Fierce (Wolf Ranch 5)

Knowing Charlie was just down the hall… She was all I thought about. Gorgeous. Funny. Smart. Perfect. A virgin.

How was that even possible? A woman that beautiful? But she was reserved. Some might even call her uptight. She wasn’t shy. No. She was warm and friendly when you cornered her. But she was… busy. She seemed to never stop working. Or thinking. She was probably the type who had trouble letting go. Definitely after what I’d heard of her phone call. Getting vulnerable and intimate wasn’t her thing.

Pot, meet kettle. Or kettle, meet pot—whatever the damned saying was.

I’d been horny before. I’d had the need to get laid like any guy. I just had never been obsessed with a woman until Doctor Delicious climbed out of that truck yesterday and blew my entire life to pieces.

She was attracted to me. No doubt about that. Not after I heard her come as she called out my name. Not after what she’d told her friend. I heard every fucking word. And she wanted me to punch that V-card for her.

Oh, I’d punch it. I’d punch it hard. I’d punch it so well and so long she’d never look anywhere else for a man or for sex.

I had two weeks. Two weeks until she took her pretty ass and fancy horse back to Colorado. As she’d told her friend, she’d have sex with me… and have fun doing it. I’d make sure of it. Abso-fucking-lutely.

With that goal in mind, I sauntered down the central corridor of the stable. She was in the stall with Seraphina. I heard her, the clicking of her fingers on a keyboard. She was a fucking workaholic. She was the first person to ever work on a computer in a horse stall around here. I leaned against the half door and knocked. Silly, yes, but I didn’t want to scare her.

She sat on a stool she must have found… somewhere. Her head whipped around, and her eyes widened. Her cell dropped to the hay-covered ground. “Levi.”

My name on her lips, all breathy and full of surprise, made me fucking hard. Harder.

“Hey, doll.” I opened the half door and stepped in. Slowly. I had two fillies I didn’t want to startle. I hadn’t seen her since the night before.

She stood, setting her laptop on the stool she’d just vacated. I stepped closer. She didn’t move back.

“Working?” I asked.

She nodded. “Catching up on emails, adding data to Seraphina’s charts.”

Here I’d thought being a vet for Mr. Claymore was a cush job, getting a mare to a breeder and ensuring it took. Apparently Charlie didn’t see it that way.

I looked to the beautiful horse who was eyeing me, her ears flicked back. “Everything going okay?”

I hadn’t heard otherwise from Clint, so I was just making small talk.

“So far, so good. She’ll be bred again the day after tomorrow. Did you need something?” she asked.

I gave her a small smile. “Actually, I’m here to offer you something.” I tipped my hat. “My services.”

Seraphina nickered, as if she found me amusing.

“Excuse me?” The crisp white blouse from the day before was replaced with a plaid button-up. Little pearl snaps drew my eye to the swell of her breasts. She wore a pretty plum shade of lipstick on her pillowy lips and mascara today.

That was new. Was it for me? I sure as fuck hoped it was. It was totally unnecessary, of course, but I wouldn’t mind it if she was thinking about me when she dressed this morning. I had to wonder if she’d taken this much care on the outside, what was she wearing beneath? Lavender lace would look gorgeous on her.

“Cowboy services,” I said. “I may or may not have overheard you were in need of them. Please tell me I was the cowboy down the hall you were contemplating screwing. Because if it was Johnny, I’ll have to throat-punch him.”

Her eyes widened the moment she caught on to what I was talking about. She flushed, but a choked laugh came out of her. “Oh God. You heard that, too? I’m seriously going to die.”

“Nah, nothing shameful about knowing what you want. I like when a woman is aware of what she needs.”

Her gaze darted around, as if she could see outside the stall. “At least Johnny didn’t hear. Where is he anyway? I haven’t seen him since I moved in.”

“I kicked him out of the bunkhouse,” I admitted, without a bit of remorse. “I’m the one in danger of dying, doll. I keep thinking about you in the shower last night. Now I find out you’re in need of my services.”

“Services?” The word came out just over a whisper.

I arched a brow. She glanced away.

“I’m here with an offer.”

The thrum of her pulse made my wolf want to howl. The way her chest heaved, I’d made her breathless. Eager. Nervous. Still, she covered it well, cocking a hip and raising her brows. “Wh-what offer?”