The Rancher Returns Read online

  He was serious. “I don’t need a babysitter, Gavin.”

  “No. What you need is a lover, Layla. And you never did answer my question from last night. When was the last time you made love with a man?”

  “And I don’t intend to answer it because it’s none of your business.”

  If he insisted on staying, she would ignore him. She moved to the table where he’d placed her food. Her mouth began watering the moment she uncovered it. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, candied yams and iced tea. And a slice of chocolate cake for dessert.

  A smile lit her face. “Your grandmother is something else.” Layla walked over to the sink to wash her hands. After grabbing utensils out of a drawer, she returned to the table and found Gavin sitting there. Did he plan to actually watch her eat? Didn’t he have anything better to do?

  Deciding nothing would stand between her and that food, she sat down, bowed her head and said grace, determined to ignore him. When she slid a forkful of mashed potatoes between her lips, she closed her eyes and groaned. Delicious.

  “If you get off eating mashed potatoes, I can only imagine your reaction when we make love.”

  A part of her wanted to claim she wouldn’t enjoy it. She quickly dismissed the idea when she glanced over at him. A woman could climax just from staring at him. Even so, she said, “In your dreams.”

  “My dreams will one day become your reality, Layla.”

  She decided not to argue with him anymore. But if he was intent on watching her, she might as well ask him a few questions. Get him talking, so she wouldn’t think about how good he looked sitting there. How sexy.

  She took a sip of her tea. “You mentioned your teammate named Flipper. Any others you’re close to?”

  “I’m close to all of them. We’re a team.”

  “How many?”

  “Enough.”

  She rolled her eyes. Had she asked about classified information or something? “I’m sure you’re closer to some of the guys more than others.”

  He leaned back in the chair as if getting comfortable. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d shared a private, intimate dinner with a man. And, whether she liked admitting it or not, this was intimate. They were alone, sitting at a table with the backdrop of a blazing fire roaring in the fireplace.

  “In that case, I would say Flipper, Bane, Coop, Mac and Nick. The six of us went through all phases of training together. A couple of years ago, Nick took a job with Homeland Security. He needed a little more stability in his life when his wife gave birth to triplets.”

  As if he felt right at home, he stood and went to the refrigerator to get a beer and then returned to his chair. “Bane is a master sniper,” he continued, popping the cap. “Coop is the mastermind behind most of our strategic moves. Mac is slightly older than the rest of us and likes to think he can keep us in line most of the time. He’s been married for ages, has four kids and likes to impose his words of wisdom on us whether we want to hear them or not. And Flip can hold his breath under water longer than any human I know.” He chuckled as he took a swig. “We’re convinced Flipper has gills hidden somewhere.”

  Layla heard the fondness in his voice when he spoke of his teammates. “What’s a master sniper?”

  He looked at her. She thought he would say she was asking for classified information but then he said, “A master sniper is the best shot on the team. Bane is one badass. He can hit a target with one eye closed. He’s covered all our backs more than once.” He paused. “Bane and his wife, Crystal, are renewing their vows next month.”

  “Oh, were he and his wife separated for a while or something?”

  “Yes, you could say that.”

  Layla knew he was being elusive but she was getting used to it. She didn’t have to ask if his job was dangerous. Anyone who knew of the navy SEALs was aware of the types of missions they went on. She finished the rest of her meal in silence, with him watching her. She was tempted to ask if he wanted some but knew the trouble she’d gotten into when she’d asked him that question the last time.

  She took a sip of her iced tea and looked over at him when she pushed her plate aside. “Satisfied, Gavin?”

  He gave her a crooked smile. “Baby, my satisfaction will come when I get inside of you.”

  The glass nearly slipped from her hand. She recovered long enough to set it down by the plate. The impact of his words had her burning from the inside out. “Why do you say such things?”

  “Just keeping it honest.”

  * * *

  Gavin liked rattling Layla. Evidently she wasn’t used to a man talking to her this way, telling her what he wanted and how he planned to make her feel. While watching her eat, his imagination had run wild. The conversation hadn’t distracted him enough to demolish his desire. He doubted that was possible. He wanted her. He’d made that point pretty damn clear and he knew she wanted him as well, so what was the holdup?

  “I’ve finished eating so you can leave now.”

  He held her gaze, felt the flare of response in their bodies when they looked at each other. Giving in to temptation, he lightly traced his fingertips along her arm. He felt her shiver beneath his touch. He heard her sharp intake of breath. “Why are you fighting this, Layla?”

  “And why are you being so persistent?”

  He could tell her that one of the reasons was because he hadn’t been with a woman in six months, eight days, twelve hours and no telling how many minutes. Being around her was taking its toll. However, telling her such a thing would make him sound like a greedy jerk with only sex on his mind. That was only partly true. The other part was that he found her as fascinating as he found her beautiful.

  “Being persistent is part of my nature.”

  When he saw her lips form a frown, his groin hardened and he couldn’t help drawing in a ragged breath. Standing, he said, “I’ll leave you alone now and report to Gramma Mel that you ate all your food.”

  He reached to remove the tray, but she blocked him. “Surely you don’t think I’ll let you return with dirty dishes.”

  “We’ve had a conversation about the purpose of a dishwasher before, Layla.”

  “That might be your way of doing things but it’s not mine. I will wash the dishes and return them to Ms. Melody tomorrow,” she said, standing.

  Doing so brought her right smack in front of him. Gavin knew that if she inched closer, she would feel his erection. Even so, he intended to kiss her before he left.

  “Walk me to the door, Layla.”

  From the look in her eyes, he knew she was aware of his plan. He watched her nibble her bottom lip. “Relax, baby. I won’t bite.”

  She stopped nibbling her lips long enough to lift her chin and stare into his eyes. “You’ll do something even worse, Gavin.”

  “What is that?”

  “You will make me want you.”

  He eased closer, pressing his body to hers, wanting her to feel his erection. There was no way she could miss it. “Welcome to the club. And you already want me, Layla. Why are you having a hard time accepting that?”

  Gavin could tell she was at a loss for words, which suited him just fine. He had other uses for her mouth. He leaned in to capture her lips.

  * * *

  Why was she having such a hard time accepting this? Layla asked herself when Gavin took her mouth. She didn’t resist. She couldn’t. In fact she felt herself practically melting into his arms. That was why, she reasoned, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Otherwise she would become a puddle on the floor.

  He kissed her with an intensity she reciprocated in every part of her body. His mouth locked onto hers, not leaving any part of her mouth untouched. He tapped into areas she hadn’t known existed. He was staking his claim on her mouth in a scandalous way. It was as if he was intentionally making
her crazy for his kiss.

  And then there was the feel of his erection, pressing hard against her middle. What man could get that aroused? To know she was the cause sent heated shivers through her body. The hard tips of her breasts pressed through the material of her dress as if eager to make contact with his chest.

  Gavin broke off the kiss and when Layla drew in a deep breath, she was swept off her feet into his arms. He sat back down at the table with her firmly planted in his lap. Before she could ask just what he thought he was doing, his mouth was on hers. And just like before, this kiss robbed her of her senses, made her purr deep in her throat. It was a good thing his arm gripped her tightly otherwise she would topple to the floor. His hand was on her thigh, slowly caressing her skin underneath her dress.

  Maybe she needed to ask herself why she was letting him do such a thing when she’d never let any man take such liberties before. Hadn’t she kicked Sonny Paul in the groin when he thought he could reach into her blouse and touch her breast? Why did she believe this was different? Just because Gavin’s mouth was driving her crazy with lust—could she accept this as okay?

  And why was she still clutching him around the neck as if her life depended on their mouths being so intimately locked? Red-hot passion was making her dazed.

  Somewhere in the haziness of her mind, she noted he had stood, without their mouths disconnecting. He was moving, headed somewhere rather quickly. It was only when he placed her on the bed that she regained her senses. Snatching her mouth from his, she scrambled away from him.

  She blinked upon seeing he was about to take off his shirt. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  He stared down at her, panting like he’d run a marathon. His eyes, she saw, were glazed with heated lust to such a degree it made her heart pound. “About to make love to you, Layla.” He then whipped his shirt over his head.

  Seeing him bare chested caused goose bumps to ripple all over her skin. She scrambled farther away from him. “No you’re not!”

  He stared at her. “Can you look at me and say you don’t want me to make love to you?”

  She nervously licked her bottom lip and looked away. Yes, she could say it but she couldn’t look at him while doing so. Mainly because she did want him to make love to her. There was no doubt in her mind that the sheets on the bed were calling their names.

  “Layla. Look at me.”

  No, she wouldn’t look at him. Nor would she tell him anything. Scrambling off the bed, she stood and began straightening her clothes before quickly walking out of the bedroom. “I’m showing you the door, Gavin,” she called over her shoulder.

  Once she reached the door, she waited. It took him a few minutes to follow her. He probably needed time to put his shirt back on and get his lusty mind under control.

  When she saw him walking toward her he had an unreadable expression on his face. She drew in a deep breath. What thoughts were going through his mind? Did he think she was nothing more than a tease because she’d stoked his fire and then doused it with water? She would admit to having gotten caught up in the moment like he had. However, although he was ready to take things to the next level, she was not.

  When he got closer, she saw the way he stared at her and figured he was angry to the point that he would walk out the door without saying anything to her.

  She figured wrong. When Gavin stopped before opening the door, he turned dark, livid eyes on her. He then said in a furious voice, “The next time we kiss, Layla, will be when we make love. It’s going to be a package deal.”

  He then opened the door and left.

  Nine

  Late afternoon the next day, Gavin walked out on the porch with a steaming cup of coffee. He couldn’t believe he’d jogged around the ranch house twenty times last night. That would be equivalent to ten miles. When was the last time he’d done that?

  On top of his workout last night, he’d gotten up at the crack of dawn to ride the range with Caldwell and his men. Sharing breakfast with them over an open fire had brought back memories. Most of the men who worked for Gavin had worked for his dad and had known Gavin when he’d been a kid. Although they called him boss, he knew they did it out of respect and not because he was involved in the day-to-day operations. Caldwell took care of the place. No matter how long Gavin was away from the ranch, he rested easy at night knowing the Silver Spurs was in good hands. Gavin also knew that whenever he returned Caldwell had no problem relinquishing that leadership role to him.

  He took another sip of coffee as he eased down to sit on the steps. The cold weather was settling in. It was hard to believe Thanksgiving was next month. He’d gotten word that morning from his commanding officer that the team would be headed out again in late January. At least his teammates with families would get to spend the holidays with them. Gavin wondered if his grandmother would hang around the ranch this year. Because he was rarely home during the holidays, Gramma Mel usually flew to Saint Louis to spend time with her sister and her family.

  “How did things go today with Caldwell and the men?”

  Gavin glanced over his shoulder at the sound of his grandmother’s voice. “Good, but that’s no surprise. They know how to keep things going in my absence. And I covered just about everything with Phil yesterday. We talked again today and the books look good.” The only thing he hadn’t done that he’d wanted to do today was take another ride out to the dig site.

  “When do you expect Mr. Clete back in town?” he asked.

  “By the middle of next week,” she said, taking a seat in the porch swing.

  “Good.” Although Gavin felt certain Clete was the one who’d moved the marker, he wanted to be absolutely sure. However, for the life of him, he couldn’t imagine anyone else coming onto the property and tampering with Layla’s markers. What purpose would it serve?

  Flip’s camera had picked up something underground, both in her marked spot as well as another spot close by. Like he’d told her, it was probably nothing more than bullet shells or branding irons. One section did have a relatively higher reading than others but he’d figured out a reason for that, as well. Buried Native American artifacts. Gavin’s grandfather had claimed this had been Native American land generations ago. If Layla’s research was as thorough as she claimed, she would already know that.

  “I had a salad earlier, but if you’re hungry I can fix dinner.”

  “No need. I plan to go into town in a few and I’ll grab something at the café.”

  No way he would tell his grandmother that in addition to dinner he intended to make a booty call. Word was out that he was home and a ton of women had left voice mails. On the drive into town, he would decide which woman would be the recipient of his visit. Not having Layla was getting to him. He needed to get laid and then he could be more rational about her, take his time seducing her without losing his cool.

  “Looks like you aren’t the only one going into town, Gavin. Now, doesn’t she look extra pretty?”

  He followed his grandmother’s gaze. Layla was crossing the yard and walking toward them. He had seen her in dresses before, but this was one with a skirt that was shorter in the front and longer in the back. Instead of boots she wore high heels and she had a knitted shawl around her shoulders.

  Her hair was styled the way he liked best, flowing around her shoulders. And he could tell she was wearing makeup—not much...except for the ruby-red lip color. He frowned, refusing to let her get next to him the way she had last night. He’d been stupid enough to think their evening would end differently. Namely, in bed together.

  “Good evening, Ms. Melody. Gavin.”

  He did the gentlemanly thing and stood. He couldn’t help noticing she’d given his grandmother a huge smile. But the one she’d given him was forced. Not that it bothered him one iota.

  “Layla,” he said, letting his gaze roam all over her.<
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  His grandmother moved forward and gave her a hug. “Now, don’t you look pretty. Have big plans for the evening?”

  Layla shrugged her shoulders, keeping her focus on Ms. Melody and ignoring Gavin. “Not that big. The equipment arrives tomorrow and my team the day after. Then it’s all work and no play. I decided to spend my last day of freedom doing something I enjoy doing but rarely have time for—going to a movie.”

  “By yourself?” Gramma Mel asked.

  Layla chuckled. “Yes, by myself.”

  “What are you going to see?”

  “That new romantic comedy with Julia Roberts.”

  “Now, isn’t that a coincidence. I was going into town to see that one myself,” Gavin said.

  Both Layla and Gramma Mel turned to stare at Gavin with raised brows. He smiled at both women’s expressions. He then directed his next statement to Layla. “Since we’re going to see the same movie, is there any reason we can’t go together?”

  Gavin was certain there was but he knew Layla wouldn’t call him out on it in front of his grandmother. When she didn’t say anything he leaned closer to ask, “Well, is there?”

  As if recovering from her initial shock, she opened her mouth, probably to say something that would blister his ear. Then she quickly closed it, seeming to remember that his grandmother was standing there, listening to their exchange.

  “No, there’s no reason,” she said. “I’m just surprised you would want to see a chick flick. I took you for a blood-and-guts sort of guy.”

  He shook his head. “As a SEAL, I see too much of that in real life. A chick flick should be interesting. Besides, I like Julia Roberts.”

  “In that case, I see no reason why we can’t go together,” she said.

  Although she’d tried to sound cheerful about it, he knew she wasn’t. Was that her teeth he heard grinding? “Great. We can go in my truck. I just need to grab my Stetson and jacket.”

  * * *

  “I enjoyed the movie, didn’t you?”

  Layla had pretty much given him the silent treatment since leaving the Silver Spurs earlier but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact he seemed amused by it. “Yes, I enjoyed it.”