Wild For You

“Please what?” he asked softly, then waited for an answer she couldn’t seem to articulate. “I can’t give you what you want, Erin.”

She wanted him to touch her.

The thought came from nowhere and wrenched her out of fantasyland.

“Look,” she said, inching back, “I’m sorry I whistled and called attention to you. That wasn’t cool. But I’d really like to explain about the list you found yesterday.”

An air horn honked ungodly loud and close.

Grimacing, she covered her ear.

Spencer pulled her against him just as a truck sped by. The door closed behind her, biting into her back while her breasts pressed against his arm. It was unnecessary. The truck hadn’t passed close enough to hit her, but she wasn’t complaining.

When the teenage boys riding in the truck’s bed laughed and jeered, she realized then the driver had purposely swerved just to scare them. If Erin had been anywhere else, she would’ve flipped them off. Or maybe not, since her heart was pounding so hard the roar had reached her ears. Even her legs were shaky. Damn kids.

“Are you all right?” Spencer’s arm had tightened around her, and he was trying to look at her face.

“I don’t think they got your door.” She would’ve heard the metals scraping together. “Did they?” She turned to see for herself, but Spencer caught her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.

“Forget about the truck. I yanked the door pretty hard trying to get you out of the way.”

“I’m fine.” She lowered her gaze and focused on the muscle working in his jaw. “Stupid kids.” Her heart was still racing, and her knees had lost their starch, but that had more to do with the feel of his warm breath on her cheek.

“You’ll bruise.”

“Maybe it’ll match yesterday’s...” She shrugged, noticed her palm pressed to his chest and blinked. When had that happened?

Resisting the urge to snatch her hand back, she casually reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.

Spencer glanced down Main Street and lowered his arm. “It’s clear. Come on, hop in. I’ll give you a ride.”

She didn’t give him a chance to change his mind. After a quick peek for herself, she hurried around and jumped into the passenger seat.

“Where are you headed?” he asked as he pulled out.

“I don’t know. Where are you going?”

His mouth lifted in a slight smile. “I can drop you off on the next block if you want.”

A sudden flash of memory had her peering into her bag. “Damn.” Both Twinkies were flat. No problem, she’d eat them, anyway. Of course the carton of dip had survived, because the bag of corn chips was now crumbs.

“Groceries?”

“Yep. Oh, well.” She offered him a candy bar. “It’s only smashed on the end.”

“No, thanks.”

She rooted around and found another. “How about this one? It doesn’t look too bad.”

He took his eyes off the road to frown at her just as they passed the inn where she was staying. Next was a gas station, and after that, nothing but open highway and a scattering of large ranches.

Spencer lowered his gaze to the bag. “Is there anything healthy in there?”

Fishing out the dip, she pretended to study the ingredient list. “It’s green, so probably,” she said and hid a smile at his look of revulsion. “The chips got smashed, though. But I bet we can make it work.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m starving. This is breakfast. Oh, I should’ve asked...do you care if I eat in your truck?”

He shook his head, his expression puzzled. “It’s all junk food.”

“Look, I’d love to be dining on delicious organic salads and fruit every day. But even if the Food Mart did carry organic produce, it’s not in my budget.”

“You must have an expense account and per diem.”

“Sort of.” She unwrapped a Twinkie and broke it in half. “Motel rooms are covered, within reason, of course, and I’m reimbursed for gas. I’m using my own car, and I pay for my food.” She bit into her half and offered him the other.

It came as no surprise when he turned down the Twinkie with a single lifted brow.

“I have a bag of organic apples that I brought with me. It’s in my room.” Feeling a bit defensive, she stuffed the rest of the cake into her mouth. She hated that she hadn’t completely kicked her college junk food habit. But what she’d told him was true. She had to watch her pennies.

“And that room would be where?”

Shit.

She looked at him, pointed to her mouth and kept chewing, wondering how long she could stall. God, she’d kill for some coffee.

The scenery was beautiful. Her gaze skipped the scrubby brush closer to the road and took in the mix of pines, cottonwoods and quaking aspen covering the foothills of the Rockies. Fall had come late to this corner of the country. Some of the lower altitude trees still had orange-and-gold leaves clinging to the branches.

Not that she held any hope the landscape would distract Spencer. She fully expected him to make a U-turn at any second.

Deciding not to push his patience, she swallowed the last of the Twinkie and said, “I’m staying at The Boarding House Inn.”

“The same Boarding House Inn we passed five minutes ago?”

“Yep. The place is pretty cool. It really was a boardinghouse at one time.” Waiting for him to lay into her, she studied his hand resting on the steering wheel. His long, lean fingers looked elegant and graceful, with trimmed fingernails that seemed too neat and clean to belong to a cowboy. “Do you play the piano?”

The truck veered to the shoulder. He’d put both hands on the wheel as he prepared to make a turn. They hit a rock, and the sudden jerk had her reaching for the dashboard.

“Wait. Please, don’t,” she said just as a second bump jarred her poor bruised butt and made her wince. “Can I come with you?”

Spencer stopped the truck and sent her a curious look. “You don’t even know where I’m going.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s warm in here, and I don’t have anything better to do.”

“So, why are you hanging around town, wasting money on lodging?”

“Well, if you’re going to resort to logic, forget it. I have nothing to say.”

He sighed and shifted to Neutral. “I’m not changing my mind.”

“I know.” And she wasn’t giving up the fight. “Actually, I do have a few things to take care of, like getting some pictures of the new storefronts in town. It’s crazy how much has changed in three months.”

“That shouldn’t take long.”

She stared at him. “You really do want to get rid of me. Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say. She’d always been outgoing and people generally liked her. “I’d offer to walk back if it weren’t so freezing, so if you wouldn’t mind...”

Shaking his head and looking resigned, he shifted to Drive. “I’m going to the Lone Wolf, a ranch about twelve miles from here.” He glanced at her. “If you want to come along.”

She nodded enthusiastically.

Spencer kept his foot on the brake and his attention on her. “On one condition.”

Erin stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “I don’t nag you about using your land.”

“Good girl.” He almost smiled. “You’re catching on.”

Good girl.

Gritting her teeth, she tore off a piece of Twinkie from the remaining half and stuffed it in her mouth before she ended up saying something snarky. God, did she hate not having the upper hand. She had to be nice no matter what, and Spencer knew it. He also knew she hadn’t folded. But she’d stick to the deal and not pester him for the rest of the day.

“Now, you want to tell me about that list of yours?”

4

SHE WAS TROUBLE. That was undeniable. And Spencer had gone out of his way looking for it. Something about the damn woman stirred a primal craving in him that he’d thought had died along with his career.

Part of the attraction was her husky voice. The low sexy timbre rasped against his skin and hijacked his brain. It made him wonder what her fingernails would feel like raking his back. Made it too easy for a man to get lost. Maybe even agree to something he’d later regret.

Carefully keeping his eyes on the road, he listened to her explanation about her friend’s involvement with the crazy list. But he hadn’t caught much of it. Only that it made sense someone else had put her up to changing her appearance. Three months ago, when she’d first turned up at Shadow Creek, she’d worn jeans and a T-shirt, her long hair clipped up and kind of messy.

Yesterday she’d looked ready for a date.

He sensed movement and glanced over at her. She’d loosened the neck of the black sweatshirt and let the hood fall to her back. Sunlight picked up caramel-colored strands of the brown hair he’d formerly considered unremarkable. Her eyes were nearly the same golden caramel shade. She had a small pert nose and a wide mouth. Her habit of pursing those full lips while she was thinking would definitely torment him if he let it.

“...Lila can pull off that sort of stuff. I’m hopeless. Oh, and thanks again for letting me use the washer and dryer. It was Lila’s skirt. And heels.” She paused to pull a can of Red Bull out of her bag and offered it to him. He shook his head. “Not my favorite, but I’ve had only two cups of coffee today.”

He shot her a questioning look.

“I’m a total caffeine junkie,” she explained. “It started in college.”

“Too many all-night parties?”

“I wish. More like late-night studying. And working part-time.”

“Where did you go?”

“UCLA. They have a great film school.” She popped the can. “Did you go to college?”

“Yep. No place you’d recognize.”

“Ah.”

Hell, he had to be more careful. Not ask questions that could be turned back on him. He’d kept to himself for so long he was out of practice. And with someone like Erin...the woman was an open book, frank and matter-of-fact. Maybe that was how she got people to feel comfortable. Convince them to open their homes and lives to her. Something he’d better keep in mind. And not recklessly invite her on ride-alongs.

“So, why are we going to the Lone Wolf?” she asked.

“I have some business with the owner, Matt Gunderson. I can’t speak for why you’re tagging along.”

Erin grinned. “It’s pretty out here. So different from when I was here in July.”

After putting the bag on the floorboard, she tucked her free hand under her thigh. Hunching her shoulders, she looked cold. He was still wearing the fleece-lined jacket he’d put on to feed the horses before he left, so he hadn’t bothered with the heater.

He turned it on. “Feel free to adjust the temperature.”

She was right on it. “Tell me if it gets too warm for you.”

“I have a question.”

“Okay.” She wedged the can between her legs and rubbed her palms together in front of the vent as she looked at him.

A slew of lusty thoughts raced through Spencer’s mind. All because of where she’d innocently stuck the damn can, he thought with disgust. Although, in his defense, it didn’t help that he’d seen her bare thighs. Nice and toned, they’d feel real good gripping his waist.

Images of her in that short denim skirt had haunted him late into the night. No surprise he’d woken up harder than a rock.

It wasn’t her. It was him. He hadn’t gone without sex this long since the summer between sophomore and junior years of high school. Hell, he was probably going through withdrawal.

“So, let me get this straight—your friend Lila gave you the makeover advice. Obviously to get my attention...” He saw Erin fidget, and he purposely drew out the suspense as he navigated a curve in the road. “And then what? You were willing to sleep with me to get—”

“No.” She barked the word, then folded her arms across her chest. “I mean, I would—but not to get you to—” She huffed with aggravation. “The short answer is no.”

“We have another five minutes to the Lone Wolf. Plenty of time for the long answer.”

He’d meant to tease her, but it backfired. The pink in her cheeks and the fire in her eyes were making him hot and prickly. Maybe he was reading into it, but it was possible they shared the same itch. He had to really think about how he wanted this to play out.

“To soften you up, I guess,” she said, though he hadn’t expected an answer. “It’s kind of funny. There’s no way in hell I’d have sex with you in exchange for Moonlight Mountain—”

Spencer snorted a laugh. “You’d have to be damn good to expect me to give you the whole mountain.”

“You know what I mean,” she said, leveling a cool gaze his way. “And had you let me finish, I was about to say that under any other circumstance, yeah, damn right I would’ve slept with you.”

He almost missed the turn. Spotting the road marker at the last second, he wrenched the steering wheel. Erin threw out both arms and flattened her palms against the dashboard. His Stetson tumbled off the console onto the floor.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“I guess that was partly my fault.”

Deep ruts in the gravel road worked against him as he righted the truck. The ground was still muddy, some patches slick from the wet fall leaves. All he needed was to get stuck out here; with Erin, no less.

Erin and the self-satisfied smirk she was trying to hide.

Spencer knew some bold women back in Boise, and Erin, being strong and plainspoken, shouldn’t have surprised him. But he had to admit, he hadn’t seen that coming.

The moment they were back on track, all tires accounted for, he said, “So you’re saying if we’d met at the bar in town and had no business connection, you would’ve gone home with me.”

“I don’t know.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Maybe. But I wouldn’t have gone to your place.”

“The inn?”

“You know what? It’s a moot point.” She shifted in her seat, adjusted the air vents again. “Let’s drop it.”

“You opened the door.”

“Yeah, well, now I’m closing it.”

Spencer smiled to himself. He’d finally figured out her strategy. She thought dangling sex and knocking him off balance would give her the upper hand. And damn, she wasn’t completely wrong. “Humor me. I’m curious.”

She huffed out a disgruntled sigh. “Look, I don’t pick up guys in bars, okay? And if I did, I sure as hell wouldn’t let them know where I live. Or go to some strange man’s place. That would be pretty stupid.”

“So, what? You’d prefer to have sex in a car? A hotel?”

“What part of moot point don’t you understand?” Staring at him, she shook her head. “Like I said, circumstances being what they are, it doesn’t matter.”

“Well, I’m never going to let you and your people set foot on the mountain.”

“And I’ll never quit trying to wear you down. Today you get a pass. I intend to honor the condition of my ride-along. But after that...” She shrugged, her lips curving in a cocky smile.

Spencer couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. Or worse, that he wouldn’t let it go. “I’m flat out telling you Moonlight Mountain is off-limits,” he said and caught her smile slip a bit. “So there’s no reason for sex to be off the table.”

“Since I’m confident I can change your mind, sex definitely can’t be part of the equation. It would feel too creepy.” She straightened in her seat and peered up ahead at the buildings starting to become visible. “Is that the Lone Wolf?”

“I think so. I’ve only been out here once before.”

“Looks big.”

“Yep.” He tried not to sound like a sulky ten-year-old. Especially since Erin didn’t seem to give a shit one way or the other about having sex. But in truth, he was used to getting his way. Up until the accident that had changed everything, his life had been golden.

* * *

HE PARKED THE TRUCK close to a structure that Erin guessed was the barn. The ranch in general was a sizable spread with a large stable, what looked to be a second barn, a dozen or more corrals and a building large enough to be a warehouse.

She opened the door and frowned at the soft ground around them. It was a big truck, and she was too high up to just hop out. Climbing in had been easy because she’d had a boost from the curb.

“Here.” Spencer was suddenly standing there offering his hand. When she hesitated, he added, “I won’t bite.”

“No, but will you let me fall on my ass?”

“You don’t need my help for that.”

“Ha. Funny.” Eyeing his boots, she saw they were making a slight depression in the dirt. She took his hand and not for the first time wondered why he didn’t have more calluses.

She stepped down and was instantly glad for his assistance. He didn’t let go until they reached a patch of gravel, and she was sure of her footing.

“I know her,” Erin murmured when she finally looked up and caught sight of a woman standing on the porch of an attractive two-story house set back from everything. “I think that’s Rachel.” Her long, beautiful auburn hair wasn’t easily forgotten. Still, Erin glanced at Spencer for confirmation.

He shrugged. “Could be Matt’s wife. I’ve never met her.” His attention shifted to the second barn. “Here’s Gunderson now.”

Spencer walked toward the man, until they met up and shook hands. They were around the same height, somewhere just over the six-foot mark, though Matt had a huskier build and lighter hair.

Erin trailed behind until Spencer introduced her. Matt’s rough palm felt more like what she expected of a cowboy. She knew from the townspeople that Spencer was new to the area. And damn, she was curious about what he’d been doing before buying Shadow Creek Ranch. If she could get Dusty alone, she bet he would tell her.

“Ah, here comes Rachel,” Matt said, looking toward the house.

“I thought it was her,” Erin said and caught Matt’s confused expression. “We met in town about three months ago. I was here scouting locations for a film.”

“Okay. You must be with that independent film, then,” Matt said, and she nodded. “My buddy Ben Wolf has been providing your production company with some stock.”

“That’s right. I don’t know Ben all that well, but we met when he was still working in Hollywood. He sure has some beautiful horses.”

Matt nodded at Spencer. “How do you figure into all this?”

“I don’t,” he said, putting up both hands. “I just gave the lady a ride.”

Erin grinned. “I’m trying to get him to let us use Moonlight Mountain. The director wants to shoot the last scene of the movie on the west ridge.”

“I can see why. Nice piece of real estate you’ve got there,” Matt said to Spencer. “I’d considered making an offer on it myself, but I think you’d already put down earnest money.”

“Well, damn. I wish you had bought it. Spencer’s playing hard to get.”

“Don’t start,” he warned in a low voice just as Rachel approached.

“Oh, please, I haven’t even begun to get started.” Erin smiled sweetly, heard Matt chuckle, then turned to Rachel.

“Erin, right?”

“Yes, we met at— Oh—” Erin stumbled back a step. Rachel was a hugger. “Okay,” Erin murmured, doing her best to reciprocate but feeling awkward. She kind of patted the other woman’s back and hoped that was enough.

Matt grinned but not without a hint of understanding in his face. “You meet Rachel once, and you’re a friend for life.”

“Not everyone.” Rachel glanced at her husband. “You know who I’m talking about,” she said and turned to Spencer with a smile and her hand out. “Hello. I’m Rachel.”

He shifted the speculative look he was giving Erin, his expression easing as he nodded at Rachel. “Spencer Hunt.” He reached up and yanked off his hat before shaking her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Rachel.”

With raised brows, Rachel looked at her husband.

“Ah, Christ.” Matt rubbed his jaw, the corners of his mouth twitching. “Thanks, Hunt. Yeah, thanks for showing up the rest of us poor slobs with your fancy manners.”

“You can blame my mama for that.” Spencer reset the hat on his head and smiled. A real, honest-to-goodness, genuine smile that seemed to come so naturally.

Wow. Erin hadn’t known he had it in him. “You’ve never removed your hat for me,” she said.

He turned to her with a hint of amusement in his face. “If you were less irritating, maybe I would.”

Matt choked out a laugh. Then something caught his attention, and he excused himself, moving to the side. “Hey, Chuck,” he called to a young man walking toward the corral. “Have you seen Petey?”

“I think he’s in the bunkhouse.”

“Mind getting him for me?”

“No problem, boss.”

Rachel’s lips were pressed together as she studied Spencer and then Erin. “Are you guys headed to the stable?”

Erin shrugged. “I don’t even know why we’re here.”

Matt rejoined them. “Yep, we’ll be in the stable for a while. Maybe take a ride out to the north pasture. We’ll end up at the house eventually. Are you going to be home?”

Rachel nodded. “I put a roast in the slow cooker. It won’t be ready until closer to dinnertime. But I can make some coffee for now, and sandwiches later.”

Coffee? The magic word.

Erin resisted the urge to raise her hand and jump up and down.

“I’m sure there’s coffee brewing in the stable or the barn. I’ll call you in a while.” Matt smiled and kissed Rachel. “Thanks, honey.”

It was just a brief brushing of lips, but it was the tenderness in his eyes that made Erin’s chest ache. No man had ever looked at her like that. And probably never would. In the thirty-three years her parents had been married, she’d never seen them kiss or hug each other even once. But then she hadn’t seen much of them, period. They’d worked a lot, so she’d mostly hung out at Lila’s house after school.

“Erin? You want to come to the house with me?” Rachel asked. “Or would you prefer to go with the guys and learn everything you didn’t want to know about storing and shipping frozen bull semen?”

With a laugh, Erin looked at the men. Seeing their wry smiles, she realized it wasn’t a joke. “Huh.” She turned back to Rachel. “So, you mentioned coffee?”

“I can even make you an espresso if you want.” Rachel checked her watch. “Damn. We have to hurry. The chocolate chip cookies are almost ready to come out of the oven.”

“Seriously? You made cookies?” Erin said, in awe of her new hero.

“They’re actually the slice-and-bake stuff,” Rachel whispered as they started for the house. “But honestly, they taste homemade, so don’t tell anyone.”

Erin slowed and glanced back at Spencer. “Don’t leave without me...”

He’d been watching her. Rather boldly for a reserved man who guarded his privacy. Made her wonder just how well he knew Matt. And what exactly he was trying to do, besides give her a coronary.

“Better save me a bite,” Spencer said with a wink.

“Go worry about your semen.”

She hadn’t noticed the cowboy leaving the barn until he burst out laughing.

Grinning, Rachel was darting glances at Spencer when Erin fell into step beside her.

“Uh-uh.” Erin shook her head. “I know that look. It’s not like that.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“Because you remind me of my friend Lila, and she would be looking at me just like you are right now.”

Rachel’s smile widened.

“I barely know him. Since the minute we met, he’s been trying to get rid of me.”

“I’ve seen him only once, and it was from a distance,” Rachel said. “He’s very good-looking.”

“Yes, he is. And stubborn. Annoying as hell.” Erin almost sneaked another look but caught herself. “I mean, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to make a small bundle for doing nothing?”

“I take it you want to do some filming on his property?”

Erin nodded. “He owns a lot of land, but his ranch isn’t that big. His herd is small. It’s hard to believe he makes so much money that he could afford to—” Erin frowned. “Is frozen semen big business?”

“It can be,” Rachel said. “If you have the right stock to begin with. Matt raises rodeo stock. So far he’s bred two champion bulls and a winning stallion, and he hasn’t been at it very long. He’s just started to research the feasibility of selling the semen.”