Nothing But Trouble (8 page)

Stoney’s eyes were dark and full of thunderous excitement.  He just stared into her eyes as if he could read her thoughts.  Only she didn’t want him to know her thoughts.  Thoughts of wild abandon and lust.  Yes, lust, she realized.  That’s all this is.  Pure physical attraction. 

It was bound to happen with a man like Stoney.  His rough edged exterior lent itself to the kind of danger and excitement she’d been shielded from her whole life.  He was everything she was raised not to want.  The exact opposite of what her father would approve of and suddenly, everything she wanted.

Stoney’s gaze dropped to her lips.  Melanie wet them involuntarily, knowing she’d chewed her lipstick off after a day of working the horses.  For a fleeting moment, she thought he would kiss her.  Her pulse pounded and to her utter amazement, that was exactly what she wanted.  She wanted his mouth to devour hers until her knees fell weak, until she couldn’t remember her own name.  She had the feeling that dangerous wild abandon lurked just beneath the rough exterior of this cowboy.  And she wanted to know that danger, feel that excitement full force.

But that was the last thing she needed.  She had to stay focused on the reason she’d come to Wyoming in the first place.  She needed Stoney’s help, not a quick tryst in the stables with a cowboy to mess up her plans. 

As quick as Melanie had seen the undeniable desire in Stoney’s eyes, a cold cloud covered his features.  His expression tightened until his expression was closed off completely.  “I kept the flowers you picked in the saddlebag.  You better get them in water before they die.  I’ll take care of the horses tonight.”

He didn’t want her there, she realized.  Not because he was angry with her for leaving Dolly behind to get a drink.  He was angry for feeling the same raw desire that flooded her.  And for some reason, that made it all worse.

“Thank you,” she said softly, not able to take her eyes from his.  She finally turned and walked away, feeling as shaky as she had before she rushed into the house earlier.  Only this time, it had nothing to do with her blood sugar.  Her blood was racing with a raw sense of desire for a dangerous man she’d just hired to be her companion for a whole month.

She reached for the screen door and withdrew her hand, placing it over her beating heart.  A whole month alone with nothing but a drop dead, sexy cowboy and the Wyoming wilderness.  Lord help her.

# # #

Chapter Four

Six a.m. came earlier than Melanie would have liked.  Sleep had eluded her with stirring thoughts of Stoney sleeping in the room just next to hers.  She listened to the quiet, wondering if he was sleeping soundly, wondering if he was the kind of man who slept in pajamas or stripped down to nothing.  She tortured herself thinking about him, if he still felt the same heat she’d seen in his eyes when they were together in the stable.  The same heat she still felt.

Memories of Stoney’s hand burning hers merged with dreams of him running his callused fingers through her hair, kissing her until her body responded in her sleep.  She woke several times during the night in a hot sweat with the white percale sheets wrapped around her body and the cotton blanket thrown to the floor. 

She usually slept so sound, her bed virtually tidy in the morning.  But if this kept up, if she couldn’t rid herself of these strange feelings of longing she had whenever she thought of Stoney, she’d be too sleep deprived by the end of the week, she’d never make it a month.

The sound of male voices talking and laughing just beneath her open window caused her to finally pull herself out of bed.  She recognized the deep timbre of Stoney’s voice talking to Wally and someone else.  Another man.  She guessed the third man must be Mitchell Broader, as he was due at Black Rock sometime this morning.  Good.  The sooner they left for the hills, the sooner she could go back to Long Island and tell her father she’d fulfilled her end of the bargain.  He’d have no other choice than to let her go with the rest of the team to Kenya. 

Wasting no time and knowing they had a long day ahead of them, Melanie quickly showered and dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a cotton shirt.  Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she followed the sound of laughter until she found the three men sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

She was immediately struck by the easiness between the men they talked and joked.  It almost made Melanie feel envious.  When she and Stoney were together, he was always on edge, as if he were angry.  Maybe it was his reaction to her for taking him away from Black Rock.  Then there were those times when his eyes met hers and his gaze was so powerful, she swore he would eat her alive. 

Wally lifted his eyes to her and cleared his throat as Melanie entered the room.  The laughter silenced.

“You must be Mitchell,” Melanie said, extending her hand as the only man who was a stranger rose to his feet.

Mitch tipped his hat and smiled.  She guessed he was the same age as Stoney, fair-haired and fair-skinned as if he burned in the heat of the sun instead of getting a bronze tan like she suspected Stoney would.  His features were almost boyish, even as a man.  But he had a kind face.  His appraisal of her, however, was typically male.

“Yes, ma’am.  You must be the Ms. Summers I’ve been hearing about.” 

She nodded her head graciously.  “Please call me Melanie.”

“Stoney’s been filling me in on all your plans.”

“I’ll just bet he has.”

He thumbed toward Stoney, who was now hoisting a duffel bag to his shoulder.  “You’re sure you want to spend a whole month with the likes of him?  I’d be mighty happy to take his place if you’re willing.”  His eyes twinkled and his smile was flirtatious.

A hard look passed between Stoney and Mitch, as if Stoney were staking claim on her and giving Mitch a hands off warning.  The air in the room suddenly turned frosty. 

Mitch apparently got the message that it was time for him to leave. 

“I guess I’ll make myself useful and load the horses into the trailer.” 

Turning to Melanie, he tipped his hat in a cordial cowboy gesture before heading out the kitchen door.

“If you’re still planning on getting up in the mountains any time today, it’s time we got a move on.”  Stoney’s stare was almost accusing.

Melanie clenched her fist, feeling her long fingernails dig into the soft flesh of her palm.  What right did Stoney have to be irritated about her talking to Mitch?  She was simply being nice, meeting the man for the first time.

Avoiding his unmerciful gaze, Melanie turned her attention to the duffels and saddlebags on the porch and realized Stoney had been busy packing all their gear.  Without her.  He’d gotten started without her!  She didn’t bother to keep her irritation in check any longer.

“I told you that I would do my share of the work.  I didn’t hire you to carry me the whole way.”

Stoney kept on packing the canned goods that were spread out on the counter into a bag without giving her a response. 

“You didn’t have to treat him that way, you know,” she huffed.

“I’ll treat him any damn way I please.”  That got his attention, but he still didn’t stop his quick and continued to pack the duffel.  “I hired him to work at Black Rock, not cast a roving eye all over you.”

Melanie had to laugh at that.  “I didn’t hire you to fend off men, thank you very much.  I can handle myself just fine.”

He shot her a sardonic look.  “So you keep telling me.  We’ll take a third horse for our gear,” he said, changing the subject. 

She folded her arms across her chest.  “You know, just because I’m paying you to be my trail guide, doesn’t mean you have to order me around.”

He swung around to meet her head on, seemingly trying to intimidate her with his size.  But she held firm in her place. 

“What you’re paying me for is to keep your little hide safe while you get your fill of whatever pipe dream you have.  Let’s just get this straight so we know where we stand.  You listen to what I say, do what I tell you to do, and we make it the whole month.  You go against my word just once, and we turn around and head out of those mountains so fast you won’t even know you were there at all.”

“Are you always so...intense?” 

He threw her a wry grin, but his features were still tight.  “You just bring out the best in me.” 

He tossed her two empty canvas bags. 

“Anything you’ve decided is an absolute must for this trip you can pack in here.  We’ll be on the road in half an hour.”

Adele appeared at the doorway, carrying a duffel bag that appeared to overpower her small form.  Stoney immediately gripped the handle and hoisted it over his shoulder. 

“That’s filled with as much of the dried goods I could fit in it.  I’m not sure if it’ll last you a month, but it will hold you for a while.  I added some of those peach chips you and Joshua love so much.”

Stoney smiled warmly, his anger gone as quickly as it came.  Then he grabbed one of his bags and headed out the kitchen door, nodding a thanks to his mother, but virtually ignoring Melanie. 

Melanie let out a sigh of defeat when the screen door slammed in his wake.  “Is he always this delightful?” 

Adele took Melanie by the hand and held her back from walking out after Stoney.  “Only when he doesn’t have the upper hand.”

“Is that how he sees this?”

Adele shrugged slightly.  “Don’t let him get to you.  He gets grumpy and he growls a lot, especially when he doesn’t get his own way.  I suspect you’ll see a lot of his charming ways over the next month.”

“Lord help me,” Melanie said under her breath.  Heat flamed her cheeks when she remembered she was talking to his mother.

Adele gave a hardy laugh.  “You’ve got to cowboy up, girl.  When he starts growling, growl back.  Show him you have your own two feet to stand on.  He can be hard, but he’s fair.  He’ll ease up on you.  You’ll see.  Some men aren’t happy unless they’re met head on with a good challenge.”

“And I’m his challenge?”

Adele nodded, amusement filling her face.

Melanie drew in a deep breath and let it out slow.  How in the heck did Adele survive all alone on this ranch with the likes of grumpy old Stoney Buxton?  “He really doesn’t want to do this, does he?”

Adele eased out a sigh, the lines around her mouth seemed to deepen, making her look older than what she probably was.  “It’s been a rough year for him.  He wasn’t here last year when the fire broke out and he’s worried about leaving us this way.  This ranch means a lot to him.” She plucked the coffee cups from the table and dropped them in a tub of suds in the sink.  “But don’t you worry.  Once he gets a whiff of that clear mountain air, he’ll be just fine.  I suspect he needs this trip as much as you do.”

Melanie hadn’t told anyone the real reason for hiring Stoney.  Truth was, no one had asked.  Although Adele had divulged some information about the fire, she suspected there was a lot she didn’t know about Stoney’s reasons for agreeing to be her guide.  Especially since his actions made it clear that it was the very last thing he wanted to do. 

The bottom line was they needed each other.  They may not like it, but they’d get through it. 

Even if it killed her.

* * *

Once the horses had been unloaded from the trailer, Melanie and Stoney quickly worked to saddle Thunder and Dolly, and then packed Chester, the gray and white quarter horse they’d use to hold their provisions.  Melanie was determined to keep up with Stoney at all cost, although she kept trying to tell herself she shouldn’t care what Stoney thought one way or the other.