Page 3 of Stud Ranch

That strap molded to his beefy shoulder and chiseled bicep.

God, did she want to be that strap right now.

“Hey, stop flirtin’ with my girl!” The guy who had her suitcase in hand shooed him off with a flick of his head.

“Not yours yet, Dylan. She’s still up for grabs.”

Dylan stared him down. “Then may the best man win at the ceremony.”

Sloane’s stomach tingled at the thought of what the week ahead of her would bring. Her decision to come to the ranch and seek sex therapy wasn’t something she shared with her friends or family. No one needed to know just how much damage her heart had taken when her long-time boyfriend walked away.

That reminded her that she should check in with her momma and let her know she’d arrived at her destination, which was not The Boot Knockers Ranch. She’d told her parents that she was on her way to visit a friend in Seattle.

Taking out her phone, she shot the cowboy helping her an apologetic look.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, and then shook his head. Seeming to understand, he walked a short distance away to give her privacy.

As Sloane dialed her mother, a fat raindrop hit her forehead. She tilted her face up to the clouds clustered like an angry mob between the mountains.

Her mother didn’t immediately pick up, which had Sloane’s sixth sense in a riot.

This was her first time away from her baby. Something must have happened. She could easily picture a fall—she was still only toddling, after all. Or her daughter spiking a high fever and Sloane’s doting parents rushing her to the emergency room.

Hospitalization.

IVs.

She dialed her mother a second time, and her breathless greeting filled her ear.

“Is everything okay?” Sloane burst out, no longer seeing the hunky cowboys leading their women away from the harbor.

“Of course, Sloane. Everything is okay. Marigold is fine. We were just outside playing.”

Relief washed through Sloane, causing her to slump. No catastrophes happened, and her little girl was fine.

“Do you want me to put her on the phone?” Her mother’s question snapped her back to reality.

Realizing it was raining on her, Sloane looked around. The cowboy called Dylan was waving at her to hurry up and follow.

She’d be a fool to stand here getting wet…when he, or one of these cowboys, could be making her wet in other ways.

If she didn’t recognize how bad she needed this time away for herself, she would gasp at her own dirty thoughts.

“No, let her play,” she told her mom. “I just wanted to let you know I’m here. I’ll check in when I can.”

“We’ve got it under control. Have a great time, Sloane. You deserve it, honey.”

Warmed by her mother’s words, she ended the call and hurried to catch up with the cowboy standing there getting soaked because of her.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Getting wet just means you’ll be taking off your clothes to get dry.” The flash of his white teeth sent a thrill through her. Had it really been so long since a man flirted with her?

Yes. It had. If she was even in the market for romance after her ex shattered her heart, finding a decent man wasn’t so easy. On modeling shoots and on movie sets, she got hit on plenty. But those men were either vulgar, vile or both. The one time she did accept the offer of a date, the man had treated her like a cut of meat. And not even Wagyu beef.

“C’mon. The van’s waiting on us.”

She followed Dylan up a short incline to a waiting black luxury van. They climbed inside with a few other people, the luggage was stowed, and the driver rolled down a short road. The ranch buildings in the distance left Sloane a little breathless with excitement.

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