On a Gamble (2 page)

She picked up the necessary items, put her own gloves on, and they made their way back outside.

“First, we’re going to weed the vegetable garden, and pick what we can.” She rubbed her hands together, and dove in.

Amused, she watched as he hesitated. “Well, let’s get to work.”

He raised a brow, but remained silent.

Charlie knelt down and started her task, not bothering to look up, she asked, “You don’t say much do you?”

Getting into her work, she flung weeds to the side. She blew a piece of hair out of her eye, and looked up. Intense brown eyes locked with hers, and my God, they were the most beautiful pair she’d ever seen, full of boyish mischief, and amusement.

Clearing her throat, she glanced away, unable to hold eye contact any longer. Because damn, that up close and personal moment had her tummy reacting strangely. She felt like a high school girl with a crush on the star football player.

“I just don’t have much to say right now,” he said.

Charlie nodded, fixating on weeds. Yes, weeds were much safer than staring at this perfect stranger, this perfect, gorgeous stranger. Weeds didn’t have such captivating eyes, a beautiful, full mouth, or a gorgeous, sculpted physique. She nonchalantly glanced toward his hands, such marvelous looking large hands that made her pulse pound.

Pulling her mind away from the unwanted image, she dove back into her work. Men were trouble, and broke hearts. She didn’t need to cloud her mind any further being attracted to this one.

Chapter 2

“So, what made you decide to apply for the job?” Charlie asked.

Alex shrugged. “Just needed some extra money, and I like being outdoors.”

“Oh yeah. Are you a hunter man, fisherman?”

“No, nothing like that. Hiking, biking, things like that.”

She brushed away beads of sweat gathering at her forehead. They hadn’t been out here very long, but the late August sun warmed her.

“How about you? How long have you been helping your grandparents?”

It was an easy answer. “Going on a year now. I quit my job in the city when they needed help, and I’ve never looked back.” Of course she omitted the part about her cheating ex-husband, recalling the day she’d found him and her best friend, naked and sprawled in their bed.

That particular wound was better left closed, and undisturbed.

Alex didn’t look up, and continued to pull weeds. “Oh yeah, what did you do before this?”

Tucking a bothersome stray hair behind her ear, she said, “I used to be an accountant. I love numbers.”

He nodded, but again, didn’t say much. His silence unnerved her, and she wasn’t sure why.

“How about you, Alex?”

“What about me?”

She scoffed. “I mean, you’ve barely said anything since we started. Why the big secret?”

“No secret.”

She frowned, pursing her lips, and stood. Taking her gloves off, she studied him.

He got up from his kneeling position, and crossed his arms over his chest. The warning sirens went off in her head, but she feigned indifference, even if her senses didn’t, because his rugged good looks sped up her heartbeat. He’d rolled up his sleeves, and his biceps seemed extra-large, extra sexy as hell. She must not have paid close attention yesterday, but today in the broad light of day, she couldn’t help it. Right there in broad daylight, she mentally undressed him. Picturing a sculpted chest, legs like tree trunks encased in denim, and recalled this morning when he exited his truck, that he also had a mighty fine looking ass.

Slowing her train of thought down, she realized if she didn’t rein in her attraction for the sexy, mysterious stranger, she was in for deep trouble. Trouble like having her wicked way with him in the hayloft.

He frowned. “As I said, there is no secret. If you must know I work for the family business.”

Charlie crossed her arms over her breasts, mirroring his pose. “Oh yeah, and what would that be?”

“A strip club. There, happy now?”

Heat quickly rose into her face and neck. Of all the answers she expected that was the last one. She cleared her throat, probably a little too loudly, and attempted to maintain her composure. “I see. Well, then, let’s resume our work.”

Later that morning, Alex washed up before lunch in the upstairs bathroom. Studying his reflection in the mirror, he shook his head. Thinking about the ‘family business’ line he’d fed her, but it was all he could think of at the time. Remembering the light scattering of pink that tainted her cheeks, he smiled. She’d looked absolutely adorable, so in a way the lie paid off.

Meeting Charlie yesterday rattled his cage, and today, said cage rattled even harder. He’d expected to find a man, thinking this would be a piece of cake. Not a gorgeous, voluptuous woman. It’d be a tall order to keep his hands, and his mind, off of her.

Charlie was vivacious, sweet and sexy, charmingly innocent, from her long, dark brown, corn silk hair, to her perfectly rounded bottom. He could drown in that hair, and pictured it gliding effortlessly through his fingers, while he inhaled her sweet scent. And those beautiful hazel eyes, full of hurt, mistrust, and something he couldn’t quite place. He didn’t know how he knew, but she’d been hurt before.

Whoa, take it easy.

He got much too carried away. This was just another job, a job that’d eventually end with Countryside Bed and Breakfast being built on this land. He needed to come out unscathed, and with all the necessary facts. He wasn’t here to be some knight in shining fucking armor for God’s sakes.

He was here on business.

Finishing up, he made his way downstairs.

Comforting smells of chicken noodle soup, and fresh bread being baked, filled his nostrils. The kitchen held a warm quality, like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Decorated with almost anything rooster, or farm life related.

A rooster clock hung above the kitchen sink. Three small, medium, and large cookie jars lined the counter. Rooster mugs hung underneath one of the cupboards. A crème, brown, and yellow tiffany light hung above the table. Everything about this room homey, cozy, happy, and lived in, a comfortable place to call home. Unlike the cold starkness of his condo, a place where only bad memories existed.

Pulling his mind out of the past, he noticed that instead of just Charlie, her grandparents were in the kitchen as well. Her grandmother stood cooking at the stove. She turned and shot him a big smile, gentle green eyes crinkling at the corners. Her grandfather whispered something to Charlie that made her smack him playfully on the arm, and a delightful smile crept over her face. Her lashes lowered, and she tucked an escaped tendril from its ponytail. The gesture, both endearing and innocent, knocked him off kilter.

Damn, when she smiled like that, it made him forget his real purpose here.

“Good afternoon,” he said.

“Alex, I want to introduce you to my grandparents. This is my Grandmother Pearl, and my Grandfather Eugene.”

A short, stout gentleman with kind green eyes and rotund belly rose from his seat, extending his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, son.”

“Likewise, sir.”

Pearl finished her task before turning and extending her hand. Her face lit up with a warm smile. “Very nice to meet you, Alex. Won’t you have a seat? Lunch will be ready soon.”

Her grandmother went back to her cooking.

“Nice to meet you both, and thank you.” Alex took a seat, watching Charlie from across the table. Leaning back in her chair, she had one foot tucked under the other. She sipped her coffee, and pretended like she wasn’t watching him. But as soon as he caught her, she looked away, her eyelashes beautiful against her porcelain skin. He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

He cleared his throat, and said to nobody in particular. “Can I trouble you for a cup of coffee?”

“Why sure.” Pearl winked at Charlie over her shoulder. “Charlie, fix this nice young man up with some coffee.”

“How do you take it?” Charlie asked.

“A little cream, two sugars.”

Alex tried to avert his gaze when she turned away, but once his eyes hit her nicely shaped rear end, he couldn’t help himself. Her jeans were tight, not overly so, but enough to have his imagination running wild. She tiptoed up into the cupboard, and in doing so her shirt snuck up to reveal a patch of milky white, smooth skin at the small of her back. And the hint he could see, looked like peaches and cream, and probably felt just as soft and inviting.

Eyes away from Charlie, understand?
You’re here for a reason, and getting involved with her isn’t one of them.

He turned off the silly fantasies clouding his mind, knowing they would only interfere with his better judgment. Not to mention he’d been in a long-term relationship before, and it hadn’t ended well. Since then he’d sworn off relationships. Certainly he could manage to fend off such ridiculous thoughts, but Charlie made it damned difficult with her wholesome, innocent beauty.

She approached, rooster mug of coffee in hand, and a mischievous grin on her face. He mirrored her, smiling back.

She shrugged. “What can I say, my grandparents love anything farming related. Enjoy.”

“Thank you, Charlie.” And with this, he took a sip of the sweet, hot brew.

Later that afternoon, Charlie took Alex back to the barn to feed the animals. She still didn’t know what to make of this mysterious stranger. He had a way about him that made her stomach feel tipsy, and her world off kilter. The heat in his eyes when he looked at her, especially when he thought she wasn’t paying attention, made her stomach do funny, wonderful things. She tried to pretend his attention had no effect on her whatsoever, but damn, it was hard
not
to notice.

“Follow me.” She grabbed the milk jugs, her cart, and made her way to the food storage bins.

“Do you need a hand?”

She abruptly turned, only to bump right into him. Literally. Her breath caught, because his chest just about pressed up against hers. Her body reacted instantly, and tingled all over, as brown eyes met hazel. My God, he was even more breathtaking up close. She longed to reach up and run her fingers through his hair.

Annoyed with her wayward thoughts, she stepped away. “Standing a tad close, weren’t you?”

He shrugged. “Sorry.”

The way he said it made her think he wasn’t the least bit sorry, and that it’d been on purpose. The burn of annoyance rose in her belly, and if she was being honest, most of it directed toward herself for being affected by him. For being attracted to him in the first place. No man ever had such a strong effect on her, especially in a short period of time.

Good grief, the mailman flirted with her for a month before she’d politely told him she wasn’t interested. Now this man shows up, and suddenly all these crazy mixed up ideas pollute her mind within a matter of days? What the heck was wrong with her? “Let’s get one thing straight, this is strictly business. I’d like to keep it that way.”

His head snapped up, angry eyes assessing her. “What gave you the idea that it wasn’t?”

Charlie couldn’t think of any other way to say it, so she went with stark honesty. “I mean how you stood so close to me, as if on purpose.” As the words passed her lips, she felt stupid.

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry, I won’t be invading your personal space again. And trust me, I have no intention of getting involved with you.”

Biting the inside of her cheeks, she tried to pretend the words from this perfect stranger, didn’t sting. Not that it should matter, because she didn’t know him. Why should it matter how he felt about her? That’s exactly what she wanted, and didn’t need a distraction of romance, or a relationship right now.

“Neither do I.” And without another word, she resumed the day ahead of her.

Chapter 3

As Alex drove home, the day’s events played through his mind. He felt like an ass.
What the hell has gotten into me?

Charlie had every right to make her demands, every right to get upset with him. He’d been standing too close to her, and it
had
been on purpose.

He grinned, because the ensuing battle had been worth it. She may have been a hard working farm girl, but she smelled of clean cotton, vanilla, and wholesome woman. Gorgeous hazel eyes filled his memory, not to mention luscious, just-in-the-right-places curves, made his jeans tighten down south.

Fantasies of all kinds invaded his mind, of crushing beautiful, dark, wavy hair between his fingers, as he’d pull her lips to his. He wanted to kiss her, taste her sweet nectar until she couldn’t think straight. Hell, until he couldn’t think straight.

As he turned into his driveway, his cell phone rang, breaking free his sexy daydreams. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”

“How did it go today?”

“Don’t ask. I got nowhere.”

A beat of silence, then, “That’s all right. Take your time. We have lots of time to spare. Was Charlie there? What’s he like?”

He laughed out loud, as memories of corn silk hair, hazel eyes, and a gorgeous hourglass figure filled his mind once more.

“What’s so funny?”

Alex chuckled. “Dad, I hate to break it to you, but Charlie is not a man. She’s a woman.”

And what a hell of a woman she was
.

“Well”—his dad cleared his throat—“then in that case, be careful.”

“Be careful?” Even if he knew damned well what he’d meant.

“Is she good looking?”

Alex raked a hand through his hair, realizing in such a short amount of time, something about her turned his world upside down. God help him, she was a drug. He wanted to become an addict.

“Your silence tells me you know what I’m talking about. Just be careful, Alex.”

“Okay, Dad. I promise.” He hung up, throwing the phone onto the passenger’s seat, and took a deep steadying breath. A hot shower, and a beer were in order. They’d been working with the chickens, horses, and in the garden today, so he smelled like he’d fallen into a manure pile.

Punching in the alarm code, he made his way inside. It was cool and quiet, as he whipped off his jacket, hanging it up on one of the pegs next to the table in the foyer. He’d already eaten, so his stomach was filled to capacity. Pearl made rib-sticking BBQ pork sandwiches, and homemade mashed potatoes for dinner. Quickly disrobing, he turned the water on as hot as he could stand it and stood beneath the spray. He pressed his hands against the wall, and closed his eyes. Visions of Charlie flashed rampant through his mind, remembering his senses being assaulted. On high alert, when he’d stepped close to her. How good she’d smelled, and how he still couldn’t get that moment in the barn, out of his mind. How he’d given in to temptation in the first place.

God damn, but he’d never had such an unyielding reaction to a woman before. A woman with a fiery, hot temper that crackled like a brushfire. Wild and out of control, consuming everything in its path. Charlie was strong willed, feisty, and opinionated, not to mention beautiful, wholesome, and sexy as hell. What a combination, and my God, what a turn on.

He opened his eyes, staring down at his erection, and knowing this would be more difficult than he’d ever anticipated.

Charlie rolled over in bed the next morning, squinting at the alarm. It read five a.m. She groaned, but it was time to start the day.

Slowly, she rose out of bed, planting both feet on the floor. An early morning run sounded good, just what she’d need to clear her head, chock-full of thoughts involving Alex, which annoyed and puzzled her. She grabbed a hair tie from the nightstand, and put her hair in a ponytail.

She brushed her teeth, and put on her workout pants, tank top, and heather gray sweater. Lacing her sneakers, she made her way outside. The crisp, early morning air caressed her face, and already her body relaxed. She took a brief stretch, and when she got past the fence, began her run.

The minute her feet hit the pavement, calmness overtook her. No music, just the early morning sounds of the farm, the silence of the country like a balm to her frayed nerves. Honestly, she didn’t know what got into her yesterday other than her unnerving and fast growing attraction to Alex.

He’d been doing a great job from day one, and she was grateful.

Why did I overreact?

But she already knew the answer. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Charlie paused, taking a deep breath as she stretched on the side of the road.

Yesterday had been interesting to say the least. She had to be honest. One, she found him exceedingly attractive. Two, she’d blown things out of proportion. She’d felt bad for her outburst, and would apologize first thing this morning.

He’d stood too close. She knew it had been on purpose, and was mostly angry with herself. Because she’d enjoyed the, albeit brief, moment, recalling those magnetic, sexy brown eyes, and swore she could see straight down into his soul, knowing he had a kind one.

Bitter memories of the past stopped her thoughts. Remembering her first husband, Langdon. College sweethearts, she’d been instantly swept away by his smooth charm, charisma, and good looks. The attraction had been instantaneous. Being young, naïve, foolish, and hasty in her decisions landed her with a broken heart. Unless she wanted a repeat of the past, she had to better control her daydreams.

Charlie checked her watch, realizing she’d already been running for a little more than a half hour, and made her way back home.

Later that morning, Charlie took Alex out to the barn, and started her preparations to begin the day.

Today would be awkward to say the least, especially after yesterday’s disaster. She knew why she’d lashed out at him, but wasn’t about to admit it. Just picturing it, Charlie bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a laugh.
Gee, Alex, I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m just really attracted to you
.

Yeah, not going to happen.

She stopped short of the gate surrounding the barn, turning toward him. But for a moment, he said nothing, just studied her with that incredible brown gaze. More aware of him now that they were alone again, she gulped, thinking she could easily step into his personal space and—

And nothing! Goodness gracious, enough already.

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said.

Surprised by his apology, she nodded. “I’m sorry for overreacting.”

Squaring her shoulders, she made her way into the barn.

With more effort than usual, Charlie picked up her tools, and dove into her work. Doing her best to block him out of her thoughts, her line of vision. It proved impossible, considering they worked side-by-side feeding animals, weeding the garden, and various other tasks.

By lunchtime, Charlie trapped herself in the upstairs bathroom for at least twenty minutes. She splashed cold water on her face, closing her eyes for a moment. Resting her hands on the sink, she lowered her head.

Alex had worn down her nerves, and in such a short time. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d last working with him. Whenever he came within ten yards of her, every millimeter of her was acutely aware of him. It had been a long time since anyone affected her in such a strong way, if ever.

And, she realized, the root of her problem lay right there.

Blindly, Charlie grabbed the towel resting on the sink, and dried her face. She dragged a comb through her hair, fixed her ponytail, and took a cleansing breath before making her way downstairs.

The sight of her grandma, doing dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen, greeted her.

Grandma Pearl assessed her, and frowned. “Charlie, honey. You okay?”

She nodded. “I’m fine, Grandma. Don’t worry.”

Her grandma simply inclined her head, and resumed her task.

Charlie headed outside, finding Alex leaning against the fence. His arms crossed over his chest, his hair rustling lightly in the breeze. As if in a trance like state, she continued to hold his gaze, as he held hers. And had to fight to tear her eyes away.

Damn he was sexy.

Like a pesky fly, she shooed the image free.

“Let’s feed the chickens,” she said, walking past him.

He eventually followed, handing her a pair of gloves that rested in the pail.

Going to grab the milk jugs, she made her way to the food bin. Upon seeing the nearly empty contents, she muttered a soft curse.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re out of chicken feed, and it’s up in storage.”

“Okay, where?”

She pointed to the ladder leading to the hayloft. Holy cow, that was the most he’d said to her all morning. Not that she blamed him. She hadn’t been much of a conversationalist either.

Holding tight onto the ladder, she tried to keep her eyes averted to the ground, but within seconds, curiosity got the best of her. Her eyes connected, and landed on his gorgeous backside. Wow, but he had a really nice ass.

Nice ass or not, she averted her stare.

“Where do you have it stored?” His question from above drifted to her ears, cutting her thoughts in half.

“It’s next to the spare tools, to your left.”

Silence, then, “It sure is roomy up here.”

Flame and smoke heated her cheeks as she recalled just how roomy it was.

Christ, enough already!

Charlie stepped away from the ladder as if burned. He was an employee, and she had no right to think of helping herself to him. Her thoughts stopped in their tracks as she spotted him coming down the ladder.

“Okay.” He set the bag down at her feet. “All set.”

“All right, thank you so much.”

He eyed her quizzically. “You okay?”

Charlie gave a decisive nod, her stomach twisted in knots. Jesus, she hoped he couldn’t read minds. “I’m fine, thank you.”

He assisted her in lifting the bag, and they proceeded to pour feed into the container. Her nostrils filled with his masculine scent, and permeated the large space.

She gathered her senses, and scooping the feed into the bucket, buried the dangerous thoughts down deep.

Two hours later, they’d finished feeding the chickens, and completing various tasks. The strenuous work of the day settled into her bones, and her muscles ached. A nice, cool dip sounded good, and would take the edge off her raging hormones. Which proved most puzzling of all, because she needed to contain herself, and quickly.

Only one place came to mind. “Let’s take a walk.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.” She smiled, setting her tools down, and taking her gloves off. Wiping her palms on her jeans, she washed her hands at the sink.

After he finished, she led him down the path leading to her sanctuary as a child, and even now as a grown up.

“You enjoy this don’t you? Farm life,” he asked.

She sighed, her body relaxed as they continued to walk. “Yes, very much. After leaving the city it took time to get used to it, but now I can’t imagine being anyplace else on earth. This is home.”

He smiled, the sheer force of it hitting her square in the chest, a disarming, sexy smile that threw her completely off guard. Just when she decided to write him off, he’d gone and smiled at her like that, an intoxicating blend of lips, teeth, and facial hair. Good grief his smile could probably melt the biggest ice burg. Odd, she’d never found facial hair such a turn-on before, but it suited him.

Should she have hired him in the first place? Having someone around that made her stomach do flips, and her toes curl probably wasn’t the best course of action. She needed help sure, but maybe someone less attractive would have made things easier.

How am I going to do this?

Memories of the past loomed overhead, of whispered voices, naked bodies, and the complete, utter heartbreak. Her mind snapped back to where it belonged. She couldn’t allow good looks and charm to lure her in again.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She pulled her head out of the clouds. “Nothing, sorry.”

A worried frown covered his features, but he said nothing. “I was just wondering about your family. Are you the only granddaughter?”

She laughed humorlessly. “Hardly, I have two younger sisters, but they don’t help much. You’d never see them here helping out, maybe once in a while.”

He frowned. “Why is that?”

“Beats me. Maybe they’re too wrapped up in themselves and their careers. And it’s a shame, for as much as our grandparents helped us that they don’t help more. Or at least pay a visit once in a while.”

“What about your parents?”

Charlie’s stomach clenched at the memories. “They were killed in a car accident when I was eight.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” his voice soft, soothing.

She didn’t like talking about her parents, not because she didn’t love them, but because it hurt entirely too much. Here she was, a grown woman, but thoughts of her parents made her stomach twist in painful knots. She knew they were in heaven, and watched over her every day. Knew they were with her, because their presence was felt every day, but having a physical presence would have been a whole lot nicer.

Charlie recalled the first parents’ night, two months after the accident, and how she’d had to endure all the other kids with their parents. Her grandparents were amazing, had been wonderful fill-ins, but it wasn’t the same. She took a deep breath, attempting to clear the painful picture from her mind. It happened years ago, but it felt like yesterday, the memory of it still vivid.