Stone Temptation [Texas Stallions 3] (5 page)

“Why?”
What’s the point in taking a vacation when I don’t do anything but sit around my house counting the days until I can return to work?

Clay regarded him with a piercing glare, and the look had James sitting straight up in his chair. “When was the last time you took any time off?”

James shrugged. “I don’t remember.”
Why is it so important that I take a vacation? Does he want to get rid of me?

“Well, I do. Never. You haven’t taken one day off in three years.” Clay tapped his pen against the clipboard he carried. “Do you know why you never take time off?”

Oh, shit. Here we go.
” Nope, but I’m sure you’re about to enlighten me.”

Clay pointed at him, and his finger resembled the tip of a sharp sword. James gulped and braced himself for impact. “You’re damn right I am. You never take time off because you don’t have a life. The funny thing about that is if you did take some personal time you might actually find one.”

“Find what?”

“A life,” Clay said with a heavy sigh, his hands rose in the air as if searching the heavens for guidance.

James fought the smile teasing his lips. He loved driving his well-organized and never-spontaneous friend crazy. “I have a life.”
I just don’t have a woman, a hobby, or anything outside of my job to enjoy.

“Really?” Clay asked with a snicker. “Prove it. Have you gotten laid in the last month?”

James’s eyes widened. “Now that’s just inappropriate,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

“Well, have you?”

Frowning, he replied, “No.”

“Taken a trip, gone fishing, or done anything recreational?”

Shit
. James hadn’t done a damn thing except work. “No.”

Clay folded his arms, his biceps and chest filling out in a powerful,
I’ve made my point
stance. “With that said, do you still think you have a life?”

The sweet scent of vanilla and strawberries filled the room, and instantly he knew he was about to be rescued by the only person who could calm Clay down. Closing his eyes, he silently thanked her.

“Oh, babe, stop harassing James,” Clay’s wife, Delilah, said, strolling into the office. Her blue, flowery sundress caressed every curve. “If he doesn’t want a vacation then he doesn’t want a vacation.” She reached out and took Clay’s hand then gently pushed to her toes and kissed him. “Stop trying to force him to take one.” She giggled. “You know better than most that you can’t make someone do something they don’t want to do.”

Clay scowled. “I just don’t want him clinging to us like some lost puppy,” he said, hauling her up into his arms and kissing her again.

Did you ever stop to think that maybe I’m happy just the way I am?
 

He cleared his throat. “Watching you two play kissy face all the time is enough to make anyone a little nauseous,” he murmured.

Delilah smiled, inclining her head in his direction. “Perhaps if you did have a woman to play kissy face with, you wouldn’t be so nauseated by us.” She winked.

“Wouldn’t that be swell?” James said with a crooked grin. Then he heard the front door to the station open. “Well, back to work.” He stood and rounded the corner of his desk.

“I’m not kidding, James.” Clay placed his hand on James’s shoulder. “You need a vacation. You can either pick the dates you want off or I’ll do it for you.”

Sighing, he said,
“Do what you’ve got to do, Clay. You’re the boss.”
There was no point in discussing it further. Whether he liked it or not, he was going to have to take a few days off. Sadly, he didn’t have a clue what he’d do if he didn’t have work to keep his mind busy.

He stepped around Clay and headed toward the counter. His eyes widened as he studied the alluring, brown-haired woman he approached. As he drew nearer, he noticed the amber highlights that drew out the breathtaking blue in her eyes. Swallowing hard, he was beside himself, stunned by the familiar gaze staring back at him.

Her tight jeans molded over long, lean legs and gathered sublimely at a slender waist. He couldn’t prevent his eyes from exploring her small but perfectly round breasts and settling on a face so lovely he nearly choked on his tongue.

In all his life, there hadn’t been a moment he’d lost himself in the presence of a woman. Always the calm, cool, and collected sort, he no longer felt as such. The sight of her had his gut swirling with a million electrifying nerves. The strange feelings that flooded through him rocked him off his foundation. He was utterly shocked by not only her innocent beauty, but by the knowledge that he somehow knew her.

He prayed his feet would remember how to function on their own, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. For whatever reason, his brain was not to be trusted. With his luck, he’d trip and land on his face. What a sweet first impression that would make.

Inhaling deeply, he asked, “May I help you?”

Her sweet, coy smile nearly robbed him of breath. “I hope so. I heard there was a position open for a clerical assistant.”

He choked as the thought of working with her daily drowned him like a wet dream. He quickly covered up his reaction by clearing his throat. “Oh, right, the clerical job
.”
Smooth. Real smooth.

Her face paled. “Is it still available?”

He narrowed his brow, curiosity consuming him. The expression on her face screamed she was desperate for employment. “Yes, I believe so.”

The moment he spoke the words, her eyes lit up, sparkling as if the sun was peering through her soul. “Then I would like to apply.”

His throat constricted as his thoughts tripped over the sexual harassment claim potential. Not because he would physically do anything to her, that wasn’t his style, but he was sure he’d never be able to stop staring at her mouthwatering lips, smooth skin, and hypnotic blue eyes. Not to mention the sumptuousness of her body that he would surely fantasize about daily.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He fumbled through the stack of papers under the counter in search of the applications. He hated that he must look like a directionless idiot. After all, he was the one who’d stored the paperwork at the counter for walk-in candidates.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, he found the application, grabbed a clipboard and pen, and handed it to the woman who in less than thirty seconds had turned his brain into pudding.

“Please fill this out and let me know when you’ve finished.”

She flashed an appreciative smile, and again his heart did a funny little flip in his chest. She looked so familiar, but for the life of him, he couldn’t put his finger on just how he knew her. Maybe it was his man parts telling him that he’d been too long without the tender touch of a woman and that Clay was right. He did need a vacation.

Blowing out an exaggerated breath, he returned to his desk and eagerly waited for the application of a woman he was dying to learn the name of. He’d been so taken by her that he forgot to ask her name.

“She’s awfully pretty, Deputy Ryan,” Delilah whispered over his shoulder. “Maybe your single life has met its end?”

He pressed his lips firmly together, but inside he was grinning from ear to ear. “She’s applying for a job,” he said plainly, doing his best to contain the thrill that chased after his heart, making it gallop like a horse in the Kentucky Derby.

“Oh, a captive audience then,” she teased, clasping her hands over her chest. “Perhaps now you’ll have a reason to take a vacation. I’m sure I could convince Clay to give you both time off together.” She winked.

He chuckled and then glanced over at the woman filling out paperwork, parts of his body humming and pulsing. He shifted in his seat and shot his gaze back to Delilah, who was now sitting in the chair beside him. “You’ve spent way too much time with Clay. You’re starting to sound just like him.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Clay said, coming up alongside him. “And why is Delilah sounding like me?”

Delilah giggled. “We have a visitor who just happens to be drop-dead gorgeous, young, and doesn’t have a wedding ring on her finger.”

James drew his brows together in a tight scowl. “How the heck do you know that?” he asked, his keen eye for observation clearly being tested. He hadn’t seen it, nor had he even thought to look.

First he doesn’t bother to get her name and now this. What was going on with him?

Delilah waggled the fingers of her left hand. “Rule number one, boys. Always check the wedding finger. A well-trained woman can spot a single man forty feet away. That shiny bit of gold can give an eager woman the green light or send her packing…unless she’s a complete skank.” Both he and Clay eyed her, and she shrugged it off. “It was the first thing I noticed about Clay. Well, that and how incredibly sexy he was.”

James hissed as if he’d been bitten by a snake. “Please! The children are present.”

Clay chuckled. “Get over it. You know as well as I do that Delilah says whatever’s on her mind. She’s gotten pretty dang comfortable here in Temptation.”

She smiled, eyeing her husband with intrigue, and then returned her gaze back to James. “Right now, what I’m saying is that you could use a little distraction in your life.”

“I could?”

“Seriously? James you’ve been so work focused since I’ve known you. I’ve never even heard you talk about a woman. This is just what a handsome man like you needs.”

James narrowed his brow. “So you’re saying that I need to hit on a woman who could be working in the same office as me?”

Delilah giggled. “No, silly, you need a chance to start a fire with a woman you just met who may end up working in the same office as you.”

“Start a fire?”

She huffed out an exaggerated breath, resembling an annoyed younger sibling. “Do I need to draw you a picture? You need a warm body to snuggle up with at night, and apparently you don’t like the selection in this town. Maybe a fresh face is what you need.”

James glanced up to Clay. “Do you think it’s a good idea to hire a woman we just met?”

Clay arched his brow and, with a crooked grin, said, “Judging from the way you’re staring at her, I couldn’t imagine that you’d really argue with Delilah on this.”

James’s brow furrowed as he sat back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “There’s just something familiar about her, something I’m trying to figure out.”

“Well, I’m about to do a background check on her, and if everything checks out, I’m going to offer her the job. We need the help,” Clay reminded him.

“Right,” James breathed. “I just have a funny feeling.”

Clay paused. “What kind of funny feeling?”

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, James said, “I feel like I know her from somewhere.”

Clay snickered. “Maybe it’s the fact that you’d like to get to know her more intimately that’s got you so twisted.”

James’s frown deepened. “She’s very pretty, but I’m not sure how getting to know her will change anything.”

“I’ll never understand how that mind of yours works, James, but I do know that you’ll figure out whatever it is that’s bothering you and then you’ll realize it was all a figment of your imagination.” Clay grinned and, with a wink, added, “Unless it’s not.”

“Very funny.”

“Besides, you’re going to have plenty of time to get to know her if I do hire her.”

“How’s that?”

Clay leaned in close. “You’re training her, of course, and that also means you’ll be giving her a ride along to introduce her to the community. She’ll need to learn the ropes and who better than from you.”

“
Shit
,” he breathed.

Clay grinned. “Now, stop your whining and go get her paperwork. If all goes well, she’ll be working here by Monday.” He slapped James on the back, hauled Delilah up from her seat, and strolled into his office, closing the door behind them.

Everything inside James had gone wonky. Nothing seemed to feel right. His chest squeezed, restricting his breathing, his head throbbed from the increase in blood pressure, and his palms were sweaty. If he didn’t know better he’d have thought he was lusting after that woman like a schoolboy’s first crush. Whatever was going on with him, he needed it to stop immediately.

* * * *

The pages blurred together as Gracie read over the material and filled out the areas she could. Completing the application didn’t take long since she hadn’t really had any work history to document. She didn’t even have a home address, so she used the hotel’s where she was currently staying. The only reference she had was of a man she’d just met and slept with.

Closing her eyes, she prayed that somehow, some way, they’d give her a chance to show that she would do an excellent job for them. She had potential. She just needed an opportunity to step away from the cloud of shit that hung over her.

The cute blond officer she first met on arrival approached the front desk, and she felt his stare, eyeing him askance. Her throat constricted as she gathered her application and
 headed up to the counter.

Inhaling deeply, she read his name badge. “Deputy James Ryan?”

“You can call me James.
” His eyes sparkled warmly as he studied her. That was the look she’d longed to see staring back at her, accepting and caring.