Liam. It’s me. Claire.”
“Hi, babe. Why are you phoning the work line? Isn’t our regular line working?”
She had all their contact numbers in case of an emergency.
“Yes. I’ve just looked in the local paper, and the funny thing is, you didn’t tell me you were advertising for a housekeeper.”
He chuckled on the other line. “The decision was kind of last minute. Why? Are you applying?”
Her body came to life with the deep way he spoke. Just from hearing him talk, a bolt of heat went straight through her body, warming her from the inside out. Her nipples got hard, and her pussy creamed just from the sound of his voice. Shane had the same effect on her. If only her two best friends could see past the tomboy in her.
“You know I can cook. I get along with your ranch hands. I’d be brilliant for the position.” She wasn’t blowing her own horn. She was simply stating the facts as she saw them.
Good cook, check.
Gets along with ranch workers, check.
Completely bored with her own life and in need of a little more excitement, check.
Okay, being on a ranch cooking and cleaning wasn’t the best excitement in the world. However, a bunch of sexy muscled men to watch and serve food to had to be better than putting tins of paint on shelves. Surely.
“Could you handle Shane and me being your bosses? You’d have to do everything we said. Everything. ”
Claire ignored his suggestive tone. She knew Liam liked to tease, and he never meant anything by it.
“Since the time we could go off and do our own stuff, I’ve been taking orders from the pair of you. Working for you won’t be much different.” She smiled as she heard him laughing on the phone.
“This won’t be the same, sweetheart. I can promise you that.”
She glanced around at the busy street and wondered how many other people would apply. “Has the job been filled?”
His laughter stopped instantly.
“Tell you what. Why don’t you come around and we’ll have a test run. You can cook for the workers and us and then we’ll let you know.” The laughter and humor had gone from the conversation. Claire missed it. Had it been something she said?
“I’d like that.”
“I’ll get Shane to drive into town and pick you up.” They arranged the details, and she phoned the shop to let them know she would be taking a personal day. Her fingers were crossed that it would be longer than a day.
She stood by the parking spot that she and Liam had agreed upon. About an hour later, Shane rolled up in his red truck with lots of mud down the sides. The window was rolled down, and she guessed it was from the massive heat. It looked like summer in Long Mead was going to be a harsh one.
“Get in,” he ordered.
Without questioning his attitude, Claire opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat. Her bag on the floor, she buckled her seat belt.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
She glanced over and saw the stern look on his face. Out of all of them, Shane had grown to become the most serious. She swallowed past the lump in her throat as she remembered he was so stern.
Cutting off the thought, she nodded her head. “I’m sure. Unless you’re not stocked up with the food needed to feed you guys?” she teased, and tried to make the conversation light.
“We’ve got a well-stocked fridge, freezer, and cupboards.”
Staring out the window seemed to be the best option. Ever since that disastrous night six years ago when she was seventeen, Shane had done everything to make sure he wasn’t alone with her. Being in the truck was the first time since then they’d been alone.
“Why have you decided to get a housekeeper? I thought you liked the bachelor freedom?” Claire didn’t want to bring up the events of that night, so taking the conversation to more neutral territory seemed the best idea.
“The boys have gotten tired of us serving burned stew, and they don’t ever get a decent slice of cake. When Liam or myself are in
“Hi, babe. Why are you phoning the work line? Isn’t our regular line working?”
She had all their contact numbers in case of an emergency.
“Yes. I’ve just looked in the local paper, and the funny thing is, you didn’t tell me you were advertising for a housekeeper.”
He chuckled on the other line. “The decision was kind of last minute. Why? Are you applying?”
Her body came to life with the deep way he spoke. Just from hearing him talk, a bolt of heat went straight through her body, warming her from the inside out. Her nipples got hard, and her pussy creamed just from the sound of his voice. Shane had the same effect on her. If only her two best friends could see past the tomboy in her.
“You know I can cook. I get along with your ranch hands. I’d be brilliant for the position.” She wasn’t blowing her own horn. She was simply stating the facts as she saw them.
Good cook, check.
Gets along with ranch workers, check.
Completely bored with her own life and in need of a little more excitement, check.
Okay, being on a ranch cooking and cleaning wasn’t the best excitement in the world. However, a bunch of sexy muscled men to watch and serve food to had to be better than putting tins of paint on shelves. Surely.
“Could you handle Shane and me being your bosses? You’d have to do everything we said. Everything. ”
Claire ignored his suggestive tone. She knew Liam liked to tease, and he never meant anything by it.
“Since the time we could go off and do our own stuff, I’ve been taking orders from the pair of you. Working for you won’t be much different.” She smiled as she heard him laughing on the phone.
“This won’t be the same, sweetheart. I can promise you that.”
She glanced around at the busy street and wondered how many other people would apply. “Has the job been filled?”
His laughter stopped instantly.
“Tell you what. Why don’t you come around and we’ll have a test run. You can cook for the workers and us and then we’ll let you know.” The laughter and humor had gone from the conversation. Claire missed it. Had it been something she said?
“I’d like that.”
“I’ll get Shane to drive into town and pick you up.” They arranged the details, and she phoned the shop to let them know she would be taking a personal day. Her fingers were crossed that it would be longer than a day.
She stood by the parking spot that she and Liam had agreed upon. About an hour later, Shane rolled up in his red truck with lots of mud down the sides. The window was rolled down, and she guessed it was from the massive heat. It looked like summer in Long Mead was going to be a harsh one.
“Get in,” he ordered.
Without questioning his attitude, Claire opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat. Her bag on the floor, she buckled her seat belt.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
She glanced over and saw the stern look on his face. Out of all of them, Shane had grown to become the most serious. She swallowed past the lump in her throat as she remembered he was so stern.
Cutting off the thought, she nodded her head. “I’m sure. Unless you’re not stocked up with the food needed to feed you guys?” she teased, and tried to make the conversation light.
“We’ve got a well-stocked fridge, freezer, and cupboards.”
Staring out the window seemed to be the best option. Ever since that disastrous night six years ago when she was seventeen, Shane had done everything to make sure he wasn’t alone with her. Being in the truck was the first time since then they’d been alone.
“Why have you decided to get a housekeeper? I thought you liked the bachelor freedom?” Claire didn’t want to bring up the events of that night, so taking the conversation to more neutral territory seemed the best idea.
“The boys have gotten tired of us serving burned stew, and they don’t ever get a decent slice of cake. When Liam or myself are in