Surrounded by Woods (7 page)

“It won’t be a problem, Mikaela. In fact, it’d probably be more informative if we all join you. Josh and I can meet up after your tour.”

Josh hoped his sigh of relief wasn’t too noticeable. He didn’t want one brother alone with her, much less all of them. He knew his father well enough to know he didn’t need to meet with Josh about anything. But his little plan to keep him away from her backfired when she suggested the tour be a group effort. No matter how much his dad hated Josh’s reaction to Mikaela, he was smart enough not to trust the rest of his sons alone with her either. At least now he could keep an eye on them and her.

After Mikaela dressed, the tour commenced. They spent three hours going over the grounds on ATVs, showing her the types of trees they planted and what each one was used for. They even gave a few demonstrations on how the trees were planted and cut with the heavy equipment. Mikaela asked all kinds of questions and genuinely seemed interested in what she was learning. She talked to everyone equally, including Josh. Toby even cracked a few lumberjack jokes, and Josh thought Mikaela found them funnier than they were. Maybe he’d just heard them all before. But hearing her laugh was like listening to a musical masterpiece. He’d felt the urge to keep saying funny things just to hear her laugh again.

“Is that a paw print?” Mikaela asked, squatting down to examine the dirt road they were on.

The guys knelt down beside her and stared. Every one of them knew exactly what it was. They just didn’t know which one of them put it there.

“Looks like it,” Thomas said.

“What do you think it’s from?”

“Looks like a cat to me,” Toby said, chuckling.

Mikaela stood while Josh glared at Toby. What was he thinking acting like that?

“Cat? Seems awfully big for a little kitty cat.” She smiled at Toby, probably wanting him to elaborate.

“I didn’t mean that kind of cat.” Toby smiled back at her, and Josh wanted to growl at him. Toby was flirting!

“Well, what did you mean?”

What, now Mikaela was flirting with Toby? Oh, this had to stop. “He meant mountain lions,” Josh clarified.

Mikaela looked at Josh, eyebrows raised. “You mean cougars.”

“Yeah, same thing.” He shrugged.

“I thought they were west of here. Have you actually seen them on this property?” She seemed a little scared by that idea.

“Yeah, we’ve all seen them. It’s okay, though, they won’t hurt you.”

“H-how many have you actually seen. At once, I mean?” she asked, stepping closer to Josh as if seeking protection. He really liked that.

“Um, I don’t know. Four. Five. I guess.” Josh couldn’t help reaching out and stroking her arm to comfort her. He liked that her instinct was to draw nearer to him, but he didn’t like the fact that she was scared.

“I thought cougars, mountain lions, whatever… I thought they were solitary animals. Only seeking out other cats when mating. Why would there be a group of them running around?”

She was way too observant and asking way too many questions. Josh didn’t want to encourage her, so he tried his best to bring the subject to a close. “Don’t know. Guess you’ll have to ask them why.” He smiled and started for one of the ATVs. His brothers followed.
 

Once Mikaela left, Josh and his brothers got to work, but his mind just wasn’t on his tasks. He kept picturing Mikaela in her tight jeans and formfitting sweater. When she’d bent over, he watched how her jeans hugged around her firm, round ass. When she’d reached for a limb while studying a tree, he watched how her sweater crawled up, exposing her soft, light skin. Throughout the day and up until dinner, he kept his thoughts on her. As soon as he showered, he practically ran to the dining room just so he could see her that much sooner. He knew getting there faster wouldn’t make her get there any quicker, but he just couldn’t think logically.

After getting his scotch, Josh continued to think about the beautiful redhead staying here. After days and days of avoiding her and then fighting with her last night, today had been wonderful. She was so relaxed and eager to learn about his business that he felt a sense of pride. That wasn’t uncommon, for he loved his work, but since Mikaela arrived, Josh’s emotions had been all over the place. No matter how much he fought his feelings for her, and no matter how much he’d continue to do so, he couldn’t deny the fact that he felt connected to her, and with each passing moment, that bond grew stronger.

When she walked into the room, his eyes lit up, betraying him. He didn’t want to continue acting distant, but he didn’t want to show how much he really liked her. He wouldn’t even allow himself to explore the depths of his feelings for her for fear of what he’d discover.

Once she was seated, though, she’d been quiet for too long. He had to hear her voice.

“Would you like some wine, Mikaela?”

“Sure, thanks, Josh.” That smile. He couldn’t help but smile back.

After getting her wine and sitting down, Josh had the hardest time wiping the grin off his face. Being around her just felt too nice.

“So, Mikaela, when do you plan on getting married?” Thomas asked.

What? Why the hell would his dad ask that? Josh’s smile evaporated on the breath he inhaled, bracing himself for her response. When he glanced at her, she was staring at Thomas with wide eyes. The question had obviously caught her by surprise, and Josh didn’t understand why.

“I haven’t decided.”

That answer seemed calculated. He wondered if all her answers about her betrothed would be just as careful. One way to find out. “And what does your fiancé do?” Josh blurted out.

Chapter Seven

Oh, shit. Mikaela’s eyes shot to Josh. First Thomas and now Josh. It was easier crafting half-truths for Thomas. “Joel is a CPA.” That wasn’t a lie, though. Joel was a CPA. He just wasn’t her fiancé anymore. Mikaela hid her smile from her very lawyer-type response.

Josh grunted and took another bite.

“He’s a very lucky man,” Thomas offered.

“Yes, he is.” Lucky she didn’t castrate him, though his luck could still run out. And thinking of luck, why did hers have to run out now? Today had been really wonderful. All the guys had been helpful, funny, talkative. Even with all of them around, she still couldn’t keep her eyes off Josh, so when he easily jumped into the conversations or started new ones, her insides melted. Such a great day. She hoped it wouldn’t have to end on a topic she wanted to avoid.

“Why don’t you wear an engagement ring?” Rob asked.

What was with the inquisition? Did they think she wanted to talk about her miserable ex? She flushed and looked down at her hand, then cleared her throat. “I—”

“Don’t answer that, Mikaela,” Thomas said. “It’s none of our business.”

“I just think it’s odd she doesn’t have a ring on her finger,” Rob pressed.

Hopefully, her response would be the end of this line of questioning. “It’s all right, Thomas.” She looked at Rob. “The ring that was given to me was a family heirloom and had to be sized.” Thank God that was the truth. Now she wouldn’t have to go through the process of returning it. Had Joel bought her a brand new one, she’d be keeping it from the bastard, but since it’d been in his family for generations, she had no right to keep it.

Rob nodded and smirked at his dad, as if to emphasize that the question had been logical.

Enough about her. “So, does anyone have a girlfriend?” Why did she look at Josh first?
You know why.

She was met with a bunch of shaking heads and grunts before Thomas spoke up.

“They don’t get out much. The land keeps us fairly busy.”

Surely they could find the time for relationships, but she was pleased to know that Josh was not involved with anyone. When she set her empty wineglass on the table, Toby picked up the bottle and poured her another. She smiled at him and then looked back at Thomas. “What about you?”

“Me?” He chuckled. “Their mother died several years ago. I have no desire for another mate.”

Mate? That was a bit primitive, but she laughed with him.

The rest of the evening went as smoothly as before the uncomfortable topic of Joel reared its ugly head, and not wanting to press her luck further, she excused herself as soon as the opportunity came.

She wanted a night of relaxation and sleep after having such a hectic night last night. That bar had been seedy, but it was the only place open at that time of night, and she’d had to get away. Tonight, though, she wanted peace.

After she changed into her nightgown and opened her book, she heard the back door open and close like she’d heard the other nights. For some reason, all the guys went outside every night after dinner and had to have come back in late because she was always asleep before she heard them return. She had no idea what they did out there. She figured it wasn’t work related since they all showered and changed before dinner and none of them mentioned a nightly duty on her tour today.

Okay, so she was tired, but she was also curious.

Curiosity won.

Enjoying her lingering liquid courage, she got out of bed, threw on a pair of jeans, and headed downstairs. She found a flashlight in the kitchen and walked out back to investigate. There were five sets of clothes piled along the deck. Did they all change into something else? If so, why did they leave their other clothes out here? Maybe they were in a hot tub. She felt a chill race down her spine at the thought of Josh sitting naked in a hot tub.

She looked around and didn’t hear or see anything of the sort, so she headed into the woods.

* * * *

Josh left the others and ran by himself because he just couldn’t keep hearing the same lecture from his father or the same echoes of desires from his brothers. They were not going through the same thing he was. His feelings, needs, went way beyond the need to just bed her. He felt like he was doing a good job maintaining his control, but he felt his control slipping. He wanted her…badly. But all he could do right now was run like the devil himself was chasing him. Running helped clear his mind, and he’d take any relief he could get. He was in the middle of his downhill sprint when he caught a scent that stopped him cold.

Mikaela.

What was she doing outside? Her scent was strong, so it was easy to track. Once he found her, he stilled. She was near one of the cabins, but he couldn’t shift and walk up to her. He needed to go get his clothes first if he was going to do that, but he didn’t want to leave her now that he knew she was out here alone. He was going to anyway; he’d just have to hurry. He raced to the deck, clamped his teeth around his clothes, and raced to the trees beside the cabin. He changed quickly and walked toward her. She was peeking inside a window when he came up to her.

“Isn’t that against the law?” Josh murmured right behind her.

She jumped around, her hand flying to her chest to cover her heart. “You scared the shit out of me!” she yelled with a giggle.

He laughed. “What are you doing out here, besides snooping around?”

“Nothing. Just snooping. But I’m glad you’re here. I thought I saw a really big cat out there a few minutes ago.”

He was sure she had. “Oh, I think our little tour scared you.” He chuckled. When she smiled at him, he lost track of that thought. God, she had such a beautiful smile. He wanted to touch her, so he forced himself not to.

“Would you like to have a look inside?” He stepped toward the door.

“I already tried it. It’s locked.”

He smiled at her as he reached above the door and pulled a key off the jamb. Then he unlocked the door and stepped aside so she could walk in. When she passed by him, her body heat crashed over him like a tidal wave. It ignited his deepest longings for her, and he had no idea how he was going to rein it in. He was realizing too quickly that he just didn’t want to anymore.