Page 24 of Seized by the Lawman

Chapter 8

HOW WAS IT possible that a man could jump out of bed and look this good? He had a layer of dark whiskers that would have made most men look scraggly, but instead made Nix look dangerous, warrior-like. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and seeing his bare torso reminded her of when she’d kissed his chest and dipped her tongue in each slope of his six-pack abs. She was sure the scratches from her fingernails on his back had healed, but the memory of her love marks remained. Sweat beaded between her breasts and she shifted in her boots, hoping to ease the fire of desire between her inner thighs.

She needed to stay angry with him. He’d been as firm as new leather trying to convince her that her irresponsibility affected everyone, and this morning he dropped the ball. They’d worked on the proposals for the irrigation system together and she’d interviewed a couple of ranch hand hopefuls only to have it shoved aside.

Not to mention, she was dog-ass tired. Melly’s ass stung and her thighs ached. Even a long, hot shower, and then a switch to ice cold water didn’t ease the pain. She felt a sliver of humiliation that she had believed she could handle herself physically on the ranch. Sure she could, but she’d been naïve to think she was fit enough to do hard labor. Five years had passed since she’d been on the reality show that had pushed her physically as well as mentally and emotionally. She wasn’t in the same shape she had been in, and her body was telling her she needed to get into the gym more. And, she was pregnant.

“Count yourself lucky, lawman. I don’t make it a habit to chase after my employees. Next time I’ll make a call to my father.”

He blinked. “Now wait a minute, sunshine.” He shifted on his bare feet. “I’m not your employee. You didn’t hire me, and you can’t fire me. I made a mistake. It happens. Lighten up.”

“Lighten up? Did you really just tell me to lighten up?” She tapped the toe of her boot. “Easy for you to say. My future relies on these next few weeks. I have a lot of work ahead of me to prove myself and there’s no time for a man who drank himself into a stupor and smells like a whorehouse.”

He opened his mouth, she guessed to defend himself, but the door opened behind him. His mouth slammed shut and he turned two shades whiter. Melly took a step to her right to look beyond him. Her heart fell to her dusty boots. The woman standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a skimpy see-through bra, barely-there panties, and a frown made Melly’s temper flare.

Clenching her hands into fists, she looked at Nix who now had a layer of sweat on his forehead and looked like he’d swallowed a razor blade. “I didn’t know you had company. That certainly explains a lot,” she pushed through thin lips.

“It’s too early for all this yelling,” the pretty blonde slurred and leaned a flared hip against the frame of the doorway.

“I’m sorry. It appears I broke up a party.” Stuck between wanting to slap Nix hard across the face and wanting to get the hell away from the awkward situation, she chose to turn and storm off the porch. She didn’t get very far before Nix was beside her.

“This isn’t what you think,” he said.

“Oh, what can I possibly be thinking? You have a naked woman in your cabin. You two must be having an innocent discussion about the weather and…” Melly cleared her throat, “her plastic surgeon who did a fantastic job on her boobs.”

“That’s not true.”

“You think those are real? Figures.” She continued to the driver’s side of her car.

“I’m not talking about her breasts. She’s not naked. She’s wearing clothes.” He blew out a long breath.

“A strip of lace and floss don’t count as clothing.”

“I can explain.”

She turned and faced him, shoving her anger and jealousy, yes jealousy, aside. “You don’t owe me an explanation. What you do, or who you do, when you’re away from Shy Brooke is none of my concern. So, if you think you can find a shirt, bid Marilyn Monroe goodbye and find your way to the ranch, we’d love to have your presence for the staff meeting later. She opened the door, climbed in and rolled down the window. “And don’t forget to close the barn door. We wouldn’t want the horse to get free.”

She slid the gear shift into drive, slammed on the gas pedal, and kicked up rocks as she raced out of the driveaway. Looking through her rearview mirror she watched as he zipped up his jeans and his image got further and further away. Dragging her eyes back on the road ahead, she took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Tears filled her eyes, but she pushed them back. Her emotions were turned upside down. What right did she have to get angry, or jealous, that Nix had slept with a woman? A young, sexy blonde who looked like her thighs had never met butter.

Melly had made it clear that the intimacy she and Nix shared was a one-time thing only.

In truth, she guessed she’d have to get used to seeing Nix with other women. Once the baby was born, if he chose to stick around, they’d have to learn how to adjust and do what’s right for the little human they created. So that meant she’d have to put her feelings and desires aside. She had to acclimate herself to the position of authority at Shy Brooke and prove to everyone that she was her mother’s daughter too. She didn’t need to feud over some charming man who probably had more than one woman willing to ease his “tension”.

After her self pep-talk on the way back to the ranch, she believed she was doing pretty good. She’d even sat in the staff meeting, answered questions, and managed to handle Nix with a dose of cool, professionalism the entire hour. Feeling empowered, and the image of him shirtless and the undressed blonde pushed to the recesses of her mind, she stopped at the stables to visit Jewels. Geared toward being a boss and making this place her own.

“Look what I brought for you.” Melly took a carrot from her pocket and held it in her palm. The mare nibbled the treat. Patting the horse’s thick neck, Melly could feel the muscles relax. “How about some fresh water?” She grabbed the metal bucket and took it outside to the pump and started to fill it. A bird chirped from a nearby tree and she looked up to check out the pretty cardinal. It flapped its wings then flew away. Following its movement with her gaze, something caught her attention near the old red shed that stood along the edge of the woods. The door was open and swinging in the breeze. The building was once storage for feed, but Melly didn’t know it was still in good enough condition to be used.

After filling the bucket and pouring it into Jewels’ trough, Melly pushed her gloves into her back pocket and headed through the field toward the building, curious. The out shed had been standing since Melly was a kid and it had weathered many a storm, obvious by the peeling paint and holes in the roof. She peeked inside and was accosted by the strong smell of leather, mold and something else…like a man’s sweat. A piece of paper was caught by the breeze and swirled around the dirt floor. Stepping into the small space, she grabbed the paper which happened to be a candy bar wrapper and while she was examining it, she heard a soft clank. Spinning on her heels, her breath swooshed from her lungs as she realized the door had closed.

Hurrying over, she gave the weathered wood a push. It shook, but it didn’t budge. “Hello?” she called through the door. Nothing. “What the hell?” she whispered. “Once I get out of here your ass is grass!” Maybe the threat would work, but the door stayed close.

Trying to push the door as far as she could, it opened several inches, not nearly wide enough to crawl through. A lock was on the hook. Her anger made her head ache.

The temperature of the shed rose quickly. What can I do? She pounded on the old wood, but for being dilapidated it sure did hang in there. Her breath left her in a rush and sweat covered her body at the realization that she couldn’t get out.

The tiny building didn’t have windows. There were holes in the roof, but there was no way to climb up and through them. They weren’t even big enough to call out for help and someone could hear. Checking each board for any rotten ones she might possibly be able to push out, she was unable to find any slabs loose enough that she could kick out.

The space was heating up and she was unsure how much time had passed. Her mouth was dry and her head was spinning. Melly pounded against the door again, hoping someone would hear her. Fear escalated in her as reality took shape in her mind. Someone had done this to her on purpose? It sure appeared that way.

---