Page 7 of Healing Her Cowboys
“What are you here for?” Atlas asked. He tried to keep his tone light since he didn’t want to scare her off, but she didn’t know much about animals. That was certain.
“She’s here for me.” Brik leaned against the stall’s entryway. His eyes rested on Reese the entire time, and Atlas thought he saw a spark of interest shining in them. “You’re here for me.”
***
Reese felt awkward sitting at the kitchen table with both men staring at her. She sipped her tea, trying to focus on not being their object of interest.
Both men were overwhelming her, and it wasn’t just how they looked at her. Their appearance was also making her a bit on edge. The last thing she expected was to find two built and rugged men tall enough to dwarf her.
Atlas had a solid, lean look and seemed like the perfect all-American cowboy, but his eyes and the way his hair hung just above them softened his image.
Brik seemed like he could have been the former high school football captain. What he added to that image was age and smoothness that reminded Reese of fine whiskey.
Both men smelled like earth and sweat, and Reese chastised herself for the ache that settled between her legs whenever she looked too long at one of them.
“May and Jason schemed this one together,” Brik said. “I should have known they’d both be behind this.”
Reese mentally returned to the issue at hand and looked over at Brik. “I think they’re just looking out for you. I’m not here tomake things difficult. I’ll just help you build your endurance and strength.
Brik raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t need anyone’s help. I’m doing fine on my own.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Reese said, “but can you do me a favor? You know May and Jason won’t let up easily.”
“They’re a stubborn couple,” Atlas said before chugging down more coffee.
“That’s right,” Reese said. “Even if you don’t need me, can we at least try for two weeks? After that, I’ll leave, and we can tell them it didn’t work out.”
“I don’t need two days to tell you it won’t work out,” Brik said. “You’re just wasting your time.”
“Isn’t that her call if she’s wasting it?” Atlas said with a smirk.
Reese had to clench her legs together to keep from smiling back at him with an awkward grin of her own. Why couldn’t she think right around these men? It was like they were more than human, and she couldn’t get enough of watching them.
Sure, it had been five years since she’d had a man in her bed, but her trusty vibrator did its job well. Maybe not that well if her body was reacting to them like a nympho in heat.
“Are you seriously saying she should stay?” Brik leaned on the table, his eyes on Atlas.
Reese felt like the air around her increased a few degrees as the men eyed each other. They weren’t going to fight over this, were they? The testosterone had to be bouncing off the walls around them.
“Why not? It’ll solve two things. May and Jason will get off your case, and we’ll finally have a woman around here to calm us down.” He turned to her with a smile that only got larger.
She was supposed to calmthemdown? If Nina heard them talking, she’d laugh loud and hard. Calming others was notReese’s strong trait, especially with the temper her mother passed on to her.
“That’s ridiculous. She doesn’t even know how to work a ranch,” Brik said.
Atlas turned to Reese. “Have you ever worked on a ranch?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “No, but I’m a fast learner. I’m here to focus on Brik, but I’m not afraid to pull my weight.”
“See?” Atlas said. “It looks like a win-win situation to me.”
They looked at each other as if communicating telepathically. Within seconds, it seemed they’d had an entire conversation without talking.
Brik finally faced her for a moment before responding. “Two weeks and then we’re done.” He stood up and walked away before Reese could respond.
“Don’t worry,” Atlas said. “He’ll grow on you.”
Reese wasn’t sure if growing on her was a good thing or a complete nightmare.
