Second Burn Cowboy (Second Chance Series Book 6) (6 page)

Elsa
wished she had an ounce of his hope.

CHAPTER FOUR

DECKLAND SAT ON the top rail of the fence and scanned the enclosed pasture flowing with Black Angus cattle. Next week, another two-hundred head would be delivered.

Because the ranch was
growing rapidly, Dillon was taking care of purchasing new equipment. They could never have enough trucks and tractors, but he wanted to keep a close eye on profit versus loss.

After much deliberation, they were expanding onto the
farmland April’s grandfather had left her. Dante already built the fencing, and builders were working on three more outbuildings for the feed business.

Pride washed over him. The ranch was becoming everything he’d wanted. His family would live here, his nieces and nephews, and possibly his own children one day, God willing. A good dose of risk, and a helluva lot of belief, was finally paying off.

He brought the neckline of his T-shirt up to wipe the sweat from his forehead but stopped when he got a strong whiff of
sugar. Hell, the shirt had been washed since Elsa had worn it to bed her first night here, yet her scent lingered. Maybe it was his imagination. Whatever the reason, the smell teased his senses and his zipper bulged. Good thing his Wranglers were built tough or he’d break a seam.

His body responded at every slight breeze and he blamed his sensitivity
on his dry spell for the last year. A cold bed every night mixed with the fact there was a beautiful woman living under the same roof was pure torment.

He swiped his pal
m down his dirt-encrusted jeans and noticed a strand of hair clinging to his thigh. He pulled the hair from the material and held it up. The golden color glistened in the sunlight.

After s
wallowing, the ache in his throat remained. He’d never lived with a woman that he wasn’t related to and this was all new—a test of willpower.

Yesterday, he
’d come in from work and found the house spotless and smelling like a pine tree. She’d even washed, dried, and folded his clothes and stacked them neatly on his bed.

He wasn’t complaining, but it took a lot to remember to lower the toilet seat when he finished.

Going into the bathroom that morning, he found intimate garments hanging from the shower rod. Red lace and thin silk made the craving in his gut tenfold. He’d turned around, stomped down the stairs and headed straight to work. Thankfully, Dillon brought him a cup of coffee from a drive-thru. It’d only eased his need for caffeine for as long as it took to get to the bottom of the foam cup.

Hearing the
purr of a truck, he glanced up as Tucker Bailey parked and slid from the driver’s side. Deckland waved his long-time friend over. The tall man, similarly dressed and build as Deckland, moved across the grass.

He was
looking for a ranch hand specializing in raising Black Angus and, thankfully, he found Tucker was back in town and looking for a new position. Deckland knew Tucker’s reputation of hard work, and he had fifteen years of experience under his belt.

Deckland jumped down from the fence and
greeted the other man with a handshake. “Long time no see, Tucker. Thanks for coming out here.”

Tucker pushed his
hat back on his forehead. “Hell, buddy, when I heard you were looking for help I couldn’t wait to talk to you. I see Brooke Creek has grown since I was here last. How’s it going?”

“So far so good. I’m
getting another shipment of Angus soon and I need someone who knows the ins and outs of breeding the cattle. Are you up for the job?”

Tucker smiled
and scratched his fine layer of beard. “Am I up for it? I was born to ranch, Deckland.”

“
I’ll expect you to take up the slack since my brothers and I are tied up in other business for the time being. As you know, supervising a ranch is hard, dirty work. Besides the cattle, you’ll be required to unload and stack hay, make sure the water reservoirs are always filled, mixing the feed with special oats for different breeds—”

Tucker
clapped him on the back. “Deck, you and I’ve known each other for a long time. If you doubted my capabilities and skill, you wouldn’t have wasted my time, or yours, and had me come all the way out here. Now, I understand you and your brothers have struck up a fine deal with McGraw and Taylor and you’re busy on the legal side of business these days. You can count on me holding up your end. I assure you.”

Deckland gave a quick nod. Tucker was
a clever man and dependable. There was a rumor floating around that he’d split up with his girl and hit bottom barrel, the reason why he’d sold his ranch and left Texas for a while. Deckland didn’t care about the gossip. As long as the man came to work and did his job, tongues could wag. “You know I’m real picky about the feed we give our livestock and horses. That’s probably why we get the best price for the beef. I’ll show you the mixtures. That’s real important.”

“
I’ll make sure you get the final check on everything.”

“You bet.
I trust you and that’s why I want you here, on this land, with my brothers and me. Take no offense with me keeping a close eye. Fair warning.”

Tucker stared into the distance.
“None taken. I know this is your life, and it means a lot to loosen up the reins and allow someone else to step in. You can count on the fact that I’ll run this place like a well-oiled machine. Just like I did with my own place.”

Deckland
leaned against the rail, looking at the mass of cattle again. When he’d decided he needed more help around the ranch, he’d felt a lot of guilt, but he knew he had to give up some responsibility to gear the ranch toward something better. He’d wanted to keep things the way his dad had done them, but it was time to move into modern times. Now that they’d started the feed business, he was being pulled in too many directions.

Letting go of any remaining
doubt, he heaved a sigh. “When can you start?”

“Y
esterday.” Tucker smiled.

“That’s what I like to hear. How about coming tomorrow? W
e’ll get you started and you can meet the rest of the gang. Don’t know what your plans are for housing, but we have lodging quarters here and the extra space if you need it.”

“I think I’ll take you up o
n that, Deckland. I like keeping my life simple. I’ll be honest, I can’t promise I’ll settle here forever, but I won’t leave you high and dry.”

“Never know what you might find down the road. This is your hometown.”

****

Elsa spread the
ganache over the last cupcake, and the chocolate dripped across her hand. She brought her finger to her mouth and licked the sweet goodness. Pleased, she stepped back and admired her success.

M
ovement in the doorway caught her attention. Deckland leaned against the door, watching her. His hat was low, shading his eyes. A slight smile curved one corner of his mouth, and a heat wave washed over her.

She dropped her gaze over six foot
something of tall, masculine, sexier-than-hell cowboy. His jeans fit his muscular thighs in a way that made the pads of her fingers ache for a touch. The top buttons of his shirt were open and she glimpsed smooth, broad chest—another part that deserved an exploration of hands and tongue.

Giving her head a shake
, she hoped to dislodge her naughty thoughts, but they continued to explode.

In her defense, what woman wouldn’t like to lather his coiled body with butter
—or even better—chocolate.

“Y
ou okay?” His rich tone did funny things to the soft hairs on her neck.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long.” He pushed away from the wood and sauntered closer
, dragging his hat from his head. He laid it to the side. His eyes looked stark against his dark skin and he had a layer of beard lining his jaw, which made him seem tougher—dangerous.

She had plans for him.

“Since you’re here, can I use you?” She lifted a brow.

His wicked smile made her squirm
. “I like the sound of that.” He winked.

He
was teasing, she knew, but it didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t resistant. “Glad to hear.” She glanced over the massive amount of cupcakes and picked out one. “Do you like cake?”

“V
ery much.” He rubbed his chin. She guessed his mind remained in the gutter.

“
Who can resist, right?” She came around the counter and lifted the treat. “Try please.” She held it while he took a bite. A spot of icing lingered on his bottom lip and, before she could think over her action, wiped it away with her thumb and licked the sweetness from her digit.

What should have been an awkward moment
instead seemed natural. She was comfortable around Deckland, drawn to him. This scared her considering her man-dar had never worked right. Separating real men from the wannabes wasn’t her strong suit, but this cowboy, he was the real thing.

Too bad she didn’t have her head on straight.

Could she see attraction in his eyes as he looked at her? Was she fooling herself?

What made her think a man like Deckland
would be interested in a woman like her? They’d shared a kiss, true, but he was as wonderful as a man could be. Women across the county pegged him as the bachelor of the year—the decade.

She knew nothing
about commitment, trust, family—all of the things that came second nature for him. Operating Elsa’s Fluff was the most commitment she had in her entire thirty-two years. And now, even that was gone.

He leaned in and took
the rest of the cupcake, his gaze holding hers in a honeyed embrace. His outdoorsy scent, combined with his closeness, turned everything deep inside of her as moist and rich as the cake she’d served him. There was just something intimate about feeding him, reminding her of lovers sharing.

A twinkle lit his eye. Would he kiss her? She longed to ease into his arms
, and realized the barrier was thinning.

“I
s that the cupcake for the wedding?” His words popped her back into reality.

Clearing her
throat, she hoped her voice worked. “Yes—uhh—I call it heaven.”

“It most certainly is.” He kept his eyes
linked with hers. Did he realize the mayhem he played with her emotions?

She took
a step into a safety zone, but the heat remained between them, hot enough to melt her panties. She ached for him, needed him but when everything she touched disappeared, she feared he would too. Forcing her mind back on track, she grabbed another flavor of cupcake. “Will you try another and compare the two? This one has a hint of orange flavor.”

“I’m beginning to like this job.”

This time she handed it to him and he ate it in one bite. “So, what do you think? Heaven or Sunset?”

He chewed slowly, wiping
the back of his hand across his mouth. “Heaven, definitely. Although both are delicious.”

She grabbed the wet dishrag and wiped the counter, more to reduce excess energy than necessity.
“Great. Thank you. I thought so too, but I couldn’t stop second-guessing myself. My plans are to start a cookbook when I get time and I have to write all of my recipes on paper. I have to start over since my laptop was destroyed in the fire.” She was rambling, and he was quiet. She spun on heel, not realizing he was still standing behind her, she bumped against his iron hard chest. “Oh sorry.”

“You have icing in your hair.” His
sweet-scented breath brushed her cheek.

“I—I make a mess when I bake.”
Swiping a hand over her hair, she noticed his smile. “Still there?”

“Here, let me.” He threaded his fingers through
her tresses, gentle for a man with such large hands. “There, all gone.” His hand lingered then he swept his thumb along her ear.

“Deckland…” His name fell from her lips.

“Yes?”

“Is your body tingling too?” she whispered.

“Tingling, blood rushing through my veins and my heart is thudding.” He slid his hand to her nape, stretching his fingers along the sensitive skin, triggering prickles of heat down her spine.

“I
s this safe?” They were so close that the tips of their noses almost touched.

“Is anything ever safe when it comes to attraction?”

Beep, beep.

Elsa
jumped at the sound of the oven timer. “My cupcakes.”

He pulled back
—way back. “I guess you have to get that, huh?” Disappointment covered his expression.

For the life of her,
she couldn’t think. The cupcakes didn’t matter, nothing except her feelings. But before she could find the words to tell him what she wanted, he crossed the room. “I better go grab a shower.”

She
watched him walk out as regret washed over her. In frustration, she went to the stove and took out the pan. “Awful timing,” she whispered.