Damn you, Coop.
She twisted back toward her window and drew open the thin sheer curtain to take in the magnificent view of the mountains. She perused the wide expanse of horse country, noting the huge homestead at the far end of the ranch and the small cedar cottage nestled at the foot of the mountain as she inhaled the fragrant scents. Then, catching her by surprise, Coop exited the quaint cottage.
Noting the tension in his posture, the stiffness in his every step, she watched him until he disappeared from her line of sight. Once he was gone, her gaze strayed back to the well-kept chalet with the cedar siding, painted shutters, and wraparound deck.
Was it Tessa’s quarters?
Hating the direction of her thoughts—after all, she had no right to feel jealous—she drew back from the window and threw herself onto her bed. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep, but her lids sprang open when a soft knock sounded on her door.
“Who is it?” She threw her legs over the side of her mattress and angled her head, listening to the quiet response coming from the hallway.
“It’s me,” Coop whispered. “I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you have everything you need.”
At the concern in Coop’s voice, Julia flicked on her lamp and walked to the door. She opened it slightly and peeked out, noticing the deep worry lines beneath his eyes. Something happened at the chalet, something that had upset him.
Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. “Coop, is everything okay?”
Without giving any thought to her skimpy sleepwear, she pulled her door open wider. When his eyes dropped from her face to her body—her breasts to be specific—it occurred to her that he could see her every curve through the transparent silk, especially with her lamp backlighting her frame.
The worry instantly disappeared from his eyes, and when want moved in to take its place, a warm, needy shudder raced down her spine. As her body came alive, she quickly gave him a once-over. Everything from the hot, hungry way he looked at her to the heat she felt emanating off his rock-hard body turned her inside out. She felt exposed, unsure.
Desired.
Coop raked his hands through his hair, mussing the short dark strands until he looked warm and sexy, as though he’d just crawled out of bed. His overwhelmingly rugged good looks set her body on fire, and she nearly forgot that she wasn’t the one he really wanted.
“I…uh…I just wanted to make sure Benjamin had stopped by to deliver a few of Tessa’s clothes and make sure they fit.” A short pause and then, “But…I…uh…I can see—”
What he can see is my entire naked body! Again!
Julia wrapped her arms around her chest, positioned herself behind the door, and tried to sound casual when she said, “He did. Thank you for that. And please, thank Tessa, too. You were right. We are the same size.” Okay, now she was just rambling like an idiot, but as he stood there looking at her as if he wanted to eat her alive, she couldn’t seem to help herself. She was completely out of her comfort zone.
Coop nodded. “So, ah, I’ll see you in the morning then.”
She returned his nod, thinking it might be best if she never set eyes on him again. The man had trouble written all over him, and if she spent any more time with him, she just might do something she would only regret later, like rope him and tie him to her bed until sunup, a week from tomorrow.
…
As Coop tossed and turned in his bed, early-morning light filtering in through his curtains, he couldn’t settle his mind enough to sleep. He punched his pillow, completely fired up that Julia was here.
Jesus Christ.
Julia was here.
On the ranch.
With him.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to wrap his brain around this unexpected turn of events.
She might have been off-limits before, but goddammit, they weren’t in high school anymore, and this time he was going to go for it. To show her that it was the best damn mix-up to ever happen and just how happy he was that it was her who boarded that plane. He was determined to convince her to stay, and by the end of the week, she’d damn well know she was the one he’d always wanted.
Coop turned his focus to the morning chores ahead of him, hoping to get them done so he could spend the rest of his time with Julia. He climbed from his bed, pulled on his jeans, and walked to his window. After a very restless night, he stretched out his tired body and drew back his curtain to expose the distant peaks and his own private view of the back pasture.
At the crest of the mountain, warm fingers of golden light clawed at the fading black as dawn began its approach. Coop smiled, hoping to get in a good hard swim in the staff’s private mineral pond at the far end of the ranch. He was the only one who ever used it. The others felt it was too much trouble to get to, but he found the trek invigorating and well worth the peaceful solitude once he reached it. Some mornings he just sat there and watched the sunrise before his swim. Other times, at the end of a long day working the ranch, then an even longer night caring for his mom, he’d sit for a while in the soothing water and let it work its magic on his work-worn body and if only for a moment, wash away the pain of watching his mother slowly slip away.
As he enjoyed the magnificent view, Coop raked his ruffled hair off his forehead. He hadn’t seen Jag or Mac since the plane arrived late yesterday afternoon. He hoped things were going as well for the two of them as they were for him.
A movement down by the water caught his attention. He squinted against the rising sun and wondered which guest would be up and about at the crack of dawn, and what were they doing in the ranch’s “off-limits” area. All available facilities were laid out in the brochure, and that particular pond wasn’t one of them. He opened his window, and the fresh scent of hay wafted before his nostrils as he leaned out for a better look. The distant sight of a woman stripping her clothes off and climbing into the water set his heart galloping and his mind racing.
Julia.
He pushed away from the window and ran to the edge of the ranch. Less than five minutes later, Coop stood at the embankment, mesmerized by the erotic vision before him. Waves splashed against the grassy shore, while creamy white skin and soft, sexy curves surfaced, only to disappear again beneath the glistening water. His skin grew hot, and his cock thickened inside his unforgiving jeans.
An odd sensation, one he’d never felt before, built inside his chest as he watched her play in his pool. What the hell was it? Possessiveness? As he mulled that over, Julia stood. Thigh-deep in the pond, she faced the mountain and tossed her hair over her shoulders, spraying water in the air. He’d never seen such a beautiful vision. His heart missed a beat as longing filled him. As her hair fell low on her back, his gaze followed it down, right to damp panties that showcased a lovely, heart-shaped ass.
Jesus.
Dressed in nothing but her bra and underwear, she lifted her arms over her head and began stretching out her body. Beads of water trickled down her creamy flesh, and when they dipped inside her pretty white panties, it was all Coop could do to keep a coherent thought.
A low growl of longing sounded deep in his throat, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stifle it. As the sound pierced the quiet of the morning, Julia spun around, her big brown eyes wide, her mouth agape.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Coop said quickly, struggling to avert his gaze when all he wanted to do was look his fill. She was so goddamn beautiful, perfect really, that it was almost impossible to look away. But she deserved privacy, so he turned. “This area is off-limits, and I didn’t expect to find anyone here.”