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  They stilled. Brit was horrified, knowing she’d been the one to scream. Her face flamed. She’d never screamed during sex in her life. Her throat actually hurt. She continued to pant, bent over his bed, with River’s cock still buried inside her pussy. His arm remained locked around her waist, his motionless fingers still pressed against her clit. She could feel wetness down both her thighs from her release.

  River chuckled. “If I let you go, are you going to run this time?”

  “Shit. I screamed. Will your neighbors call the cops, thinking I’m being killed?”

  That’s the last thing she needed. The idea of the cops showing up and having to explain what had happened between them had Brit flinching inside. She’d die of embarrassment.

  “Have you seen my neighbors?” He laughed. “The guy next door has enough weed in his place that he’s living outdoors. The woman on the other side is a hooker. She’s got men in and out all the time. Some of them like to spank her and make her scream out weird shit unless she’s really screwing guys with the biggest dicks ever. Nobody is going to care if we get a little loud.”

  Relief swamped Brit that the cops wouldn’t come. She didn’t think much of his neighbors though. It was a good thing he had criminals living on each side of him under the circumstances.

  “Are we going to stay this way all day?” She opened her eyes, staring at the old mattress, seeing that he needed a new one. She used one hand to shove her breasts back in her bra and tugged up the front of her shirt to cover them.

  “Are you going to run? I happen to love fucking you. I’d like to do it again and again. What else are you doing today that sounds better than that?”

  She silently cursed. “I won’t run. Will you let me up now?”

  He slowly withdrew from her body. She straightened, turning to stare at River Wind. The guy amazed her in bed. She’d never had a man make her feel the way he did. Hell, I’ve never had a guy make me come the way he just did, she thought. Their gazes met and held.

  “You’re staying, right?”

  She nodded. “Sure.”

  He grinned. “Let’s shower.”

  “Go ahead. I have to call and make some excuses to other patients.”

  “I am going to fuck you in the bathroom up against the wall.”

  She watched him bend over to grab up a condom from where they had spilled on the mattress after he’d torn open the box. She smiled. “Sounds fun.”

  He winked. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  He turned and strutted naked out of the tiny bedroom the few feet to the bathroom. “I have to close the door or the water will hit the hallway. Just squeeze in when you’re done with your calls and you’re ready to join me.” His sexy gaze met hers, a grin on his lips. “Hurry.”

  She kept the smile in place. “I’ll be right there.”

  He walked into the bathroom and firmly closed the door. She heard water a second later. Brit yanked up her jeans and zipped them with shaking hands. She bent, grabbed her bag, and made a run for it.

  She got to her car, slid behind the wheel and just tossed her bag on the passenger seat. Her hands shook as she shoved the key into the ignition. Her focus locked on the old trailer but River never came after her. She imagined him in the shower still waiting for his fuck of the day to come play.

  She backed away and didn’t relax until she hit the highway.

  “What the hell did I do?”

  She groaned. If Dale ever found out he’d fire her and she needed her job. He’d ordered her to get his friend up and about. She’d definitely gotten him “up” all right but she knew that was not exactly what the boss had in mind when he’d given her that order.

  Chapter Three

  Brit stared at her boss Dale, alarmed. “What?”

  He frowned at her. “You heard me. Explain yourself now.”

  “I…” She panicked inside. He’d called her into the office first thing in the morning in a glowering mood, slammed the door behind him, and had nearly broken his chair when he’d slumped down into it hard, glaring at her.

  “Damn it, Brit. I really put my neck out giving you a job and you damn well know it. The least you could have done was give me a warning.”

  Warn him? Shit. That double-crossing son of a bitch River Wind must have bragged to his friend that he’d seduced her yesterday. She knew it had been a bad idea, having sex with that saddle tramp. Heat flushed her features and she threaded her fingers together in her lap as she stared at the very irate Dale. She swallowed hard, trying to think up a way to explain why she’d fucked River.

  “I…” No words came to her.

  “His parole officer called me this morning to give me a warning. You should have just told me, damn it.”

  “Parole officer?” Shock tore through her. River is on parole? Oh dear God, she thought, what did he go to prison for?

  “Yeah. They are releasing Kyle tomorrow.”

  Her heart nearly stopped inside her chest as terror gripped her, all thought of River Wind gone. This is about Kyle. She felt the blood drain from her face and softly whimpered. Dizziness weaved through her for an instant, threatening to make her pass out.

  Dale stared at her and then cursed. “You didn’t know?” His tone softened. “Well, shit. They didn’t tell you? I thought they called you to warn you and you didn’t see fit to tell me. He’s getting out tomorrow. They are releasing him early for good behavior or some such shit.”

  “Oh God.”

  Dale shifted in his chair. “It’s going to be all right, Brit. We’ll handle this.”

  She shook her head as she stared at him. “I quit. This isn’t your problem. I’m so sorry to leave you on short notice but—”

  “Like hell,” he snarled. “I took you on knowing the risks. I made a few calls while I waited for you to come in. I got you a new job that will last you a good month and it’s on a ranch so he won’t find you. I’m not telling anyone where you’re going and I’m not going to leave a paper trail so if he breaks into my office he won’t be able to find out a thing.”

  Shock slammed through her as she just stared at him.

  “I take care of my own,” Dale told her softly. “We both know that bastard isn’t going to last long on the outside and he’ll do something stupid to fuck up his parole. I’d give it less than a month before he’s back in prison so that’s the plan. You’re going to go to your apartment, pack a bag and…” He opened his drawer, reached in, and pulled out a piece of paper. “Go to this address but leave your cell phone in your apartment. These are old friends of mine and I have the home phone number there. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going and make sure you don’t leave behind that paper or write it down anywhere.”

  Brit blinked back tears as she stared at her boss. “Why are you doing this for me?”

  He took a deep breath. “Because I had a daughter once, you remind me of her, and nobody saved her when she needed it.” He looked a little teary-eyed as he cleared his throat. “She got involved with the wrong crowd and I didn’t know it because she lived with her mother out in Washington State. The police called to tell me she’d been killed by her abusive boyfriend. Now get your ass up, go pack your shit, and lose your cell.” He stood and reached for his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. “Here’s your pay for the next month so you have cash.”

  She was astounded. It took her a long minute to straighten on shaky legs as Dale shoved a wad of cash at her. His intense gaze locked with hers. “Remember, leave your cell phone, don’t call anyone from the ranch, and whatever you do, don’t use anything that can be traced back to you, like a bank card.”

  “I know the drill.” She took the cash, not even checking the amount. “Thank you, Dale. I owe you.”

  “Survive this asshole and when he’s locked up again just return to work for me. No more running away, okay? Strangers don’t give a damn about you but I consider you one of mine and that means I watch out for you, lit
tle girl. Now get your ass to the Raine ranch pronto and stay there.”

  “What kind of patient am I looking at? I want to be prepared.”

  Dale hesitated. “Well, there really isn’t one but you’ve got experience with horses and it’s a horse ranch. They’ll find something for you to do.”

  “Oh, Dale…”

  “Shut up and get the hell out of here. They really do need the help and they owe me some favors, just like I owe them some, so we don’t keep track anymore. They know you’re coming but I didn’t tell them anything about you, just that you needed to lie low somewhere, and to keep their mouths shut that you were on the ranch. They are good folks. You’ll be safe there. Get going so you can arrive before dark. I want you safely tucked in at their ranch by nightfall.”

  Impulsively she threw herself against the big ole softy and hugged him around his thick waist. “Thank you.”

  He patted her back. “Get the hell out of here and I’ll call you when that worthless son of a bitch gets tossed back into prison. Don’t you call anyone, got it? I’ll call you.”

  She nodded, knowing she wet his shirt with the tears that squeezed out. She released him and spun, fleeing his office quickly. She shoved the wad of money into her purse and left the outer office, not taking the time to even say goodbye to anyone. She drove to her sorry apartment and quickly packed two bags.

  The instructions Dale had written out were clear. The ranch was located five hours away. She only stopped twice for gas, food, and bathroom breaks. She found the Raine ranch easily enough an hour before darkness fell. She couldn’t miss the big sign. Turning onto the driveway she had to drive almost a mile before a large two-story ranch house came into view.

  Nervousness gripped her about staying with strangers—people she knew nothing about—as she climbed out of her car. She hoped they’d like her. Brit knocked on the door after not spotting a doorbell. In less than a minute the door opened to reveal a pregnant blonde woman who smiled at her warmly.

  “Hi. I’m Trina Raine and you must be Dale Hass’ friend, Brit.” The woman held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Brit shook the woman’s hand. “Thank you so much for putting me up.”

  “Hey, any friend of Dale’s is a friend of ours.” The woman ushered her in. “Come on in. I’ll show you to one of the bedrooms. I will apologize now for the décor you’re going to get but they are all men’s rooms except the nursery my husband has painted and I doubt you’d want to sleep with teddy-bear walls.” She chuckled, rubbing her rounded stomach. “We just found out we’re having a boy and my husband Navarro is over the moon about it.”

  Smiling, Brit noticed the large living room had a warm, welcoming feeling to it. “That’s great. Is this your first?”

  “Yes for both of us. I’m sorry that Navarro isn’t here. He and his brother Ryder are away until tomorrow morning. They had to pick up some new breeding stock. We breed and sell horses. Adam and Trip are around somewhere so if you need any help with your belongings I can call them on their cell phones. They don’t live in the house but they have their own mobile homes on the ranch.”

  “I only brought two bags. If you show me where to put them I can get them myself.”

  Trina nodded. “Navarro and I live in the house with one of his brothers. His name is Ryder and watch out for him.” She laughed, her gaze taking Brit in. “He’s going to be after you big-time but just smack him down. He’s harmless but a huge flirt.” She led the way upstairs, down a hallway, and stopped in front of one of the closed doors. “This is another brother’s room but he’s never here and he doesn’t come to visit so you can have it during your stay.” She swung the door open. “I’d give you another room but Dusty is expected to show up this weekend and Drake, the other brother, well, he has a way of just surprising us lately.”

  “Wow. Are there a lot of brothers?”

  “There are five in all, plus Adam and Trip, who are blood brothers to the Raines. They were all raised together.”

  Brit walked into the bedroom and her eyebrows rose as she stared at the large four-poster bed, heavy matching dresser, and the nightstands, all dark wood. The walls had been painted black and all kinds of cowboy stuff hung there.

  “Sorry,” Trina laughed. “I know it’s bad. He is really into the cowboy way.”

  “It’s fine.” Brit turned to smile at her hostess. “It’s great. Thank you.”

  Nodding, the woman smiled. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to make some soup. Are you hungry?”

  “Please. If you give me ten minutes to bring in my stuff I’ll help you.”

  “The kitchen is downstairs to the left. You can’t miss it. Welcome to the Raine ranch.”

  “Thank you. Whatever I can do here, just tell me. I’m pretty handy.”

  “I’ll let Navarro and Ryder figure that out with you, but again, I’ll warn you about Ryder. He’s in a band most of the year but he’s been home for some months and well, he’s a player. Just watch yourself with him. He’s cute, he knows it, and he could charm a nun out of her habit.”

  Laughing, Brit nodded. “I got it but don’t worry about me. I’m good at handling unwanted advances.”

  “Good.” Trina laughed as she left Brit to stand alone in the room.

  Brit studied the furnishings and sighed. This would be her home for the next month. It was a big room and the bed was monstrous in size. She glanced at it and then turned away and went back downstairs to her car. She took out her bags and carried them to the room. The dressers were empty but the closet was full of jeans, T-shirts, and a few jackets. She decided to just use the dresser as she quickly unpacked her things. She wasn’t the kind of woman who used hangers anyway.

  She found Trina in the kitchen with two large bowls of clam chowder and some dinner rolls. “I really appreciate this and I’ll do the dishes.”

  “There’s no need.”

  “I insist.”

  “Okay. I won’t argue because I get worn out easily. I am finding that age and pregnancy don’t mix well.”

  “You don’t look old.”

  “I’m thirty-nine.”

  “Wow. I thought you were younger than me. I’m thirty-five.”

  Trina glanced at her hands. “Not married?”

  Hesitating, Brit bit her lip.

  “I’m sorry if that was out of line. I’m from California and my husband keeps telling me that people are more private back here and I have a way of asking questions that you probably consider rude.”

  Shaking her head, Brit smiled. “It’s all right. I once married but I’m divorced now.” Her smile faded. “It turned into kind of a nightmare marriage that went bad from the get-go and turned worse, then outright hellish.”

  “I’m sorry. Any kids?”

  “God no.” Brit shivered. “If I’d had a child, he never would have let me go.” She hesitated. “I had to get restraining orders. He turned out to be really bad news.”

  “Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a bad thing.”

  “You didn’t know so don’t worry about it.” She hesitated. Part of her wanted to confess why she needed to hide there but as she looked into the sweet face of the pregnant woman she changed her mind, not wanting to see horror on the other woman’s expression. Fear that Trina would kick her out if she shared the entire story also factored into her silence. “It’s all behind me now so it’s all good.”

  “I’m glad. I met my husband last year. Maybe you’ll meet a nice guy and try it again with the right man this time.”

  “Never.” Brit shook her head. “Once was more than enough. I date occasionally but I never want to get too serious about a man again.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Me too,” Brit sighed. What she didn’t say was she knew she could never get remarried even if she wanted to. “So how did you end up in Texas from California? No offense but I hear the weather is much better there.”

  “My first husband died in a fire at work and
I came here to start over fresh.” Trina smiled. “And that’s when I met the love of my life. Navarro is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss but glad you met your new husband.”

  “Thank you. I thought I’d never get over Ted’s death but I did.” She smiled. “Never say never when it comes to loving again.”

  They spent the next two hours talking, getting to know each other, and then Trina excused herself to go to bed early. She planned to call her husband to say good night and then go to sleep. Brit locked up the house, cleaned up their dishes, and then turned off all the lights.

  Upstairs she got some of her belongings and walked across the hallway to the bathroom to shower. She just wore towel certain that her and Trina had the house alone for the night. Afterward, she walked back to her bedroom and quietly shut the door, though Trina’s bedroom was far down the hallway.

  She put on a hockey jersey that she enjoyed sleeping in. She brushed out her wet hair and glanced around the room. The room didn’t have a television but there were a few books in the far corner. Putting down her hairbrush, she chuckled as she walked toward them, wondering what the cowboy preferred to read. Shocked, she stared at the bindings of the books.

  She read them twice and then laughed out loud. She pulled out the volume on women’s anatomy and opened it, reading the list of chapters and laughed again, then shoved the book back. The cowboy had books on sex, women’s pleasure spots, and “how to” books on pleasing women. The only book on the shelf not in that category was about horses, breeding, and horse doctoring.

  She sighed and walked to the bed. She actually had to climb onto the tall bed. Whoever this guy was, he had to be tall, had a thing for learning how to be a great lover, and as she scanned the room, she decided he had masculine taste in decorating. If it was any more butch there would be some whips on the wall and maybe a mechanical bull in the corner. Lying back, she stared up at the black canopy. It took her seconds to realize the material stretched across the four posts looked suspiciously like leather. It just verified to her that the owner of the room really took living on a ranch a bit too far with his cowboy decorating theme.