1
Linc felt like a creeper.
But he couldn’t help but be drawn to the giggles drifting out of the open window from Charlie and Clint’s living room. He stood in the shadows on the porch, staring in as they danced around.
Yep, definite stalker vibes.
Sadness filled him. He was happy so many of the men on Sanctuary Ranch had found their other half, but he couldn’t help but feel lonely.
As Ari moved away from the couch, he spotted a woman with gleaming dark hair pulled up into a high ponytail kneeling by Charlie. Who was she? She moved her head, smiling up at Charlie.
Dear Lord, she was beautiful. His heart started beating faster.
Easy, man. You don’t even know her.
Something told him, though, that this girl was special. He watched as she gracefully stood. She was petite but with an abundance of curves he longed to run his hands over. Her gaze dipped down as Ari gave her some money.
Shy?
He watched as she walked out of the room, her arms precariously filled with two large containers. Well now, that wouldn’t do. Tiny thing like her shouldn’t be carrying around anything heavy.
She could hurt herself.
Walking around the porch, he headed to the front door, making it there just in time to see her heading towards the steps. The tubs in her arms covered her face and he watched as she stumbled, misjudging the step. The containers went flying through the air and he leapt forward to catch her as she cried out.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he set her down on the porch. Her scent drifted towards him. Cinnamon and apples. Yum. Made him wonder how she would taste.
Not wanting to let go, he held her a bit longer than was appropriate before he stepped away. Hopefully, she’d just think he was making certain she was steady on her feet. Damn though, he wished he had the right to sweep her up into his arms. To feel all that softness pressed against him.
Easy, man.
She was staring up at him, her lips parted slightly.
“You all right, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Oh…oh yes. I’m fine.” Her voice was slightly husky. Fuck. Him. How could someone so sweet looking have such a sexy-sounding voice?
“What are you doing carrying around all that stuff? You should have asked someone to help you,” he scolded her gently.
“That’s okay, I’m used to carrying it on my own. I just misjudged where the step was. It’s not the first time it’s happened. You saved me from another skinned knee, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But I don’t like the idea of you hurting yourself. Next time, you get someone to help you, okay? Little bit like you doesn’t need to be carrying such heavy stuff.”
“It’s not that heavy.” Her gaze went down, her shoulders curving in.
Fuck. What had he said? Was he pushing too hard?
Ease up.
“Hey, everything okay?” he asked.
“Oh yes.” She laughed nervously. “I better pick everything up. I hope nothing’s broken.”
She turned away from him and he had to fight his instincts to pull her back, to press her against him. To admonish her that she shouldn’t be walking down steps without holding his hand.
Yeah, that would go over well. She’d likely run a mile, trying to get away from the crazy dude. He followed her down the steps.
“I’m Linc by the way. What’s your name?”
“Marisol.”
Marisol. Pretty.
“Nice to meet you, Marisol.” He stacked the containers on top of one another before she could do it. “Now, where am I taking these?”
“Oh, you don’t have to carry them for me.”
He was silent. Did she seriously think he was going to just stand here and let her carry them? What kind of men was she used to? His nana would have whipped his ass for letting a woman carry something when he had two able arms.
Eventually, she caved. “Uh, if you could carry them over to my car for me, that would be great. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You, uhh, you work here?” she asked.
She sounded so uncertain and he could have kicked himself. Here she was, alone in the dark with a strange man who hadn’t even bothered to introduce himself properly.
“I do. I’m the ranch manager.”
She stopped beside a small, beat-up car. Even with just the security light to guide the way, he could tell it was a heap of junk.
It wasn’t a car he would ever allow his woman to drive. If she had to drive somewhere without him, then she’d be in something safe.
Not a tiny death trap that looked like it should have been scrapped years ago.
“This is what you drive?” He couldn’t keep the disapproval from his voice.
“Yes,” she said quietly. She opened the trunk and he stuck the containers inside. He was aware that her shoulders had slumped again.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just that even in the dark I can tell this car needs some work.” He ran a hand along the side of it, feeling the dents and scratches. Had someone used it as a damn rally car?
“It’s my aunt’s,” she confessed. “I’m just borrowing it.”
Her aunt let her drive this?
“Thanks for carrying my stuff and for, uhh, rescuing me before.”
“No problem,” he replied easily. “You ever need a knight in shining armor. Or a hero in cowboy boots, you know where to find me.”
She laughed. She obviously thought he was joking.
If only she knew, he was very serious.
Miss Marisol hadn’t seen the last of him.
Marisol had a new hero to fill her dreams. She still couldn’t believe that he’d come to her rescue the way he had, sweeping her up as though she was a lightweight when she definitely was not.
The man had to have muscles on muscles. He’d definitely felt very firm. Of course if she was actually dreaming, he wouldn’t just let her drive off. He’d flip her over his shoulder and carry her away to his cabin in the woods, lock the door and ravish her. Then spank her ass. Then cuddle her.
And repeat.
A sigh escaped her lips. A girl was entitled to dream, right?
Of white knights and damsels in distress.
Or maybe a hero in cowboy boots and a curvy nail technician?
“Urgh, Marisol, you have no chance with that guy,” she muttered to herself as she pulled out of the driveway of Sanctuary Ranch.
Her aunt had been thrilled when she’d been asked to come out here for Charlie’s bridal shower. Sanctuary Ranch was owned by the Jensen family. Apparently, they were a big deal around here. Wealthy. Connected.
Marisol had been worried that the women tonight would all be stuck-up snobs. Sometimes she found that she was treated less as a professional and more like a maid at these sorts of parties. She was there to do nails and facials, not serve food or clean.
But the women tonight had all been lovely. Fun. Friendly.
A pang of loneliness hit her. What would it be like to have friends like that? Who would dance and laugh and be there to support you?
Marisol had always been painfully shy at school, it had been hard for her to make friends. She’d been looked down on. The poor orphan. Pitied. Ridiculed.
But Charlie and her friends hadn’t been like that tonight. She’d spent the evening painting nails and doing facials after a full day of working at her aunt’s day spa and as fun as it had been, she was exhausted.