Confident in Chaps (Crossroads Book 2) Read online

  “I’m really sorry about that one. We worked on the equipment all morning and we couldn’t get it goin’. We’ll have the rental company come pick it up, and we bought the extra insurance on it, thank goodness. But we burned too much time, and now we can’t get a footer in let alone that barn. The horses are goin’ to the Bellamy instead.”

  She leaned up on her elbows. “And Beau agreed to this?”

  He nodded.

  “My brother agreed to let that contract go? How are we paying for the loan now? Everything was riding on that deal.”

  “We’re still working through that, but Brielle, I won’t let you guys down.”

  She shook her head. “Beau must be really upset.”

  “He is, but he knows it’s for the best. We’ve gotta get some other horses in here to train or something to make money until the cows go to market.”

  She chewed on her lip. “This isn’t an easy life, is it?”

  “It’s a business. That’s the difference. Beau treats it like a way of life, but that only means grinding out hard work forever and never getting anywhere better.”

  “He has some things to learn,” she said.

  “He’s on his way. I think tonight after talking to my uncle he’ll return with his eyes open even wider. In the meantime, we have to rethink the barn solution.”

  “At least my chicken tractor comes fully built. I pick it up and move it around the property to new grass for them to feed every day, like a wheelbarrow.”

  “It’s a clever design, and you were smart to go that route.” He kissed her again, but felt her soften against him and knew exactly what she ached for.

  Sliding a hand around her, he cupped her ass. “Ready for round two?”

  Her nipples hardened into tight peaks. Wetting her lips, she arched a brow at him. “What do you say about trying it in the shower?”

  * * * * *

  While Kaoz started the water, Brielle paused in the bedroom to rummage through her drawer. She found the engagement ring he’d given her. Seeing the princess-cut diamond in the platinum setting made her heart squeeze hard.

  She set it on top of the dresser where he would see it—and hopefully take it back, at least for a spell. He couldn’t propose again without a ring.

  He appeared in the bathroom door, all carved planes of muscle and his cock hard and swollen to a purple color against his abs. He cocked his head. “Comin’?”

  With a smile and a spring in her step, she joined him. As soon as she got within arms’ reach, he picked her up and swung her into the bathroom. He kicked the door shut behind them, and then lifted her into the shower.

  As hot water sprayed down her spine, she met his stare. Worry wiggled through her belly. Now that she wanted him to propose again, she struggled to think of anything else. Would he pick up on the hint? Did he have some plan? She’d denied him once, and if she knew anything about her man it was that he was bold as hell until you gave him a reason to be gun-shy. And she had.

  Slowly, she dropped onto her knee, looking up at him expectantly. Maybe this would be enough of a nudge in the direction she wanted him. Then, grasping his cock at the base, she opened her mouth and took him to the root.

  “Oh. Christ.” His thighs locked and his balls tightened as she began to suck him nice and slow, making sure she worked every inch of his length and tasted the cream oozing from the tip of his arousal.

  She moaned out as the flavors hit her tongue. The memory of him eating her after her orgasm sent a thrill through her body, and she worked her tongue over his length faster, drawing off his tip before sucking him in again.

  He grasped her under the arms and pulled her to her feet. Shoving her chest against the wall, he spread her legs with his thigh, gripped his cock and worked it into her backside with slow thoroughness that took her breath away. The water helped him ease in faster than ever, and soon he had to hold her up as pleasure threatened her legs to give out.

  The stretch and burn of having Kaoz in her ass made her wilder with passion. She grabbed his hand and guided it to her pussy. He growled against her neck and began to work her clit with his fingertips while fucking her ass. Sensation spread through her, warm at first and then growing so hot that she couldn’t stop the flames from consuming her.

  He brought her to her peak and swallowed his roar as he emptied his seed into her. The liquid warmth seeped into her, heightening the feelings as her orgasm reached its pinnacle. When it began to fade and she loosened around his shaft, he gently eased free of her body.

  She plastered her hands to the tile and drank in deep gulps of steamy air. When he turned her into his arms and kissed her, she gave herself up to everything this man had to offer.

  Now she knew something she hadn’t a few months ago.

  This really was forever.

  He trailed his lips over her neck, and she tipped her head to give him access. “I only have one question for you, sweet thing.”

  Her heart jolted. The moment had arrived—he would ask her to marry him. Again.

  She cupped his jaw and looked into his eyes, waiting.

  His crooked smile melted her to the core. Her heart thumped harder.

  Then he drawled out, “What are your plans for those apple turnovers?”

  * * * * *

  After dressing, Brielle slipped her arms around Kaoz and rested her head against his spine. Happiness flooded through him, and he rested his hands over hers.

  His stomach rumbled, and she let out a giggle. “How can you be hungry after all those turnovers?”

  “Mmm, sweet thing. That’s only an appetizer for what’s to come.” He drew her around his body and into his arms. She nestled against him for a moment, and he breathed in the scent of her shampoo from their second shower, taken mostly to get the sticky apple pie filling off their bodies.

  He kissed her between the eyes and froze as he saw it. Her engagement ring glimmering on the dresser a few feet away.

  His throat dried out. He hadn’t seen the ring since the day he left for New Mexico.

  Heart juddering in his chest, he glanced down at Brielle, wondering if she heard the change in its rhythm. She still snuggled close like the old days—like she claimed him as her personal teddy bear.

  Moving a hand up to cup her head, his mind worked over the puzzle. She acted different with him. Their hike through unknown territory had led them to a mountain, and it felt as if they managed to summit it together. Now the ring appeared in plain sight. Would she put it back on her finger and they’d pick up where they left off?

  She eased free of his hold and tilted her head to meet his stare. “I’ll go order us a pizza.”

  He smiled. “That sounds great.”

  When she drew away and left the bedroom, hips swinging in that sultry way that made him want to drag her to bed, he took the two steps to the dresser. Gazing down at the ring, he wondered what to do. Pick it up? Ask her to wear it for him again, as a sign of the love they shared?

  He plucked it up between two fingers and peered down at the diamond. It wasn’t nearly big enough, he realized now. It should be bigger. She deserved bigger.

  Maybe he could have a new diamond set into it, plan something big and propose all over again.

  Mind made up, he pocketed the ring. It felt oddly heavy in his pocket. He found Brielle standing at the counter opening mail. She wrinkled her nose at one and set it aside.

  “Junk mail?” Did his voice reflect the secret riding in his pocket?

  “Electric bill. We’ve got to do something about the cattle waterers.”

  He nodded. “We’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to look into solar. I’ll look that up tonight.”

  “Yes, please.” She glanced up at him and took a harder look. “You okay?”

  “Never better. When’s the pizza get picked up?” Antonio’s didn’t deliver all the way out here.

  “Thirty minutes.”

  “I’ll go do a chore or two before I head out to get it. You want anythin
g else from town?” How easy to settle into their old routine.

  She set aside another envelope. “No, I’ve made more trips into town lately than I can count. I keep forgetting things, because someone is very distracting.”

  The corner of his lips quirked up. “Who would that be?”

  “I wonder. Did Beau leave already for the Bellamy?”

  “Most likely. We should both sit down and talk to him when he comes back.”

  She nodded. “We should discuss the barn too. And how we’re going to make enough to cover the monthly loan payment now that we don’t have the horse contract.”

  “It won’t be the mineral rights. There’s nothing there,” he said.

  “That’s what I thought it said. Well, Mr. Consultant, we’ll wait to hear your ideas tonight.”

  He stepped up and brushed his lips across hers. Should he tell her he had the ring? When she didn’t see it on the dresser, she’d worry.

  No, he wouldn’t. Not yet.

  Outside, he stopped and looked toward the backhoe, still sitting there like dinosaur remains, unmoving and useless. He sighed. If only he’d been able to get it running, he might have the footer dug by now. Laying block would take a few days with an extra set of hands or two.

  He shook his head to dislodge the thought. No use in beating himself up, when fact was, they were trying for an impossible timeline. At least he could look Beau in the eye and tell him they tried.

  As he checked the pigs and chuckled to himself over Brielle’s inability to give any up to her dinner plate, he considered the ring again. He half expected her to sprint from the house any minute, frantic that she lost it.

  After chores, he climbed into his truck. Driving into town gave him even more moments to think about Brielle and a wedding. Passing by the big farm with a revamped barn where half the couples in town held their receptions, he couldn’t help but wonder if that had been in her original plans. Plans he never bothered to take interest in. What a jerk he’d been. No wonder she dumped his ass.

  What ever happened to all her wedding magazines and notebooks? He pictured her setting up a huge bonfire and burning everything. What a damn wonder she hadn’t pawned the ring too.

  He had a lot of making up to do. After their pizza and a talk with Beau about ranch business, maybe he could urge her out for a night drive. They’d miss the sunset, but they could watch fireflies and catch a shooting star.

  Smiling to himself, he drove through the town square, past the park where old Mr. Robin’s Studebaker parked. He caught sight of the man out walking a very small dog, no bigger than a squirrel, on a leash. And as always, he had a handful of some seed which he scattered for the birds.

  Things never changed in Crossroads, but he had. He’d gone West thinking to learn the most he ever had in his life, and all it took was coming home and discovering his fiancée gone to show him that wasn’t true.

  Hell, he’d even begun to understand Beau’s way of thinking. He might be set in his ways, but if he had to guess, he’d say Beau’d learned a fair amount recently too.

  After he grabbed the pizza from Antonio’s, he took it home. Brielle had plates laid out on the coffee table and a romantic comedy queued up on TV. Was it his imagination or did she look at him more closely? Tracking his every movement almost.

  As he set the pizza on the low table and copped a squat on the floor, he said, “I thought we might go for a drive later, after our talk with Beau.”

  Her eyes lit up. “That sounds great!”

  Smiling at her enthusiasm—and the old Brielle—he served her two slices of pepperoni and dug in himself. She put the movie on, and they ate while watching the antics of a couple who seemed to dance around each other and argue more than connect. But by the end, they professed their love and the movie ended on a long kiss.

  Their eyes met. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, and he couldn’t resist leaning in for his own kiss.

  “Mm, you taste of pizza.” He cupped her face to deepen the caress, when the front door opened.

  They broke apart.

  Beau walked in looking bright-eyed. He waved at the pizza box. “There any left?”

  “Yes.” Brielle flipped open the lid. “You’ll have to get your own plate, though.”

  “Who needs a plate?” He crossed the floor in long strides and dropped to the sofa, grabbed a slice and bit into it.

  Leaning on her palms, Brielle asked, “I take it things went well with Cort.”

  “Sure did. We came to a deal about the horse contract. He’ll take eighty-five percent of the cut, for time, labor, feed, care and such. The fifteen percent doesn’t amount to a lot, but it’ll pay our first few loan payments. Which means we’ll survive a few months.” He polished off his slice and looked to Kaoz. “But we should talk about other income streams.”

  “We do. I was thinkin’ about the barn first.”

  “So was I. I believe the metal barn you first suggested is our best solution.”

  For a moment, Brielle and Kaoz gaped at the man. Brielle’s mouth had actually popped open in shock. Kaoz started to say something, but she broke across him with a “Hallelujah! The man’s come to his senses!”

  Beau flashed a grin. “You act like I’m unreasonable, sister.”

  She sputtered before saying, “You are!”

  “Not that unreasonable,” he said, looking to Kaoz, who refused to get in on this conversation.

  “I’m glad you made that call, Beau. I got in touch with that buddy who sells them wholesale and he’ll cut us a pretty good deal. We only require footings for the structure, and with the group o’ guys from the Bellamy, we’ll have the barn up in a day or two.”

  Beau nodded and reached for another slice. “The next thing I wanted to run by you is advertisin’.”

  Kaoz’s brows shot up. He felt Brielle’s attention on him and met her questioning gaze briefly. “Advertising for more contracts?”

  “Exactly. There are a few online forums where we could put out the word about boarding here at the ranch. When another contract or two comes in, we’ll be ready.”

  “That’s a damn good idea.”

  “Thanks. Think it’ll be enough?”

  “Good chance. We could even get in touch with those people who supply horses on the rodeo circuit. Once they’re done for the season, the horses need a place to go.”

  “That’s a really good idea, Kaoz.” Brielle beamed at him.

  He felt a little tingle run along his thigh and recognized the fact he had the ring still in his pocket. He returned her smile and held her stare a heartbeat longer until a pretty blush crept over her cheeks.

  They continued to hash out more particulars about the ranch, and pretty soon Beau stood and stretched, the pizza annihilated.

  “I’m headin’ to the shower and then bed,” he announced.

  Kaoz grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet. “We’re goin’ out for a while. Leave the door unlocked for us.”

  “Will do. You lovebirds have fun.” His offhand comment had both of them looking after him as he disappeared down the hall to his bedroom.

  “I guess he approves of me now,” Kaoz said.

  She put her arms around him. “As if he could stand in my way of having what I want.”

  Chapter Nine

  The mood seemed perfect. The sky a deep, rich black spangled with stars. A light breeze tickled at Brielle’s skin. Kaoz spread a blanket in the bed of his truck, and they were cuddled together, staring at the sky and whispering to each other.

  He’d also taken the ring.

  But after an hour passed, she began to question if he planned to put it on her finger.

  Pretty soon the man started yawning at her side—not the most romantic of moods for a proposal. Will you—yawn yawn—marry—yawn—me?

  She sighed. “Why don’t we head home? We’ve both had a long day.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to her neck, giving her a little thrill. Was this the moment?

  “Sou
nds good,” he said.

  Disappointment rattled through her. She hopped out of the truck. He folded the blanket and stowed it behind the seat.

  She started to get into the truck, but he grabbed her by the hand and whirled her into his arms. For a moment, he swayed her to some silent music that only played in his mind. Her heart thumped faster.

  With the crook of his finger, he nudged her face up and stared into her eyes. “I love you, Brielle.”

  A shiver raced down her spine. “I love you too, Kaoz.”

  He claimed her mouth, swirling his tongue through the depths of hers for long minutes. She clutched at his shoulders to steady herself for what would surely come.

  When he drew away, he searched her eyes. “Thank you for a perfect day with you.”

  Here it comes.

  She braced herself for the words.

  He waited as if expecting a response from her. Maybe the man only needed a little encouragement? After all, she’d dealt him a blow before.

  She ran her fingertips over his stubbled jaw. “It’s been so wonderful.”

  His crooked grin melted her heart and more than a few threads of her panties. Then he reached out. Her heart jolted as she expected him to grab her hand. Instead, he popped open the car door, stepped back and waved her inside the truck.

  She settled on the seat and stared out the windshield.

  What the…

  Nothing had happened.

  She must be reading more into everything. No wonder—she wanted that ring on her finger. She wanted to be bonded to Kaoz in ways they weren’t even a few months before, but she felt now.

  They drove home with the radio playing low and filling the silence. Then he reached across the console and took her left hand in his own, his thumb stroking over her bare ring finger in a way that gave her hope that he really had taken the hint. She should muster some patience. Knowing Kaoz, he wanted to catch her totally off guard when he proposed. He wouldn’t want the same old proposal under the stars like everybody else in Crossroads.

  What would push him?

  Inspiration struck. “You know what we haven’t had in a while?” she asked.