Country Heat (King Creek Cowboys Book 1) (7 page)

Carter. It had to be.

She hesitated a moment before she unlocked the door and opened it. Her heart thumped a little hard when she saw him.

Dear God. How can anyone look so good?

He wore Wrangler jeans, a nice pair of boots, and a plain black T-shirt, along with a nice tan western hat. She almost told him he looked good, but snapped the words back before she could.

Carter leaned one arm on the doorframe and the fire of his eyes sparked as he smiled at her. “Ready to lose that bet, Kit?”

She liked the way he said her name. Loved the way he said it.

This was freaking dangerous territory she was stepping into. Beyond dangerous.

“Good timing.” She hitched the purse’s shoulder strap onto her shoulder. She kept her expression light, not wanting to show how much he affected her. “I was on my way out to meet you, to
win
that bet.”

“I like a woman who’s on time.” He held the door open as she stepped through the doorway. “Hell, I appreciate anyone who’s on time.”

“You and me both.” Kit waited for him to shut the door and they started down the path side-by-side, away from the guest house. “Being late is a pet peeve.” Her ex had
always
been late, and it had driven her crazy.

He touched the base of her spine. “How has your morning been?”

Tingles radiated through her from his touch. She swallowed, trying not to lean closer to him. He drew her like a magnet and it was a wonder she didn’t paste herself against his side.

“It’s been a good morning.” She brushed her long shirt down with her palm, smoothing the material. “It’s nice having a little down time after a couple of busy days. I’m used to being busy, but starting something new tends to be demanding in its own way.”

“It can be.” He reached the passenger door to a big red truck, and held it open for her. “Sorry about throwing you to the wolves the moment you walked in the door. I have to say, you handled your first two days like a champ.”

A swarm of butterflies whooshed through her as he helped her into the truck. She certainly wasn’t handling her attraction to Carter well at all, and that was probably even more important than the job itself.

Once he made it around to the driver’s side, he climbed in and shut the door before jamming the key in the ignition and turning it. The engine roared as it came to life.

The prospect of being alone with silence between her and Carter, made Kit feel edgy and nervous. To avoid a gap in conversation during the ten-mile drive to Costco, Kit jumped right into asking him questions.

She shifted in her seat to look at him. “How long have you owned the ranch?”

“I’ve owned it for eleven years now.” He looked thoughtful. “Took me a few years to stash away enough funds to buy it.”

“And you turned it into a nice operation.” She studied his handsome features. “Did you go into ranching because your parent are ranchers?”

“Ranching has been in my blood since I was born” He nodded. “Might as well have been born riding a horse.”

“Now that’s some image.” She laughed. “When did you start riding?”

He looked out the window as he drove. “My dad had me on a horse from the time I could walk.”

With a grin, she said, “Why am I not surprised?”

He answered with a smile. “It’s the cowboy way of life.”

Their conversation was easy, but she noticed that he seemed to be watching where her hand was and his was a little itchy-looking… Like maybe he wanted to reach over and hold hers. Or was this just wishful thinking on her part? Probably.

It was a relief when they arrived at Costco. The sexual tension she felt when they were together made it harder and harder to think straight.

After they parked, Carter grabbed a cart. A lot of shopping was in their future.

They walked past big flat screen TVs, electronic tablets, phones, and on down the main aisle until they reached the huge wine selection.

He stopped to peruse a selection of the more expensive wines. “What is your favorite type of wine?”

“A good pinot noir.” She let her gaze drift over the bottles. “My tastes are a little on the pricey side.” She gestured to one. “Williams Selyem is one of my favorites.”

Carter picked up a bottle and set it in the cart. “What else do you recommend?”

Kit pointed out a few others that she knew were good wines. He put six in the cart.

“Where to now?” He nodded to the bakery and the deli area. “Breads? Cheeses?”

“I bake my own bread.” She started toward the aisle. “I could use a good variety of cheeses.”

She glanced back at Carter and he smiled and shook his head as he followed her. “You do know you’re feeding cowboys, don’t you?”

“Cowboys should get good quality food.” She reached the rows of cheeses from all over the world. “Cooking great meals is what I do and what I’m good at.”

“I do have to keep the ranch in the black.” Amusement was in his gaze.

“That’s why we’re here.” She smiled at him. “Big quantities, low prices. I’m good at working within a budget.”

He chuckled and they continued down each and every aisle. With Carter’s help, they filled two carts.

They spent the time laughing and talking about this and that. Nothing serious and nothing too personal, which Kit was perfectly fine with. She didn’t want to spend the time in deep conversations while they were grocery shopping. Hell, she didn’t want to get into any kind of deep conversations with him.

She thought back to his question about raising children and guilt twisted her heart. She’d intentionally been evasive. It was a hard topic for her to speak about. But it was a lie of omission.

Did it really matter? It wasn’t like she was going to get into a relationship with the boss.

The more time they spent together, the more she wanted to break all the rules and take Carter straight to bed. He was so masculine, so sexy, so…
everything
a woman could want in a man. Since she’d arrived he’d showed her that he was genuine, honest, caring, willing to jump in and help where needed, and more.

Didn’t he deserve straight answers from her?

She mentally shook her head. It really didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to end up in a relationship with him.

No how, no way.

Now if she could just get her libido to stop wanting to jump into bed with him. Just being around him did all kinds of things to her heart and her body.

When they finished shopping at the warehouse store, they loaded all the boxes into the truck, and put items in a cooler that needed to be kept cold. They headed to their next stop.

The farmer’s market was located five miles from Carter’s ranch. Throughout their shopping trip, he had made her feel at ease and she enjoyed the conversation and his company.

The whole time she was crazily aware of him. She snuck several glances at his handsome profile and his strong hands on the wheel. He caught her watching him a couple of times, and her face heated.

Damn. She was far too attracted to the man for her own good. Her own good would mean staying far, far away from the man. As far as her position as cook would allow.

She’d already let herself become too enamored with him. His voice was smooth and warm, and she enjoyed the ease in which he could engage her in conversation, making her feel as if they had known each other far longer than three days. His sexy smile sent little shivers through her, and the way his lips curved at one corner when he was amused never failed to cause her stomach to flip-flop. She couldn’t get enough of looking at him. His broad shoulders, muscular build, trim hips, nice thighs, and sexy ass were more than enough to send any woman into fits of longing.

Not me.
She tried to convince herself that she was immune to his charms but was failing miserably.
I am not like some teenage girl with a crush on the boy next door.

Right.

After they reached the market and Carter had parked, he helped her out of the truck. He grabbed a couple of woven baskets out of the back of his vehicle, and she took one of the baskets from him. They strolled toward the produce stands. They’d had to park out away because so many people had come to the market.

Wonderful smells of fresh fruits and vegetables flowed over her as they neared the produce.

“This reminds me of my childhood.” She let her gaze drift over the brightly colored produce ahead. “I helped my grandma with her vegetable garden, and picked apples, apricots, and peaches with my grandpa, depending on the season.”

Carter shifted the basket he was holding. “I grew up with a mom who gardened and a dad who had a small pecan orchard.” He gave a self-deprecating grin. “Unfortunately I didn’t inherit their green thumbs.”

“I’d like to start a garden.” She stopped before they reached the first vendor as the words tumbled out. “There’s a patch of ground that isn’t being used by the guest house.”

He raised an eyebrow.

Heat flushed her cheeks. “I’m sorry. My mind has just been whirring ever since I arrived. I feel like I’m back with my grandparents.”

“Don’t be sorry.” He rested one hand on her shoulder, and she felt the weight and heat of his hand through her top. She almost couldn’t breathe as he spoke. “You’re free to do what you want with that plot. I’ll get you whatever seedlings and fertilizer you need, and I’ll have the area fenced in to keep out the wildlife.”

“Thank you. There’s so much I can grow for the meals and to be able to go and pick it fresh will be wonderful.”

He gave her a slight nod and a sexy little smile. “Anything to keep our best cook ever happy.”

She laughed as they walked beneath the awning of the tarp-covered market.

Rows and rows of produce greeted them as they walked onto the dirt path between the stands.

The basket swung on Kit’s arm as she moved to the first vendor and perused the varieties of lettuce and cabbage. Considering the refrigerators at the ranch contained zero fresh produce, she had a lot of produce shopping to do.

“I’ve missed this.” Kit smiled as she selected lettuce and other fresh leafy vegetables, including spinach and kale. “I loved the smell of the earth and the vegetables as we harvested them.”

“My mom always says pretty much the same thing.” Carter paid the vendor and they moved on to green beans and sugar snap peas. “She said there’s something about getting to know mother earth up close and personal.”

Kit nodded. “She’s right.”

“A lot of the vegetables are out of season,” she said. “I imagine most of the local growers here at the market have greenhouses.”

Carter nodded. “You’re right, they do.”

She gathered tomatoes, onions, and garlic and set them in her basket as Carter paid. “I’ll be able to put together much better and healthier meals now.”

“What you’ve been making has been damned good.” He looked amused. “Topping that is going to take some work.”

She flashed a quick grin. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Looking forward to it.” He reached for the basket she carried. “This looks like it’s getting heavy.” He said as she loaded it with crook neck squash and zucchini.

She shook her head. “Really, it’s fine.”

“No arguing.” He took the basket. “I’ll let you carry the empty one. For now.”

She shook her head but smiled.

While they shopped, she made sure she collected fresh herbs and spices. Mint, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, dill, and parsley. She also picked up some fresh ginger root, and peppers. She did the selecting and Carter paid.

After the first basket was nearly overflowing, she started on the next, filling it with fruits, some brought into the market from organic growers since April was out of season for a lot of the items.

“We’re at the end of the shopping trip,” he said casually as they walked to a large display of several kinds of apples. “You know what that means.”

She tipped her head to the side as she thought about it then smiled. “I guess you earned your two dozen cookies.”

“You bet I have.” He raised the basket a bit. “You can see the fruits of my labor.”

“Oh,
please.
” She rolled her eyes.

He winked. “You’ve been so busy I’ll bet you haven’t had a chance to tour the ranch,” he said as she put apples into the basket she carried.

“It has been a little hectic.” She had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. “I’m sure once I get into the flow of things, I’ll have time to do just that.”

“I’ll take you around.” His eyes held hers for so long she thought she thought her heart might stop beating. “Let’s plan on it this week sometime.”

“Sure.” She forced herself to turn away and peruse the oranges, lemons, and limes from Phoenix. “I feel like I’ve been taking too much of your time since I got here.”

“I have no problems working it around my schedule.” He gave her another sexy grin when she glanced back at him. “One of the perks of owning the ranch is being the boss.”

She brushed away strands of hair from her face and smiled. “Okay, boss. You’re on.”

H
umming to herself
, Kit stuffed four sandwiches into an insulated bag with icepacks for the horseback ride with Carter. He had cancelled the tour of the ranch earlier in the week, but this morning had said they were on for today’s ride.

She wore a worn pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and Haylee’s well-broken in boots. They were a tad too big, so Carter had given her two pairs of his socks so that the boots fit better. She wasn’t used to wearing boots, and it felt a little odd and clunky as she moved around the kitchen.

The day they were supposed to tour the ranch, one of his mares had gone into labor and had a breech birth. Carter had almost lost both of them, but the vet came through and both mare and filly were now fine. It was the second time that month he’d almost lost a mare and baby while the horses gave birth.

Kit added a couple baggies of handmade potato chips to the sack, along with six each of the snickerdoodle and toffeedoodle cookies she’d made. She’d also filled two large thermoses with cold water—since this was the desert, they couldn’t have too much water with them no matter the time of year.

It had rained last night, but it was clear this morning, and Carter had said they were still on for the ride.

Whether intentional or not, he had sent her senses on overdrive every time he was around. He frequently came into the kitchen and spent some time with her when they were alone, usually a little before breakfast and lunch.

She paused in her motions and closed her eyes.

Carter had come into the kitchen and talked with her so many times this week, that it felt as if she had been working at the ranch for weeks instead of just a single week. He was intense, but easy to talk with, and he liked to tease and could take it in return. He made her smile and laugh every time he was around.

By mid-week she had a full-blown adult “crush” on her boss. She knew she shouldn’t let herself get close to him in any way, but everything about him drew her in. His smile, his sexy grin, his intelligence, his great sense of humor, and every other thing about him she could think of.

She opened her eyes and smiled. She was almost giddy with excitement, something she shouldn’t allow herself to feel. A sigh slipped out. Did she want to stop whatever it was that was happening between her and Carter?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Whatever the case, she was too far gone as it was.

For dinner she had been eating on her own in the guest house. She had offered to make Carter dinner in the evenings, but he had insisted she was off work and the last thing he was going to let her do was cook for him. The first night had been different because of the birthday party. Carter had teased that it had been her “trial by fire,” something Belle had decided to do. He hadn’t known it ahead of time, but went along with Belle.

“There’s no stopping Belle, once she has her mind set.”
He said she might be brusque, but she was fair in all matters and well-intentioned.

Boot steps sounded on the back porch, bringing Kit out of her thoughts and she swung her gaze to the door.

It opened and Carter walked in. Her stomach did that silly little twisty-swishy thing again.

Swoon.

Damn, she had it bad.

Today he looked as good as he always did. Something about him went beyond his hard, masculine cowboy looks that made him even sexier. He wore a western shirt and a straw Stetson. Faded Wrangler jeans fit him perfectly, and he wore a crafted leather belt with a silver buckle that had a longhorn steer head imprinted on it. His dusty boots made him look somehow rougher.

He approached and she steadied herself by bracing a hand on the countertop.

“Ready to head out on that ride?” He had a slight drawl that many Arizona cowboys spoke in.

She wanted to sigh and melt every time he spoke.

“I’ve been looking forward to it all week.” She gestured to the sack of food and the two thermoses. “I think I have enough.”

He got so close to her she could smell his sun-warmed flesh and the masculine scent she’d come to associate with him. His body heat warmed her even though no part of them were touching.

The fact that he was regularly in her “personal space” made her certain he had some kind of feelings for her too, whether sexual or more. He would get close enough that all she had to do was lean forward just a bit and she could kiss him. She hadn’t, of course, but she had wanted to.

She was pretty sure he wanted to as well. Like now.

“Guess we should go,” he murmured before he picked up the bag with their lunch in one hand and grasped both handles of the thermoses with his other. “Let’s head on out.” He turned and strode toward the back door.

She nodded and followed. He paused and she almost ran into him. “Do you have a hat?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I didn’t even think about it.”

He glanced at the hat rack. “Down at the bottom is one of my sisters’ hats. I think it’s Leeann’s. Go ahead and grab it. You can’t go out into the sun without something covering your head

Kit bent and snagged the small straw western hat that had a leather hat band decorated with Conchos.

He nodded as she straightened and set it on her head. “That’s better.” He gave her a quick grin. “You look cute in a hat.”

She laughed. “So do you.”

He chuckled and shook his head as he turned to go out the back door. “First time I’ve been called cute since I was just a kid.”

“Ha.” She stepped through the doorway as he held the door open. “I bet all the girls called you cute in high school.”

He snorted. “That doesn’t count.”

They walked out into the cool morning, onto the soft ground that was a little damp from last night’s downpour.

“I love the smell of rain.” She inhaled deeply and looked up to see a few wisps of white across the blue. “Not much in the way of clouds.”

He eyed the sky before shaking his head. “Doesn’t look like rain.” He nodded to the barn as they neared it. “I packed waterproof ponchos in the saddlebags in case those storm clouds do come on back.”

“A little rain won’t hurt.” She pushed her hair over her shoulder. “I haven’t been out to your barn yet.”

“Sorry about missing our date to tour the ranch.” He reached the barn, flipped a latch, and opened the door. “Sasha came into the world earlier than expected.”

Date.
He’d called it a date again.

She almost rolled her eyes at her silly schoolgirl thoughts.

“Apologies definitely not needed.” She walked into the cool recesses of the barn and blinked to get used to the dimmer light. The whinny of a horse and a calf’s bawl greeted her.

“Hold on.” Carter put his hand on her arm. “Don’t step in the cow patty.”

Kit glanced down at a pile of fresh cow manure.

“Not sure who missed this one,” he said. “I’ll grab a shovel.” He set the insulated bag and the thermoses on a hay bale before heading to the back of the barn.

While she waited for him, she let her gaze drift over the stacks of baled alfalfa hay and straw; sacks of grain; as well as a wall of well-kept tack.

The barn smelled of dirt, hay, and livestock, all familiar smells that reminded Kit of her grandparents’ much smaller barn.

After Carter took care of the cow patty, he gestured for her to follow him. He started toward the aisle that ran down the center of the barn, between the stalls. “I’d like you to meet Little Joe.”

Kit joined him and they came to a stop in front of one of the stalls. A huge black and white horse put his head over the stall door.

Carter stroked the horse’s face. “This here is Little Joe.”

“Hi, handsome.” Kit reached out and touch the horse, and felt the short coarse hair of his nose against her fingertips. She glanced at Carter. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there’s nothing little about this guy.”

Carter smiled. “Mom named him after ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright on that old show
Bonanza
. I grew up watching reruns.”

“I was wondering if that’s who he was named after.” Kit smiled. “Since your dad’s name is Joe, I guess it could have gone either way.” Carter chuckled as Kit looked over the horse. “Is he a Pinto?”

“Yep. Sounds like you know something about horses,” he said.

“A little.” She shrugged one shoulder. “No actual experience, but when I was a kid I was fascinated with horses. I was an obsessive reader, and I read a lot about them.”

Carter patted Joe’s neck. “He’s a great ride for a first timer like you.”

She pointed to herself. “Me? On a horse this big?”

He nodded, an amused smile on his lips. “Little Joe is gentle and easy to ride.”

She looked from the horse to the dirt beneath her feet. “Yeah, but there’s a lot of distance between his back and the ground.”

“True.” Carter pushed up the brim of his hat. “Trust me. He’s a nice, solid, comfortable ride and doesn’t spook easy.”

“Sounds like my Lexus, other than the spook easy part. They both have horsepower, too.” She ran a hand along the horse’s neck. His coat was short and smooth beneath her palm. “I’ll trust you this time. But if I end up on the ground, I’m coming after you.”

He chuckled. “Promise?”

“Ha.” She shook her head but had to hold back a smile. “Men.” She gave Little Joe one more pat. “I’m going to call you LJ.”

“LJ?” Carter raised a brow.

She dug a hair band out of her pocket as she spoke and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Sounds more manly that Little Joe.”

“If you say so.” He moved to the next stall and she stayed close to him. “This is Heidi.”

“Aren’t you a beautiful girl.” Kit brushed the horse’s soft muzzle. “I bet you’re spoiled.” Kit didn’t look at Carter as she added, “I bet he spoils
all
his women.” She bit her lip as her face warmed. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that out loud.

His laugh was so close behind her that hair prickled with awareness at her nape. “I aim to please.”

“I’m sure you do.” She scratched behind Heidi’s ear, her skin tingling with awareness of how close Carter was behind her. She didn’t dare turn around, because he might just see in her eyes what he was doing to her.

Kit cleared her throat as she looked at the distinctive coloring on the horse. “She’s an Appaloosa, isn’t she?”

“Yep.” Carter moved back to the Pinto’s stall and Kit nearly sagged with relief because the intensity of his presence had nearly been too much. He reached for a bridle and slid it over the horse’s head. “Let’s saddle up Little Joe.”

She smirked as brought the huge Pinto out of the stall. “You mean LJ.”

“Of course.” He winked before he gathered up tack and started saddling the horse.

She helped him by following his instructions, still wondering how on earth she was supposed to ride LJ. She didn’t know the first thing about getting on an animal this big, much less avoiding falling off. Guess she was going to learn.

Carter saddled both horses with deliberate moves, making sure everything was cinched tightly and on securely. He slid the insulated bag into one saddlebag, and shoved one thermos into LJ’s saddlebag and the other into Heidi’s.

When it was time to get settled into LJ’s saddle, Kit felt like tumbleweeds bounced around in her belly. Carter gave her instructions on what she needed to do.

After he’d gone through everything, he helped her up and into the saddle on the left side. The leather creaked beneath her as she grasped the pommel and slid her booted feet into the stirrups.

LJ remained steadfast and solidly in place as she adjusted herself in the seat and tried to get comfortable. She was surprised at how much she was shaking. She held onto the pommel with a death grip.

Carter put a hand on her thigh and she shot a look at him. “It’s okay, Kit. You’re safe and you’ll do just fine.”

She barely heard him because all she could do was feel the heat of his touch through her jeans. His palm was big and warm and it sent thoughts through her mind that involved no clothes and lots of skin sliding against skin.

“Kit?” Carter’s voice cut into her thoughts. “You all right?”

Not in the least.
She nodded and gripped the pommel tighter. “Yes. Just ready to get going.”

Carter gave a slow nod. “Before we leave, I’m going to go through some things with you so that you’ll feel more comfortable on the ride.”

She was all for that.

He spent time showing her the proper way to use the reins, the cues and commands LJ responded to, how to sit in the saddle, and how to use her knees.

When he was confident that she could handle riding on her own, she nodded. “I’m ready.”

He patted her thigh and the intensity of his gaze made her whole body shiver with desire.

She didn’t know if she could handle having him touch her without losing her mind from the need to have him. To be with him.

He slid his hand down her knee, sending more electricity through her, before he moved to Heidi and mounted the Appaloosa.

Once they started off, Kit stopped worrying about how Carter was making her feel and focused on riding the horse. Even though LJ was smooth and solid beneath her, she still felt like she was going to slide off the horse and end up being dragged across the desert.

“You’re doing fine.” Carter coaxed her from her perch on the ledge without her even saying how she was feeling out loud. “You aren’t going to fall off.”

“I hope you’re right.” She gripped the reins tighter. “Because I’m a lot more scared than I thought I’d be. He’s big, he’s moving, and there’s no seatbelt.”

“Maybe you need a booster seat.” His voice was teasing. “I can arrange for that.”

She shot him a look. “Very funny. If you don’t behave, you won’t get any of the treat I brought for you.”

He looked like he was pretending to think hard. “If I’m good do I get gummy bears? Cheerios?” Or how about ice cream?”

“Taking ice cream with us would be a neat trick as we ride out into the desert.” She laughed and realized he’d gotten her mind off of riding LJ, if only for a moment.

She looked ahead of them at the valley and the Superstition Mountains crouched in front of them. The mountains were tall, standing somewhat alone and separate from the other ranges in the area.