AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes?”
“I do want more between us than just you as my employer. I’ve gotten to know you and I can see that clearly. But I need to take things slow. I’m in a bad head space because of what happened to me before and all the things I must keep secret. And I’m getting to know a new living situation. Will…will you wait for me?”
“I will wait as long as you need. I will always be here.”
She steps back and gives me a brilliant smile.
I take her hand in mine. “Will you be my interior designer and decorate this house as you see fit? I don’t have anyone to fill this place up for me. I’m busy with the ranch. I bought this big house and it needs you to fix it so it’s ready.”
She pauses. “Don’t you want your future bound to have the privilege to do that, to come in and decorate it exactly as she likes?”
I frown because this statement makes me realize she doesn’t understand my true intentions.
Chapter 9
Thorn
“Mica, if I were to ever take a bound it would be you.”
Her mouth drops open. “What?” she gasps. “I thought…I thought you wanted me as your temporary girlfriend, a pleasure mate before I left.”
Smoke wafts from my nostrils at the thought of her leaving. “I want more. I want it all. But do not feel pressured. I only admitted what I want so you know my end game.”
She chuckles. “Don’t feel pressured? Thorn, I might still have to leave. Something could happen that forces me to leave. I have no idea about my future right now until my problems are settled.”
“I know, female. But I’m hoping that you’ll let me help you with your problems, because I consider them mine, too. And I hope that when the dust settles you will consider making the Flagstone ranch your permanent home.”
“You can’t mean that, you don’t even know me.”
“I’ve learned much about you in a short time. And your scent affects me in a way no other has, which means you could be my mate.”
She blinks. “I can’t answer how I feel about that yet. Please don’t be upset with me. It’s just…too soon for me. I’m a human and we don’t find our mates the same way.”
“I understand. Again, I’m waiting. And if all you want is an employee relationship, that will be what you have. As I said before, I will follow your lead. If you want more, I am here. If you don’t want more, I will honor your wishes.”
She places her warm palms against my bare chest. “I just want to get to know you better, because as a human I don’t have that scent thing you’re talking about. That means I need to be around you longer to know if you’re it for me. And also I need time to get to know this ranch better and to see how I fit in here. Time. All I need is time. This isn’t no, just me asking to go slow.”
“I understand. Does this mean that you are agreeing to not only cook human food for me, but you will also organize and decorate this new house?”
“Yes,” she laughs. “This is so funny. Normally I don’t get hired for any of these things. I’m not some kind of professional chef or decorator. I get hired to organize business. I have my degree in business.”
I shrug. “After you’re done with the house and you get to know the ranch better, we can bring you into the business too.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I guess this is me getting to know how you run things. And if I know the house perfectly and then I get to know the barracks and the men… Yeah, you’re right, at some point I will understand the operations well enough that maybe I could expand and be a help to you in that way too. I could give you my résumé.”
She has no idea how much I’d love to have her working with me, in a true partnership. This house decorated to the way she likes and being comfortable here. And then us working together. I could see her in the office here at the house, which would be wonderful considering all the late nights I put in now. It wouldbe nice to have a partner in this, the way my parents were when I was growing up on our family ranch. We could own and run this ranch together.
I can’t help but stare at her longingly.
She pauses, looks at me, coughs and steps back. “You said that you would take me on a tour of the barn?”
“Yes.” I take her hand in mine. “Let’s go.”
I takeher to the barn for a tour.
Most of our animals are out in the meadows, but some are sick and require medical care from the local animal doctor. Pyrotaurs are wide, squat beasts on four legs, with tall brown horns and a tan hide. I explain to her about how we track and migrate our main herds across the different sections of our three properties. She listens patiently as I show her the brands on their hides that mark these pyrotaurs as part of T, meaning my ranch, the S brand is for Sten’s ranch, and R is Rake’s designation for his herd.
The area where we keep the riding beasts is most interesting for her. Mica instantly falls in love with Stubbin. “Thank you for finding me and saving my life,” she tells him. He snorts and licks her fingers.
