The Rancher Returns (7 page)

Five

A
t that moment Layla realized just what was going on. Whether it was his intent or not, Gavin was forcing her to believe in herself, to prove that she was right in her belief that Jesse James had buried treasure on Gavin's land.

“Well?”

The determination was clear in his eyes. He intended to sleep with her. She was just as determined that he wouldn't. She didn't like the deal he'd offered. In all honesty, she should be appalled by it. Instead she saw it as her chance to prove she was above the desire he couldn't stop talking about. She would find Jesse James's loot. She had no doubts. There was no need getting irritated that he was a typical male who thought a good roll between the sheets was the answer to everything. She would never be able to convince him that when it came to sex, she had always been able to take it or leave it, no matter how tempting it was to indulge. He would find that out for himself.

She'd be free to run her dig and make the finding of not only her career but of a lifetime. She wouldn't think about the traitorous voice that said it might be nice to lose this bet and get the consolation prize...

“Fine.”

He lifted his brow. “Does that mean you accept the deal?”

“As long as you give me your word you won't try to hinder me and my team in any way.”

“I wouldn't do that.”

Yeah. Right
. There was no reason for her to trust he wouldn't do just about anything to make sure the result worked out in his favor. Another typical male trait. No man liked losing. “Whatever you say.”

“You're going to have to trust me.”

Layla rolled her eyes. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't know you enough to trust you.”

“I can remedy that.”

“Don't do me any favors.” Layla eased out of her chair, feeling like she'd mentally run a marathon. “So will you give me your word as a SEAL that you won't try anything underhanded?”

“You think my word as a SEAL means something?”

“Yes. SEALs are a special team of men who take the job of protecting our country very seriously, and they live by a code of honor and integrity.”

Gavin nodded. She was right. “And you know this how?”

“My father's cousin used to be a SEAL. He retired a few years ago, but he told us all about them. At least what he could share. A lot of the stuff he did was classified.”

“The majority of our missions are,” Gavin said.

“So, will you give me your word?”

“Yes, you have my word.”

* * *

As far as Gavin was concerned, getting her into his bed before the dig began would not be interfering with the job she wanted to do.

“Good.” She glanced at her watch. “It's getting late. I'm sure you need more sleep. However, if you need help with the dishes, then I—”

“No, I don't need help with the dishes. That's what dishwashers are for.”

“Do you still want to see where we plan to dig?”

“Yes. I want to know what you have planned on my property and where.”

“No problem.”

“Then I'll come by the cottage in the morning,” he said, standing, as well. “Come on. I'll walk you back.”

She shook her head as she put on her sweater. “That's not necessary.”

“It is for me, Layla. I'll walk you back.”

She didn't deny him, maybe she didn't want to appear ungrateful. She headed for the door and when she reached out to open it, he moved his hand forward, as well. She didn't seem aware that he'd been standing so close behind her. His fingers closed over hers and his chest was flush against her back.

“I can open the door, Gavin,” she said, glancing over her shoulder, obviously flustered at his nearness. He loomed over her five-foot-three-inch height. He stood so close he could smell her with every breath.

“Your choice.” Releasing his hand from hers he eased back. She opened the door and inhaled the cool Missouri air.

“Nice night, isn't it?” he asked her. He walked beside her now.

“Yes, it is a nice night.” She glanced over at him again. “Glad to be home?”

A smile touched his lips. “Yes. It's always good to be home. Time to go from SEAL to rancher.”

“Is it that easy?”

“I'm used to it now. I have good men working for me who make the transition less difficult.”

She nodded. “You love being a SEAL?”

“Yes.”

“I understand your father and grandfather were SEALs.”

Gavin wondered what else his grandmother had told her about their family. “Yes, they were SEALs. So I guess you can say it's in my blood. What about your folks? Are they college professors like you?”

“No. They're both neurosurgeons. I didn't follow in their footsteps. Medicine didn't interest me.”

He hadn't asked her to explain, but the fact that she did led him to believe her choice of a career was a sore spot with someone. “You are your own person, Layla.” She was definitely her own woman, he thought further to himself. “Just because following in my father's and grandfather's footsteps worked for me, doesn't mean following family tradition works for everybody.”

She didn't say anything for a minute. “My parents wanted me to be a mini-them and go to medical school. But I couldn't. I'm not a healer. I'm a historian.”

“Then you did the right thing by following your heart. When did you decide on archaeology?” Gavin wondered if she noted how in sync their steps were.

“In my junior year of high school.” She paused as if she was remembering. “My history teacher had gone on an excavation in Egypt the summer before and told us about it. I found it fascinating how her team was able to dig up artifacts, how they found history buried beneath the earth's surface. It made me realize that's what I wanted to do.”

“Why Jesse James?”

He heard her chuckle and the sound stimulated him in a way he wished it didn't. “Why
not
Jesse James?” He heard the amusement in her tone. “I used to watch Westerns with my grandfather whenever I visited him in New Orleans. He was a fan of the outlaw Jesse James. He read a lot of books about him. Watched movies and documentaries. I shared his love and interest. That's how my research began. And it's only grown over the years.”

He heard the passion for her subject in her voice. It was there whenever she spoke about her work. She believed in it. If there had been any doubt in his mind before, there wasn't now. She would risk sleeping with him to prove her work.

She'd be disappointed not to find what she was searching for. But Gavin looked forward to helping her get over the disappointment. He didn't believe for one minute that James's loot was buried on this land. It wasn't. He recalled years ago when he'd been in high school, his father had given some outfit permission to check out the land because there was a chance of finding oil. They'd come up with nothing then, and he was certain Layla and her team would come up with nothing now.

“I guess this is where we need to say good-night.”

They had reached the party house. Her words told him he wouldn't be invited inside. Maybe that was for the best. He doubted he could keep his hands off of her if they were behind closed doors. And regardless of what she thought, she wouldn't resist him. Last night's kiss had proven that. He wasn't worried about the outcome of the deal between them. Like he'd told her, eventually her body would betray her and she would break. What had happened in his grandmother's kitchen when their hands touched at the door was a prime example of the intensity of the desire between them.

“So what time do you want us to meet tomorrow?” she asked, reclaiming his attention.

“I need to ride out with Caldwell and my men at the crack of dawn to check on a few things. I'll be back around ten. Will that time work for you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. We can ride in my truck.”

“Alright. Good night.”

She turned toward the door, intent on opening it quickly and going inside. He was just as determined not to let her get away that easily. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close to him.

“What do you think you're doing, Gavin?”

“This.”

Lowering his head, he claimed her mouth in a long, passionate kiss. She didn't push him away. Instead, she pulled him closer. Emotions he hadn't expected pushed him to let her know with this kiss just how much he wanted her.

The kiss they'd shared last night had been a game changer. This one sealed their fate.

* * *

Gavin knew at that moment that kissing her would never be enough. What he really wanted to do was sweep her off her feet, open the damn door and head straight to the bedroom. But he couldn't do that.

He wanted her to admit how much she wanted him, too. He'd give her time; he'd remember their deal. The one he had initiated. The one he intended to end in his favor. There was no way she would leave the Silver Spurs without them making love.

He finally broke off the kiss. As he drew in a deep breath he watched her draw in one, as well. Studying her mouth, he saw her lips were wet and swollen, and he had to fight back the urge to kiss her again.

“Why did you kiss me?” she asked, touching her finger to her lips.

He smiled, tempted to replace her finger with the tip of his tongue. “For the same reason you let me kiss you. I want you and you want me.”

From the look he saw in her eyes, he knew she was angry. Why? Because he'd stated facts when she preferred hiding behind denials?

“I'm going inside now.”

“I'll see you in the morning around ten.”

She nodded, then quickly opened the door and went inside. When the door closed behind her, Gavin shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and headed back toward the main house. He knew she was confused. Confusion came with the territory when you tried to deny the truth of your feelings. However, she was smart. He knew she would figure it out. Eventually she would see things the way he did.

He would make sure of it.

Six

L
ayla, feeling tousled from a restless night, stepped out on the porch with a cup of coffee in her hand. She took a sip. She needed the hot liquid as much as she needed more sleep. Kissing Gavin was hazardous to her health when the aftereffect was a frazzled mind.

What could she have been thinking to agree to the deal he'd put on the table? What woman in her right mind would agree to have sex with a man who counted on her to fail at the most important project of her life? She kept assuring herself that she had nothing to worry about because her research wasn't wrong.

But what if it was?

She shook her head, refusing to second-guess herself or allow something as insignificant as sex to undermine her confidence in years of research. She lifted the cup to her lips again, took another sip and smiled. She couldn't wait to show Gavin just how wrong he was. She would leave the Silver Spurs with Jesse James's loot
and
she'd keep Gavin out of her panties.

She glanced over at the main house and tried to ignore the heat that settled in her stomach. Ms. Melody had called to invite Layla to breakfast, but she'd declined saying she needed to read over a few reports. The last thing Layla wanted was to run into Gavin. She would see him at ten and that suited her just fine. The man had a way of making her distracted.

And then there was that kiss she couldn't stop thinking about. The one that still had her lips tingling this morning. While getting dressed she'd tried to convince herself not to worry about that kiss—not to worry about anything, especially not Gavin Blake. Agreeing to his deal meant nothing more than a reason to work harder to find James's stash. She hadn't lied to Ms. Melody. Layla had used this morning to review several documents. It was important to make sure she hadn't missed anything in her research.

Layla checked her watch. Gavin would be arriving in an hour. That wasn't a lot of time to prepare to see him again. But then she doubted she would ever be prepared for the likes of Gavin Blake.

* * *

“So what have you decided about the dig, Gavin?”

Gavin glanced up from his breakfast plate and met his grandmother's eyes. He'd been in bed when she'd returned last night, but there was no getting out of the conversation this morning. One thing was for certain, he would not tell her about the deal he'd struck with Layla.

“Layla is showing me the site this morning. I want to check it out for myself before I make a decision.” He then resumed eating, hoping to end the conversation.

“So when are you leaving for Mississippi?”

He looked up at his grandmother again with a raised brow. “Who said anything about me going to Mississippi?”

She lifted her own brow. “Yesterday you mentioned you had important business to take care of there.”

Now he recalled mentioning it. “I changed my mind and won't be leaving after all.” He resumed eating again, knowing his grandmother was eyeing him suspiciously.

“Why?”

He lifted his head again. “Why, what?”

“Why are you hanging around here?”

He held her inquisitive gaze. “Do you have a problem with me hanging around here, Gramma Mel?”

“Not as long as you don't have some shenanigans brewing in that head of yours, Gavin.”

If only you knew
, he thought. He pushed his plate away. “Breakfast was good as usual. I'm surprised you didn't invite Layla to join us.”

“I did. But she made an excuse for not coming. I wonder why.”

He stood. His grandmother was fishing for information and he was determined not to get caught. “I have a call with Phil to go over the books. I'll be in my office for an hour or so.”

“Alright. And you may have changed your mind about going to Mississippi, but I'm still scheduled to go to that library conference in Cincinnati. It lasts a week, and I booked it before I knew you were coming home.”

Gavin knew his grandmother enjoyed going to those conferences. “You should go,” he encouraged.

She looked at him as if he wasn't trustworthy...of all things. “Is anything wrong?” he asked her.

“You tell me, Gavin. You're not fooling me one bit. I know that look. You're up to something and whatever it is, I hope you don't get caught in your own trap.”

“What trap?”

“I'll let you figure that one out. But keep something in mind.”

He lifted a brow. “What?”

“Layla is not Jamie.”

He frowned deeply. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I think something good could develop between the two of you, if you let it. But you won't. You're afraid she will be like Jamie. Whether you choose to believe me or not, your mom loved you and your dad. I would sit and hear her crying for him at night when he was gone.”

“Then why did she leave?”

“Loneliness drove her away, Gavin. The Silver Spurs isn't meant for everyone and she was miserable here. Not everyone can handle the isolation.”

“But that was no reason for her to desert me and Dad.”

Without saying anything else he turned and walked out of the kitchen toward his office.

* * *

A lump formed in Layla's throat when she heard the knock at the door. She didn't have to look out of the peephole to see who it was. Gavin had said he would arrive at ten and it was ten on the dot. She glanced down at herself and then wished she hadn't. Why should she care what he thought about how she looked today? And why had she decided to wear her hair down instead of back in a ponytail?

She opened the door and Gavin stood leaning in the doorway. He filled the space, looking like he needed to be some woman's breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why did the man have to be so over-the-top gorgeous? Why did she want to drool, drool, and then drool some more?

And why did she want to snatch him inside and have her way with him?

She had no right to think any of those things, no right to fantasize. She had to stay focused on her work. “Good morning. I'm ready,” she said, grabbing her jacket. He moved aside when she stepped out and closed the door behind herself.

“Good morning, Layla. I hope you slept well,” Gavin said as they walked off the porch.

He slid his hand to her elbow to help her down the steps and she wished he hadn't. Immediately, a spike of desire shot through her and she was tempted to snatch her arm away.

“Nice day, isn't it?”

“Yes, it's nice.” She glanced over at him as he kept his hand on her elbow while he led her to his truck and opened the door.

“And speaking of nice,” he said, gripping her elbow a little tighter as he helped her up into the passenger seat. “You look good this morning. Real nice.”

“Thank you.”

He closed the truck door and as she watched him move around the front of the truck to the driver's side, she couldn't help thinking that he looked pretty good himself. Real nice. A pair of jeans hugged masculine thighs, a pullover sweater and a leather bomber jacket with the crest of a SEAL on the back graced broad shoulders. In her book there was something about a man who wore a leather bomber jacket, whether he was a biker, a model or a navy SEAL.

She kept her gaze trained on him. When he opened the door and slid onto the leather seat, she couldn't help but appreciate how the fit of his jeans tightened on his thighs.

“You went riding around your ranch dressed like that?”

“No. We finished early so I had time to change before joining my grandmother for breakfast. She missed your presence at breakfast by the way.”

“I told her about the report I had to review this morning.”

He didn't say anything and she wondered if he believed her.

“You okay?”

It was only then that she realized she was still staring. She snatched her gaze away from his thighs, regretting that he'd caught her ogling him. “I'm fine.”

A smile curved his lips and her insides felt like they'd turned to mush. “Just checking,” he said, snapping his seat belt in place. “I don't want you to start admitting you want me anytime soon.”

Layla frowned, remembering what he'd said last night. “Trust me. That won't be happening.” She spoke with a degree of confidence she wasn't feeling, especially when he shifted gears, causing those thighs to catch her attention again.

She forced her gaze out the window to view the pastures, valleys and hills they passed. Not for the first time, she thought the Silver Spurs was beautiful. Already they'd passed the new barn and several other smaller buildings. And there were several fenced rolling plains filled with cows. The sun peeked through a bevy of trees that layered the countryside and she knew it would be a beautiful day even with the chill in the air.

“Sleep well?”

She glanced over at him, wondering why he would ask. Did he assume that she hadn't? Well, she intended to crush that assumption right then and there. “Yes, like a baby, straight through the night.” Maybe she'd laid it on too thick since most babies didn't sleep straight through the night.

“Glad to hear it. So did I. I slept so well that I almost overslept this morning.” He didn't say anything for a minute. “Which way?”

She lifted a brow. “What?”

“Directions. Gramma Mel said the spot is just past the old barn. Which way do I go after that?”

The barn he was talking about was a big empty building painted red. According to Ms. Melody, it hadn't been used in years but the structure looked sound. More than once Layla had been tempted to take a peek inside but the doors were bolted up. She wondered if Gavin would allow them to keep their excavation equipment stored there. Since he seemed in a pretty good mood this morning, it might be a good time to ask. “And about that old barn?”

“What about it?”

“I'm going to need a place to store my heavy equipment, like the loader backhoe and tractor, for the excavation. May I use the old barn?”

He glanced over at her and she could imagine what he was thinking. Why should he do anything to help her when he was counting on her to fail? He surprised her when he said, “Yes, you can use the old barn.”

She smiled. Since he was being so generous she decided to go for the gusto. “There's also a smaller building next to the barn. I understand it used to be the old bunkhouse.”

“What about it?”

“May I use that, as well? I'll need somewhere to test soil samples and such.”

He looked at her again. “Are you trying to take advantage of my kindness, Layla?”

“Yes, I guess I am, Gavin.”

A husky chuckle escaped his lips. “At least you're honest. Yes, you can use that old shack, as well.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

She didn't say anything for a minute as they drove. “Make a left turn at the next tree and drive another couple of miles,” she said. “You can park in the clearing next to the stumps. I've marked the exact spot where we'll be digging.”

“Okay.”

The rest of the drive was done in silence. She was glad when he finally brought the truck to a stop a short while later.

* * *

Gavin drew in a deep breath. With his hands still gripping the steering wheel he stared straight ahead at the view out of the windshield. He needed to get his bearings. Everything about Layla was getting to him. The way she looked, her scent, the way she wore her hair. The way that same hair had blown in the wind when his truck whooshed across his property.

“I can tell you miss coming here.”

Did she make that assumption because of the way he was still sitting here, trying to keep his mind and body under control? Yet, she was right. He had missed coming here.

“Yes. As a kid I used to come to this area a lot. There's a huge lake not far from here. It separates our land from the Lotts' property and it's on the Lotts' land. But that didn't mean anything to me. Not even the no-swimming-allowed sign Sherman Lott had posted. I used to sneak into the lake and go swimming as a teen every chance I got. On a good day I would swim for hours without getting caught.”

“And on a bad day?”

He chuckled. “On a bad day Sherman Lott would call my grandmother and report me for trespassing.”

She lifted a brow. “Honestly? He would actually call and tell on you?”

“All the time. He didn't like anyone swimming or fishing in that lake. But I had a lot of years of good fishing there, as well.”

He smiled, remembering how defying Mr. Lott had pleased him immensely. “Time to look around. But before we get out there's something we need to do.”

She lifted her brow. “What?”

“Kiss. More than anything, I want to kiss you, Layla.”

* * *

Layla couldn't believe he'd said that. Kiss? Hadn't they done that enough already? Not that she was counting but he'd kissed her twice. Why was he going for three? Why was she hoping that he would?

“Kiss me?” she asked, softly, hoping he didn't pick up on the yearning in her voice.

“Yes, kiss you. It's either that or talk you into my truck's backseat.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip. “And you think doing that will be easy?”

“No, but it will be worth all the effort I plan to put into it. So how about unbuckling that seat belt and leaning a little over here? I promise it will be painless.”

Being painless, Layla thought, was the least of her worries. “Haven't you gotten enough? Of kissing me?” she asked, studying the look in his eyes.

“No, I haven't gotten enough, so lean over this way. Let's engage in something pleasurable.”

The urgency in his voice was so intense, it sent shivers through her. She knew they shouldn't kiss again. Doing so would lead to assumptions on his part that she'd rather he not have. But she'd had a hard time forgetting how pleasurable their last two kisses had been. Both times his tongue had stroked hers to a feverish pitch, until she had greedily responded.