Shadow Maverick Ranch Box Set Read online

  “Jared, get Jade her rope and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.” Jared would never let anything happen to Jade, but it made Pax feel better to say it.

  “Where the hell are you going?” Jared complained.

  To take the coldest shower of his life.

  Pax turned, still walking. “All you need to worry about is how fast you can get that rope. The rest is none of your business.”

  * * *

  Reese Jameson drew a deep breath and looked around. A hint of wildflowers scented the air. She’d grown up in Texas, so it shouldn’t have taken her off guard. Shadow Maverick was a cattle ranch, and it surprised her that it didn’t smell like, well, cattle.

  A fact Lauren and Gavin’s wedding guests would appreciate come winter, since Lauren wanted to host the festivities here.

  Reese slipped into work-mode. Ample parking if they could use the field across from the house. She’d need to check on that, as well as seeing about hiring a few men to direct cars to prevent a jam. There was easy access to the main road, so that wasn’t a problem.

  A hundred little details rattled around in her head as the heat brought a sheen to her skin. She was grateful Lauren had insisted on keeping this visit casual. The weather was too damn hot for anything but shorts and sandals.

  Reese took in more of the sweet-scented air, sighing with the exhale. Living in Houston hadn’t seemed so different until now. Her apartment was less than an hour from here, yet the ranch was so beautiful, so quiet, that it felt as though she’d traveled to another world.

  One of the many reasons she loved Texas.

  She glanced toward the barn. It seemed her arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  A shot of nerves trembled her limbs, and she almost got back into her car. No. She had to do this. Ten years was a long time to leave things undone. This was her opportunity to deal with the past. Then maybe she could get on with her life.

  She raised a hand toward the round pen and smiled when the young man and woman returned her greeting. Her gaze drifted over the man who continued to stare, but hadn’t moved otherwise.

  A man she’d know anywhere.

  Paxton Mathis.

  Jet-black hair tumbled over his forehead. When he reached to brush it back, Reese sucked in a breath at the size of his arms. His years on the ranch had definitely given him the body of a hard-working cowboy.

  She’d known this day would come, but no amount of planning could’ve prepared her for seeing him again.

  Reese shivered and turned away as her nipples pebbled, despite the heat. It seemed her body still had a mind of its own when it came to Paxton. Well, her body could just chill the fuck out. He wasn’t her type anymore.

  She dated businessmen with light hair and eyes, bodies honed in a gym rather than the great outdoors. Predictable men. Men who’d rather play golf than play with horses, as the cowboy who’d caused her panties to dampen liked to do.

  In other words, men who were the exact opposite of said cowboy.

  And that’s worked out swimmingly, hasn’t it?

  She snuck another glance in time to see his boots hit the dirt. Holy crap. Maybe she should reconsider her type.

  And she was a total nut-job. She wasn’t here to rekindle an old flame, no matter how hot it had burned.

  She’d come to work, and offer a long overdue apology. The end.

  “Hey, Reese. Are you going to stand out here in the heat all afternoon? Come on in here and let’s plan a magnificent wedding,” Lauren called from the front porch.

  Turning away from the first man she’d ever loved, Reese smiled. “If you tell me you’ve got a glass of iced tea ready, I’ll marry you myself.”

  Chapter Two

  Reese was a hot mess.

  In the literal sense.

  The moment she’d reached the door, Lauren had swept her through the house, and directly out the back. They’d spent the last hour in the late afternoon sun, discussing the best location for the upcoming nuptials. Since the whole shindig would be held here, they’d agreed to an area not far from the house. Lauren wanted a winter wedding, so the location provided the best proximity for a last minute readjust in the event of poor weather. Reese outright refused to do an outdoor wedding without a backup plan.

  Location decision made, Reese was ready to splash some cold water on her face and head home. She wanted to shower the sweat and dust from her skin, curl up with a glass of wine, and make a few notes on things she and Lauren had discussed.

  Not the most exciting way to spend a Friday night, but she didn’t mind. It’d been a long week and it wasn’t over just because the weekend had arrived. She had a large corporate barbecue tomorrow and a beach wedding on Sunday afternoon, which meant she was looking at Monday before she got any significant down time.

  In her search for a bathroom, Reese realized the house was much larger than it appeared from the outside, which was saying something because, on first sight, it was quite impressive.

  She followed Lauren’s directions and turned right at the top of the wide staircase. All the way to the end. Shit. She had said the top of the staircase, hadn’t she? She hadn’t said which side of the hallway.

  Reese looked back from where she’d come, as if the answer would magically appear on one of the three doors she’d passed along the way. No help there, so she tentatively approached the door to the left. She curled her palm against the wood, and leaned in to listen, just in case she’d picked wrong. She was about to knock when the door swung open.

  “Oh, shit.” Reese stumbled into the steam, only to be caught by two strong hands.

  “Whoa, there. What are you doing?” Paxton’s rich baritone sent a shiver down her spine.

  “I was…” Words failed her as she realized the only thing between her and a gloriously naked cowboy, her cowboy, was the towel draped around his waist.

  He loosened his grip, but didn’t release her. “You were…?”

  Jesus. He wasn’t her cowboy. He wasn’t her anything. Not anymore.

  Reese shrugged him off as heat filled her cheeks. She backed out of the bathroom into the relative safety of the hallway.

  Not my type. Not my type.

  He ran his hand through the hair that fell over his forehead, smoothing the wet strands out of his face. Up close, it was easier to see how the years had changed him. His boyish frame had been replaced with strapping muscle and hard lines. His nose was slightly crooked as though it had been broken before. His dark toffee eyes and shadowed jaw made him look almost dangerous. And entirely too sexy.

  He’d grown from cute to ruggedly handsome with a side of overt masculinity that threatened to weaken her knees.

  “Hi, Paxton.” Nerves attacked her stomach as she waited for him to recognize her.

  Oh God, please let him recognize me.

  No matter how many times she’d imagined this moment, she’d never considered what she’d do if he didn’t remember her.

  Lids narrowed, he took a step toward her. “Reese? Reese Jameson? That was you I saw outside.”

  Reese stood still as he looked her over, from hair to sandaled feet and back. She hadn’t seen him since her twenty-first birthday. The same day his best friend had been killed in a freak riding accident.

  Hurt filled her chest. She fought back tears that should’ve been long dried up.

  Was he remembering that moment? Of learning Patrick was gone just minutes after being inside her?

  The most glorious night of her life, shattered by tragedy and loss. Paxton had shoved her away, overwhelmed by his anger and grief. In a fit of youthful stupidity, she’d let him, thinking it better to leave than be a constant reminder of where he was supposed to have been that night.

  It was her greatest regret.

  Paxton folded his arms. “What’re you doin’ here?”

  She suddenly wasn’t so sure. “I’m helping Lauren and Gavin plan their wedding.”

  “Ah, right. The event planner. So, is busting into my shower part of the plan
?”

  Her cheeks heated as the visual of him in the shower hit her. There were worse things to bust into, but that was irrelevant at the moment. “Obviously not.”

  His jaw hardened. “After all these years, how would I know what’s obvious about what you’re doing?”

  Okay, she probably deserved that. But, still…

  “I don’t recall my phone ringing either, buddy.” Did he realize he was only wearing a towel? Good lord.

  “I heard you got married,” she blurted. The news had left a permanent scar on her heart. She hadn’t meant to throw that out there, but she needed a reality check in the face of all that muscle. The reminder of his marital status was as good as throwing cold water on her libido. And at the rate her heart was racing, she’d need buckets full.

  He shrugged. “Got divorced too. But, since you seem to be keeping tabs, I’m sure you heard about that.”

  “I’m not—” Reese trailed off as she saw the corner of his lip twitch.

  Snarky bastard.

  This was not the way she’d envisioned their reunion. Not that she hadn’t expected him to be mad at her, but she’d imagined he’d at least be wearing clothes. Then again, she never could predict how things would happen when Paxton was involved. Last time she thought she had him figured out, he’d taken her to bed and given her more pleasure than she’d ever known. Then or since.

  “I hadn’t heard you’d gotten divorced. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Some things aren’t meant to be.”

  “I guess…” She didn’t know what else to say. Her gaze drifted. The towel draped his hips and thighs, but that didn’t stop her from remembering what was underneath. Her heart beat so hard she could feel it in her throat.

  “Did you and Lauren get things hashed out?”

  “What?” He really needed to put on some clothes.

  “You’re planning the wedding, right? That’s why you’re here?”

  “Yeah.” She shook her head, hoping the stupid that had taken possession of her brain would dissipate, and met his gaze. “I mean, yes. Lauren wanted me to help her decide on the best spot to hold the ceremony.”

  “And you found a place?” he asked, as though he conversed half naked on a regular basis.

  “We did.”

  “So, you’re done for the night?”

  “Lauren had to rush off to meet Gavin for a dinner meeting. Something about a neighboring ranch, I think she said.”

  His lips pursed. He nodded as though he knew exactly what she was talking about. “That’s good.”

  Awkward silence filled the space between them. His expression gave away nothing as he stared at her. He was distracting, intimidating … gorgeous.

  “We should catch up. Why don’t you let me buy you a drink?”

  Her breath caught. “You want to go out?” A sharp pang of desire tightened her stomach.

  He leaned against the doorjamb, a slow smile spreading across his face. “After the day I’ve had, not so much. Since you’re here, how about I grab a couple of beers and we can chat a bit.”

  “I’ve still got work to do.” Not to mention, the last time they drank together, they ended up naked. While her body thought it was an excellent idea, her heart wouldn’t survive him a second time.

  “The wedding isn’t for months. You can spare a few hours for an old friend, can’t you?” He held up his palm. “I promise to be on my best behavior. Unless, of course, you don’t want me to be. Then all bets are off.” He winked at her.

  He was flirting with her now? What the hell? “You think you’re gonna get lucky?”

  His brows shot up. “Is that even a possibility?”

  Reese hesitated long enough to see the wicked grin spread across his face. Damn it. She needed to work on her poker face.

  “I suppose anything’s possible, if you think about it,” she hedged.

  “That’s not an answer.” He crowded her until her back hit the wall.

  She put her palms to his chest with the intent to push him away. Once the heat of his skin hit her, all she could think about was touching him, dragging her hands down until they met the edge of the towel, and then watching as it fell to the floor. “We haven’t seen each other in ten years.”

  He brushed his fingertips along her cheek and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Still not an answer.”

  Her stomach clenched as he leaned in, his breath minty and warm against her lips. Sweet mercy, he was going to kiss her. A kiss she was decidedly desperate for.

  “Paxton.” His name came out a plea. To stop, to keep going, to heal the ache that had lived in her heart for too many years.

  He cleared his throat and pulled away so abruptly, Reese’s knees almost buckled. He backed away, putting the space of the hallway between them.

  “It’s good to see you again, Reesey. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  Her heart threatened to melt at his use of the personal nickname, and it pissed her off. Three minutes in his presence and she’d turned into a sex-starved half-wit.

  She was neither.

  Reese wished she had something to hurl at his back as he walked away. Was he so unaffected by her then? Of course he was. It’d been ten years. He’d moved on. As for her … well … she didn’t know what she’d done, but it had felt a little too much like waiting for her taste.

  That stopped now.

  She’d have a drink, take him up on his offer to talk so she could do what she’d come here to do. Then she’d move on, stop waiting for the impossible romantic fantasy she’d spun all those years ago.

  “Give me a few minutes to clean up? I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen?”

  He turned. “You look fine.”

  “I’ve been outside with Lauren and am a sweaty mess. What I really need is a shower,” she mumbled.

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “As you can see, I’ve already showered, but I could be convinced to have another.”

  “That wasn’t an offer.”

  “Pity.”

  She laughed then, feeling some of her tension ease. “Ten years, and you haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, sweets. Ten years ago, you left without a word. Don’t think for a second I’ll let that happen again. Fifteen minutes.”

  He started to turn away from her, but stopped, giving her a sly smile. “It’s good to see you again, Reesey.”

  Chapter Three

  Paxton shut the bedroom door and leaned his forehead against it. He looked down at the wood he was sporting. Wasn’t that just perfect?

  Reese fucking Jameson.

  He couldn’t believe it. Just the thought of her earlier had made him hard, which, in itself, surprised him on all kinds of fucked-up levels. But actually seeing her again … holy shit. He hadn’t been prepared for that.

  She’d come back into his life exactly as she’d left it.

  Without warning.

  Not that he blamed her for leaving. He might’ve at first, but once his grief had lifted, he realized what a total jackass he’d been. Too little, too late. Hell, people did stupid shit when they were young, and he’d been no exception. He’d been arrogant and self-absorbed. Ten feet tall and fucking bulletproof. Consequences were for the poor bastards who didn’t know better. And, of course, he’d known everything.

  How he’d love to go back and kick his younger self’s ass nine ways to Sunday. Might’ve saved him a lot of heartache on the flip side.

  He wasn’t that naive, carefree kid anymore. Life had kicked him in the balls one too many times for him to believe in happy endings.

  He wanted to know why she was here after all this time. They’d known each other since high school, for fuck’s sake. He remembered thinking maybe they’d end up like his parents or his older sister Erin—married to their high school sweethearts. He and Reese never officially dated, but he’d thought about it, so there must have been feelings there before that night.

  The night he’d taken her innocence and lost his best
friend. The latter, he sorely regretted, the other … not so much.

  Time healed all wounds.

  How many times had he heard that in his life? Too fucking many.

  He tossed the wet towel to the floor and pulled on a pair of jeans, gritting his teeth as he zipped them over his swollen cock.

  He grabbed a T-shirt—its once black faded to the color of used charcoal, but it was comfortable and clean—and shoved his arms through the sleeves. He ducked, pulled the shirt over his head, and tugged it into place.

  Reese had grown into a striking woman. She had the kind of curves a man ached to touch. Her ass in those shorts about killed him. His vision blurred with the memory of how it’d felt to grip her hips and … yeah, he’d taken her virginity in every way possible that night, straining to keep up with her demands for more.

  Fuck.

  He’d rather not have zipper marks tattooed on his dick by the end of the night, so he’d better get his shit straight. Stop thinking about the past.

  But damn, she’d smelled good, like the wildflowers that grew around the ranch. The creamy tone of her skin flushed with the late summer heat and her lips … Jesus. Shiny and pink, her lips had tempted him to see if that gloss was flavored.

  Which wouldn’t be fair to her.

  Sure, they had history, most of which had been fairly good if he didn’t count the end. That’s how relationships worked, right? Everything was good … until it wasn’t. Only for him and Reese, it’d gone from the most amazing sex of his life, to over in a heartbeat. Or rather, in a phone call.

  They’d never had a chance to actually be a couple.

  Funny how he’d never felt cheated about that until this moment.

  Deciding to leave his feet bare, he pulled the door shut behind him, and with it, closed off his trip down memory lane. The time for him and Reese had passed. He wasn’t looking for another relationship. Not even with her.

  Time didn’t heal shit. It only left deep scars where naiveté and hope once lived.

  He jogged down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. The hub of the house felt as familiar as an old pair of jeans, yet stood unusually quiet since his parents had left.