Stay With Me: BWWM Interracial Cowboy/Western Romance (Westbury Ranch Book 2) (3 page)

Juston lifted an eyebrow. “But?”

She glanced at him as if he said something strange. “But there is something about the city, or any other city, and that is loneliness. You can have a thousand friends but it’s hard to make real connections because everyone is too busy with their own lives. I mean…” She hesitated as if she’d said far more than she planned. “…I did have some good friends, but the friendships were very fluid, you know. Not like the friends, I grew up and went to college with. Those are buddies for life.”

“I get that,” he said. “I have a friend, Mason. We grew up together because his father owned the ranch where my dad worked. We still keep in touch, and when we meet, it’s like we’ve never been apart. With old friends, you can be yourself. There’s no need to hide anything, and no need to sugarcoat your words. It’s just you and the truth, and it’s damned liberating.”

She laughed. “Exactly. I’m glad you get it.”

He also got the fact that he felt the same way with her as he felt with Mason. Something about her made him comfortable. He could do anything, say anything, and she wouldn’t judge him. It seemed silly to feel like this, especially because he barely knew her…yet he felt as if he’d known her forever. As he locked glances with her, a cow suddenly charged towards them.

Shayne jumped into his arms and he took a few steps back. The cow turned back.

She trembled in his arms. “What the hell was that?”

“She just got startled or something.” He laughed. Casting an appreciative glance at the cow, he thanked her profusely. Not that he’d have done anything so rash or so hurried, especially so soon after her return to the ranch and the lifestyle, not to mention her divorce, but he wasn’t complaining. Now that she was in his arms, he was reluctant to let her go.

Her breasts pushed against his chest. He felt thrilled beyond belief at the sensation of the pebbled beads of her erect nipples, even through their double-layer of clothing. His skin hummed at the contact, nerves firing and sending exciting shivers cross his flesh, and he actually felt as if he was on fire. So hot, it competed with the heat of the sun on the range. This woman, his woman, was all hot flesh and erotic desires. A potent combination. One designed by some higher force to melt him to a puddle of goo.

All sane thoughts wafted out of his head and he gazed down at her. At the exact same moment, she glanced up. Her eyes were large, the pupils dilated, her lips slightly parted, and he could read straight up passion in her features. She was an angel. He couldn’t help what he did next. It wasn’t planned. In fact, he wasn’t even sure his mind had decided anything when he just reacted. Instinct, he would claim later, if she asked.

Juston planted his lips on her, and damn it…it felt so good, so right. He should have stopped there. Should have acknowledged the contact and then backed away. That would have been the smart choice. Would have been a mistake, though. A bad and regretful mistake.

She moaned under him. Her lips vibrating on his as the sound ripped itself from her throat.

Shayne’s eyes closed and he gave in. He closed his own. What happened from this point on would be destiny. No stopping now, even if he’d had the willpower.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and he rejoiced inside. Smiling on her lips, he deepened the kiss. His large, work-roughened hands encircled her neck and held her steady, his fingertips lightly caressing the tender skin behind her ear. He felt her lean into his grasp. His thumb moved, caressing the column of her neck, where her throat met her chin. Her moan became a heartbreaking whimper. He felt relieved that the other hands had left them to take care of the fence. He wanted no other man to ever hear such a passionate sound from her again—unless it was him and she were spread out under him at the time. That soft noise had all the makings of an aphrodisiac.

Her lips were soft and warm, and when he touched them with his tongue, her mouth parted and he dove in. Swiping his tongue through the herb-infused warmth of her mouth, he wondered idly how he could have claimed his salad was delicious. She tasted better. Much better…his pasta salad times a hundred. He could feed from her for centuries and never get bored. Such a cornucopia of sensations, flavors, and aromas. All of them exciting him, making his heart race, and his head thrum. He refused to even consider the effect of her on his erection. That was too dangerous to contemplate—led to places he too eagerly wanted to take her.

He lost himself in the feel and touch of her mouth against his. In the feel of her so close, so wrapped up in his embrace. She was responding just as strongly as he was. Her tongue, so placid and demure, was reaching for his, chasing his as he retreated, licking his and begging him to lick her back. She shifted against him, rubbing her curves against the hard, lean planes of his body. For the first time in his life—including high school—he felt tremors in his knees and feared he might actually swoon. And ranch hands didn’t swoon. EVER. It felt as though he had literally entered heaven. As though he just died.

Juston devoured and plundered. Shayne returned the favor. He cupped the back of her head and bent her back, cradling her smaller, but not weaker form. A strong woman. He looted, all her defenses lowered and opened in invitation. Shayne didn’t murmur a protest. Not a single hesitant hum. When he lifted his head, her eyes were glazed over. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew, without a doubt, his eyes were equally glazed.

Damn it!
What the hell did he just do?

Chapter Three

S
hayne wanted to run away. It didn’t bother her that he kissed her. What made her wary was her own reaction to his touch. The moment he got his hands on her, all sane thoughts fled her mind and she melted into his arms. It made no sense to her. She’d never behaved like this with another man. Sure, there was always some sexual chemistry with men she liked, but this was way off the charts.

She didn’t know what to do.

Juston shook his head. “I know I shouldn’t have…” he said, with a wry smile. “But I was tempted.”

“Why?”

It was clearly not the question he expected because he blinked his eyes and then tipped the hat on his head. “Ah! I guess it’s because you’re so pretty and I’m honest-to-goodness attracted to you.”

Shayne took a careful step back. Now, that his arms were no longer around her, she could think a bit more. What he said made sense to her because she felt exactly the same way. “You have nothing to apologize for. I could have stopped you, but I guess I didn’t want to.”

“Why?”

How could she deny him the answer? “Because you’re so pretty and I’m honest-to-goodness attracted to you.”

At her mimic answer, Juston threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Good,” he said when he regained his composure. His hands reached for her as a grin split over his face, but she shook her head and took another step back. The light mood changed into a serious one. “What?”

“Look, you’re very good looking, and I can’t deny that I’m attracted to you, but right now I’m in a very strange position.” Shayne took a deep breath and then expelled it slowly. “I just got divorced, and there are a lot of complications in my life, and I don’t want to add to them.”

Juston nodded his head. “Complicated is good.”

She adjusted the brim of her hat, feeling self-conscious. She’d never talked to a guy so directly, but it felt good to say whatever it was in her heart. She didn’t want to lead him on and then push him away. It would be better to make it clear that she wasn’t looking for anything. A pang of regret hit her as she stared into his denim-blue eyes. It wasn’t just that he was good-looking but she could also sense a kind heart.

This was a man who could show a woman how to have a good time, and he would do with it ease and respect.

It would be great to hang out with him some more and forget about the troubles that plagued her, but Shayne knew that she wouldn’t be able to offer him anything permanent. She just wasn’t looking for a relationship. Shayne shook her head. “It’s not. At least, not for me. I just embarked on a new phase of my life. I need friends at the moment, and nothing more than that.”

He nodded. “I got the message. Don’t worry. I don’t want to add to any mess in your life. It’s fine.”

“I hope we can be friends?” She thrust out her hand and much to her delight…he shook it.

“Friends,” he declared.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It would be awkward to work with him if he didn’t understand, and she felt glad that he was so nice about it. Once more, her heart ached as she gazed at his face. It was crazy to deny herself the pleasure that he seemed so willing to offer, but she felt that with this guy, nothing would be easy. If she got involved with him, her life would change—and she didn’t want that.  

They walked around the cows, and much to her relief, they weren’t attacked again.

“Cows are generally docile,” he explained. “Not the bulls, of course, but we don’t have any.”

“The one who ran towards me didn’t look docile.”

“You didn’t notice, but she had a calf.” He laughed. “We got too close to it and she became uncomfortable. Generally, they would do anything to avoid a confrontation. That’s why it’s easy to herd them from one place to another. When we move closer to them, they automatically start moving forward to maintain the distance between us.”

It was easy to read the excitement in his voice. “You love this job, don’t you?”

“I do. It’s great to work outdoors with animals. Maybe…I guess you can’t imagine it.”

“I can,” she admitted easily. “My father loved it, remember? I grew up on a farm, and even though I haven’t inherited the passion for it that my sisters have, I do enjoy being outdoors.”

“You have to love nature, respect it, and only then you can make a living out of it. I don’t like people abusing the natural resources, which is why I like Cullen’s approach. She doesn’t want to overburden the farm with too many animals because she’s aware that we need to keep the land fresh, so it keeps yielding more. That’s why she’s selective about the breed of animals she buys.”

“She and Graeme went to look at sheep,” Shayne replied. “So, that’s next on the agenda.”

“Graeme knows what he’s doing, and Cullen is a fast learner so I bet when they make the final purchase, it will be the right selection.” Juston tipped his hat a bit and used his index finger to flick away the bead of perspiration that was rolling down his forehead. “We should sit for a bit. It’s going to be a while before the animals are ready to be moved and we shouldn’t use up all our energy.”

They sat under the same tree. Since all the other men were gone, it was quiet. She should have felt awkward, especially after that kiss, but Shayne felt just at ease as she did, ever since she met him. Some deep connection existed that she shared with this man, and no matter how hard she tried to deny it, it was right there. “Why did you move from the farm where you were born? You could have kept working there.”

“I went away to college, and when I came back, there was no place there for me. My friend is running it now, and I thought it wasn’t fair to burden him with the responsibility of giving me a job.”

“You went to college?”

“Graduated with a degree in animal husbandry.”

She blinked her eyes. She’d never imagined him as someone who spent four years slogging in classrooms. “Why didn’t you get a job in an office somewhere?”

Juston shrugged his shoulders. “This is what I love doing. Going to college was just something my father wanted me to do. His requirement was that I get a degree and then if I didn’t want to use it, he wouldn’t say a word. But he wanted me to have options and to think about another lifestyle I could possibly have.”

“Smart man, your father.”

“Yeah, I think he did the right thing. Now I know for sure that this is what I want to do, and I make a decent living, so it’s all good. I do some research work on the side for the State’s Husbandry department. They hire me to do some legwork for them, which I can accommodate along with my regular job.”

No wonder she felt attracted to him. He might look like someone who spent all his time on the land, but he was an intellectual. “I would like to see some of your papers.”

“Sure, why not?” He glanced over at the cattle. The calf was running away from the mother but she bellowed a command and it came back obediently. “What are your plans for the farm?”

“Oh, I’ve got some ideas. Now that Cullen is expanding at such a rapid pace, we need to have greater revenue coming in. So, I’m going to line up some buyers for the cattle, and then for the fleece that comes from the sheep. I’m also trying to convince her to get into organic dairy. We have enough cattle to do that, and all we need is some investment in equipment.”

“That’s going to be a hard sell. Dairy is complicated.”

Shayne nodded her head in agreement. “But very lucrative, especially if we go into organic milk. With the right marketing, we can start our own brand and sell it in the local markets for a premium. People love to feed their kids organic stuff, and if we offer that, I think we could go a long way.”

He nodded. “You’re a marketer at heart.”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, I think it’s damn sexy,” he admitted. “We need that in order to get this farm going, and I think you sister will do just fine.”

She would’ve said something but the men came trudging back.

After they let the animals go towards the stream to drink water, Blade and his company sat under the tree.

“So, the fence is fixed?” Juston asked.

“Ran into Max’s men over there. I swear they’re breaking the fences on purpose, knowing that it would rankle us because we have cattle now that can wander onto their land.”

Juston sat up straighter.

Shayne felt him tense up next to her.

“Deliberately? Are you sure?”

“Looked like it.” Blade shrugged. “Fences don’t break with such regularity, and these were clean cuts.”

Juston took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn it!”

Shayne kept her gaze away from his face because if she did so, she would have been tempted to run her fingers through his umber colored hair. “Why would they do that?”

“Max is known for playing dirty tricks,” he answered in a clipped tone. “And he has a problem with Cullen. This is something we need to tell her.”

“Sure have to.” Blade nodded. “I told his men to keep their saws off the fence, and they just laughed. I know they’re doing it on purpose on Max’s say-so.”

“We’ll have to prove it, of course, and that cunning snake knows it,” Juston seethed.

She could tell that he really didn’t like Max. What could be the reason for it? He’d said that he didn’t like men who didn’t work, but then there had to be something more.

They all shared the cake that her mother gave and then as the men stood, she joined them.

Rest time was over. They mounted the horses and herded the cattle across the stream. It was a slow process. If they got too close, the cattle would bolt, so the aim was to keep the pace slow and meandering. Even though this was hard work, Shayne realized she enjoyed it. Sure, she didn’t relish the idea of doing it every single day but once in a while, it would be nice to come with the men and mind the cattle.

The weather was hot, but a breeze wafted around them and the breathtaking view was a sight for sore eyes. The men talked very little as they worked.

She felt Juston’s gaze settle on her a few times and then flit away but he didn’t say anything. The kiss was something she wouldn’t forget. Even now, she could smell his cologne. Damn it, something about the man called out to her. She wanted to get to know him better, but Shayne knew it was important to keep her distance. He was dangerous, not because he would hurt her, but because he had the potential to grab her heart.

She just didn’t want to risk something like that. Getting over her divorce wasn’t a piece of cake, and she didn’t think she could tackle any new problems right now.

As dusk fell, they reached the farm. By now, she did feel exhausted and yet, she felt alive in a way that was hard to describe. After she tied her horse, Shayne wiped him down. She gave him water and feed, then when she was satisfied that he was okay, she ventured out of its stall. The sight of Juston leaning against the wall was like a punch straight to her gut. Desire licked her skin in big, greedy gulps. She wanted to put her arms around him and kiss him again.
Oh!
She wanted to do so much more, but with an effort, she forced herself to walk quietly and with grace. “Why didn’t you go home?”

“I was waiting for you to finish.” He straightened. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you knew how to take care of a horse.”

She lifted an eyebrow. Perhaps she should’ve been offended that he underestimated her, but instead she was touched to know that he regarded the animals with such concern. “My father taught me. If I hadn’t done that, Cullen would have skinned me alive.”

He laughed. “That’s true.” Juston paused briefly before he took off his hat and tucked it under his arm. “May I walk you home?”

No, no, no,
she wanted to say. Shayne wanted to run a mile away. This man was big trouble. Yet, the words didn’t reach her throat. Instead, she nodded and sauntered along with him out of the barn. “So, now you’re going to go home and make yourself a hearty meal?”

Juston chuckled. “Blade said a bit too much. I’m not really that good.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why do I have a feeling you’re being awfully modest?”

He sighed. “Busted! Actually, I don’t want to deprive myself of Jackie’s cooking. If she realizes that I can do an okay job, she might stop inviting me over, and I love her food.”