Briar's Cowboys (5 page)

“But she’s looking to sell, so she doesn’t need to worry about that,” Jax said.

Briar turned in her seat, her back to the door so she could see them both and judge their reactions. From the corner of her eye, she saw the man in the back approach the rear window. He slapped the top of the cab. Lifting a hand, to acknowledge the gesture, Jax turned the vehicle and headed toward the other supply field.

“Maybe not,” Briar said as they drove. She bit her lip, waiting for protests. Surely, they’d think a female owning the Last Chance—a female who knew next to zero about ranching—would be a bad idea.

Both heads jerked toward her.

“Maybe not
what
?” Ram asked.

“I’m considering
not
selling.”

Ram grinned while Jax turned to peer out the windshield again. She wanted to think he was focusing on his path for their safety, but he didn’t look pleased. Not at all. A rock settled in her stomach. So was she suitable for a momentary encounter, as he surely thought she’d be if she sold the ranch, but he didn’t like that she might be around permanently?

“You don’t say,” Ram commented. At least,
he
seemed happy. “Hmm… Good news, eh, Jax?” He elbowed the man, indicating some undercurrent of which she wasn’t aware. Jax didn’t appear to think this was good news at all.

“Were you hoping I’d sell?” she asked, a little hurt. She ignored the indignant female part of her and focused on business. “I might not know a ton about ranching, but I’m willing to learn. With a good staff, I’m sure I can manage.”

“Don’t mind grouchy over there,” Ram said. “He was just hoping to sign on as foreman for the new owner of the Last Chance. That’s all.”

“Then why would it matter if I own the place or not? I’d still need a foreman,” she replied. “It looks like he’s done a standup job around here already. Would you recommend him?”

“I’m right here,” Jax growled, glaring over at both of them.

“I sure would,” Ram answered, ignoring his friend. “I bet if you asked around—like to Cannon, Hawk and your cousin Robert—you’d hear the same things.”

“Does he have a problem working for a woman?”

Jax drew in a breath.

“No,” Ram laughed. “It’s not that—”

“Is it because of money? Can I afford a foreman?” she asked. “I guess that should be my first question.”

Maybe, that was Jax’s problem. Maybe, he knew she couldn’t afford staff and wanted someone who’d come in with fists full of cash. God knew her bartending had barely gotten her by back in Chicago. Coyote Ugly, it had not been. More like Coyote Broke.

“I don’t see that you have much of a choice, sweetheart,” Ram replied. “You need to have someone in charge. I bet Jax would work for room and board until things are back on their feet here.”

“I’m right here!” Jax exclaimed again, with more irritation.

“Then speak up, man,” Ram replied, jostling his shoulder into Jax. The pair got along—and bickered—in such a manner, Briar would have known they were lovers, as well as friends, even if she hadn’t seen them in the barn. It was impossible to ignore the static that seemed to arc between them.

“I’d talk if you’d give me a chance to get in a word,” Jax complained.

“Okay, then,” she cut in before Ram answered him. “Tell me your qualifications.”

Over the next hour, Jax relayed his school and work experience, including specific tasks he’d overseen at the Flying D and other leadership roles. He shared his knowledge of the Last Chance and his vision for its revitalization. Ram for his part told of his lesser, but still considerable, experience and expressed his desire to be second in command, perhaps overseeing the breeding and calving, which had been much of his focus since leaving the rodeo and joining the crew at her cousin’s ranch.

They shared the information between forays into the storm to deal with the bales. Once the first four bundles were broken open for the stock, they merely transported the rest and left them bound for the animals to gnaw at. The trucks and the forklift worked together, all taking loads and cutting back on trips to the pasture.

The whole time, her fingers itched for her camera. She’d have loved nothing more than to photograph this work. The images of the four rugged cowboys fighting the weather to care for the ranch’s livestock were striking. Though she had little faith in the quality of the photos she’d get, she pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped shot after shot to record the activity. The idea that she could document this lifestyle and utilize her otherwise dead degree was sweet to her palate.

Coming to Daly offered her so many opportunities she hadn’t imagined before returning here. There were so many things to photograph. The anthropologist inside her wanted to catalog every little facet of society here in Daly, from the rugged lifestyle of the cowboys to the normalcy and acceptance of ménage relationships.

She had plenty of time to think of the projects she could do and capture moments of work in the driving snow. It seemed like forever before the five of them stowed the equipment in the supply barn. The four men headed to the nearby stable where they’d left their horses after the ride from their cabin. Briar ran into the house to check the dinner she’d left in the slow cooker and make a new pot of coffee. Even if the heating tray was still on, the brew would now have the consistency of sludge. Quickly, she disposed of the old stuff and got a new batch going. Dinner smelled wonderful, and she turned the Crock-Pot down to warm.

She was just reaching for mugs when she heard the front door open and the stomping of boots on the porch. The sounds of them disrobing of outer gear followed.

“Hi,” Jax said, startling her. She hadn’t heard him walking through the house in his stocking feet. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter as she looked him up and down, from his damp, mussed hair to his wiggling toes. Her earlier arousal hadn’t completely subsided and now rekindled, warming her all over. Her breasts tingled, and she was sure if she moved her forearms away, her nipples would be rigid flags against the front of her shirt. Moisture pooled in her pussy as she remembered the encounter she’d interrupted earlier and the hot, promising looks that had followed.

The heat in Jax’s eyes told her he hadn’t forgotten and intended to continue what they’d been forced to waylay.

He rocked on his stocking feet. “Sorry to scare you. I figured you wouldn’t want our boots tromping through the place.” He nodded to the pot. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome. Cream? Sugar?” She glanced at the trio who now joined him. Good lord, they made a smoking-hot group, even with hat-hair and streaks of dirt on their faces and jeans.

“Black,” Jax, Ram and Hawk replied.

Cannon grinned. “Sweet, hot and creamy.”

“Cannon,” Jax groaned.

A warm flush rushed to Briar’s face. Jax’s and Ram’s intent gazes matched the looks Hawk and Cannon gave her now. Her breath caught in her chest, her pulse throbbing as she stared wide-eyed at the four.

Four…

Four. Men.

And her. Four men and
her
.

She’d heard of such a thing, but even in her fantasies, she hadn’t imagined it. It had seemed too distant from reality. What did it say about her that the idea tantalized her now?

Maybe she was just reading too much into things. These cowboys might be gigantic flirts who had no real interest in her. Maybe she’d been too long without sex and was imagining things. That was probably the case. What were the chances that all four of them would want her?

Cannon gave the other men a disgruntled scowl. Jax raised a commanding eyebrow at him, silently telling the man to toe the line.

“Black,” Cannon muttered, grudgingly, and Briar almost felt sorry for him. Apparently, Jax was in charge of the group on and off the range.

“I, um, made cookies this afternoon,” Briar stammered out, changing the subject and going to get the container from the pantry. “There are half baths in the front and back of the entry hall if you want to wash up.”

When she turned to come back to the table, thinking all the guys had left, she found Jax still in the room. She heard the other three moving off to the washrooms. He took the cookies and set them on the oval, pine table.

“What do you think about hiring us—me and Ram, I mean?” he asked. “Cannon and Hawk are heading back East in a month.”

And they were back to business. The swings in atmosphere were making her dizzy.

She tucked her thumbs in her front pockets, taking a solid stance as they discussed the jobs. “I think it would be a good deal for me. You’re both experienced, and you’ve done great taking care of this place the past year. When I talked to Verity and Robert this afternoon while I was unpacking, both of them mentioned how impressive you’ve been so Ram’s recommendation wasn’t a surprise. You’re familiar with the ranch’s workings and its accounts, and that’s something I need. But what about pay? You mentioned I don’t have a lot to offer staff.”

“True enough.” Jax nodded thoughtfully as she spoke, and he met her question with a half-smile. “It might not seem the smartest in the world, but I’d take room and board for now. So would Ram. We both have cash tucked away since we don’t have much need to spend while working for the Flying D. He’s got more laid up from his rodeo days, and I have a small income from attorney fees. The three of us could work as a team to get things moving, and who knows? Maybe you can find some guys like the Ivy-Leaguers out there who’d want to work the ranch just for experience.”

“Maybe…” It seemed too good to be true.

“What do you think?”

“I think it sounds as if I’m getting the better end of the deal.”

He raised an eyebrow and gave a half-shrug. “Perspective, I guess,” he offered. “I’d be getting what I want, regardless of monetary compensation. So…are we hired?”

“Is it going to piss off my cousin that I’m stealing two of his men?”

“He’ll get over it.” Jax laughed. “We haven’t been working his place for most of the year. He won’t miss us, and he knows a good opportunity when he sees one. He wouldn’t begrudge us this.”

“Okay then. Welcome to the Last Chance. Yay! You and Ram are my first employees!”

“Yay,” he echoed, his tone quiet.

He studied her, and his jaw jutted as he locked it, seemingly fighting himself. Suddenly, a pulse started to throb just below the corner of his right eye. He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Still shaking his head slightly, still seeming to argue with himself, he stepped closer and his hands landed on her hips.

His dark gaze stared into hers.

“To be clear,” he rasped. “I was hired before I did this.”

With that, his head tipped, and his lips covered hers. She sucked in a gasp as his mouth opened, and his breath filled her, making her lightheaded. She groaned into him. Her fingers clenched in the front of his thermal shirt as she steadied herself and went on tiptoe to take all he gave. The day’s confusion fled leaving behind crystal-clear clarity and the lust she’d felt since the first time he’d visited her apartment. She wanted him, and he definitely wanted her.

His hand slid from her hip to her lower back, and he pulled her closer to him. She melted into his hard body, feeling every firm, manly ridge. A tiny voice inside her whispered that maybe she should move away, stop this. It was too soon even if it was what she really wanted, but the miniscule protest was almost immediately lost in the cacophony of the reaction storming through her and taking over.

Her thoughts raced, but nothing made sense. Instead, everything hit her as impressions. His warm, hard body. The demanding grip of his hands. The possessive way he held her. The manly scent of his skin and the spicy fragrance that had tormented her all afternoon. The cinnamon from the gum he’d had earlier. The warmth of his skin though he’d just come in from the cold.

Corresponding heat coiled in her belly, and she wondered if her flesh might ignite from the fire burning through her veins and pulsing through her most sensitive spots. Her breasts ached to be free then captured by his hands. It was basic, feminine instinct far removed from intellect that pushed her deeper into the embrace of this alpha male. Her thoughts would revile her later; right now was reserved for visceral need.

It was almost too much to grasp. Her world dimmed and narrowed to the union of their lips and the feel of their bodies pressing together. If he’d taken her to the floor and fucked her into the tile right then, she wouldn’t stop him. Her entire being wanted this cowboy, right now, and the hell with everything else.

When their kiss suddenly broke, her choppy breathing seemed loud to her ears and she blinked wildly to bring the world back into focus. He kept her in his embrace while she struggled to regain equilibrium. Her heart crashed in her chest so loudly, she wondered if he heard it.

“Am I fired?” he asked softly.

“No,” she rasped. She’d never been so aroused, and in the back of her head, she knew this was only the forerunner of more to come. She’d decided earlier that the men had been teasing her, but Jax’s mouth on hers wasn’t a joke. “We…we should talk about this,” she managed.

“Later,” he replied. “Don’t over think things, Briar. Things are simpler here. It’s about the land, sex and survival. The weak leave and the brave survive. Be brave.”

“I am.” With a half-crazy mother and no one else to rely on, it had been her only choice in life. She knew all about survival and doing what had to be done to get by. “Do you think I’m brave enough to deal with you…and Ram?”

There was no question the other man would be part of this.

“We’ll have to see,” Jax hedged, a devilish glint of intention in his eyes.

“Maybe you’re not brave enough to deal with me,” she offered.

With a growl, Jax claimed her lips again and jerked her closer to him as if to deny her taunt. Suddenly, her ass was on the edge of the table, and he stepped between her legs. His cock ground to the place where she’d desperately needed him since the day they’d met. She trembled as his fingertips skated along her lower back and into the waistband of her jeans. They just barely breached the top edge of her panties, teasing her with the promise of more but not until she begged.