He gripped the horn and pulled himself up with ease, settling comfortably on Vinny’s back. His body was almost more accustomed to being in a saddle than driving his truck, though he did both often. One thing he never did, though, was ride double.
Marshall swallowed as he realized his mistake immediately. His newest employee was unused to riding and his intention had been to provide comfort during her first time. He gave little thought to what his level of discomfort would be. Clearing his throat, he squeezed Vinny to get him moving. The sooner they finished the tour, the sooner Marshall could put space between them again. If he thought the sight of Colette in curve-hugging jeans was torture, as soon as the horse began moving, the soft bounce of her behind against his crotch was agony.
At that moment, Marshall decided he’d best be looking for someone—not his new employee—to slake his lusts with. If the rate of his heart picked up as soon as a pretty woman pressed herself against him in a totally non-sexual way, it had been way too long since his last encounter with someone. Marshall shook his head, reminding himself that she was here because she was afraid to ride alone. His goal was to provide comfort and security, nothing more.
They rode along the property line, then inward, guiding the horse to the top of Chester’s Hill, where Marshall could show her the expanse of the land they owned.
Though mostly yellow, the hint of green dusting the fields gave a sweet promise of spring emerging, following the snowstorms that announced the end of winter in the foothills.
At the crest of the hill, Marshall leaped off Vinny’s back as though he had been burned, itching to put distance between them. His heart raced uncomfortably. This wasn’t good.
“You expect me to do that too?” Colette said, brows gathering in concern. “It’s so high up here.”
Marshall watched as her top teeth dug into her pink bottom lip, and his heart raced. “No,” he rasped. “I can help you.”
He was grateful for his thick Carhartt jacket that hid the way he shivered. He fucking shivered. With a reassuring smile, he reached up his arms, and she brought her leg over the horse. He slowly lowered her to the ground. Marshall held his breath as he lowered her, worried the act of bringing air to his lungs would bring him too close. He couldn’t bear to touch her again. Or inhale that intoxicating, lovely scent.
Colette seemed oblivious. She pushed past him, away from Vinny, and gazed at the stunning view. Marshall rubbed his beard, reminded of how special it really was. During his long days of hard work, he forgot to take a moment to appreciate what he did it all for. Shaking his head, he turned to untie the extra blanket rolled up behind the saddle. Laying it on the ground, he motioned for Colette to sit.
“I just need one more minute,” she said, hands resting on her hips as she took in the rolling fields, the herd of cattle off in the distance, the farmhouse a dot of white, and the various outbuildings painted red. “It’s so gorgeous, Marshall.”
From down on the blanket, Marshall rested his forearms on his knees and chuckled. “It certainly is.” It was hard for him to focus on the view. His eyes kept drifting to the pop of pink in front of him and the way her Levi’s clung to her body. He closed his eyes, enjoying the rays of warm sunshine as they drifted over his skin. Yep, he was going to need to find a woman in town; it had been too long. His new employee was making it very difficult for him to focus on his job. Marshall was not happy with the distraction. He jumped, opening his eyes as she plopped down beside him. He completely missed the question she had asked him.
“What?”
“How many head of cattle do you manage?” she asked again.
“We have between two hundred and two-fifty head,” he explained.
She exhaled through her pursed lips. “Wow, that’s a lot.”
“It’s a lot of pressure and investment, which is why we need you to help us figure out where I went wrong. We’re losing money and our reputation is in question. If we don’t make a change, our investments will be screwed. We might have to start laying people off,” Marshall spoke, eyes glued to the hills that gave him life after hitting rock bottom.
Each acre owned a part of his heart; each blade of grass fed his soul. Unused to sitting still this long, Marshall began to play with his fingers. His gaze flicked to Colette. The woolly fabric of her sweater looked soft, and he itched to touch it.
Please keep your hands off Colette. You can’t fuck Simone’s friend. She’s off limits.
Roger was afraid Marshall would use her, as he had done to so many women in his previous life. If only his brother knew that he needn’t worry. The mere fact that Colette was staying here for such a short period of time made him wary of pursuing this attraction. He didn’t want quick, meaningless relationships that left him feeling so empty and used. His brother may have warned him off to protect her as Simone’s friend, but he had his own reasons to keep distance between them. Reasons that protected him from disappointment or from repeating past patterns. He’d rather date a nice woman in town than pick someone who was destined to leave.
Roger’s warning rang in his ears as his eyes drifted to the soft dark curls resting on her shoulders. The scent of her shampoo was subtle. Natural. He was certain touching her hair would be like touching pure silk. And if he gripped it…
His fists clenched.
Marshall shook his head, turning his gaze to the horizon.
What was wrong with him?
“Well, we’d better go. I’ve got to get back to work,” Marshall said, standing and wiping the imaginary dirt off the back of his jeans to keep his hands busy. To keep them from reaching out inappropriately. She was under his protection. His co-worker hired by his grandfather. Off limits.
“Thanks for this, Marshall. If I had run away scared, I would have missed out on such an incredible view,” Colette picked up the blanket and shook it out, folding it and smoothing it over her arm. Marshall took it from her, brushing his hand on hers for a mere moment.
Colette gave a small, quick intake of breath.
If one wasn’t analyzing her every movement, it could easily be missed.
Marshall saw it.
The same spark went through him when they touched.
