Page 36 of Shared on the Ranch

It had taken him longer than he’d wanted to find Chyanne. His lunch was nearly over, and he was hungry. An empty stomach was not an easy thing to work on, and the farther he walked, the more annoyed he’d become.

Which was why when he found her, he was too irritated to be glad she’d clearly made friends.

“In fact,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. “I don’t think any of you are where you’re supposed to be.” His eyes roved over the group, and picking out Lora as the most easily swayed, he stared her down.

She immediately dropped her eyes and stared guiltily at the ground.

Theybothknew damn well Nate expected more from his fiancée. He set the standard, and she was supposed to be the example the other ladies followed.

Yet, the group didn’t say or do anything. He caught a couple of tense or pitying looks in Chyanne’s direction, but the group was forming a semi-circle around her and none of them moved to break it.

“What are you waiting for?” he fairly barked. “Get back to your jobs!”

Stunned, wide-eyed looks greeted his bellow.

Except for Veronica who simply arched a brow at him.

He narrowed his eyes in return and she shrugged and pivoted on her heel.

“See,” he could hear her saying to the girls who followed her example. “This is what I was afraid of. I can’t be getting in trouble for someone else who…”

Chandler was curious about how she would have ended that sentence, but her voice drifted the farther away she got. And he needed to focus on Chyanne, first and foremost.

The girl who, at this very moment, was trying to shimmy past him.

“Uh-uh.” He took hold of her upper arm. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

She looked at him with wide, innocent-looking eyes. “Back to my job, of course.” Then she tugged her wrist free, stood up straight, put her feet together, and lifted her hand in a salute. “As ordered, sir!”

In other circumstances, he would have found it cute. Charming, even. But right now, it only soured his mood. “Nice try, but you’re in alotof trouble, little girl.”

She rolled her eyes at the moniker, but didn’t say anything.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” He let the words hang there, and when she didn’t respond to that either, he took her firmly by the wrist. “That’s okay. I’m sure Aaron will have some ideas.”

That changed the look on her face—from faux innocence to shame and worry, flickering over her face one after the other.

Good. Maybe we’ll be able to get through to her after all.

He began to head in the opposite direction, back toward the ranch, and she followed. He decided not to comment on the fact that she was marching in a left-right-left pattern.

After reassuring himself that she wouldn’t run, he let go of her wrist and gazed at her profile. God, she was beautiful with that creamy complexion and curves that threatened to make him lose his good sense.

But even more than that, the more he got to know her, the more he began to suspect that she might need him, even if that need was buried deep, deep down.

All I’ve got to do is bring it to the surface. And then… we’ll see.He focused on the building ahead of them, trying not to get his hopes up too high.

* * *

Aaron

Aaron was lounging comfortably in one of the plush leather chairs that Nate had just installed in his ‘man cave.’ It was in a secret addition that very few of the doms knew about, and obviously by invitation only.

“I know it’s still work hours,” Nate explained, sipping on his scotch. “But sometimes…”

“You gotta get away,” Aaron said, knocking back his own drink in one swallow. “I get it.”

“This place… I mean, it used to be my dream.” Nate eyed the amber liquid at the bottom of his glass.

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