Chapter Twenty-Seven

Josie

The following morning, with memories of the steamy, creekside night still swimming in my head, I opened my eyes against the bright sunshine filtering in through the thin, gossamer curtains on the two large windows of my bedroom—with a huge grin on my face. My pussy still tingled. That man could do what no other man had ever done. I knew what it was...he had magic fingers and a body built for sex. “Damn! Damn! Damn it all to hell!” I grabbed a large, king size pillow against my chest and clutched it tightly.

“I should have let him stay,” I whispered to myself, wishing he was there beside me. It would have been nice to wake up in his arms.

I sighed and heaved myself out of bed, tossing the pillow back to where it belonged. I knew it was for the best that Trey stayed in his own room last night. I didn’t want my daddy thinking his baby girl was having sex under his roof. Even more…I didn’t want to confirm their suspicions before I figured out what the hell was happening for myself. I cared about Trey—he was fun and exciting— but I wasn’t willing to admit that to anyone else. Hell, I could barely admit it to myself.

But what I couldn’t figure out was why. Was it his bad boy reputation? The baby mama drama? The fact that he’d been with enough women to fill a fucking stadium?

Any of the above? All of the above?

No one could blame me. There were a bazillion reasons mamas warned their daughters to stay away from men like Trey. And yet…there I was, falling in love with his sexy bad ass anyway.

With a heavy sigh, I dragged my butt to the bathroom and took a hot shower. As I scrubbed, I sang a mindless tune, trying to keep my thoughts from nagging me to death. It was all a little heavy to digest before I’d even had coffee.

Downstairs, Trey wasn’t anywhere to be found. Instead, I found my mama at the kitchen sink, scrubbing a stainless steel pot. “Hey, baby girl,” she called over her shoulder, having caught my reflection in the sudsy bottom of the shiny pot. “How’d you sleep?”

Was there a knowing hint in her voice? No, I was imagining that. Stop being so paranoid, Jo.

“Good. I always sleep good after a flight.” I padded into the room, my bare feet quiet on the polished wood floors.

“A private flight, from what Trey was telling us…” she added, before turning on the tap and rinsing the pot clean. She set it aside in the dish drying rack, wiped her hands off, and then spun on the heel of her sandal and smiled at me. “What’s going on with you two?”

“Mom,” I groaned, reaching for the handle of the coffee pot, thankful it was already brewed. I poured a mug to the brim and took a scalding drink off the top. Hopefully, keeping my face from telling her anything she didn’t need to know—like how amazing he was on the private flight. “Nothing is happening between us. Like I said—repeatedly—last night, he’s just a friend. He’s in a bad spot, Mama, and I offered to help.”

“Mmhmm. I know what you said, Jo. But I’m having a hard time imaging what kind of hard times you could be rescuing him from. He’s obviously a man with a lot of resources. Which…leaves one thing—”

“Mama, stop! For the love of all things good and decent, stop!”

She laughed and patted me on the shoulder as she passed on her way out of the kitchen. “All right, JoJo. Keep your secrets. They’re out in the barn, if that was going to be your next question.”

With that, she was gone. I gulped down the rest of the hot coffee and then poured a refill. The barn? What on earth would Trey be doing out in the barn? And who was the other person in the they she referred to? My stomach growled, especially after the acidic showering of coffee, but I ignored it long enough to go upstairs, slip into my jeans and a coral colored tee shirt. I brushed out my hair and let it hang loose around my shoulders. It had dried out overnight and the resulting waves were wild but not a complete wreck.

At the back door, I stopped to pull on a pair of blue Hunter boots that mama kept there for me. I paused on the back deck to smile up at the warm sun. It was good to be home again. Even if only for a little while. I was still determined to get my story about the senator, but even after only being home again for a few hours, I was wondering if it would really be all that bad to move back again.

I pushed the thoughts aside, and then plodded out to the barn. A group of three men were standing twenty paces from the mouth of the wooden structure. I paused at the entrance and studied them for a minute. Trey and Daddy were easy to pick out, and both were wearing work shirts, jeans, and boots. The third man was out of place though, wearing a business suit and what appeared to be loafers. All at once it hit me. Michael Arlington! The very man I was supposed to be digging up dirt on was standing there in the damn barn!

My heart soared but then fizzled into nervous sputters as I realized I had no way of talking to him about what I saw in Denver. It wasn’t like I could just waltz up to him and say, “Hey, I saw you recently, passing something to the new senator in the middle of a dingy hotel lobby. Care to comment?”

My dad’s voice carried to me. “Well, like I said, it’s something to think about.”

“See that you do, Jeff. I’m telling you, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” He turned to Trey and I caught his profile, confirming my suspicion. He smiled up at Trey and my heart pounded even harder. Whatever he was up to—Trey wouldn’t—couldn’t—be a part of it. He had enough on his plate. Michael stuck out his hand for Trey and the two men exchanged a cordial shake. “Mr. Delgado, if you’re interested, let me know. We could definitely find a place for a man of your worth at the table.”

Worth? What the hell? Was that asshole scamming my daddy and my man?

Trey tipped his chin to the man but didn’t reply.

“I’ll see myself out,” he said, turning away. “I wish you luck with the…bailing…was it?”

“Spreading,” my dad corrected, his tone slightly miffed sounding.

Michael shrugged it off and kept walking. He stopped short when he saw me and plastered a smile on his unnaturally tan face. Deep lines etched around his eyes but there were no lines on his forehead or around his mouth as he smiled. The result gave his face a pinched, severe expression even as he smiled my way. What had happened? Botox? Bad plastic surgery? It had been awhile since I’d seen him, and at the hotel, I’d been too concerned with what was happening between the two men to notice his facial features in detail. “Ms. Crawford, nice to see you. You still up in Oklahoma City these days?”

“Sure am,” I replied, offering a thin-lipped smile. “What about you? You live near Denver, right?”

“Denver?” He gave a start, but quickly recovered and flashed a cool smile. “Goodness, no. I haven’t been to Denver in ages. I spend most of my time in Houston, but I still have a couple of developments out this way.”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “Hmm. Is that what you wanted to talk to my dad about? Developments?”

“Yes,” he replied, straightening his lime green tie. Who the hell wears a lime green tie? It was too shiny and looked tight around his neck. “As a matter of fact, it was. There’s a new opportunity that’s just fallen into my lap and I thought your father might be interested as well.”

“Aha. Well, I’m sure he’ll make the right decision.”

Michael stared at me for a long beat, then blinked away his confusion and started past me. “You have a good visit, Ms. Crawford. Always a pleasure.” As he walked out, the words ‘strange girl’ echoed back to me.

I balled my hands together but then forced myself to release the tension as both my daddy’s and Trey’s eyes landed on me. I plastered on a smile and sauntered over to them. “What did you promise to this one to get him out here in the barn?” I asked my daddy, grinning over at Trey. To be fair—he made the work shirt look damn good. Far better than the ranch hands my dad usually hired to help out.

Trey and my dad chuckled. “Not a damn thing, Jo. You got yourself a keeper here. Up early and volunteered to help me with the manure spreader.”

“Eww,” I gagged, my nose wrinkling at the idea. “You’re in for a real stinky treat, Trey.”

Trey shrugged. “I figure it won’t smell that much worse than a postgame locker room.”

Daddy roared with laughter and clapped Trey on the shoulder. They were best buddies already. Great. “Told ya, Jo. Keeper.”

“Well, unfortunately, Daddy, he’s just a loaner.”

Trey flashed me a grin. “I don’t know, Jo. I’m kinda digging this place. Your dad took me on a tour of the property this morning. There’s this sweet little creek over that way…” His smile deepened as he jutted his chin in the direction of the creek. “I could probably spend quite a few hours there.”

My cheeks flushed but Daddy had his back turned to us, tinkering with something at his work bench. “What are your plans for the day, Jo?” he asked, turning back around, some multi-geared part in his hands. Likely something for the spreader.

I cut my eyes away from Trey. “Well, I’m working on a story, actually.”

“Oh? What’s it about?”

“Uhm, an embezzling as—jerk,” I caught myself. Even though I was a grown woman, I still kept my mouth clean around my daddy.

My dad’s eyes went wide. “That sounds exciting. You better be careful though, Josie.”

“I know, Daddy.” I sighed.

Trey laughed under his breath.

I shoved my hands into my back pockets and turned my attention back to my dad. “What was Mr. Arlington doing here?”

My dad shrugged. “Talkin’ shop. Nothing too important. He’s got some new development deal coming up and wanted to give me an early in.”

“Are you going to take it?”

“I don’t know, baby girl. Why?” He gave me a strange look. I never asked him about work or business. Daddy was too private a man for that. My sudden interest was going to start setting off red flags. I needed to tread carefully.

“No reason. Just curious.” I backed up a step, making to go back to the house. “You two have fun with the poop!”

My dad shooed me away as Trey laughed. “Hey, Josie!”

I turned back at Trey calling my name. “Yeah, cowboy?”

“Great boots!” He called out.

“Thank you!” I answered as cool as I could, trying to keep my face from turning beet red in front of my daddy. “Y’all have fun!”

I left the barn, but paused at the entrance to look back. My daddy and Trey were bent over the work table, discussing something with serious expressions. I still wasn’t sure how I felt about the two of them being BFFs, but I supposed it was better than my daddy lecturing me about bad boys.

Although the fact that he wasn’t concerned was an entirely different kind of problem. I didn’t need him getting attached to Trey before I’d figured out what to do with him for myself.

* * * *

“No, no, no. Not one foot in my door!” I waved my hands at Trey as I leapt off my bed. He’d knocked on the door a minute before and was trying to get into my room. “You stink.”

Trey chuckled. “Nice to see you too, baby.”

He was covered in dust—shit dust—from the afternoon spent working the spreader with my dad. They’d been gone for hours while my mama and I had gone into town for some shopping. After we returned, we stopped at the fence for one of the back pastures and watched the two men work side by side. Something about it was both heartwarming and sexy and unnerving all at once. Watching Trey get his hands—and everything else—dirty with my dad, working the land of the family ranch, was unexpected and left me even more mixed up and confused. Why couldn’t he just be a lazy jerk that my parent’s didn’t like? It’d make my life a whole lot easier.

“I’m hitting the shower in a minute. I just thought I’d let you know I was back and that the door to my room will be unlocked…your parents are going out for the night, and in less than five minutes, I’ll have all this shit scrubbed off.”

A grin tugged at my lips. “Oh really? Is that an invitation?”

He shrugged but the dark look in his eyes didn’t leave it open to any other interpretation. “Your call, baby. Missed you today.”

Warmth spread over me at his sweet words. “Thanks for helping my dad. I’m sure you surprised him with the offer.”

Trey chuckled. “Well, I was up. Figured I might as well be useful while I’m bumming around out here.”

I nodded and then dropped my gaze to my interlocked hands in my lap. My computer was propped open on the bed before me, articles of Mr. Arlington’s company open in the background and a few impatient emails from Mr. Jones wondering where the hell I went and demanding to know the date that my story would be turned in. “Well, thank you.”

He tilted his head down and then pushed off the door frame to saunter back across the hall to the guest room. Minutes later, my parents appeared in my doorway, dressed up, and announced they were going out. I wished them well and listened as their voices carried down the hall. When the house was quiet again, I pushed off my bed and tiptoed to my window just in time to see their bulky SUV pulling down the long driveway. When the headlights faded down the road, I turned toward the open door. Trey and I had the house to ourselves. I knew I wanted that man. Desperately. But…something was holding me back.

“Jo?” his voice flitted into my room.

“Yeah…?” I licked my suddenly dry lips.

“Get your ass in here,” he replied, his voice thick and husky.

I tugged the elastic band from my ponytail and let my hair fall around my shoulders, licked my fingertip and ran it under each eye to clear away any makeup smudges from my nap earlier in the day, and then licked my lips again. I went out into the hallway and found Trey leaning against his door frame, wearing nothing but a thick, towel around his waist. His sculpted muscles were still slick with moisture from his shower, the pebbles of water glistening as he stared at me. I followed the lines and strong curves of his firm pecs, down his sectioned abs, and got lost somewhere between the v-lines at his hips and the smattering of dark hair where the towel dipped dangerously low.

Without words, we crashed together and tumbled through the door of the guest room. Within seconds, Trey’s towel was abandoned on the floor and my own clothing quickly followed.