AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I watch as Julia opens her door, then stares down at the snow for a second. Not wanting her to get a boot-full, I say, “Hang on. I’ll come get you.”
She looks at me and her cheeks go a little red. “Thanks. I don’t exactly have the right footwear for this.”
Stepping down into the ditch, I wade through the snow to her while she slings her big bag over her shoulder. I pick her up out of the seat like I’m carrying a sack of sugar. She’s about as light and twice as sweet as she wraps her arms around my neck.
Julia says, “Oh, I didn’t know you were going to carry me.”
“There aren’t too many other options that don’t include you filling those designer shoes of yours with snow.”
“Right. I guess so.” Her breath is warm on my neck and the sound of her smooth voice does something to me that hasn’t been done in a long time. I trudge back to the road, trying not to notice how delicious she smells—like two of my favorites, cinnamon and vanilla. I can’t afford any distractions right now. Certainly not beautiful, blonde ones who smell amazing and feel just right in my arms.
When I put her down on the road, I’m temporarily filled with regret at letting her go. Then I mentally slap myself to snap out of it.
She gives me a shy grin and thanks me, looking one part embarrassed and two parts excited. Our eyes meet and I find myself forgetting what I’m supposed to be doing right now. Luckily, Axel interrupts the moment by trotting over to her and sticking his nose right in between her thighs. She lets out a little laugh.
“Sorry about that, Julia. He only does that to especially pretty women.”
Her cheeks flush as she bends over to pet him. As soon as she does, he backs up and sits down, brushing the snow off the road with his wagging tail. “Did you train him to do that?”
“No, ma’am. I did not.” I’d never want anyone’s face in between those thighs other than mine. Not even Axel, who has a very different reason for wanting to be there.
I suddenly realize that Kyle is grumbling as he unloads the equipment out of the back of the SUV. I’m tempted to leave him there to do it, but my momma taught me better than to ignore someone in need—bad driver or not. Within a few minutes, we’ve got our arms loaded with stuff, including Julia’s overnight bag, so she can change into her on-camera clothes. Thoughts of her changing flash through my mind before I can rein them back in. We walk in silence for a minute, with Kyle trailing behind us.
“You’ve got a beautiful spot here, Ryder,” she says, smiling as she looks around at the ranch and the mountains surrounding my land. “It’s so peaceful.”
“Thanks. I imagine this is as different from L.A. as you can get.” I fill my lungs with air, trying to cool off.
“It is.” She walks next to me, with Axel between us. Something about it feels natural, good even.
“I bet you can’t wait to get back to the city.”
“Not at all. This is a nice change of pace.”
When we reach the house, I hold the door open for her. I toe off my boots and gesture for her to come with me down the hall to the bedrooms. As tempted as I am to drop her bag at the foot of my bed, I take a right and lead her to the guest room on the far side of the house. “Here you go.” I set the bag down on the bed and turn to her. The look she’s giving me says something that my heart longs to hear. Clearing my throat, I step past her, taking in the scent of her again as I brush by. “I’ll let you get changed.”
“I’ll be out in a few minutes. On-camera makeup takes some time.”
I turn back to her. “You look just fine to me the way you are.”
Julia blushes. “Tell that to my producers.”
“Give me their number. I’d be happy to straighten them out.”
She giggles, then shuts the door, leaving me standing in the hallway like a fool for a minute. I look down at Axel who’s standing next to me. Shaking my head at myself, I head back to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. I figure if she’s from L.A., she probably likes green tea, which I have in the cupboard because my mom likes it when she comes to visit. Julia’s probably a vegan, too. And if I had to guess, she probably thinks bull-riding is barbaric. But she sure is nice to look at, even if it’s just for today.
I look out the window and see Kyle filming some scenery shots around the ranch. The snow is coming down so fast now that I can barely make out the barn behind him or his SUV sitting in the ditch. If this keeps up, I may have a couple of houseguests I wasn’t planning on.
Three
Julia
Well, I don’t know if I’m dizzy from all the snow swirling down or almost flipping over into the ditch or what, but I have never felt a pull to a man like I do with Ryder. He’s God’s gift to women and he knows it, too. His gorgeous face pops into my mind—those light green eyes, the dimples that make an appearance when he smiles, his chiseled jaw. Oh, and that deep voice of his that actually makes my knees go weak. I flop back onto the bed, thinking of him carrying me out of the SUV, his strong arms wrapped around me. I have never had a man do something so chivalrous before. Not one time. I felt so light and small when he lifted me, like I’m made of feathers. I grin, thinking of the way he smells—like leather and cologne. I sigh, staring up at the wood-beam ceiling.
I bet he has a girlfriend. Or a fiancé
e. Or several of each. Probably all rodeo queens who model underwear. But still, it was nice to be looked at like that just now—like I’m a steak covered in A1 sauce and he’s starving. I turn my head and look out the window, watching the snow come down. A part of me wants to get stranded here for the night—the lady parts of me, that is.
I snap out of it and stand, a little disgusted that I’m finding myself so drawn to a cowboy. He’s all wrong for me. I need a nice accountant or history professor who I can curl up and read with at night. Not some rootin’-tootin’, honky-tonk lovin’, muscle-bound, hot-as-heck…okay, that’s enough, Julia! Get to work so you can get out of here!
