making her smile. “You have a beautiful smile.”

Her smile faded to just a hint of one and she glanced down at her feet. “Thank you.”

With a finger beneath her chin, he tipped her head up. When she stared up into his face, his entire body lit on fire. The woman had no clue how desirable she was. For a moment, he hesitated, considering crushing her to his chest and taking more than a chaste kiss. But then he was afraid of scaring her on her first night at the ranch. Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out, willing his pulse to stop banging so hard. “It’s getting late. Let me show you to your room.”

“I am tired.”

“Right. Look, Lucky, I haven’t told my partner about you yet. I thought I’d give you a chance to show him what you’re made of before I break it to him that I’ve hired a ranch hand.”

Lucky pulled free of his hand. “You haven’t told him?”

“No.”

“And he won’t like it that you’ve hired a woman. Most cowboys wouldn’t.” It was a statement, not a question.

Isaac winked. “You got it. Thus the need to show him you can handle the work before he has a chance to say no.”

“Does he make all the decisions?”

“No, but it helps to get his buy-in. He can be cranky when he wants to be.” Isaac stood, pulled her to her feet and snagged her duffle bag.

“I’ll consider myself warned.” Lucky followed Isaac up the stairs. “And don’t worry. I’m a very good ranch hand.”

“I’m counting on it.” Isaac slipped an arm around her waist and ushered her into the house. “And you’re much better looking than any of the other hands on any ranch I’ve ever been to.”

Isaac had to admit to himself he’d hired Lucky on a lark, partly because they needed a ranch hand, but mostly because he knew the fact she was female would get under his brother’s skin.

But now that he knew she was honest enough to own up to the baggage that came with her, he liked her even more. What a bunch of horseshit the last town she’d lived in had heaped onto her. No one deserved to be kicked out of town for a bad streak of luck.

Lucky seemed genuine, just the type of girl Isaac had searched for all his life and that even Trent had said he was looking for. No pretense, no frills, pretty without being conscious of the fact, and a good hard worker.

Yeah, his and Trent’s luck was about to change and he looked forward to having Lucky around making it happen. And if he could steal another kiss from her and maybe more, well, that was just icing on the cake.

Lucky followed Isaac to the last bedroom at the end of the hallway, her mind on the kiss and the way Isaac made her feel when he held her in his arms—safe and warm, and burning hot at the same time. The cowboy from earlier that evening had left her feeling hot, twitchy and off balance, and yet she’d craved kisses from both men. And if she was honest with herself, a whole lot more. It had been a long time since she’d made love to a man.

When Isaac pushed the door open, he left the light off. Moonlight poured through the window, filling the room with a deep blue glow. Her gaze went straight for the bed and her blood pulsed, driving heat to her belly and lower.

He applied a slight pressure to the small of her back, ushering her through the doorway. “If you need anything, my room is right across the hall.” He turned her, his hand sliding around to her hip. “And I mean anything.”

“Even a kiss?” she said, before she could think about what she was starting.

He smiled. “That goes without saying.” He bent, his mouth coming down over hers, his lips claiming hers in a sensuous stroke.

She leaned up on her toes, her fingers circling the back of his neck, urging him closer. Lucky parted her lips, allowing his tongue inside to glide along hers. He tasted of mint.

He cupped her bottom and lifted her, wrapping her legs around him, pressing her breasts against his chest. “Stop me if I’m going too fast.”

For a moment she considered it, but after the craziness of the day, she needed to feel wanted, and wanted to feel needed. “What if your partner wakes?”

“Let him get his own woman.”

“Isaac.” Lucky braced her hands on either side of his face. “Just for the record, I’m not your woman.”

He grinned. “I’m sorry. You’re right and I know that.” His grin faded. “So what is this?”

“Two people taking advantage of moonlight?”

“Works for me.” He kicked the door shut behind them. “And maybe when we get to know each other better, I’ll convince you otherwise.”

He laid her in the middle of the bed and pushed her tank top up, trailing kisses along her belly.

Lucky writhed against the sheets. “Wow, that feels nice.”

“You think so?” He pushed the shirt up higher, exposing her lacy bra. She thanked the heavens for the miracle of dirty laundry. Normally she wore simple cotton bras because they didn’t itch as much when she worked out in the heat. Feeling feminine and sexy, she allowed him to pull the shirt up over her head and toss it to the floor.

He reached around her back and flipped the hooks open, sliding the straps down her arms, her breasts spilling out.

Lucky had always been a little self-conscious about her breasts. Growing up as a tomboy, they were annoying and in the way. Not until she’d met Sean had she realized how prized they were by men.

Isaac cupped one with his big, rough hand and flicked the nipple with the tip of his tongue.

“Sweet tea and grits!” she called out.

He chuckled and did it again.

Her back arched off the bed as if it had a mind of its own, pushing her breast deeper into Isaac’s mouth. Lucky’s breath caught and held, waiting for him to stroke her again.

When he did, a sharp zing of electricity sang through her veins, headed south to her core, awakening fires long banked. She feverishly worked the buttons on his chambray shirt, desire pushing her faster. Nothing less than skin on skin would do. When she released the last button, she pushed the shirt over his shoulders.

He leaned back, shucked the shirt and stood and slipped out of his jeans.

Lucky’s throat dried and her tongue swiped over her lips.

The man was beautiful, not an ounce of fat anywhere. His shoulders were wide, his arms bulged with well-defined muscles and his broad chest narrowed to a trim waist.

As her gaze wandered farther south, her belly tightened and her eyes widened. His cock jutted out long, hard and thick. Her pussy clenched, a wash of juices slicking the channel in anticipation.

When he reached for the snap on her jeans, she suddenly became conscious of where she was and what she was doing. “Wait.” She crossed her hands over her crotch. “We really shouldn’t. You’re the boss. I didn’t come to the Triple J to seduce you.”

Isaac laughed aloud. “You’re seducing me?”

She frowned. “Well, yes.”

“Then I’m not doing this right.” He shook his head, urging her hands aside with his. Then he bent to kiss her along the waistband of her jeans. “I should be wooing you, making you crazy with desire until you lose yourself in the moment.” He blew a stream of warm air into the gap between her jeans and her belly, then kissed her skin there. “I should make you want me so much that you wouldn’t even realize I was stripping the clothes from your beautiful, incredibly sexy body.”

“I’m not beautiful,” she said, but she didn’t stop him when he tugged the zipper down and dragged her jeans from her legs.

His gazed raked over her from her breasts to her sex, his eyes darkening in the moonlight. “You don’t see what I see.”

“No, but I see you.” Caught up in his seduction, she reached out to touch his hip, her hand sliding over the hard contours of his ass, loving how taut and firm he was.

His fingers wove through the hair at the apex of her thighs, parting her folds to that little nubbin she’d been stroking when she’d watched Audrey and Jackson get it on in the storeroom. The image of the lovers going at it among the boxes sent blasts of lust through her, and she let her knees fall to the side, inviting him in.

His first stroke against her clit had her digging her heels into the mattress. The second made her rise to greet the third and fourth. “If this is seduction, I’m a complete amateur.”

Isaac parted her folds and bent, placing his face close to her pulsing clit and blowing on the hot little bundle of excited nerves.

Her eyes widened and she tensed. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sealing the deal. Once you’ve had this, there will be no going back.”