Chapter Twelve
It’d been years since Haley had a fun girls’ day. And even though the day had been spent discussing her least favorite things, like ledgers, account receivables and payables, and payroll, she’d pretty much had a smile on her face the whole time.
Jovy and Beth were a riot, and she got on with them instantly. It was refreshing not to be judged or pitied. Just accepted. It made setting up accounting programs and rearranging the office actually enjoyable.
“Are you kidding me about the cow?” Haley opened the desk drawer to shove a folder inside when her gaze caught on a copy of the divorce papers Drew had never signed. She needed to get rid of them.
The pretty brunette snorted. “I wish I was kidding.”
Forbidding her mind to revisit that dark time, Haley shut the drawer, opened another, and dropped the folder. “Did she really stalk you?” she asked, refocusing on the conversation.
“Yeah,” Jovy replied. “That mother heifer tried to run me off the road the other day. Thank God the fence held.”
At the mention of fence, Haley’s gaze strayed to the window, again. All afternoon it drifted to the great view of male testosterone in action. The Mitchum brothers were gorgeous, but it was Cord who captured and held her attention. And made her hot enough to squirm, remembering a time those competent hands had worked on her.
“That’s some view,” Beth remarked, gaze trained on the older Mitchum.
Jovy sighed. “Indeed. The only thing better would be if they were shirtless.”
Holy hell, Haley’s temperature skyrocketed just from the thought of seeing the rippling muscles she’d touched a few hours ago. “Not sure my heart could take it.”
“Mine, either,” Jovy remarked. “But I’d bring the popcorn.”
Beth giggled. “And I’d grab the wine…and leave the ogling of my brother to the two of you.”
Haley’s laughter mixed with theirs. She probably should feel weirded out by ogling Beth’s brother in the woman’s presence, but since the friendly girl didn’t seem to care, and the guy was going to be gone in a little over two weeks, she figured she should look while she could.
“You know, Haley.” The woman turned to face her. “I need to thank you.”
She frowned. “What for? You’re the one who spent the afternoon helping me.” Beth’s ideas for the grand opening were smart and thrifty, involving a few local venders the woman insisted she’d call on Monday. “I should be thanking you.”
Green eyes, the same shade as Cord’s smiled at her. “But you’ve done something pretty amazing.”
“Okay, now you’ve completely lost me.”
“I’m talking about my brother,” Beth replied. “Whatever you’ve been doing to him, for him, with him, whatever, please don’t stop.”
Haley stilled, but inside her heart thudded hard in her chest. “I haven’t done anything, really.” Except share a few amazing climaxes with the guy.
“Yes, you have, and it’s made a difference,” Beth insisted. “It may be subtle, but I’ve seen it.”
“Me, too,” Jovy said. “The tension around his lips is gone, same thing with his shoulders.”
“And his eyes. They aren’t as shadowed, you know?” Beth’s own eyes filled with tears as she leaned forward to squeeze Haley’s hand. “Whatever demons he brought back with him from that last deployment don’t seem to have as tight a hold on him. And I’m forever grateful to you for helping him.”
“But…” She shook her head, at a complete loss, her stomach clenching tight. The guys returned from deployment two years ago, and granted, she’d made a point not to see them because it stung, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was having problems. He hasn’t said a word. I really didn’t do anything.”
“You’re distracting him. Making him enjoy life. Trust me.” Beth smiled, patting her hand before releasing her to sit back. “That’s not just something, that’s a big something.”
Shoot. Haley sucked air into her tight chest. “I… All we did was spend one night together,” she admitted. “Neither of us wanted more.”
Liar. She so did. Still did.
Jovy raised a brow. “You don’t want to spend another?”
“Yeah.” Beth leaned closer. “Was once really enough? Because it certainly wasn’t enough for me with Brick, although that was all it was supposed to be. And you seem to have that same look on your face I had walking around after my supposed only one-time thing with him.”
“Me, too, with Stone,” Jovy said. “I had that look of complete satisfaction along with frustration, because it wasn’t enough.”
Damn. “Is that really how I look?” She rushed to check her reflection in the bathroom mirror down the hall.
Crud. They were right. Her gaze was kind of soft, and her mouth had this relaxed, almost goofy curve, while her shoulders were bunched tight.
Beth’s and Jovy’s reflections joined hers. Theirs were smiling.
“Face it, hon, you want more, and there’s no shame in that.”
“Exactly. And it doesn’t have to mean rings.” Jovy waved her hand and her gorgeous rock flashed under the lights. “But it can mean enjoyment. Why not take advantage of it while you can?”
“Yeah. My brother is stubborn. He thinks it’s okay to deny himself fun. He’s lived by this code his whole life, putting himself last, because he had me and my mom and our grandmother to worry about.”
“A misguided sense his wishes didn’t count.” God, could she relate.
“Exactly,” Beth said. “I’m finally getting him to realize I’m responsible for my own life. And to let me live it. Now, he needs to start living his and worrying about himself. But he’s too damn stubborn to see it. Or do it. I’m hoping you’ll help him.”
“You mean persuade him to have fun?” Haley’s heart rocked hard in her chest again as they walked back to the office.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” Beth nodded, retaking her seat. “The way he walked up to you today. The way your bodies automatically leaned into each other, there’s trust and chemistry, and it’s so great to see my brother connect with someone. I really hope you’ll consider connecting some more. Make him have fun. Go after what he wants. Not what he necessarily needs.”
Jovy smiled. “And if they both happen to be the same, all the better.”
“Okay, so…” Beth grimaced. “Talking about my brother having sex is gross, but I think you’ve got the picture.”
“I don’t know.” She sank into her chair behind the desk. “I’m just starting to get back on my feet. Starting to enjoy life again. I wouldn’t want him to get the wrong impression. Or to think I’m clingy.”
Jovy snorted. “Trust me, that guy would love for you to cling and clutch and do all sorts of ‘put your hands on his body’ moves.”
Beth groaned. “Thanks for that, Jovy. I just threw up in my mouth a little.”
Heat rushed to Haley’s cheeks and she groaned, too. “I can’t believe I’m talking about this in front of his sister.”
Beth shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m talking about it, either.”
Jovy chuckled. “Then you’re both going to love this.”
She tossed something onto the desk. A box of condoms slid to a stop in front of Haley.
Oh. My. God. She blinked and her mouth dropped open. “I…what—”
“You’re welcome,” Jovy replied as if Haley had thanked her. “Always remember to cover supply and demand. Last thing you need when you’re about to demand he finish the deed is to have him run to the store for supplies.”
The sound of the front door opening then closing and men’s voices getting louder had Haley quickly opening a desk drawer to shove the box inside. As for her crimson face, there was no way she could slip that in the desk or she would’ve before three large men spilled into her office, making it feel smaller than a linen closet.
“Well, ladies, how goes the office set up?” Stone asked, stepping right over to Jovy and kissing his fiancée full on the lips.
Brick followed suit, treating Beth to the same attention, while Haley did her best not to give in to the urge to look at Cord, who stood in the doorway. She could feel his gaze on her, but she remained strong by staring at the desk.
That now housed a box of freaking condoms.
It felt like there was a big neon sign blaring out the fact they were in the top drawer. Condoms she was supposed to use with Cord. Heaven help her, that knowledge made her feel a little bit naughty, and a whole lot of parched. Good Lord, her face was hot. She needed water. Which of course brought to mind the bottle she’d shared with him…and the hot-as-hell kiss afterward.
Perhaps that box of condoms burning a hole in her desk wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
…
By the time his sister and the rest of the gang drove off Sunday afternoon, Cord could tell Haley was pleased. Thing was, he had no idea if it was because of the progress they’d made on the ranch, or something else.
She kept smiling at him, shifting pieces around in his chest. The constant knocking, and rocking, and hammering proved he still had a heart, but he wasn’t sure that was such a good thing. It stirred up shit. Some best left buried, and some that drove him bat-shit crazy. Like his damn attraction to her.
He wanted to touch her and taste her all the damn time. It was interfering with his thought process and messing with his mind. Although he was more than ready to pick up where they’d left off when they were interrupted last Friday. He’d sported a hard-on all damn weekend.
“You okay?” she asked, standing next to him on the porch, watching the truck disappear down the long drive, her sweet, citrusy fragrance doing nothing to lessen his condition.
Other than the Guinness book of hard-ons? “Fine. Why?”
“You look troubled.”
His lips twitched. One word for it. “That’s my middle name.”
Amusement sparkled in her eyes. “And here I thought it was stubborn.”
“That, too,” he said, opening the door and standing back while she entered the house, his body heating with the brush of her curves.
“Well, Cord Troubled Stubborn Brannigan”—she smiled at him as she passed—“I like your sister. And I like how Brick is around her. They complement each other so well. It’s really kind of sweet to see.”
It was now. Not so much when he first found out.
Warm fingers curled around his bicep as they stood just inside the door. “But how are you with it all?”
“Me?” No one had really asked him that before. He was kind of at a loss. An extremely new state to him. It even cooled his libido a few notches.
She squeezed his arm. “I’m not going to tell anyone, so you can be honest. Talk to me about it.”
He didn’t talk about his feelings. Ever. Well, except during the group therapy thing. Which he missed this week with the arrival of Brick and Stone. They’d all missed it. But outside of it? Hell no.
So why was it, when he gazed into her warm whiskey-colored eyes, he forgot to not talk?
“I’m good. Now,” he replied, and meant it. “Did they tell you I punched Brick when I found out?”
“That’s how any of you would’ve reacted. But I’m not interested in them. I’m asking you. Your thoughts are what matter to me. It had to be hard to realize your sister was dating Romeo, ladies’ man of the Ranger Rifle Team.”
Damn. How the hell was he supposed to react to that? The fact warmth flooded his chest and his heart swelled wasn’t something he wanted to acknowledge, either.
“And I’m not surprised you punched him,” she continued quietly, removing her hand, and he was surprised at how he instantly missed her touch. “All those years you kept your sister away from the guys because you didn’t want her to get involved with a military man. You didn’t want her to have that kind of life. The kind I had. And it was a tough life. It was also good at times, too. But it was a decision I made. Right, wrong, or indifferent, it boiled down to it being my decision, so the same would’ve held true for Beth.”
He nodded. “I know.” Now.
“Then you also know none of that mattered. Brick wasn’t in the Rangers when he and Beth met.”
“No, but he was supposed to head to Vegas to work for the commander in his security company.”
Haley’s brow rose before she nodded. “Guns. Bullets. Danger.”
“Exactly. But truthfully, even that had been off the table by the time I found out about those two. So I was basically a controlling ass.” And why the hell did he tell her that? He huffed a breath and moved away from her. She was zapping his brain cells right and left, and making him act irrationally.
“Wow.” She followed him.
Ah hell.
“I didn’t think I’d ever hear you admit that.”
“Didn’t think I’d ever say it, and if you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.” He tried to give her a stern look, but his lips twitched in response to the twinkle in her eyes.
Witch.
“Don’t worry, Warlock. Your secret is safe with me.”
Secret? “What secret?” He hated secrets.
“That you’re human,” she replied, sliding a palm up his chest to cup his chin.
What the hell was it about her touch that made him feel so alive? He leaned into it.
“And I really like this human side of you.” Then she lifted up on tiptoe and brushed her lips to his.
The rest of his brain cells joined the zapped ones while she slowly drank, and nipped, and skimmed his lower lip with her tongue. Once again, as he was about to grab her and deepen the kiss, she released him and stepped back.
“Sorry.” Haley blinked and shook her head, as though maybe she didn’t know what she was doing, either. “You blur my brain sometimes, Cord.”
“No need to apologize. I wasn’t complaining. If I remember correctly, we have unfinished business.”
She opened her mouth to reply when something behind him caught her eye, and a second later her laughter filled the air. “Oh, wow. I…um…”
He turned to find out what had her so flustered, and muttered a few curses when he spotted the box of condoms on the counter with his name written on them in Brick’s handwriting. “I’m gonna kill him.”