One to Love Read online

  Today—more specifically, this minute—she wanted sexy casual. Not her usual ragtag, untidy and disheveled casual. No, this should be more a controlled kind of casual that could make Jesse look twice.

  Impressing wasn’t the goal. The man worked for her. He needed to impress her. However, there was that bit of reality, in which her attraction to him expanded the longer she was in his company and was bleeding over into the quiet moments when he wasn’t around. In those times, she relied on memories of him in his T-shirt that showed off his bared sinewy arms. Despite the dark-colored T-shirts that he chose to wear, the outlines of his ripped body weren’t difficult to discern. Muscles along his back stretched and contracted as he worked, and she spied. Occasionally, he’d bend to pick up a plank of wood and she’d need to take a deep breath. His behind was firm and tight and outlined by relaxed, fitted jeans. If he looked this sumptuous with clothes on, he had to be rocking it without a stitch. And when those thoughts entered her mind, she’d retreat from her hiding spot to head back to her side of the fence.

  Belinda dressed, opting for black jeans and a black T-shirt. So much for spicing things up. But she didn’t want to look pressed for his attention. She didn’t have a public notice of a man vacancy that needed to be filled. And she wouldn’t be trolling her workplace for such candidates, no matter how handsome they were. This was strictly a window-shopping, eye-candy event that her cousins would endorse, maybe even participate in, if they were here.

  Except for Dana. Her romance with Kent had been a battle of the wills with a beautiful ending. She sighed. One day she wanted to fall just as hard for the right man. Nothing kept her from thinking that it wouldn’t happen. But with her business and most of her time spent on the property, she didn’t stand much chance of meeting someone.

  “Heck, the man would have to come rolling into my life like tumbleweed and knock me off my feet,” she remarked to her reflection in the mirror.

  The man—Jesse. Rolled in—as substitute contractor. Blew her off said feet—every damn day and night. Waking up sexually hot and frustrated, only to finish off the job with some self-loving, wasn’t how she wanted to segue from dreams to reality. She wanted complete satisfaction from the real deal and not from batteries and a vibrator. All she had to do was picture Jesse standing stark naked, only in his construction boots, and her body sprung into meltdown mode.

  Belinda fluffed out her hair and gave it free rein to fall on her shoulders. Not wanting to look staged or pressed for his attention, she opted for no makeup. The black legging jeans hugged her body in all the right places, especially with her T-shirt tucked in. She stood in profile and nodded in approval at what she saw. The right bra pushed up her boobs. All outward assets were on display. She smiled. Time to go play.

  She headed from her house with two cold bottles of beer. Trying to pretend that she didn’t want to see him was stupid. She was a grown woman. A horny grown woman.

  If things had the right flow, she’d talk to Jesse about the job, discover what his plans were along the way and find out if there were any unforeseen issues about the riding ring that she needed to know, sooner than later. That would take care of the business side of things. Then she could take a spin on the personal side.

  Her walk took her past the office. She had to fight the urge to go in and work. Mounds of paperwork sat on her desk awaiting her attention. Grants had to be written. Supporters of her cause had to be contacted to transition them from interested individuals to donors. After several long days of nonstop activity, her body was in a state of rebellion with constant headaches, muscle pain and trouble focusing.

  It took Tawny jumping on her soapbox and laying down the bit of common sense that if she wasn’t functioning at one hundred percent, the dream that she wished to fulfill could be compromised. Taking her friend’s advice, she had shut off her computer and promised to rest over the weekend. Prowling after Jesse might not be considered R & R.

  As she got closer to the stable, the sound of hammering grew louder. Since she didn’t see Jesse in the riding ring, she figured he was in the stable working. With the particularly warm day, she didn’t blame him for seeking the shade, even though the humidity was pushing her limits to stay outdoors. The last thing that she wanted to resemble was a soggy black crayon. Maybe she should have gone for a brighter color.

  Music with a mixture of Latin and hip-hop beats played from an unknown source. It was not blasting, but played at a comfortable volume to accompany his industrious undertaking. It took a good minute for her eyes to adjust to the dark interior before she proceeded ahead. She also didn’t want to surprise him while he handled any dangerous equipment.

  The hammering stopped and the nail gun went to work along two planks of wood. Good to see that he could work just as hard without her hovering, a point he made sure of telling her after he kept running into her. However, part of her hovering had a serious edge. She wasn’t one to rely on words and good intentions. Not when it involved her project.

  Action spoke volumes. Her heart picked up its hard beat in reaction to the fluid movement of Jesse at work. How could she behave without the slight shiver of excitement? More than her heart reacted. Her body stood at attention, nipples budded to hard peaks, hot desire awakening deep in her belly, the hidden juncture between her legs moistening with its sensual dew.

  Jesse worked with his back toward her. One additional detail caused a hitch in her breathing. He worked in only his pants. Although he stood partly in the shadows, enough light from the window on the upper deck of the barn filtered down in a dusty arc to show off his physique.

  Not a sound. Not an exhalation. She did nothing to give away her presence...yet. Admirers in a museum had the time to ponder, analyze and soak in notable statues. What her attention fastened on—his body—certainly could be mounted on a pedestal. It was bold, unique and powerful with the sheen of sweat that enhanced the curves and cut of his muscles.

  Watching the perfectly created male model, she wanted to drink in the maple-brown hue of his skin tone. That suffused light added a majestic touch to his physique during the moments when he didn’t move. As he surveyed his work, his body remained still, his profile strong and manly; a quiet stately aura of strength and power settled on him.

  Belinda placed one of the cold beer bottles against her cheek and then her forehead. This hot flash had nothing to do with weather conditions. Every inch of him could have been sculpted as the epitome of male beauty. Wide, toned shoulders anchored the body with a tapered line to his waist and hips. Her gaze slid down, slow and appreciative, to settle at his waist.

  Not only did her gaze land on the lower half of his body, it lingered. Faded, worn jeans hung with a sexy drape on his hips. The edge of the waistband showed off the brand of his underwear. Not a designer tag. The revelation worked for her. He was a man who chose simple and solid for his basic needs.

  Her mind had wandered to a what-if scenario. What if, under different circumstances, they found each other attractive? What if they acted on the impulse to hang out, catch a movie or visit a bar?

  The beer bottles clinked together. Her hands had moved involuntarily, broadcasting her presence.

  He spun around, hammer in hand like a weapon...like Thor’s hammer, only human-size.

  “Hi, Jesse.” Belinda held up the beers.

  He took the beer without hesitation, and saluted her before taking a long swallow.

  On the outside, she bore down on herself to remain cool and unaffected. On the inside, her nervous system remained at a heady spike that ran rampant without an emergency exit for the much-needed release.

  He grinned. “I’m impressed. You knew exactly what I needed.”

  Where was this man’s shirt? She tried not to fan her face. Play it cool. The only way she could manage any kind of conversation would be to avert her eyes. Impossible. She did try to not look at him. Off to the side o
f his face, there was a tiny scar between his eyelid and brow. Right there, she pinned her focus. Otherwise, looking into those deep, distant eyes was a bit like staring into the sun—a blinding, enthralling moment that didn’t release any secrets.

  Now closer, she not only saw the flawless beauty of his skin, but also the matching physique of his front. If only she could touch, trace with her fingertips, the sleek athleticism born for the arduous job of running up and down a soccer field.

  “Did you need something?” he prompted.

  I want you to stop asking me questions that you really don’t want the answers to. Well, that’s what she’d like to say. Instead, she replied, “Taking a break...from taking a break. I’m supposed to relax and give the brain a rest this weekend.” She rolled her eyes. “Per Tawny’s persuasion.”

  “I’ve only been here two weeks, but from where I stand, I’d say you do deserve a break.” He grabbed his T-shirt, which was hanging on the edge of a plank of wood.

  Good, cover up that hot temptation before she sank into a puddle of drool. But damn, she didn’t want the live feature to end.

  “Oh, please, you don’t have to put it on for my account.” She waved away any notion of prudish sensibilities. She’d much rather watch the washboard abs do their dance to accompany his movements.

  “It got hot,” he explained in an apologetic tone. In one smooth movement, the T-shirt slid in place, covering up what she instantly missed after the short time span.

  “How are things in general?” She tried to refocus and worked to pull in general safe topics.

  “Pretty good. Things are pretty much going as planned. I may need to bring in a few hands to do the heavy job of adding more fencing. You said that you wanted to open the ring.”

  Belinda nodded. “I want various rings. I want several clients at a time to be able to ride in their respective areas.”

  “Cool. You know, I have to say that it really helped going to Sunny Dale to see their setup. I’d heard of horse-riding therapy. Had no idea how much work it took to run the place. To see those kids and the trainers, the horses...it was such a team effort. I was blown away by it all.” He wiped his hands on a towel. His gaze was downcast; his voice dropped to just above a whisper. “Sunny Dale has two people at the top in its operations. I hate to state the obvious, but there is one of you.”

  “Yeah, I hear that constantly. I think about it even more.” Belinda hoisted herself onto a bundled set of wooden planks. “All it means is that I have to start smaller, slower. I have to be smart about everything. Nothing new when it comes to running a business, right? You’ll see when you take over from Ed.”

  “My dad will be head of Santiago and Sons Construction for a long time. No complaints here. Still have to figure out what I’m doing. Right now, I’m only following orders.” He looked down at his hands where a few Band-Aids covered several cuts.

  “Please. You are the expert negotiator when you want things your way. Don’t think I don’t know when you’re twisting my arm,” Belinda teased.

  “I’m simply getting you to think of different approaches.”

  She grunted in agreement.

  “You can’t deny that adding an indoor ring wouldn’t be a bad idea?”

  “I wouldn’t argue to a lot of your suggestions, except those adjustments add thousands of dollars to my bottom line.”

  “But in the long run, you’ll enjoy my wise counsel.” He chuckled when she blew a raspberry.

  “I’ve doubted myself over this project for a while now and probably will continue to do so, to some extent. But I feel, in my heart, this is the right thing for me to do.”

  “Good for you. You’ve got spunk. I like a woman that will take charge and conquer a hill or two.” He raised his bottle and she tapped the neck of hers with his. They synchronized their long swigs in her honor.

  With such a rousing compliment, Belinda felt as if she could stay perched on her hard resting place and watch this man for the entire length of the afternoon. Her face still held its blush. Looking at him continue to drink and talk about what he was working on, she wanted to figure out this man. Figure out the real reason for his break from soccer. Figure out what brought him home. Even if he’d left of his own accord, he didn’t have to come here. She couldn’t imagine that he didn’t leave a heartbreak or two in his wake. Belinda wanted to believe that his single status was legit.

  She asked, “Why did you come to work today? On a weekend?”

  He walked to the doorway and looked out. “It’s quiet here. You’re not close to the main roads. There isn’t the mad crush of people.” He slowly turned to face her. “The view is breathtaking.” A sexy smile turned into that familiar cocky grin.

  Attraction...from him? Dare she hope?

  “Plus, I’m not doing anything at home. So, why not?” He shrugged and approached, stopping inches before her. “And I’m not sure if I’ve made it to your good side, as yet.”

  “I thought we had ironed out the ripples. And therefore, we’re good.” Belinda had never thought that he could think she was offended or still held some misgivings. The man was too quiet for his own good.

  “The kiss...?” He wound the towel in his hand. Worry creased his brow.

  “I’d say it was a 9.25.”

  “Huh!”

  She explained in a lighthearted tone, “Technique was good—”

  “Good?” He shook his head. “You were moaning as soon as our lips touched. That’s more than good.”

  “Fine. Excellent. Delivery, exceptional. Follow-through...didn’t really maximize.”

  “Not my fault. You were the hungry one who had to go in the restaurant.”

  “And no follow-up. No information on what to do for a repeat performance.” Belinda licked her lips. Even though she teased, she did expect him to play to his bad-boy image. Instead, he was the perfect gentleman.

  “Well...I’ll take that under advisement.” He paused as if considering the situation. “I didn’t want to have to hope that you wouldn’t kick me off the job.”

  She shook her head. Obviously, their tentative approaches dampened the impulse to go after what they both had felt. Well, she didn’t need a do-over. Simply a continuation would suffice.

  “You said that there wasn’t anyone waiting. Kind of hard to believe. You know that you’re a triple threat.”

  “Triple?”

  “Good looks. Multitalented. Successful.” Belinda counted off on her fingers.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Marriage material. On some woman’s internet board, you’re pinned to it under fantasies that may come true.”

  Jesse laughed hard. After several seconds, he shook his head. “Trust me. I’m free and clear.”

  She melted.

  “Playing soccer didn’t afford the time for dating. I’m not claiming to be an angel. But I’m a careful person when it comes to entanglements. And I check character references.”

  “How many references do you normally need?”

  “Two. If I need more, then something isn’t quite right, don’t you think?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve never done character references. But my dating schedule has been pretty empty.”

  “And did you come to regret those dating experiences?”

  She thought about her most recent past relationship. A character reference would have saved her much agony. “What if you already know the person? You see them every day.”

  “Like a friend?”

  “Not sure if that’s the status. But hopefully it’s much closer to friend than to enemy.”

  “Then a reference is optional. A simple test could help determine the go-ahead status.” He took hold of both wrists. “May I?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m skipping the refer
ence part.”

  “But you only ask for references if you are interested in the person.” Belinda looked down at Jesse’s hands circled around her wrists.

  “That’s right.” He paused. “I’m interested. Very interested.” His announcement was barely above a whisper, an intimate declaration that left him and zeroed in straight on her heart.

  “So am I,” she gushed with a shy smile. “Interested. Very.”

  “You answered truthfully.” He released her wrists.

  She stroked the small area that had been covered by his hands. If he only knew that he’d opened a door that she might not be able to close.

  “I’m going to get back to work.” He lightly flipped her hair away from her face. “And you’re going to head back and relax.”

  She licked her lips. Everything was dry.

  “And then I’ll get cleaned up and pick you up to head out to dinner.”

  “Okay. But allow me to show off my culinary skills. Why don’t you come over for dinner?” She waited. The train had left the station and she had taken a seat in first class to enjoy the ride with all the perks.

  “May I?” He took the last step before standing in her spot.

  “May you...what?” She desperately needed that drink.

  “Kiss you.”

  She nodded. “Kiss me.”

  Before he could make the first move, she took hold of his head. Gentle, even if excited, she pulled him toward her and kissed him. A simple act of pressing mouth against mouth. The chaste kiss had enough impact to rock her to the core.

  “Lady, for once, let me lead.” He spoke softly against her mouth.

  “My bad. All yours.”

  “Hush.” This time, his hands were the guides, holding her head still. His body fit between her legs. Her chin raised under the power of his finger. “Close your eyes.”

  She complied as the gap between their faces gradually closed.