Army Ranger with Benefits (the Men of At-Ease Ranch) Read online

  Wasn’t that the truth.

  …

  The next afternoon, Emma was sitting on her porch with Macy, enjoying an ice-cold glass of sweet tea after several hours of long overdue pampering at the spa.

  She sighed. “My legs feel like rubber. And who knew Frieda did nails, too?” Holding out her hand, she gazed at the slices of watermelon painted on her tips. “They’re works of art.”

  “I think she was partial to you,” Macy said.

  She turned to her friend. “Me? Why do you say that?”

  “Well, I did hear you tell her you wanted to have her baby.” Her friend snickered, swiveling her ice in the glass. “Hell, it sounded like you were making one, the way you were moaning.”

  Setting her tea on the table that separated them, she snorted. “You’re full of shit. But the woman did work some magic. My calves are nowhere near as tight as they were this morning.”

  Emma could barely walk, and when she did, it had been at a much slower pace than poor Dom.

  “Girl…” Macy ’s eyes widened as she sucked in a breath. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

  “Now what are you talking about?”

  “Vince.” Macy set her glass near Emma’s and pointed behind her.

  She’d deliberately chosen the chair that placed her back to her neighbor’s house. It was bad enough she could hear the brothers swimming. She didn’t need to see them through the open gate. Friday night had been hard enough.

  Emma suppressed a groan at her word choice.

  “Good Lord that man is fine.” Her friend sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me he was solid muscle like his brother? As a matter of fact, why are you sitting here with me? You should be over there making an Acardi sandwich. You could be the lucky middle.”

  Her heart dropped to the porch. “Macy!” Darn woman was using her outside voice again.

  “Sweet baby Jesus, he’s a real man.” Ignoring her, Macy practically drooled as she continued to stare past her. “Not one of those guys who looks like little boys barely old enough to shave. No sir. Vince is a real man. And…wait…what’s that? A tattoo? Girl, why didn’t you tell me he had a tattoo?”

  Emma knew for a fact her friend was in a loving relationship and would never stray, but the woman did love to window shop. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Sure it matters.” Her friend tsked. “I might be taken but you’re not. So go on over there and have some wild monkey s—”

  Muttering under her breath, she reached out to cover Macy’s mouth. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

  Chuckling, her friend sat back out of her reach. “All I’m sayin’ is you can’t let that man go back to Texas without getting all up in there. Mmm…mmm…he sure is mouthwatering. Six-pack and ridges and muscles…oh my. No wonder you feel something when you kiss him. It’s called lust. He’s sexy as sin. Hell, I’m happily married and my ovaries are about to burst.”

  This was all her fault. Why had she confided to Macy how much she enjoyed kissing Vince?

  Oh yeah, that’s right, it had been during her massage-induced euphoria.

  “Thanks for the tea.” Macy stood and straightened her skirt. “I’ve got to go. Those Acardi brothers have me all hot and bothered. I need to track down Dupree and get me some before he leaves for that ball game. I’ll see you at Kelley’s tonight, but in the meantime, why not think about enjoying Vince while you can? He’s only here for a little while, and you’re not going out with Stephan yet. Do it for yourself. Do it for all the single women out there. Hell, do it for me, so I can get all the delicious details.”

  Laughing, she got up and walked her friend to the end of the porch. “I appreciate the suggestion, but you go home and worry about you.”

  Macy stepped onto the driveway, then turned around to face her. “But that’s the problem. Who worries about you? Not you, that’s for sure. Tell you what…” A determined gleam entered her eyes. “I’m going to take care of you right now.”

  Before Emma could respond, her friend pivoted around and marched straight for the open gate in her neighbor’s yard. “Macy,” she whispered loudly. “Macy! Don’t you dare.”

  It was no use. The troublemaker disappeared next door.

  Torn between yanking her friend out of there by the hair, or vanishing into her house, she chose the latter. Face on fire, Emma rushed to the table, grabbed the glasses, then shot into her kitchen. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

  Her well-meaning friend—bless her heart—had a habit of complicating the hell out of things. Next time she saw Vince, she’d have to do damage control, but right now, she had a pie to make for Leo.

  Her heart rocked.

  As soon as she retrieved her pie plate from next door.

  …

  After spending time with Dom to make sure he didn’t overdo it in the pool, Vince showered and dressed, hoping to have some uninterrupted time to contemplate Macy’s unexpected visit and conversation.

  “I just wanted to thank you for putting color in my girl’s cheeks, and that sparkle in her eyes.”

  He hadn’t known what to say, so he’d scratched his temple. “Uh, Macy, I didn’t see Emma today.”

  “Didn’t need to. She can’t stop talking about how your kisses make her knees weak, and that she kind of feels guilty because she wants more.”

  Warmth spread through his chest again, just like it had when Macy dropped the bombshell. He made her knees weak. And she wanted more.

  Two things he was better off not knowing, because…damn, he wanted more, too.

  “Yo, Vince,” his brother called up the stairs. “What’s for supper?”

  He smiled. The guy was definitely starting to feel better.

  “Beef brisket,” he replied. “It’s in the oven.”

  “Explains why it smells so damn good in here.”

  He had started it before they’d gone outside that afternoon, so it’d be ready for when Leo arrived later. “Still has an hour and a half to go, though.”

  “Damn. You’re killing me,” Dom grumbled, moving away from the stairs. “Guess that means I can catch the end of the Mets game before I shower.”

  Despite his brother’s nonchalant attitude, Vince knew accomplishing those things on his own helped Dom tolerate the forced downtime. So even if it meant standing to watch the game because prolonged sitting aggravated his ribs, and that he couldn’t bend in the shower, they were still tasks Dom could do without Vince’s help.

  The sound of his phone ringing sent him back into his room to retrieve his cell from the nightstand. “Hey, Stone. What’s up?” he asked, a little surprised to find his friend’s name on caller ID. With the guy’s wedding around the corner, he had more important things to worry about than Vince.

  “Just calling to let you know Leo is on his way, and to check to see how you and your brother are doing. I know when I’m in forced close proximity to mine, there’s times we want to wring each other’s throats.”

  He laughed. “Yeah. I remember a few of those times.” Straight-shooter and Romeo had two different personalities. “Dom is making slow progress, but it’s progress so he’s not biting my head off near as much as before.”

  Stone chuckled. “Good to hear. And speaking of hearing, how’s your fake girlfriend?”

  He shook his head and sighed. “Leo has a big mouth.”

  And Emma’s was amazing…

  Dammit. He clenched his jaw. This was Macy’s fault.

  “He’s just concerned. We all know you’re sometimes too nice for your own good.”

  Ah, hell…

  He stiffened as a thought occurred. “Is that why he’s coming here today?”

  “To him, it is,” Stone said. “But to me and the other guys, this trip is to get Leo to leave the ranch. He hasn’t been off it since his last incident, other than to visit his grandmother or Cord and Haley.”

  “We’ve gone fishing and bowling, and up to Dallas for that rodeo,” he pointed out.

  “Yeah,
he’s gone with you. But when was the last time he went anywhere not work related on his own?”

  Vince sat down on the edge of the bed and blew out a breath.

  “Exactly.” A modicum of worry crept into his buddy’s tone.

  At-Ease was Stone’s brainchild. He got them all on board to rally around Leo. Concern for their Ranger brother sent them on the rewarding path they all now traveled.

  Including Leo.

  “It could just be a coincidence,” Stone said. “It’s been months since he’s had any issues. You know as well as I do that he’s a big help at the ranch, and has really stepped up at work, too.”

  True. The tightness gripping Vince’s chest eased with his friend’s words.

  “The guys and I thought giving him a mission—so to speak—to visit you in Georgia would accomplish two things,” Stone said. “One, assuage his concern about your situation, and two, assuage our concern about his situation. We all figured you’d be on board.”

  “Of course.”

  “Good.” Relief lightened his friend’s tone. “A night or two should do it. We asked Dom first, and of course, he said it was fine. But we wanted to check with you to make sure your brother could handle another visitor.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, he’ll be all right. I appreciate you checking, though. Dom’s a lot like you. Doesn’t put himself first and is always eager to help despite his limitations. Although, Christ, don’t speak the L word around him. He thinks he’s fine.”

  Stone chuckled. “No problem. And I hate to break it to you, pal, but that eagerness-to-help gene runs in your family.”

  A well-known fact. He laughed. “The Acardi curse.”

  “Nah, it’s a good thing,” Stone said.

  “So is Leo’s visit,” he said. “I think it’ll do Dom some good, too. Not sure he appreciates me under his feet all the time.”

  “Can’t be all the time if you’re going out on dates with the neighbor.”

  Damn. So much for his friend forgetting about that.

  Knowing Stone’s interrogation tactics—and results—all too well, Vince rose to his feet and walked out of the room. “You’re fishing for something that’s not there. Emma and I are just friends. I’m helping her out.”

  And making her knees weak…

  Not even his brother’s grumpy demeanor could’ve stopped the smile from spreading across Vince’s face.

  Stone grunted. “You seemed to have forgotten the denial I went through when I met Jovy.”

  “True.” He headed downstairs, recalling his buddy’s interesting behavior after the first few encounters with his bride-to-be. “Your attraction to the woman was obvious. Everyone seemed to know but you.”

  “Kinda like the obvious change in your tone of voice when you said Emma’s name?”

  Frowning, he shook his head. “You’re full of shit.”

  His tone hadn’t changed one damn bit. Had it?

  A deep chuckle met his ear. “Name-calling is all part of the denial process.”

  A slew of curses flew through his mind, along with the image of waving his middle finger.

  Stone chuckled. “You just flipped me off, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. Mentally.” He chuckled. “Double flamer, pal.”

  The laughing stopped. “Then you definitely like Emma.”

  He opened his mouth, but no denials were forthcoming. Damn.

  “Don’t sweat it, Vince. It goes much smoother when you stop denying.”

  He nearly tripped off the bottom step. “Wait. You’re saying you think it’s okay if I like her?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  Shrugging, he walked into the kitchen, happy to find it empty. “Dom keeps warning me off her, and Leo keeps warning me to be careful.”

  “That’s because they’re pessimists. You and I are not,” his buddy rightfully pointed out. “Go with your gut, Vince. It’s never led you astray.”

  He blew out a breath. “Kind of hard when another body part wants to call the shots.”

  Stone laughed. “Damn. I remember those days. I’m just saying give yourself permission to have fun. Because if you don’t, and you come back here full of regrets and it places a dark cloud over the wedding, you’ll have the wrath of Jeth to contend with.”

  He cocked his head. “Jeth?”

  “Yeah, Jovy and Beth,” Stone said. “The two have worked hard to put these plans in place. Trust me, you don’t want to mess with their mission.”

  Vince snickered. “Roger that.”

  Though sweet, both women were confident in their convictions. Stone was right. Vince did not want to incur their wrath.

  “Your mission is to have no regrets with Emma.” Stone’s tone held a familiar undercurrent of command.

  “No regrets,” he repeated. Trouble was, no matter what he chose to do about Emma, regret littered the path.

  “All right,” Stone said. “I’ll call you in a few days to get your thoughts on Leo. In the meantime, enjoy Operation Emma.”

  Before he could reply the line went dead.

  Operation Emma…

  “Is Leo here already?” Dom shuffled into the kitchen with a frown. “I thought I heard you talking.”

  “You did,” he said, holding up his cell. “I was on the phone with Stone. He called to make sure Leo’s visit wasn’t going to be a strain for you.”

  A grin tugged his brother’s lips. “Still mother-henning.”

  “Always.” A trait that had kept Vince and the others alive on more than one occasion.

  His brother waved a hand toward the other room. “Game’s over. I’m going to go take my shower.”

  Vince opened his mouth, about to offer help, when Dom sliced him a hard look.

  “No. Everything’s within reach on the shelf in the shower. I just might take a little longer, but I can manage myself.” His disgruntled brother started to turn, when a knock sounded on the door.

  Vince took a step toward the back door, but Dom waved him off.

  “I’ll get it,” his brother said, then remained where he was and hollered, “Come in.”

  A second later, the door opened and a beautiful breath of fresh air breezed in wearing a pretty blue sundress and a smile. “Hi. Sorry to bother you, but I was getting ready to make Leo’s pie when I realized my plate was here.”

  “You’re never a bother,” Dom said, beating him to it. “Especially when you’re going to make pie.”

  She laughed. “You are so easy, Acardi.”

  His brother grinned. “I know. I’m a pie whore.”

  “Among other things,” Vince said, garnering another laugh from Emma that spread warmth through his chest.

  Gaze twinkling, she nodded. “You’ve got that right.”

  Dom’s eyes narrowed. “And you’ve got a glow about you. I take it you had a good spa day?”

  She frowned. “How’d you know I went to the spa?”

  Dom scowled as he borrowed Vince’s words. “Macy told us…among other things.”

  Color rose up her neck and into her face, deepening the blue of her eyes. His chest tightened. And swelled.

  Yep. She definitely wanted more of his “knee-weakening” kisses.

  “Ah, crap.” She set her hands over her blazing cheeks. “I can only imagine. Sorry about that.”

  Vince rushed to her rescue. “No need to apologize.”

  “Yeah,” Dom said. “My brother’s an Acardi. Of course you enjoy kissing him. And judging by this crimson look you’ve got going on, I’m guessing it’s true.”

  Vince stepped in front of his brother and stared him down. “Why don’t you go take that shower?”

  “I’d like to hear Emma’s answer first.” Dom cocked his head, daring him to push it.

  He dared. “And I’d like to text a certain someone to come and help you in the bathroom.”

  Aggravation flashed through his brother’s eyes. “No need to get hostile. I’m going,” Dom said, then stepped to the right to glance around him at Emma. “Goo
d luck with your pie. I look forward to having some later.”

  His brother flashed Vince a warning glance before leaving the room.

  Vince turned to Emma. “Sorry,” he said in unison with her. “You don’t need to apologize,” he added.

  “I get the impression Dom doesn’t want me to like kissing you.”

  His brows shot up as something akin to hope rushed through him. “So it’s true?”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she blinked. “I…I—uh…truthfully, I’m not sure.” Sighing, she walked over to the island and sat on a stool. “Maybe the rush was just because both times Stephan was watching.”

  The possibility of the truth in her words sucked the wind from his sails. “Could be.” Although, he didn’t see how Stephan’s presence held any influence over the way his body had reacted to hers. Still, it couldn’t be ruled out. Unless… “There’s only one way to find out.”

  She straightened and slowly met his gaze. “How?”

  “We kiss now. Here.” He walked to her, ignoring the red flags his conscious was furiously waving. “In front of no one.” That would prove or disprove her theory.

  “Okay,” she said, a little breathless.

  Her agreement trumped the flags. Hell, it snapped the suckers in half.

  She slipped off the stool and stood, nervousness clouding her gaze. “Now what?”

  Cupping her face, he stepped into her. “Now we kiss.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  In no hurry, Vince slowly lowered his mouth to Emma’s and hovered a moment, enjoying the feel of her palms gliding up his chest while they shared a breath. Damn…the woman was intoxicating, and he soaked it all in for a moment. But his need to show her what a real kiss from him was like won out. Closing the gap, he brushed her lips with his, nipping and tasting like she had at the park yesterday. He started at one sweet corner and made a thorough trek to the other as awareness shot through his body.

  God, she was soft, and when she sighed and opened up for him, he swept his tongue inside to finally sample her taste.

  As sweet and succulent as a juicy peach, she was also hot and hungry, similar to the need ripping through him. But still he took his time, making slow, deep passes, acquainting himself with her essence. This is what he’d wanted to do since that first day when she’d hit him with the door. Even though they’d kissed before, he’d held back, not daring to make such a bold move, or take what she didn’t want to give.