Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Seduce Their Woman [Wyoming Warriors 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) (3 page)

Reluctantly she walked toward him. His dark blond hair fell over his forehead, sherry-colored brown eyes looked deep into hers, and her body tingled with the same unusual awareness.

“I won’t bite,” he said in a whisper when she got close. He leaned down to her. “Or at least not unless you ask me to.”

A shiver went down her spine. She forced herself to straighten and glare at him. She slipped into the seat across from where he’d been sitting. He sat back down.

“What would you like to eat?” Tessa broke into the silence surrounding them.

It took an effort to remove her attention from him and look at Tessa. “I don’t want much. I’m going to find my way to the animal hospital. I have to see my dog.”

“She’ll have the same as me, Tessa. I’ll take you to see— Montlief, is it?”

“How do you know his name?”

“Sahale and I are good friends, distant cousins, actually. I checked with him last night. Montlief was doing better. Sahale was still running tests. He slept at the hospital in case Montlief’s condition changed and he was needed. Montlief is in good hands. You need to eat.”

“We’ll put some weight on those bones,” Tessa teased. She put two plates in front of them loaded with bacon, eggs, potatoes, and biscuits.

“I’ll never be able to eat all this,” Ellen protested. But the food did smell wonderful. She started eating and didn’t stop.

Tessa smiled. “No one can resist my cooking.” Satisfied, she went back to her stove.

Ellen sat back and took a sip of her coffee. Jack smiled at her. His smile and twinkling eyes set her heart racing. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Trying to get rid of me? It won’t be that easy.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I don’t want to interfere with your plans.”

“Wouldn’t you like to see our hospital? It’s modern. We have all the most up-to-date equipment and a full staff. I’m one of the internists.”

“You seem young to have all those qualifications.”

“I’m thirty-two. I’ve been back home here doctoring since I was thirty. Sahale’s been doctoring animals the past three years. He’s got all the qualifications, and an innate sense about what they need.”

She glanced away and noticed Tessa had left the kitchen. Uneasy, she moved her legs and bumped into Jack’s.

“Sorry.”

“You’re uncomfortable now that you’ve noticed Tessa isn’t here. Who made you frightened of men?” His brow had creased and he leaned toward her.

“I’m not frightened. I just don’t trust most men.” She hoped he’d leave the subject alone. She wasn’t one to tell her life story to strangers. She hadn’t even told her two best friends.

She hadn’t realized she was twisting her hands until Jack reached across and put his hand over hers. Her heart jumped. She tried to pull back, but he held onto her.

“You can touch me and Sahale. I know you don’t believe me, yet. You will learn that we’ll always protect you.”

“Always is a long time. I’ll be gone soon. And men’s promises only last until they want to end them.” This time when she yanked on her hands, he let them go, and her heart sank. To hide her confused feelings, she jumped up and took her dishes to the sink. She rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher.

Jack came and stood beside her while he rinsed his. His tall body and wide shoulders dwarfed her. She was as tall as, or taller than, many men. None of them, even the ones taller than her, had ever made her feel feminine. Only Sahale and Jack gave her the sensation of being smaller, and very much a woman.

Ellen raised her head, not realizing how close Jack was to her. She stared into his eyes as his face came closer and his mouth lightly moved across her lips. An ache of need and desire sharpened in her lower abdomen. She jumped back and put her arms out.

“Stop. What do you think you’re doing?”

His mouth curved up on one side. “Kissing your sweet mouth.”

“Don’t. We’ve only just met. Back off.”

He stepped back, but his laughter rang out in the kitchen. “Oh, honey, you are going to be so much fun to seduce.” His voice dropped into a sexy whisper when he said the last word.

Ellen ran out of the kitchen.

“I’ll be waiting out front to take you to see Montlief.”

His words followed her as she hurried down the hall to the room Sara had given her for the night.

She sat on her bed and tried to calm down. She was shivering, but she wasn’t cold. Her body was hot and jittery. Deep breaths would help. He was waiting. If she only knew where the animal hospital was, she’d slip out the back and go by herself. Finally, when she had regained most of her control, she walked out the front door.

He leaned against the rail. Sunlight glinted off of blond hair, and his brown eyes shone with mischief. He looked the picture of a cowboy in his jeans, open-neck blue shirt, and boots, with his hat tilted back on his head. A large horse was tied to the rail behind him. Surely he didn’t expect her to ride on his horse, with him?

“Feeling better?” His words taunted her.

“I’m fine. Where’s your truck,” she asked, hoping it would materialize.

“Devil will carry us both.”

“What kind of name is that for a horse?”

He shrugged. “Better than Montlief for a dog.”

“I’ll have you know Montlief is a fine name.” She’d moved closer without realizing it. She poked her finger at his hard chest as she finished speaking.

“Devil earned his name when I was training him to the saddle. He was fiendish in his determination not to give in.”

“But he did.”

“Oh, yes. When I make up my mind, I don’t give up until I have what I want.”

She swallowed and tried to ignore the warning. “We can’t both ride one horse. Tell me where the facility is and I’ll walk.”

Jack swung into his saddle. She was surprised, thinking he’d give her more of an argument.

“Put your foot on my boot.” He reached down toward her. “And give me your hand.”

Ellen crossed her arms. “No. Tell me where to go.”

“It isn’t going to happen. You can stay here and wait while Sara takes care of Caitlin and has time to drive you to the hospital, or you let me put you up here in front of me. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Torn between not wanting to give in and her desire to see Montlief, she finally put her hand out. In a second, he had her seated.

“You can ride sideways like this, or throw your leg over and ride facing the front.”

Thinking she could lean forward and not be quite so close to him, she threw her leg over. When they started riding she knew she’d made a mistake. There was no way she could keep away from him. Every movement of the horse sent him against her. She breathed in his clean, outdoorsy scent. His arm had circled her waist and held her tight against his hot body.

When the edge of his hand brushed the lower part of her breast, she trembled with desire. Moisture seeped out of her pussy. What was happening to her? First her reaction to Sahale, and now to Jack. Where had her control gone?

“Relax honey,” his words brushed across her ear. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“Safe from what? I think I need the most protection from you.”

“You might be right, honey.” He nibbled the lobe of her ear. “But I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want or that I can’t talk you into.”

His reassurance didn’t comfort her at all. He was the devil, not his horse
.

Chapter Three

Montlief raised his head when she went into the room where he had been sleeping on a bed made of soft blankets. He stood on his legs and slowly walked to her.

“Oh, Montlief, you are better.” She knelt and hugged his neck as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I was so worried about you.” As though he understood, he licked her face.

“We’ll keep him a few more days. Apparently he didn’t eat much of the poison, and threw some of that up. A full dose would have killed him,” Sahale said.

Ellen stood and impulsively threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much.” She started crying harder. Now that she knew Montlief was going to recover, the fear and anxiety came out in floods of tears and shaking.

Sahale wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Jack, who’d brought her and then stepped back, came forward and rubbed her shoulders and neck. For what seemed a long time, she stood in their circle as their warmth and security comforted her. As her tears slowed and the shaking stopped, Jack stepped back. Sahale loosened his grip.

“I’m so embarrassed. I never cry or fall apart.”

“You’ve been through a lot the past few days. I’d be concerned if you didn’t react,” Sahale said.

Now that she had settled down, it dawned on her that both of them had been touching her, comforting her. A rush of heat went to her face.

Jack sauntered across the room from where he’d been leaning against the wall. His fingers ran across her cheek. “You’re blushing.”

She frowned at him and turned to go to the door. “I need to see Sara and Morgan.”

“Morgan left this morning on a trip with Ethan. She’ll be back in a few days,” Jack said, still closing in on her.

Taking long strides to the door, she spoke over her shoulder. “I can find my way back to Sara’s.”

A hand reached over her head and shut the door she’d opened. She already recognized their different scents. Sahale was at her back. He touched her shoulder.

“I have a meeting with Daren at the ranch house. I’ll take you in my truck.”

She’d let out a sigh of relief when he added, “Do you want a ride to your office, Jack?”

“Sure.”

Ellen had turned to face them. “What about Devil? You can’t just leave him here.”

“My assistant will walk him to the barn. It’s not far.” Sahale put his arm around her shoulder. “Come on then, let’s go.”

They put her in the middle. She was dwarfed by their large bodies. In spite of her trying to hold herself in place, every time they hit a bump or took a turn, she ended up leaning against one of them.

Jack’s office was in the hospital. After they dropped him off, Ellen moved across the seat next to the right-side door. Sahale glanced at her, but didn’t make a comment.

When he stopped in front of Sara’s home and Daren’s office, she jumped out and ran inside.

“There you are. Tessa told me you had breakfast with Jack. I thought he must have taken you to see Montlief.” Sara glanced behind Ellen. “Hello, Sahale. Thank you for rescuing my friend and taking care of her dog.”

“I was happy to do it, Sara. Is Daren in the office?”

“Yes, he and Mitch are waiting to talk with you.”

Ellen watched Sahale stroll down a short hall off the main room. His body was poetry in motion. Wide shoulders, lean hips, and long legs all moving confidently forward. His black hair was pulled back and held with a piece of leather. She wondered how he’d look with it loose around his face.

“You’ve got it bad.”

“What? Did I miss something?”

“I’ve spoken to you twice. You never heard me.” Sara smiled at her as though she’d read her thoughts.