Cowboy Redeemed (11 page)

“What is it you do?”

“I’m an event planner. I work with a handful of caterers, but what I’d love to do is hire an in-house person to handle the food. I’d have more control over the quality of ingredients, as well as where those ingredients come from. What do you think, Ainsley? Would you even consider a discussion about selling produce from your garden? I’d be interested in a sample of that sauce of yours too. My clients would love the idea of an all-natural, locally made product.”

Erin cut in. “I’m going to tell Pax you’re working if you don’t give Ainsley a break, Reese.”

Reese opened her mouth. Closed it. Smiled. A delicate flush colored Reese’s cheeks. “Pax threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t take the night off.” She winked. “Although I’m not sure it’s much of a threat.”

Now Ainsley was the one blushing, if the heat on her cheeks was any indication. But Reese’s excitement about her garden was contagious. Ainsley’s mind whirled with possibilities. Could she make a living from what she planted? If her ranch was smaller, less expensive to run, maybe. She could expand. Triple her yield where it stood. Anything more would have to be separated to another area.

“All right, ladies.” Trevor collapsed into the chair next to Erin. He waved a hand to Ainsley and Reese. “You two go on. Pax and Clay need partners. I’m done.”

Erin snuggled back against Trevor’s chest. “No complaints from me. Feels like ages since we’ve had a minute together.”

Reese latched onto Ainsley’s hand and stood, taking her along the way. “Come on. Let’s give these love-birds some time alone.”

Reese led them to the pool table. She dropped Ainsley’s hand to move toward Pax.

“Ah, my next victims?” Pax grinned as Reese walked into his arms.

“Don’t be so sure.” Clay’s hearty laugh shot a frisson of awareness along Ainsley’s spine as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “This one’s a ringer.” Then for her ears alone, “You okay?”

She really was. She sensed she and Reese could become great friends. Erin had the protective big sister vibe going on, but she hadn’t been hostile. So far, so good. Ainsley gave Clay’s forearms a reassuring squeeze.

Pax raised a brow. “Care to put your money where your mouth is?”

“Hundred bucks says she wipes the table with you,” Clay challenged.

Ainsley jabbed Clay’s ribs with her elbow. “Don’t do it.”

Oh, now there was a look that must’ve gotten him out of a truckload of trouble as a kid. “What? It’s not like he can complain when you beat him. I did warn him.”

Pax came over and slapped a twenty in Clay’s palm. “Your turn for a beer run.”

“We could use a pitcher over here, too.” Colt waved an arm from the table beside theirs, where he and Dakota had a game going. A couple of cute, vastly underdressed women stood close, feigning interest in the game when any idiot could see they were more interested in watching the men bend and stretch as they played.

Clay wandered toward the bar, and Ainsley turned back to Pax. “I’m not playing for money.” It was one thing to play against men she didn’t know. No way she’d take money from Clay’s family.

“Don’t be scared, Ainsley. Won’t be the first time Clay’s lost a bet.”

Pax’s not-so-subtle teasing loosened Ainsley’s lips. “I’m not the one who should be scared.” Was this what it felt like to have siblings? To want to punch a person in the gut and laugh with them at the same time?

“You tell him, girl,” came Reese’s response.

Pax laughed. “That’ll be enough out of you.” He scooped an arm around Reese’s waist and hoisted her against him. Reese shrieked, feet dangling, as he walked her back to a tall stool and sat her down. The love between them burned as bright as the Texas sun as Reese laughed at Pax’s antics and whispered words in her ear. They shared a quick kiss before Pax turned to set the table for their game.

“All right. Time to choose your weapon, Ainsley.”

Ainsley went to the wall rack to select a cue. Without warning, she was jerked back into a wall of solid muscle, causing a little
oof
to escape her lips. Alcohol-laden breath assaulted her nose. “Hey, sweet thing. I was hoping you’d be back tonight. Admit it, you missed me, didn’t you?”

Ainsley shoved at the hands creeping up her sides, heading straight toward her breasts. “I don’t even know you, buddy. Hey!” She latched onto his meaty wrists. “Those hands get any higher, you’ll find yourself singing soprano.”

He released her.

Ainsley spun, only to find herself trapped between his arms and the wall. She poised her knee to strike.

“Aw, come on, sugar. You took me for fifty bucks last weekend. I want a chance to win my money back. Or maybe we’ll play for something even better.”

He did a little drunken wiggle with his shoulders as his eyebrows danced up and down.

Oh right. She remembered this guy. A horrible pool player with a taste for tequila. His idea of a good time had consisted of trying to convince her he could keep it up long enough for her to get him off.

Bless his heart.

What was his name? Darrell? Doug?

“Back off, Duane.” Pax stepped into her periphery.

Duane!
Ainsley mentally snapped her fingers as she worked to peel his from her biceps. At least she got the
duh
part right.

Duane swayed, peering over his shoulder at the interruption. “Step off, Paxton. This ain’t got nuthin’ to do with you. She ain’t your girl.”

“I’m not yours, either,” Ainsley reminded him. “Now about that soprano thing … you wanna try me?” Better she rack the guy than have him pick a fight he wouldn’t win.

Ainsley gave him a second for his sloshed brain to process her words. The guy was harmless, but that didn’t mean she wanted Clay to come back and find her tangled up with another man, however innocent.

Ainsley raised her knee.

Duane’s hands flew to his crotch, the momentum of movement causing him to stumble backward. “Okay, okay.” He bumped into a table, righted himself, and waggled a finger in her direction. “Damn feisty, that’s what you are.”

“Best be movin’ on, Duane,” Pax encouraged. “My brother gets back and sees you mauling his girl, he’ll get cranky. Which in turn will make me cranky.”

“And me.” Dakota stepped to Pax’s side.

“Hell, I’m already cranky,” Colt added, taking up the space next to Dakota, arms folded as if to say
I dare you to try me
. “Damn boy, don’t you know how to treat a woman?”

Ainsley almost laughed as Duane sized up the wall of muscle. Would’ve laughed if her throat hadn’t closed up, choked by emotion. Tears blurred her vision and she blinked fast, willing them not to spill.

They stood, shoulder-to-shoulder. Fierce frowns in place. Ready to rumble for someone they cared about. For Clay.

For her.

An overwhelming sense of gratitude, and the warmth of something much … deeper, washed over her.

“Come on, firecracker.” Pax draped an arm over her shoulders, paying no mind to Duane’s retreat. He pointed her back toward the pool table, set and ready for the break. “Show me what’cha got.”

As Pax handed her a cue, Ainsley thought maybe … just maybe … she’d finally found where she belonged.

Chapter Twelve

A motion-activated light came on as they drove up, illuminating the gravel driveway.

“Where are we?” She yawned into her hand. The low hum of the truck had lulled her into sleepiness during the drive from the bar to … the middle of nowhere.

Clay parked and cut the engine. “You said you wanted to see it.”

It
was a homey looking mobile home with a large deck across the front. Or maybe that was the back. She couldn’t tell for sure.

“What am I looking at? Is there a lake down there?”

He laughed and opened the door, tugging her out after him.

“A small one. Man-made generations ago as a fishing spot. See those lights over there?” She followed the line of his outstretched arm to an area between the trees. “That’s the family fishing cabin, although Gavin and Lauren are using it as a residence until their house is finished.”

“The girls mentioned they were getting married soon.”

“Coupla months. The house they’re building is almost done. Gavin wants to move in after they get back from their honeymoon, but Pax and I plan to get it done while they’re gone.”

“Lauren won’t want to supervise the move?”

He snickered. “I’m sure she would, but she’ll get over it right quick once she figures out the time we saved her. Not to mention the heavy lifting. Between her belongings from New York and Gavin’s from London, those two filled half the storage warehouse.” His chest expanded, his lids drifted closed. The tranquil expression smoothed the lines around his eyes, as though this place soothed him. “We’ll get the stuff into the house. The rest will be up to them.”

Such a sweet gesture. She’d never known anyone with such a capacity for love. Whether he was working the land, helping a friend, or standing still under a clear, Texas sky—everything Clay did spoke of the man he was inside.

Ainsley turned her attention back to the landscape. With help from the light of the moon, she took it all in. The lake. The trees. The endless starry sky. As Clay had done, she drew in the crisp night air, humming her pleasure at the peaceful beauty of it all.

Clay’s fingers entwining with hers broke the spell. She glanced up to find him watching her, his expression clearly showing he was pleased with her reaction to being here. Wherever
here
was.

“So, if the fishing cabin is over there, what’s this place used for?” she asked.

He walked her up the steps and onto the deck. “This is where I live.” Clay muscled open the sliding door.

“You don’t keep the door locked?”

“Not much need this far out.” He hit the lights and ushered her inside.

“Are we on Shadow Maverick land?”

“In a manner of speaking. You want a beer or something?”

What did that mean? Either they were or they weren’t.

She followed him into the kitchen. “You got anything stronger?”

He grabbed a bottle from the liquor cabinet. Whiskey. Her favorite brand, too. “I don’t have anything to mix with this. That okay?”

“Perfect. If you’ve got any ice to pour it over, that’d be great.”

“I think I can manage some ice. You hungry?” He opened and closed a few more cabinets. “If you are, we’ll have to go back out. I don’t have much here.”

“The drink will be fine, Clay. Thanks.” She turned to investigate the rest of the area. “This doesn’t look much like a bachelor pad.”

For one, the kitchen was spotless. No clutter on the counters. No dishes piled in the sink. The living room was also unassuming. Oversized couch. Side table and lamp. Brown leather recliner. Coffee table. Flat screen TV. A basket of girly-looking books and toys in the corner—what’s up with that? Table for four in the nook to the side, top strewn with papers. Nothing fancy, but perfect for the man she’d come to know.

Clay handed her a glass. “It’s not meant to be. I hardly do more than sleep here.” He hip-checked her. “And lately, I’m not even doing that.”

She smiled. “Explains why it’s so clean.”

He dropped onto the couch and patted the cushion next to him. “It’s clean because I’m not a slob. That’d be my younger brother, Jared.”

Ainsley kicked off her shoes. She sat, curling her legs under and shifting so she could face him. “That sounded snarky. Don’t you and Jared get along?”

He swirled the ice around in his glass before he took a sip. “Most times. But I think our parents are too soft on him. He gets away with more bullshit than the rest of us ever did. He’s seventeen—old enough to do his share around the ranch.”

“I take it he doesn’t?”

Clay ran a hand over his head, messing up his hair in the process. Ainsley couldn’t resist reaching out, following the path of his fingers through the silky strands.

He encouraged her by leaning into her touch.

“He’s got an attitude. Downright cocky at times. Cares more about football than his duty to family. And hey, if he doesn’t want to be a rancher for the rest of his life, more power to him. Gavin left for college and didn’t look back. Was gone more than fifteen years before he found his way home. It’s a hard life. It’s Jared’s choice if he wants to live it or not. Either way, it doesn’t give him the excuse to shirk his responsibilities while he’s still living there.”

Clay might be frustrated with Jared, but Ainsley knew he’d drop everything, do whatever it took to be there if his brother needed him.

She traced the curve of his ear.

God, he was handsome.

She ran the backs of her fingers over his stubbled jaw. Down the cords in his neck. Around the collar of his shirt.

Clay drained his glass and set it aside. Took hers and did the same. “Come here, beautiful.” He urged her across his lap. “I don’t wanna talk about my punk brother while I have you here. I’ve never brought a woman home before,” he added quietly.

The man was full of surprises. “What? Never?”

He twined a piece of her hair around his index finger, his brow creased in thought.

“Never. I can’t explain the why of it. My mom and sisters have been here, so it’s not like the place is anti-women. I don’t know. I guess I thought bringing a woman here would give the impression of a connection?” He puffed out a breath. “That sounds stupid. I could say I’ve never felt the urge to share my private life, wanting to keep sex separate, but that makes me sound like an asshole.”

Ainsley’s mind raced, her heart quick to pick up the chase. “You haven’t been dishonest with the women you’ve been with, have you?” Talking about his former lovers wasn’t her favorite pastime, but he’d been right when he said they couldn’t change the past. Might as well face it head-on.

“Of course not. I’m not lookin’ to hurt anybody. I’ve always made my intentions clear.”

And he’d brought her to his home.

Message received.

Ainsley curled against him, her head on his shoulder. “You’re not an asshole, Clay. Women respect honesty. We’d rather know the score up front than to have it slap us in the face later. At least, that’s how I see it.”

“Hmm.” His hand rested on her hip, his thumb drawing lazy circles on her jeans. “I like having you here,” he whispered against her forehead.

Time seemed to slow. The rise and fall of his chest, the steady beat of his heart, lulled her mind to a quiet, peaceful place.

“I had a good time tonight,” she whispered, afraid to shatter their warm cocoon with full volume. “I’ve never…” She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“You’ve never what, baby?” His fingers crept under her shirt, wandered up her spine.

Where to begin? Putting her thoughts into words seemed impossible.

“The relationship you have with Pax and Erin … it’s cool, you know? There were times I wished I had a brother or a sister, although it was probably a good thing I only had myself to look out for.”

“Guess I never thought about it much. Lord knows we’re far from perfect. We fought a lot as kids. Argue even now as adults. In the end, it doesn’t matter. You buck up and keep right on going. Blood is blood. Corny and dramatic as it sounds, I’d give my life for any of them, if necessary.”

Ainsley didn’t doubt him for a second. “It gives me hope.”

His arms tightened around her. “I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like for you growing up. I’d like to hear more about it sometime.”

Not tonight. There was only so much opening up she could do in one sitting, and there was a more pressing issue than her crappy childhood.

She took a deep breath, pulling back to catch his eye. And took a leap of faith.

“I sold the majority of my uncle’s herd.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. His entire body tensed under her. “Why’d you do that?”

She watched him warily, not sure how to take the grit in his tone. “Well…” she began slowly, his tension leaking into her. “Apparently, my uncle wasn’t the greatest at taking care of his financial responsibilities. At least over the last few years of his life. I did what needed to be done to settle up.” Or catch up. Whatever. “Anyway, I’m sorry I’ve avoided your questions. You told me your interest in me didn’t have anything to do with the ranch, but I guess I wasn’t convinced.” Until now.

A flush crept up his neck and into his cheeks. “And how do you expect to keep the ranch going without stock to sell?”

The conversation with Reese had gotten her to thinking. Ainsley realized tonight she didn’t want to raise cattle. She didn’t need all the land. Didn’t want it. If she could keep the house and enough acreage for the horses and a garden large enough to provide for her and for the things Reese had discussed, she might just be able to make a go of it.

She had several offers for the whole shooting-match. Would anyone be willing to buy a smaller chunk? She made a mental note to do some research before she brought it up to Clay.

“I’m working on it.” She smoothed a thumb over his brow, feeling more confident about her future than she had in months. “I didn’t tell you to get you all worked up.”

“Why did you tell me?”

Because you brought me here.

“Call it a show of faith. You’ve never brought a woman home and I’ve never trusted a man before. Guess it’s our night for firsts.”

His scowl deepened.

“Hey, what’s with the basket of toys?” she asked, hoping to get them back on track. The one that led to them being naked with his hands all over her body. It felt good to tell him, but now she wanted to move on to better things. “I didn’t realize you were in to princess stuff. Should I trade in my blue jeans for sparkles?”

He lowered his chin to look at her. “Ha, ha, smart ass.”

He hesitated, obviously torn between which topic to pursue. Ainsley released a breath when he took the bait.

“I’ve got a niece. Erin’s girl, Amber. She hangs out with me sometimes when Erin and Trevor are desperate. Let me just go ahead and tell you now, the pink frilly shit in the spare bedroom is for her benefit. Seems Amber thinks she should have her own bedroom at all of our houses.”

Ainsley would bet Amber had her Uncle Clay wrapped around her little finger. “At least you’ve got a place big enough to give her a room.”

His hand traveled over her side and Ainsley shifted her shoulder back, giving him access to her front. One side of his mouth tipped knowingly as he began to trace over her ribs.

“This place is fine for now, but I’d like a bigger place someday. A more permanent raise-a-family-in kind of place. You know, for all those strapping boys I’m gonna have.”

Her vision from breakfast took front and center. Her kitchen bustling with young Mathis boys and Clay as her deliciously sexy husband.

Ainsley sucked in a sharp breath as he reached the underside of her breast. “You want kids?”

“Let’s get you out of this, baby. I want to touch you.”

He tugged her shirt over her head. Her bra quickly followed. With subtle pressure between her breasts, Clay coaxed her back against the arm of the couch.

“Mmm, much better.” He picked up where he’d left off, tracing the curve of her breast and driving her crazy. “To answer your question, I’m not in any hurry to have a bunch of chicklet’s biting at my ankles, but someday … sure. Wouldn’t mind it a bit.”

He latched onto a nipple, the warmth of his mouth shooting sparks from her chest to her core. Ainsley forgot about kids, the ranch, her future. She forgot everything except the feel of his lips as he alternated sucking and nipping the sensitive peak.

“I love the little noises you make when I put my mouth on you.” His palm traveled down the center of her body. Within seconds, her jeans were loose and he slid inside. “Ah, another thing I love,” he murmured as a thick finger trailed her seam. “How responsive you are to my touch. All warm, wet, and ready for me, aren’t you, baby?”

Her stomach did a roller coaster flip-flop. His fingers prodded deeper, found her entrance. He turned his attention back to her breast. Ainsley cried out when his lips surrounded her. He drew her nipple into his mouth as his finger penetrated her.

Her back arched and her backside pressed harder against his lap. Lord, he was hard. She moved again, unable to stop as his expert fingers worked in tandem with his wicked mouth.

“Jesus. Clay.”

He captured her nipple between his teeth and added pressure to her clit, sending her into a spiral as the need to come forced her hips to buck.

He groaned. “I’m dying for you to ride my cock like you’re riding my fingers.”

Ainsley grabbed his forearm and tugged him from her pants.

“What—”

More. She needed more. She rolled from his lap, her knees barely hitting the carpet before she worked her pants off.

“If you want me on your cock, you’d better get a move on, buddy.” She stood, naked and anxious to climb back onto his lap.

A wide and wicked grin accompanied a muttered
hell yeah
as he dug a foil square from his pocket, lifted his hips, and shoved his jeans to his knees.

She snatched the condom from his fingers. “I’ll do that.”

“Well, come on then.” He reached for her.

Ainsley climbed on, her knees spread wide as she sank down on his thighs. She reached between them and grasped his cock. God, she loved the feel of him. Silky flesh. Hard as steel. Hot as the Texas sun.