Loving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky 1)

“You’ll never hear me complain about a gorgeous woman pressing herself against me first thing in the morning.”

“Watch yourself, Brother,” Josh warns him, and pulls me out of Zack’s arms.

“So that’s how it is?” Zack asks with a raised brow.

“That’s how it is,” Josh confirms, and earns another big grin from his brother.

“How what is?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on the sexy identical twins.

“It’s a guy thing.” Josh kisses my forehead and then frowns down at my outfit. “What are you wearing?”

“Seduce-Josh-in-the-kitchen clothes.” I shrug and laugh when his eyes glass over. “I guess I got the wrong brother.”

“Go away,” Josh orders his brother, and buries his face in my neck and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into him, making us both laugh. I pull away and pour myself a cup of coffee.

“You made good time, Zack. When did you get in?” I ask as Josh leaves the room and quickly returns with one of his oversize sweatshirts and pulls it over my head, his eyes hot with lust.

“I don’t share this beautiful body with anyone, sweetheart, even my brother,” Josh whispers in my ear, then pours himself a cup of coffee, leaving me slightly breathless and a whole lot turned on.

“Weather was good.” Zack shrugs, sits at the kitchen table as we join him. “Got in around three a.m. Crashed in J’s spare bedroom for a few hours.”

“Have you seen Seth?” Josh asks quietly.

“No.” Zack shakes his head and takes a sip of coffee. “I just got up not long ago. Thought I’d wait for him here.”

“It’s Saturday,” I remind him. “He might not be down here for quite a while, especially now that he has a puppy to get into trouble with.”

“Lost track of my days.” Zack gulps down the rest of his coffee. “I’ll go find him. Thanks for teaching him, Cara. Josh tells me you’ve been great with him, even when he’s had a piss-poor attitude.”

“He’s a good kid, Zack.” I grip his forearm in my hand soothingly, earning a glare from Josh.

What a caveman.

“Thank you,” Zack repeats with a deep sigh. “I’ve missed him.”

“If you missed me, why were you gone for so long?” Seth is standing just inside the front door, his eyes wide and angry, his hands in fists at his side and his pup whining at his feet.

“Seth.” Zack stands and walks to Seth, who steps back angrily.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Seth, I was in Afghanistan. You know that.” Zack’s body is tight with anger, but his voice is completely calm.

“Mom said you didn’t have to go, but you wanted to be away from us. You don’t care about me.”

“That’s not true.” Zack’s brown eyes are blazing with anger now. “The army didn’t give me a choice.”

Seth frowns and looks at Josh and then at his dad. “You never wanted to talk to me.”

“You refused to take my calls, not the other way around.” Zack is still standing back from Seth, but his face is lined in anguish. Clearly, he desperately wants to pull the boy to him and reassure him.

But Seth would not accept that right now.

Seth shakes his head, ready to argue some more.

“Why don’t you guys go spend the day together?” I suggest softly. “Go fishing, or ride the horses or something.”

“I hate horses and fishing,” Seth insists, crossing his arms over his chest.

Josh is a tense ball of fury, sitting silently next to me, letting his brother handle the young boy, and I have a newfound respect for the man who constantly needs to be in control.

“You love those things, Seth,” Zack reminds him calmly.

“Not with you,” he spits out, and runs out of the house, Thor following close behind.

We sit in silence for a few long minutes, not sure what to say.

“Well, that went well,” Zack finally says, and roughly rubs his forehead.

“He’ll come around,” I murmur. “He just needs to punish you for a little while before he’s ready to hear you out.”

“It’s working.”

“Can I make you guys breakfast?” I offer.

“No.” Zack shakes his head. He grabs his keys and wallet from the kitchen counter. “I’m going to go take care of some business in town, give Seth some space.” He waves and slams out the front door, fires up his Mustang, and speeds off toward the highway, the rear tires kicking up gravel as he drives away.

“It’s just us,” I mutter to Josh.

“I want to take you somewhere today.” His face is perfectly serious, and I’m instantly curious. “Let those two circle around each other. I finally get you all to myself.”

“Where are we going?”

“I want to show you my ranch on the ATV today because I don’t think you’re ready for a full day on horseback.”

“It’s going to take us all day?” I ask incredulously.

“A good portion of it.” He nods. “I’ve packed a lunch and some supplies. I want to share my home with you.”

“You have been.” I walk to him and sit in his lap, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I press my lips to his softly. “You have been sharing your home with me.”

“There’s so much more than what you’ve seen.” He leans his forehead against my own and sighs. “Let me show you.”

“Okay, let’s go.” I lean back and grin down at him. “Do I get my own ATV?”

“Hell no, you get to sit behind me and wrap those sexy arms around my waist.”

“We’ll see.” I bounce up to go get dressed. “Maybe you’ll sit behind me and hold on to my waist.”

“You’re feisty this morning.” Josh laughs and pivots in his chair, watching me with humor-filled brown eyes.

“You haven’t seen feisty yet!”

* * *

He wasn’t kidding when he said it would take all day. I had no idea Josh and his family owned so much land.

“This place is huge.” He’s parked the four-wheeler beside a row of cabins and cut the engine, giving us a chance to sit and look around. “I didn’t know you offered hunting cabins in the winter.”

“You’re not much of a hunter, are you?” He tucks my hair behind my ear and kisses my forehead.