She’s stunning.
“Miss Noble?” I call out.
Her tongue slides across her bottom lip, her wide eyes focused on mine. “Mr. Blackmoore?” she asks.
My lips twitch into a smirk as I close the distance between us. She’s beautiful, too beautiful. If I’d looked at her picture first, I wouldn’t have hired her. The last thing I need is someone I’m attracted to being so close. I should have done a bit more research.
It’s going to be hard as hell to work near her every day and not taste her.
“You can call me Harlan. Let me get my quad, and you can follow me to your place so you can settle in.”
She smiles, but I don’t give her the chance to respond. I walk swiftly toward the covered passageway beside the garage and jump on my quad, starting the engine with a roar before I turn it around and drive toward the front of her car.
Then I guide her down her drive, which is just past my house and about a quarter of a mile down the same dirt road. The small house comes into view, and I can’t help but think that this is probably the worst decision I’ve ever made in my entire life... Then again, it’s probably the best, too.
Maybe having someone I want to fuck but can’t will be a good test of my control. It’ll either make or break me, that I can be sure of.
After pulling the quad in next to the covered parking spot that is designated for her, I climb off, watching as she parks her oxidized car beneath it. I don’t know if the thing has been covered a day in its life.
She climbs out of the front seat, closes her car door, and then looks around at the land in front of her. I find it interesting that she doesn’t look at the house. She’s focused on the land in the distance.
“It’s different than West Texas,” she says, observing aloud. “Prettier.”
I agree with her, but I don’t say that. I don’t want to be rude, but West Texas doesn’t hold a candle to Hill Country. Instead of saying any of that, I let out a grunt. Crossing my arms over my chest, I dip my chin down slightly. She turns her head, her eyes finding mine over her shoulder.
Slowly, she turns around to face me, her green eyes never leaving mine. I don’t know if she’s waiting for me to say something about the land. I know it’s pretty. No, it’s fucking beautiful. It’s been in my family since the nineteenth century.
“I’ll show you to your new home,” I say with a grunt. With each passing moment, I’m regretting this more. I’m not sure my control and resolve are going to hold up. Her lips curve up into a smile, and she dips her chin slightly.
Walking past her, I make my way up to the front door, reach for the handle, and twist it before I push it open. It smells like cleaning chemicals, so if nothing else, at least it smells clean.
As I step inside, I wonder what she’s going to think of the place. It’s not anything fancy; it’s clean but plain. Just a simple home for someone working on the ranch. Over the years, we’vehad a lot of different men living here, but I think she’s the first woman.
“Unpack, settle in, and come to the main house for dinner. It’ll be ready by seven.”
I walk out of the house and don’t look back, even though every fiber of my being tells me to do just that.
I don’t.
My granny always prepared a dinner for the first night someone moved into this house, a little tradition she started, and I don’t know why, but it felt important to continue. I don’t think I’ve ever hosted a dinner before, and I know it’s just us, but I’m nervous.
Chapter Two
LOLA-MAE
Standingon the front porch of the main house, I hesitate to touch the doorbell button. I don’t know why, but it feels huge—this moment. This is my new boss. He’s invited me to dinner and will likely just tell me all about my new job.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous. It’s one thing to drive almost eight hours here to Granite Falls. It’s another thing to actually physically be here, in a place where I know nobody and nothing about my new life.
The sense of adventure and excitement I felt driving here has completely left my body. Now I’m just a big ball of total anxiety. My finger hovers over the doorbell, but I can’t do it.
But then I don’t have to, because the door swings open, and there, standing in front of me, is the stoic cowboy from earlier. My heart slams against my chest, my stomach flips and flops, my thoughts swim around inside my head.
In an attempt to appear unfazed, unscared, and brave, I plaster on a big fake smile. Maybe I come off as stupid, though,because I’m standing in front of the stranger getting ready to walk into his house and sit down to a meal… alone with him.
“Come on inside,” he announces with a grunt.
I watch as he spins around and walks away. I stand in the doorway for a moment, watching him in silence until he disappears around a corner, and only then does my body shift forward.
