Sunset Seduction

Three



Audrey woke to Luke hovering over her. Her body was flattened out on the Slade kitchen floor and her head ached like crazy. She blinked and stared into his concerned eyes as the palm of his hand rested on her hot face. Her cheeks stung, so she figured she’d been slapped a time or two. Relief filled his voice when he spoke to her. “Audrey Faith, you gave us a scare.”

She tried to lift her head up. Two Lukes appeared in her line of vision. She blinked one of them away and as she eased back down, Luke’s other hand cushioned her head. “How long was I out?” she asked quietly.

“Not long. Does this happen often?” he asked.

“This was the first time,” she said, feeling a little bit ridiculous. Four pairs of eyes—including the blonde woman’s—ogled her.

“You fainted.” Sophia spoke softly, holding a bottle of smelling salt in her hand. “Luke rushed over to you. He got to you before we had to use this. It was just a few seconds.”

A few seconds too many, she thought.

“What happened, honey?” Luke asked.

“I’m not sure. I got light-headed. Then everything went black.”

“Logan’s calling the doctor,” Sophia said.

“Oh, no. I don’t need a doctor.” Audrey made a move to sit up again and when twin Lukes didn’t appear, she figured she was good to go. His hand to her back, he helped hinge her forward slowly. “My head’s not spinning anymore. I think…it’s just…”

What was it? She didn’t know why she’d fainted. It couldn’t have been because Kat showed up attached to Luke at the hip. She’d seen Luke with other women before. No amount of nose twitching would make them disappear, though. And as a smitten teen, she’d daydream of trading places with the females on his arm. Audrey knew that this time it wasn’t Kat’s presence that made her see stars.

She’d been overly tired today and a little stressed. A reasonable excuse came to mind. “I might’ve caught a bug or something.”

“Now I’m sorry I woke you up for dinner,” Sophia said, her expression grim. “You probably needed your sleep.”

Logan entered the room with the phone to his ear. “I can’t get hold of the doctor. Maybe we should take her to emergency.”

Luke nodded. “Good idea.”

“No, it’s not necessary.” Audrey summoned all of her strength, planted her feet and rose to full height, refusing Luke’s extended arm for support. There. She wasn’t dizzy anymore. Whatever happened had been freakish, but it had passed. “I feel better already. I think all I need is a good night’s sleep. It’s a bug and I need to rest. Honestly.” She glanced at Logan first, then at Luke, giving him a pointed look. No way was she going to disrupt their evening by going to the hospital. Besides, she really did feel better.

The men darted glances at each other. “What do you think?” Luke said to Logan.

“I’m fine,” she said a little more firmly.

Logan shrugged. “She looks fine, Luke.”

Sophia added, “You can check on her during the night, Luke.”

Kat, who had been quiet throughout this exchange, raised a perfectly arched brow at that.

“You sure you’re feeling okay?” Luke asked, his genuine concern touching something deep and lasting in her heart. As if she needed another reason to worship him.

She nodded, did a pirouette right in the middle of the kitchen—ending with a flourish a gymnast would be proud of—and gave him a big smile. “I promise I’m okay.”

“As long as I’ve got your promise, we’re good. I’ll walk you to your room.”

She wanted to protest. She could walk to her own room, for heaven’s sake, but the envious look in Kat Whoever-she-was’s eyes made her accept his invitation. “Sure.”

She turned to Sophia and Logan, giving them each a big hug. And then, magnanimously, she put out her hand to Kat. “So good to meet you,” she said, as if she hadn’t just made a spectacle of herself by fainting.

“I hope you’re feeling better soon.” Kat cupped her hand and gave a little squeeze.

Audrey’s gaze shifted to her white knight. “If Luke has anything to say about it, I will.”

The comment flew over the men’s heads, but Sophia had a glint in her eye as Luke walked Audrey out of the kitchen.

Once they reached her bedroom, Luke turned the knob and opened the door. “I’ll check in on you later.”

“Not necessary, really.”

“I’m gonna insist, Audrey.”

She didn’t like the idea of Luke coming to her room during the night. Well, okay, she would like the idea if his motives were different. Regardless of his friendship with Casey, she wasn’t his obligation. She could fend for herself. He didn’t need to lose sleep over her.

When she paused for a moment he added, “Your welfare is my responsibility as long as you’re under my roof. You fainted tonight. We don’t know why.”

“I told you why.”

“You’re guessing, but you don’t know for sure.”

He wasn’t letting this drop. Mr. Nice Guy was also a Good Samaritan.

An idea popped into her head. “How about if you text me?”

He chuckled from deep in his throat and a boyish gleam lit his eyes. “You’re sleeping three doors down.”

“It could be fun. And you don’t have to be disturbed.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll text you. I’ve got your number.”

“Great. Well then, good night.”

“Sleep tight, Audrey.”

After closing the door to Luke, her lungs released a whoosh of air, and she slumped against the door as the last bit of her energy seeped out. She was more tired than she’d let on to the Slades. She’d never fainted before. What was that all about? She chalked it up to emotional angst seeing Luke again. By all rights she should feel exhausted after the highs and lows she experienced today. The lowest was finding out that Luke had no memory of their night together. That had been a crushing blow, and she hadn’t been allowed time to absorb the implications and heal her wounded heart and deflated ego.

Audrey undressed with deliberately slow moves, carefully peeling off her clothes. No sense tempting fate. A sudden move here or there and she might find herself on the floor again without a dashing prince to awaken her.

She hung up her blouse in a double-wide closet and folded her jeans in half, putting them across a captain’s chair in the corner of the room. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then climbed into bed, giving Jewel a little nudge. “Why aren’t you a curl-up kind of cat?”

The cat was stretched out, taking up most of the width of the bed, and the prod moved her only enough to give Audrey room to climb in. She sank into the comfort awarded her in that small space. She picked up the remote control and clicked on the television. Mindless babbling might just comfort her to sleep tonight. She settled on a reality show that Susanna constantly raved about. Her friend, the reality-show junkie, watched them all and had recommended this one specifically for Audrey.

“Wannabes and Wranglers,” Audrey mumbled, sinking into the pillow.

The first ten minutes entertained her enough to keep watching the city slickers trying to replicate life in a mock-up Western town. Poor John Wannabe was having trouble saddling up his horse. He got the cinch all wrong and the saddle might have slipped off if it weren’t for Wrangler Beth, who’d come to the rescue. They were teamed up for a series of challenges and it was Beth’s job to turn John into a horseman in less than two months. John was halfway into his on-camera, heartfelt confession explaining how Beth made him nervous because she was so beautiful when Audrey’s cell phone barked. The ruff-ruff ringtone had Jewel lifting her head sharply to listen. “It’s just a text,” she explained to her cat.

She picked up her phone from the nightstand and read Luke’s message.

Are you sleeping yet?

She punched in an answer.

Obviously not.

What are you doing?

Watching Wannabes and Wranglers. I’m fine.

A few seconds later, another text came through.

Glad you’re fine. I’m watching that, too.

Really? Luke watched reality shows? She found that hard to believe.

Because Beth is so hot?

It only took a few seconds for Luke to respond.

Yes.

Then a few moments later:

But I like the concept, too.

What do you think of John? she texted, closing her eyes briefly after typing in the question.

His next text came instantly.

Not a fast learner.

Audrey smiled as she punched in her reply.

He’s distracted by Beth.

So am I. She knows her way around a stallion.

Hardy, har-har. Look, John finally got the horse saddled right. Beth’s teaching him how to mount.

That should come naturally to a man.

Was he teasing? She immediately wrote back, A woman, too, if the stallion’s worthy.

An image flashed through her mind of her mounting Luke and taking them both for a sweet ride. His hips had arched and he’d bucked from underneath, meeting her every stride with a fierceness that penetrated her body and soul. The notion layered through her belly in warm waves.

His next text came through.

Mounting a horse, I meant.

Right. You don’t fool me, Luke.

I never did. You almost ready to turn in?

Yes. Go to sleep. I’m fine.

Lights out.

I’ve already done that once tonight.

Funny. Wake me if you need me, Audrey.

That was a loaded comment and a dozen needs regarding Luke flitted through her mind.

Night, Luke.

Night.

Well, it wasn’t text sex or anything close, but Audrey turned off the television and fell fast asleep with a big smile on her face.

* * *

At seven o’clock the next morning, Audrey was greeted with another text from Luke.

Are you up yet?

She was never one to sleep late.

Up and dressed,

she keyed into the phone and then added,

Feeling fine.

Not five seconds later, Luke was knocking on her bedroom door. “That was fast,” she muttered, tossing her phone down on the bed to pull the door open.

He leaned against the door frame, eyeing her from top to bottom, doing a clean sweep and making her wish she’d had something to wear besides her faded jeans and oversize shirt. At least she’d managed to put a comb through her hair and pull it back into a ponytail.

Luke came to her freshly shaven, with that same hint of lime wafting in the air, his longish clean hair curling at the ends. One strand slashed across his forehead to rest on his brow. Audrey mentally sighed. The crisp tight fit of his jeans and snug hug of a dark blue canvas shirt were enough to still her heart. “Mornin’.”

“Hi.”

“Sleep well?”

“Very well.” It was no lie.

“No fainting spells today?”

“None, and I feel great.”

Luke’s lips twisted downward. “Do me a favor and don’t do that again.”

“You don’t have to keep checking on me.”

“I came to deliver a message. Breakfast is ready. Cereal and toast. Unless…”

“Unless…I cook up something better?”

“You can stir a pot and I’m hungry.”

“When are you not? How does bacon and eggs over easy sound?”

“Throw in half a dozen buttermilk pancakes and we’ve got a deal.”

“Okay, but only if you admit you opened my door last night to peek in on me.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet firmly. “I’m admitting nothing.”

“What kind of cereal do you want?”

Luke’s shoulders drooped and he sighed. “Okay, fine. I peeked in on you.”

Food blackmail always worked.

“I slept better knowing Casey’s little sister was sleeping soundly.”

She did a mental eye roll. How old did she have to be before Luke stopped thinking of her as Casey’s younger sister? “You make the coffee…I’m assuming you know how…and I’ll get to work on the rest.”

“It’s a deal.”

The cat jumped down from the bed, took a long stretch and strode over to Luke. She rubbed her body along his legs and bowed her back like a rainbow, purring loudly. Audrey could take a lesson or two in flirting from her cat.

Luke bent to scratch her under the chin. “I think it’s time Miss Jewel got out of this room.”

“I agree. I was going to ask if it’s okay if she roams around the ranch today.”

“Yeah, no problem. She’s probably smart enough to stay out of trouble.”

“She’s only used up one of her nine lives. She’s got eight more to go.”

With that, they headed to the kitchen. During breakfast, Luke mentioned Kat again and Audrey asked him about her. “She’s just a friend” was all he said with a shrug of the shoulder.

Audrey figured the woman would never forget her, though. She’d made a lasting impression. How many people fainted the second they were introduced?

After breakfast, Luke gave her a grand tour of the ranch and explained her duties as wrangler. She was to groom and exercise the horses, make sure they were fed properly and assist the head wrangler, Ward Halliday. They wouldn’t be working with Trib today, and that was fine with her because she had some shopping to do in town when she finished up her duties.

Luke left her in the barn with Hunter Halliday, Ward’s son, who was leaving for college in a few weeks. The big, strapping boy with a friendly smile showed her around the barn and introduced her to each one of the ranch hands during the course of the day. They were nice men who spoke politely and had nothing but respect for the horses on the property.

“We don’t sell a horse every day,” Hunter said. “Sometimes, only one or two a week, but once they go, you miss them. It’s best if you ride them and train them and try not to get close to them. The Slades take care with who they sell a horse to. You gotta tell yourself they’re going to a good home.”

Hunter used a currycomb on the mare he was grooming while Audrey stood up on a footstool and braided a thoroughbred’s mane, something she’d learned to do when she was thirteen. “I volunteer at a horse rescue at home. I know it’s not easy saying goodbye.”

Hunter nodded.

They worked together on the horses into the morning. Jewel pretty much stayed by her side in the barn, sitting up regally and taking swipes at the flies buzzing around her head. It seemed to keep her entertained. And for the remainder of the morning, they took horses out that hadn’t been exercised yesterday. Hunter showed her different paths to follow and made sure the horses got a good workout before they switched them out. More grooming followed and by midafternoon their work was done.

Audrey’s clothes stuck to her body and the skin exposed to the hot sun was layered with a fine coating of trail dust. Her mouth could spit cotton, as Casey would say, and her bones ached a little, but she’d never been happier.

She was in her element.

After her work was done, she hummed her way back to the house with Jewel in her arms. “You earned your keep today,” she said. “Those dang flies didn’t stand a chance.”

The shower she took was quick and efficient, cleansing her body of barn grime, and within minutes, Audrey was clean and ready to go.

She had a shopping date with Sophia this afternoon.

* * *

“Sophia, I can’t possibly wear all of these things.” Draped over Audrey’s arms and threatening to topple her were two pairs of slacks, three pairs of designer jeans, four blouses, a stylish leather jacket and, so that all was not lost, a skimpy cherry-red thong swimsuit that Audrey wouldn’t think of ever wearing out in public.

“Nonsense,” Sophia said, eyeing another item from the rack in Sunset Lodge’s gift shop. “You can’t have too many clothes.” Sophia added a pair of white studded jeans to the pile dangling from her arms. “They’re a gift from Logan, Luke and me.”

“Do they know about this?”

Sophia’s chuckle came out warm and friendly. “They give me carte blanche with the gift shop. Neither one of them has ever had anything to do with it.”

Audrey understood why. The place was a virtual one-stop shop with classic designer items like sequined evening bags, ladies apparel and jewelry that fit with the Western theme of Sunset Ranch. Over in the corner was one small shelf stacked with men’s shirts that were manly enough for any cowboy to wear. Everything was tastefully displayed and organized to appeal to the eye. In short, Sophia’s stamp of approval was written all over it.

“This is very sweet of you,” Audrey said, humbled by her generosity.

“It’s my pleasure. I think you’ve got some things that’ll dazzle.”

“Yeah, the horses at the barn are gonna love me in them.”

Sophia smiled and began searching the shop further. What could she possibly add to this wardrobe?

“No, I wasn’t thinking about the horses,” Sophia said. “Here, let me take those from you.” She scooped her arms under the pile weighing Audrey down and carried the clothes to the counter by the cash register. “I’ll put them aside and have them wrapped for you. After I take you on a tour of the lodge, we can swing by here and pick them up.”

“Thank you.” Audrey didn’t have words enough to express her gratitude.

Sophia spoke to a young girl assisting behind the counter and then they exited the shop. Sophia guided her into the lobby, past the massive stone fireplace that greeted every guest who entered the lodge. Wood beams overhead and sandstone floors and comfortable sitting areas were set off by big windows and a natural elegantly rustic setting.

“I don’t remember ever coming here. I’ve only been to the ranch a few times when I was younger but we never stopped by the lodge. This is a beautiful spot. It’s got a rural feel, but it’s up-to-date, too. I like the combination of old and new.”

“I know what you mean. My mother used to manage the lodge when I was a kid. She was proud to work here.”

“I can see why.”

“I’m glad I came back. A part of me never left,” Sophia said, her eyes darkening with memories.

It was the opening Audrey needed to ask a question that had been burning inside. It was none of her beeswax, but that didn’t stop her. She had a compelling desire to learn about the Slades, Luke in particular.

“And Logan wasn’t happy about it initially?”

“No, he wasn’t thrilled when I showed up here. He and I had prior history going back to our childhood and he resented me inheriting half ownership of the lodge from the Slades. His father…well, Randall Slade was more than generous with me. It’s no secret,” she said as they stopped by a large picture window that overlooked the grounds, “that I loved living at Sunset Ranch. I grew up here, but things got complicated for my mom and we moved away. It wasn’t until I came back that I was forced to confront Logan and my feelings for him. After fighting with each other and holding back our feelings, we finally saw that we were meant to be together. We put the past behind us and it’s stayed there. And through it all, Luke and I remained good friends.”

“Were you and Luke…ever, uh—”

Audrey was dying to know. Had there been a heated love triangle among the Slade brothers and Sophia?

Sophia’s head tilted with a negative shake. “Never. We don’t think of each other that way. He’s my friend. I’m his friend. It’s never been anything more.”

It was hard to believe. How could anyone be that close to Luke and not fall madly in love with him? Was she the only hopeless case around here?

They walked to the kitchen and Sophia introduced her to Constance, young Edward’s grandmother, who was the head chef. She and the rest of the staff were busy preparing for the dinner meal. “I’ve met your grandson. He’s a nice boy,” she said.

“Thank you. I think so, too.” Constance’s warm smile told Audrey that Edward was the apple of her eye. “Here, give this a try. I’m not sure it’s quite right.” She handed each one of them a pastry glazed with chocolate. “Tell me what you think. There’s mocha crème filling inside.”

Audrey took a bite and chocolate cream squirted into her mouth, hitting all the right sensory points. Her reaction was immediate and honest. “Yummy.”

Sophia nodded, too, as she chewed. They were in agreement.

“That’s what I was hoping to hear,” Constance said.

After chatting and testing two more samples, they left the kitchen to head toward the stables. “These horses are for the guests,” Sophia explained. “Hunter and Ward oversee their care as well as the horses at the ranch. We give guided tours and have hayrides and horseback-riding lessons. Most people who come here want to ride in some way or another.”

Audrey had a chance to meet the horses that weren’t already out with guests and bond a little with each one. A softly spoken word, a pat on the head or an affectionate nuzzle went a long way with animals.

“You’re welcome anytime to hang out with them. I’m sure Ward would welcome it,” Sophia said. “As you can see, they’re gentle and sweet. We worry that sometimes they don’t get enough attention.”

“I’ll visit them as often as I can.” She stroked a palomino on the side of her face, looking into her warm brown eyes, and knew they would be fast friends.

A few minutes later, they returned for the clothes at the gift shop. Audrey was ready to put the packages in her pickup truck and give her thanks once again. Before she got the words out, Sophia tilted her head thoughtfully with a smile on her lips. “Logan and I are having a little engagement party next week. We’d love it if you joined us.”

“You’re inviting me to your engagement party?”

“Yes, it’s for family and close friends. Please say you’ll come.”

Touched by the invitation, Audrey’s heart warmed. “Oh, I… Of course. Thank you for including me. Just tell me where and when and I’ll be there.”

“I’ll be sure to do that. I’ll call you tonight.”

“Okay.” Audrey was almost out the door with the packages when Sophia called out. “Wait! I forgot this. I have one more thing for you.”

Audrey’s eyes grew wide when she saw what Sophia had in her hand. “You… I can’t… What am I going to do with that?”

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, her voice sweetly determined.

“It’s gorgeous, but I sleep in an old T-shirt.”

Sophia’s eyes lit with amusement. “When you’re alone, yes. But this is for that someone special.”

The black negligee spoke of hot, raw, wicked sex. It wasn’t your grandmother’s negligee, she thought, and then laughed at the notion of grandmothers and hot sex. Where had her mind drifted? This nightie was cut low on the bosom, high on the thigh and was woven with intricate, peek-a-boo lace. It said do me in a hundred different languages. “I don’t have someone special.”

Sophia ignored her and boxed the negligee herself, giving it a light tap with the flat of her hands. “I think there’s someone special for you on this ranch. I’ve seen the way you look at Luke.”

“Luke?” She gulped air. Was she busted? “Luke and I aren’t…anything. I mean…sure, he’s been my brother’s friend for ages, but—”

But what? She wasn’t ready to divulge her secret to anyone, much less Luke’s best friend. Oddly, Sophia didn’t pry. She didn’t try to get any further explanation out of her. She listened and nodded and then placed the box in her arms.

She had an uncanny feeling that Sophia Montrose was wiser than her years. The alternative was that Audrey wasn’t fooling anyone about her feelings for Luke. She preferred to think Sophia had especially sharp perception. “Please accept this as my personal gift to you.”

“It’s very kind of you.”

“Wear it well and knock his socks off.”

“I’m not knocking anyone’s socks off,” she said mildly, but her throat caught with the comment as an image of making love to Luke in that negligee popped into her head.

Sophia shrugged. “Then someone like Kat Grady might just turn Luke’s head.”

“I—I wouldn’t know,” she said, feeling glum. “I’ve only been upright about ten seconds in her presence.”

Sophia’s gaze stayed on her and a little smile emerged. “Luke was worried about you all evening.”

“He feels responsible for me.”

“He likes you.”

“He thinks of me as a younger sister.”

“Men can change their minds in the blink of an eye.”

She was speaking of her experience with Logan. He’d hated Sophia and hadn’t wanted her at the ranch. The irony wasn’t lost on Audrey. She had the opposite problem. Luke had always liked her and had made her feel welcome here, giving her a job and offering his friendship. In a weird and crazy way, she had just as high a mountain to climb to make Luke look at her differently as Sophia had with Logan. “Who is Kat, anyway?”

Sophia shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know much about her. She’s new to the county and settled in the next town, Silver Springs.”

“She’s very pretty, in a flashy sort of way,” Audrey said.

“Luke’s seen her a few times, but he won’t get serious about her. She’s got a little baby.”

“That doesn’t sound like Luke. I thought he liked kids.”

“He loves kids. You see how he is with Edward. But he doesn’t want to start up something he can’t finish, and getting involved with a single mother could hurt her little boy when it ended.”

“How is he so sure it would end?”

“That you’d have to ask Luke about. But I will tell you that he’s got this thing about long-term relationships. He says he’ll know pretty quickly when it’s right, and so far, that hasn’t happened. He’s usually the first one to walk away.”

Audrey didn’t want to read too much into it, because hope that faltered and died was worse than no hope at all. And Luke had topped her No Hope list for a long time. If she dared to hope, she could come out scarred for life, but then, wasn’t that the whole reason she took the job here? To have some sort of chance with Luke? Sophia knew Luke better than anyone. Didn’t she? And she seemed to be encouraging Audrey to muster up, dig in her heels and make a stand.

Yet, deep down she didn’t think Luke would ever see her as anything but a friend. Maybe he thought of her in the same way he thought of Sophia. There was a line he wouldn’t cross with their friendship. Just like the line he refused to cross with the Grady woman.

Oh, who was she kidding?

Audrey, you are making excuses for your cowardice.

It was true. She was a coward.

She hadn’t fessed up to Luke about seducing him and then running off like a frightened juvenile. She hadn’t spilled the truth to him when she’d first arrived at the ranch. She hadn’t been brave enough to look into Luke’s trusting blue eyes and tell him what she’d done or why she’d done it. There’d been a few really good opportunities to bring up the subject, like when Luke had accidentally kissed her or when he’d come to her bedroom door this morning to check on her.

“And you think I’m right for Luke?”

Sophia gave her shoulder a lift and Audrey held her breath waiting for her reply. What would be worse, if Sophia said no or if she said yes? “You could be. But if you don’t give it a chance, you’ll never know.”

Sort of like, if you don’t try, you can’t fail, but then you’re left with years of wondering what if. “Thank you for the beautiful negligee.” And for the nudge that had her convinced she may lose her chance with Luke if she didn’t act fast. Luke was eligible, handsome and a great guy. He was like a marked target and another Kat might come along and hit the bull’s-eye if she wasn’t careful. Audrey made a silent, determined vow to speak with Luke soon. Her cowardly days were numbered. “I, uh…I owe you.”

Sophia laid a hand on her arm. Audrey valued the comfort and friendship offered. “I’m happy to do it. And you don’t owe me a thing.” Then a delicious twinkle brightened Sophia’s eyes and she added, “But Luke might, one day.”