CHAPTER 14
Hunter
THE NEXT WEEK PASSED fairly quickly. I showed Kia how to muck out the stalls, clean tack, and feed and care for the horses. I spent an afternoon teaching her how to saddle and mount a horse and then ride one, and though she was nervous at first, she ended up taking to it like a duck to water. Once I was confident she could hold her own reasonably well, I took her with me on fence inspections, and we worked on the repairs together whenever we found them.
I also hired Johnny to come and help me herd the cattle to a different pasture and told the former ranch hand I’d hire him at least once a week to help with the task. The man was grateful for the opportunity, meager though it was, and I determined, once I was done here, I would convince Kia to hire Johnny back on to his old job as ranch hand.
Mrs. Jones also came to visit, declaring that she liked the looks of things so much that she would come back on as the housekeeper. Her cooking wasn’t quite as good as Leta’s, but it was still delicious, and Kia and I looked forward to her home-cooked breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
No longer worried about keeping the house clean or keeping up with the dishes, Kia somehow managed to dredge up the energy to work on home improvement projects during the evening, and though I would have much rather kicked back with a beer, I helped her out. I knew there was something soothing to her about working on the interior design projects, and besides, the house did need to get done.
By the end of the week, the ranch was looking a hell of a lot better. The horses were well cared for, the house was coming together, and the fences and even some of the machinery had been repaired.
“It’s finally time for me to start training those horses,” I told Kia over dinner on Sunday night.
Mrs. Jones had made us steak, potatoes, and glazed carrots, the latter of which Kia seemed to be particularly relishing.
“Training them?” she asked, popping another carrot into her mouth. “What for? They don’t seem like they need to be broken in or anything.”
I laughed. “I forgot that you don’t know how Daniel made the majority of his money. He trained stock and cutting horses, selling them to cattle ranchers.”
“Cutting horses?” Kia frowned. “What are those?”
“They’re horses specially trained to separate a cow from the herd,” I explained. “Cutting horses are used in competition, while stock horses are used around the ranch to help herd cattle.”
“Huh. I guess I never thought about it, but it makes sense that you’d need horses specifically trained for that,” Kia mused. “And you know how to train cutting horses?”
I nodded. “It’s been a while, and I’m not as good as Daniel was, but he taught me the ropes. Some of these horses are already a fair way into their training from what Johnny told me, so I should have a few ready to sell by the end of the month.”
“That would be very exciting,” Mrs. Jones said as she came to clear some of the plates away. “It would do my heart good to see this ranch starting to turn a profit again. And I wager the townspeople would be happy too.”
The phone rang then, and Mrs. Jones started toward the living room to pick it up. “I wonder who on earth that could be.”
“I’ll get it.” I stood up and placed a hand on Mrs. Jones’s arm, already having a good idea of who it was. “You go ahead and finish what you were doing.”
Excusing myself, I went to the living room and picked up the phone resting on the side table next to the couch. “Bridle Hill Ranch,” I said, settling myself into the chair.
“Hey, Hunter,” Eric greeted me. “How are things going?”
“Pretty good.” I gave him a brief overview of what Kia and I had accomplished that week. “I’m pretty hopeful we can get this ranch back on its feet by the end of the month. In the beginning, I was worried Kia might end up being dead weight, but she’s really been holding her own.”
“That’s great,” Eric said. “Really good to hear. Listen, I got your message about that guy from Bradley and Radcliffe shaking Kia down about the ranch, and you’re right—they’re bad news. They pounce on ranches that are down on their luck, buy them up, and turn them into housing developments.”
“I knew it,” I hissed. My grip tightened on the phone, and I forced my hand to relax before I cracked the phone. Then I thought about what Eric had said and paused. “Wait, you said ranches down on their luck? But, from what I understand, Old Daniel’s ranch was going strong when he was approached to sell.”
“Well, maybe the guy who approached Daniel wasn’t the same guy who approached the two of you last week,” Eric suggested. “It follows the pattern that Bradley would approach Kia now, when the ranch is declining. I don’t see why he would have made an offer on the ranch when it was still functional. It would have cost him a hell of a lot more to buy it then than it would now.”
“What you’re saying makes sense,” I said, “except that Bradley offered Kia one hundred grand for the ranch, which is easily five times what it’s worth right now.”
“One hundred thousand!” Eric exclaimed. “That’s crazy!” There was silence for a moment. “He has to have an ulterior motive,” Eric said finally. “There’s some kind of strategic advantage Bradley will gain by buying that ranch, and I think it’s worth finding out what that is.”
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you might be able to help me on that end?” I asked. “I’m not very good with business.”
Eric sighed. “I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises. I’m pretty busy these days. I’ll let you know if I do find anything. But in the meantime, I suggest you do your own research.”
“Will do. Thanks, brother.” I hung up the phone and then stared into the empty grate of the fireplace for a long while, thinking on what my brother had said.
Is it possible that the man who approached Daniel a few years ago is completely unrelated to Bradley?
I supposed it was, but that didn’t mean I believed it for a second. And, even if it was, Bradley was still up to something, and I was determined to find out what it was.
The sound of a floorboard creaking caught my attention, and I looked up to see Kia standing in the doorway, gazing at me. She was freshly showered, both of us having cleaned up before dinner, and her damp hair gleamed softly in the lamplight. As usual, I was struck by the urge to take her into my arms, to kiss those luscious lips, and to run my hands through her hair, but I refrained, just as I had countless times in the past week.
“Mrs. Jones said to tell you good night, and she took off to her cottage,” Kia said, stepping into the room. She paused for a few seconds. “I overheard some of your conversation.” She perched herself on the edge of the couch, a small smile on her face. “You really think I’m doing a good job?”
I grinned. “You’re doing a fantastic job, darling,” I told her, reaching out and taking her hand in mine. That proved to be a mistake as a spark of electricity arced between us, and her pulse fluttered in her throat, but I tried to ignore it. “I couldn’t have asked for a better ranch hand.”
Kia affected a playful, haughty look. “I’ll have you know, I’m the owner of this ranch,” she said, looking down her nose at me. “And I don’t appreciate you referring to me as a ranch hand.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
We both laughed. I began rubbing my thumb across her hand, circling the sensitive spot between her thumb and forefinger, and silence fell over us. I heard Kia’s breath catch in her throat, and I bit back a growl as I caught the scent of her intoxicatingly delicious arousal.
I should let go of her hand now.
My entire field of vision narrowed until Kia was all I could see. All I could think about. And I knew I was close to breaking.
“Hunter,” Kia whispered.
And that was all the invitation I needed. Growling, I pressed her back against the couch, kissing her deeply. Kia kissed me back, hesitantly at first and then with more ardor as I drew her into a passionate embrace. My cock hardened, already throbbing with the need to be inside her, and when she whimpered with pleasure, I knew I was lost.
To hell with my requirements.
I slid my hands beneath her black tank top. I was going to take her to bed tonight. Without breaking the kiss, I hauled her into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist. Then I carried her up the stairs. I stumbled a few times, causing her to squeal, but she didn’t let go of me or stop kissing me, and eventually, we made it to my room at the end of the hall.
I kicked the door shut behind me. Then I turned on the lamp and laid her out on the bed. “I want to see you,” I said huskily. “Every fucking inch of your beautiful body.”
Eyes dark with desire, Kia sat up and ever-so-slowly removed her tank top, exposing her torso inch by inch. I watched silently as she revealed her breasts, which were covered by a black bra, and I had to remind myself to be patient and not rip the offending garment away. She made a show of tossing the tank top aside. Then she reached around leisurely and popped the front clasp on her bra, letting it glide off her shoulders.
“Damn . . .” I groaned as Kia took one breast in each hand and began massaging the round globes.
How could I ever have thought they were too small?
They were perfectly round and perky with chocolate-hued nipples I desperately wanted to nibble and taste.
“More.”
“More?” Kia raised an eyebrow, a flirtatious smile playing on her sensuous lips. She moved one hand down her abdomen and then popped the top button on her jeans. She slipped her hand beneath the waistband of her panties. “Mmm,” she moaned as she touched herself, her eyes drifting closed as she leaned back against the pillows.
Unable to take it anymore, I grabbed her zipper and yanked it down. Then I ripped off her jeans and panties in one fluid motion. Kia let out a shocked cry as I settled myself on the bed. She looked at me with wide eyes as I spread her legs.
“Enough with the teasing,” I growled. “It’s my turn to play.”