Desire Collection: January Books 1 – 4. Maisey Yates

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      What the hell was he thinking?

      He shouldn’t be offering rides to or flirting with a total stranger. He’d come down to the stables to be alone, to ride his brother’s stallion. Being back on the ranch was supposed to help him return to some semblance of the life he’d had before he’d been gutted by experiencing things no one should ever be subjected to.

      But the second he’d hinted that she’d have to come back later for a stable hand to take her on a trail ride, a burst of jealousy speared him. The feeling had caught him off guard. He didn’t want to feel, didn’t want to allow himself any happiness. He’d been through hell and was just trying to survive each day and uphold his promise to his brothers and his ailing father. They had a dude ranch to get up and running and Hayes had a home to renovate.

      Hayes had been back home a few months and he was not looking forward to getting involved with anyone right now...if ever. So no matter how mesmerizing Alexa’s brown eyes were, no matter how she seemed to be a little sad and vulnerable, sparking that fierce protective instinct inside of him...he simply couldn’t act on this unwanted chemistry.

      He saw how she looked at him; he wasn’t a fool. She was young; she was attracted. He was only going to show her a portion of the ranch, bring her back, and send her on her way. That would be the end of things. Her attraction had no place here...and neither did his.

      He carried too much baggage, had too much to sort through within himself before he could think of trying anything with a woman again. Hell, he barely left the ranch, let alone attempted to be social and date.

      Taking a beautiful woman out for a ride didn’t have to be anything more than just that. Once she was gone, he could ride alone like he’d originally intended. Adjusting to civilian life was more difficult than he’d believed possible and riding alone was the only thing that cleared his mind.

      PTSD was nothing to mess with, and he needed space. Perhaps a little one-on-one time with a total stranger wouldn’t be such a bad thing. With Alexa, there would be no need for him to talk about himself. He didn’t have to put on a front like he often did with his brothers. He could talk up the dude ranch with Alexa, which was a welcome distraction in his life. This family project might be the only thing keeping him from going out of his mind and giving in to the demons that had followed him home.

      “I’ll get her ready and we’ll go,” he told Alexa.

      Alexa. Such a beautiful name for a woman with such striking features. He’d only heard the name one other time, long ago. His high school buddy had dated and married someone named Alexa. Hayes had to force himself to stop staring because she was the type of woman a man could get lost in.

      All that long midnight hair, her dark skin tone and those wide, chocolate eyes. Her curves were damn near hypnotic in those jeans and fitted tank. Yeah, she would turn any man’s head and he was no exception.

      Years of military training had enabled him to mask his emotions—something that would come in handy on a trail ride with this beauty. The sooner he could get this ride over with, the better.

      Hayes saddled up Jumper and Doc, his brother’s stallion. Nolan had been working overtime at the hospital, so Hayes had offered to get Nolan’s horse out for exercise.

      “Right this way, Ma’am.”

      If he didn’t refer to her by her name, maybe he could keep this little escapade impersonal...exactly the way he wanted to live his life. Detached.

      Hayes took the reins and led the horses from the stable. Alexa fell in step beside him. The subtle aroma of jasmine tickled his senses. His instincts hadn’t failed him in all his years overseas, and he was positive he had Alexa pegged as someone who wasn’t taking time away because she necessarily wanted to. Something about her reserved nature and an underlying hint of fear made him all the more determined to make this ride to be enjoyable and memorable for her.

      After all, wasn’t Pebblebrook using Annabelle’s B and B as a way to spread the word for the dude ranch? By the time they were ready to open, they would not only have her guests already talking, they’d also have hired the best PR firm in the country. This dude ranch was a goal of their father’s and Hayes wasn’t about to let that man down.

      “You live on the ranch?” she asked as they stepped out into the bright June sunshine.

      “I do.” That was the easy answer. The ranch was now in its third generation of Elliotts, and Hayes wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. He owned two other homes: one in the mountains of Montana and a tropical getaway in the secluded part of the main island of Hawaii. He had options, but the ranch was where he’d come to heal, to find that piece of himself that had been damaged...possibly destroyed for good.

      “There are several homes on the ranch,” he continued. “My brother Colt and his wife, Annabelle, live in the first house you see as you come up the drive. Nolan and his wife live in the back on the east side, and I live in the original Elliott homestead back on the west corner. It’s set between the river and the brook running through the ranch.”

      He loved not only owning that piece of history from his family, but having the privacy he so desperately craved right now. His brothers respected the fact that he needed his space.

      “Sounds like quite a family,” she stated. She wrung her hands as she glanced back to Jumper. “Are you sure the horse is safe for me? Does she know I’m nervous?”

      Hayes looped Doc’s reins around the post and moved to Jumper’s side, right by Alexa. “You’re not nervous. You’re anxious. There’s a difference.”

      Alexa smiled, a simple gesture that packed a punch of lust straight to his gut. Damn it, he didn’t want a punch of any kind. Couldn’t he just enjoy the company of a beautiful woman without lust entering into the picture? He wanted this ride to be simple, but the stirring in his body was anything but.

      Someone should’ve notified Annabelle not to send any guests up today because the stable hands had all gone with Colt to the auction for more steers, leaving Hayes in charge. Not a position he’d wanted to be in.

      Despite all the pain and anguish and betrayal he’d been through, something about Alexa made him want to get closer. Perhaps it was all those curves packed into such a petite frame, maybe it was those striking eyes that seemed to look deeper than just the surface, or perhaps it was that underlying vulnerability that made his inner protector surge to the forefront. Regardless, he knew this ride wasn’t going to be quick and painless like he’d first intended.

      “At any time, we can turn back,” he stated, hoping that would give him the out he desperately wanted.

      Alexa nodded. “I’m ready. Just tell me what to do so I don’t hurt or scare her.”

      “Grab the pommel and hook your left foot into the stirrup.”

      She followed his command and, before he even realized what he was doing, he’d stepped in behind her and circled her waist with his hands. Alexa stilled beneath his touch. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, her eyes met his.

      “I’m helping you up.” He left no room for argument because, while he might not have thought about his actions at first, now that he had his hands on her, he was in no hurry to let go. “Relax,” he murmured.

      Her eyes darted to his mouth—as if he needed another reason to feel that СКАЧАТЬ