AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Stop.” She held her hand up. “Do you know what happened to the Hacienda la Esmerelda coffee I had in here?” She pointed to the exact location. “The bag with my name on it?”
Charlie’s throat worked. “The guys ran out of coffee. I didn’t think you’d—”
She was certain a blood vessel would pop in her head.
“Charlie.” She spoke in a slow, measured tone. “You had better get back to work right now.”
She’d never seen him move so fast. He didn’t even stop to close the door behind him.
Celine turned and put her fingertips to her forehead. Just coffee. Just coffee, she tried to tell herself.
Just one of the finest coffees in the world. Lifesaving coffee to everyone here.
A knock at door frame of the open trailer door. Charlie?
Celine turned and came to a hard stop. Words stuck in her throat.
One of the sexiest men she had seen in her life—and she’d seen a lot in her career—stood in the doorway. His eyes were shadowed by a western hat, but his firm lips and lightly stubbled jaw hinted at the man beneath. A T-shirt stretched from one amazing pectoral to the other, hugged shoulders to die for, and clung to tight abs and straight down to hips made to straddle. And those Wrangler jeans cowboys tended to wear out here in the Wild West.
Oh. My. God.
“What can I do for you?” Her voice came out harsher than it should have.
The man pushed up the brim of his hat with one finger and she got a good look at his ice blue eyes. She’d seen eyes like that on a male model once, and she’d thought she’d never seen a more beautiful man. She wouldn’t call this man beautiful. She’d call him a chili-hot cowboy stud.
She almost put her hand to her heart that thudded too hard and way too fast.
He didn’t show any emotion as he appraised her. And that was exactly what he was doing—appraising her. “Did I catch you at a bad time, Ms. Northland?” His smooth voice would have stolen her breath if she hadn’t already lost it.
No doubt, a cowboy here to find out what she needed for the shoot.
She straightened her stance. “Rod is handling anything to do with the set. I’m sure he can help you.” Although I wish I could.
“He sent me to see you.” The man stepped into the trailer without invitation. “I understand you run the show.”
Wow, wasn’t often a man towered over her. With her height, she wasn’t used to being around a man she had to look up to just to meet his eyes. With her two-inch heeled sandals, today she was six feet and he topped her by at least four inches.
Now, here was a man to snuggle up to.
She had to work to keep her composure. “Depends on what you need, Mr.?”
“Jayson McBride.” He took off his hat and held out his hand, even as he continued to eye her steadily. “Call me Jayson.”
So much for wizened old tough-as-nails cowboys.
Celine knew she should soften her stance and her tone, but she felt caught off guard, as if in a compromising situation.
She took his hand and shivered inwardly as a bolt of something shot through her. What the hell was that all about?
“How can I help you, Jayson?” She drew her hand from his. She’d intended to lighten her tone, but it came out as hard as concrete.
“You could help me a lot by packing up and leaving.” His tone was even, yet had an edge to it. “But since that is likely out of the question, I’d like you to choose a different part of the ranch.”
“The contract you signed gives us free rein. My staff determined this as the best place to start the shoot.” She shrugged. “We’ve got a lot invested in this.” She moved past him and out the door. “We’ll only be a week,” she said as she headed down the trailer steps, and came to a full stop.
A chestnut mare stood nearby, fully saddled, complete with a shotgun in a leather scabbard hanging on the side of the saddle. The mare had a spirited look in her intelligent gaze.
Celine hurried to turn around so that she wouldn’t have to look at the horse. Jayson had followed. A Border Collie now stood at his side, head cocked, looking at her with warm, intelligent eyes.
