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Her Secret Army Ranger
by Donna Michaels

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Michaels. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Chapter One

It wasn’t every day Elizabeth Brannigan ate lunch amidst a backdrop of handsome cowboys. Unless you counted her “Hot Cowboy of the Month” office calendar.

This was so much better.

She followed her friend through the sexy scenery ambling about the Braxton fairgrounds in a flurry of Stetsons and tight-fitting Wranglers to a shaded area just left of the entrance where a picnic table nestled under a big oak tree. Most afternoons she polished off a salad as she multitasked behind her desk at Chadwick Events in Austin. For nearly two years the same scenario had played out—Beth did the legwork and her boss, Georgina, jumped in at the last minute to smile, schmooze with the clients, and take the credit.

Not today.

Nope. Today Beth was in charge—of the Stafford wedding, at least—and was having lunch with the bride-to-be. Georgina’s emergency appendectomy ten days ago required weeks of recovery, which left Beth heading to central Texas to oversee the wedding of her childhood friend, Rachel, to one of the mayor’s sons.

A wedding that had just been bumped up nearly four months.

It’s not like her friend had had much choice. Her fiancé’s dad had decided to run for mayor again in the fall, and the summer was shot with Jake lecturing at several medical conferences.

A last-second spring wedding, it is.

“How long will your boss be out?” Rachel asked. Her friend was the reason Chadwick Events had landed the mayor’s account in the first place. The account was not only personal—Beth was in the wedding, too—it was a chance to prove she could handle an event on her own.

“The doctor said four to six weeks,” she replied. “Georgina is already climbing the walls, and it’s only been ten days.” If the two phone calls she received a day were any indication.

“Are you staying longer this time?”

Two weeks ago, before her boss’s surgery, Beth had stopped in to touch base, then headed back home to tie up a few things at work. “Yep. I’m here until after your wedding.”

“The whole twelve days? That’s great!” Rachel beamed. “Why don’t you stay with me? My relatives aren’t going to start arriving until next week. And when they do, we can double up.”

As much as Beth liked spending time with her friend, she didn’t want to play third wheel. Just because Rachel’s fiancé had temporarily moved out until after the wedding didn’t mean the guy stayed away. Hearing the couple getting busy wasn’t her idea of a great time. “That’s sweet of you to offer, but I’m fine at the hotel.”

“I just hate to see you pay for it when I have two spare bedrooms.”

“It’s okay. The company will cover the bill,” she reassured, then deliberately took a bite of her quesadilla in hopes of putting that subject to rest.

Frugal was practically Beth’s middle name. She’d missed many middle school and high school events in order to help her mother save money after her father had died. Her friend knew about all of it and, thankfully, let the subject drop.

Rachel waved a plastic fork at her. “If you change your mind, you know where I live. It’ll be like old times.”

Old times weren’t exactly something Beth wanted to relive. Left with a young daughter and son, and a horse ranch already in arears, her mother had packed them up and moved them in with their grandmother in Austin. Next door to Rachel. While her mother had worked long hours, and her brother worked part time after school to help pay off the mound of debt that followed them, Beth had spent her free time at Rachel’s. A bright spot in a sad chapter of her life.

“…should check out the Roadhouse, since it’s down the block from your hotel.”

At the sound of her friend’s voice, Beth blinked and brought her mind back to the present where it belonged.

“They have line dancing tonight,” Rachel added.

She nodded. “I know.”

Rachel frowned. “You do?”

Whoops. She hadn’t planned on talking about that. “Yeah. Um, I saw it on the sign.” And experienced it firsthand…along with the hunk of a cowboy she’d met there two weekends ago. She’d even invited the guy to her hotel room. Two nights in a row.

It was crazy. She didn’t have sex with strangers. She didn’t do those things. She was responsible and boring and never rocked the boat. Heck, before that cowboy, Beth could count on three fingers how many times she’d had sex. But there was just something about the tall, broad, devilishly handsome man with chiseled features, sexy dimples, and teasing brown gaze. She’d been drawn to him like kittens to cream. He made her laugh and feel good, and for once in her life, she allowed herself to let go and enjoy the moment.

“Are you going to go?” Rachel asked between bites. “Jake and I would come with you, but we have his family dinner thing tonight.”

Going would be a mistake. What if he was there? The hot cowboy was supposed to just be a weekend thing, not a two-weekend thing. Then there was the other side of the coin. What if he was there and wasn’t interested?

Her fragile fledgling wings couldn’t take the rejection.

No. It was best she stay in her hotel room. Going would be stupid. She wasn’t stupid. She would definitely avoid the Roadhouse.

Probably.

Beth shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll probably watch some Netflix on my laptop.”

“I think you should go. In fact, I think you need to go.” Determination firmed her friend’s lips as she set down her fork and cocked her head. “When’s the last time you had any fun?”

Two Sundays ago. To the wee hours of the morning. She’d had so much fun she’d been sore in places she didn’t know existed. A smile tugged her lips. Boy, that man had stamina.

But that was in the past. He was in her past, and she needed to concentrate on her job.

She smiled at her friend. “I’m having fun now. It’s great to spend time with you.”

“I agree. It’s nice to see you again.” Rachel nodded. “But that’s not the kind of fun I’m talking about, and you know it. I’m talking about man fun.”

Not the best time to finish off her bottle of water. Beth choked on the last mouthful, miraculously managing to swallow it down instead of treating Rachel to a shower.

“See? Just mentioning it has you flustered.” Her friend chuckled. “What you need is a good cowboy and a bit of fun. No worrying about money, or work, or your brother beating the crap out of him.”

She winced.

Rachel cocked her head. “I remember that day, too. Not easy to forget Cord and my brother barging in, or how they expedited the departure of our dates.”

Tucker Hanson had been teaching Beth how to French kiss. That was it. The poor kid. He wasn’t pawing at her or anything like that. They were sitting on the couch with their clothes on.

Didn’t matter to Cord.

Beth shuddered as phantom mortification washed over her. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. I was eighteen, but Cord acted like I was twelve.”

He still did, at least when it came to men. No one was good enough. And heaven forbid she should look twice at a military guy. Which made no sense to her. He’d been in the military and had a solid bond with his Ranger buddies. Heck, he’d gone into business with them, so not all military guys could be bad. Still, she often wondered why he’d never brought any of them home, or invited her and her mom to the ranch where he lived, or talked about them by name. He only ever referred to them by nickname—Straight-Shooter, Capicola, Romeo, Nikon, and Falcon, the one who had died.

Was he worried she’d hook up with one of them? She’d never do that to him.

“I had to treat you that way, Lizzie,” Cord said, appearing out of nowhere, using his finely honed ninja skills to scare the beejezus out of her. “Lizzie” was all that kept her from falling out of her seat. Her brother was the only person who called her that.

“Cord!” She sprang to her feet. “You scared me, as usual.”

He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug. “Yeah, and as usual, you never realized the spell you put on the opposite sex, both back then and now.”

She snickered. He was the one who put a spell on the opposite sex. Right now, she caught several women staring at her with envy. Taking advantage of the rare opportunity, Beth gave him another squeeze. “I didn’t know you were going to be in Braxton today.” The ranch he lived on and part owned, At-Ease, was in Joyful, about forty minutes away.

He patted her back. “Neither did I, but we came into some unexpected money, so I’m here with Romeo to check out the livestock auction. He’s parking while I go register.”

There he went with the nicknames again. But if one of them was with him, would she actually get to meet the guy? She barely resisted trying to peek over his shoulder to see if the other man was standing there.

Rachel rose to her feet. “Hi, Cord. It’s great to see you again.”

He released Beth and turned to nod at her friend. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Yes.” Her friend smiled. “The wedding’s in twelve days. You should come. I know my brother would love to catch up with you.”

“Thanks. I’ll try, but that last storm has kept us pretty busy. Foxtrot has jobs lined up for the next few weeks.”

Rachel frowned. “I heard the tornado touched down in Joyful. I hope everyone’s okay.”

Beth had heard that, too, but Cord never let on it was bad. But now she had the impression there was quite a bit more he hadn’t told her. Typical. Her brother always did shield her from trouble. He put the O in overprotective. It was damned annoying.

“Did it hit your ranch?” Beth asked when he didn’t answer.

He shrugged. “The men’s quarters and the barn were damaged. Two other buildings were destroyed.”

Destroyed?

Her heart stopped then rocked in her chest. “Jesus, Cord. You said you were okay. Was anyone hurt?”

The ranch her brother and three of his buddies owned was a place for veterans to stay if they needed time to adjust back into society. The former Rangers also operated a construction company that employed veterans. She knew they’d been working hard to get both off the ground for more than half a year now.

“The men are fine. It’s the buildings that need fixing.”

So did his head.

Her chest squeezed tight. God, they could’ve all been hurt. Or worse. “That’s not all that needs fixing. Quit shutting your family out. This misguided notion of yours that you need to keep us ‘safe’ is ridiculous. And old. Very old.”

He shrugged again. “There wasn’t really anything you could do.”

Didn’t excuse his silence on the matter. “Newsflash—we can take it.” She folded her arms across her chest to keep from throttling him.

“Listen, you can rip me a new one when we meet for lunch on Tuesday.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “But right now, I’ve got to go register before the auction starts.” He turned and tipped his hat to Rachel before disappearing into a sea of cowboys.

No sign of his buddy, Romeo. Rats.

“I see he hasn’t changed much since retiring from the Army.”

She shook her head. “No. He’s just as bullheaded. If his buddies are anything like him, that ranch must ooze testosterone.”

She was glad he’d moved out with his friends, though. He had something to do. A purpose. Losing one of his buddies in combat had changed her brother. His once brilliant green eyes were dark and haunted, and his mouth always seemed set in either a straight line or a scowl.

She missed his smile.

She missed him.

“So, about oozing testosterone and you having fun…” Rachel knocked shoulders with her.

She laughed at her friend’s change of subject as they retook their seats. “Hell would freeze over before Cord ever allowed me to have fun with any of his military buddies. Probably why I’ve never met them or been to his ranch. But I’m not here to have fun. I’m in Braxton to help you finalize everything for your wedding. Like, yesterday.”

Rachel laughed, settling in across from her. “You make it sound like a chore. Okay, yeah, it is. But at least my gown and the bridesmaids’ gowns are picked out, and invitations are sent. We only have the final fitting, and food, and cake, and flowers, and linens, and…” She went a little pale. “Oh my God, there’s still so much to do!”

Beth reached across the table to set a hand on Rachel’s arm. “It’s all right. I’m here to help you take care of all that.” It was going to take a miracle to pull all of it off, but that’s what Beth specialized in—miracles. They’d already had preliminary meetings, and she’d managed to get follow-ups scheduled nearly every day that week. “We’re on schedule. Take a deep breath. We’ll make this fun.”

Her friend took a few deep, cleansing breaths. “Great idea. That’s exactly what we need.” A wicked gleam sparked in Rachel’s blue gaze, sending up a red flag in Beth’s brain. “I know what we should do. Let’s play truth or dare.”

Crud.

Beth drew back and adamantly shook her head. “Let’s not.”

“Come on. We could both use something to lighten things up. So, let’s see…” Her friend’s gaze narrowed as she tapped a finger on her chin. “I can’t help but feel there’s something you’re not telling me about the Roadhouse. The fact you knew about the line dancing has my Spidey sense tingling. So…truth: Did you meet someone there the last time you were in town?”

Damn. She’d forgotten about her friend’s astute superpower. “What are you talking about?”

Rachel’s amused, albeit determined, blue gaze bore deep. “Either tell me the truth about that weekend or take a dare.”

Double damn.

Beth didn’t do dares. Ever. She’d always taken the “truth” option of the game during their adolescence. She couldn’t risk reprimands or hospital bills back then. Not much had changed. But she wasn’t about to reveal her sexy cowboy weekend, either. With a lift of her chin, she held Rachel’s gaze. “Dare.”

The bugger’s grin grew wicked as satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. “I dare you to kiss the next cowboy who walks through the gate.”

Beth gasped. “I can’t do that! What if he’s married?” She jumped to her feet and headed to a nearby trash can to toss her garbage. “Not happening.”

Rachel followed and shrugged. “You have to. You chose dare. But, I’ll amend it to: you have to kiss the next single cowboy who walks through the gate. We’ll watch for wedding rings. And just because you’re not looking doesn’t mean you can ignore the da…amn.” Her friend blinked. “Wow, Beth. I almost wish you’d given me the dare. Turn around and check out your ‘single’ cowboy.”

Without giving her the chance to protest, Rachel grasped Beth’s shoulders and physically turned her to face the gate and one hell of a sexy cowboy. Well over six foot of solid muscle that rippled under a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans hugging lean hips and thighs, the guy oozed hotness she felt with an invisible wave of heat.

Her throat went dry. It was…him. The cowboy from two weeks ago. Seriously? What were the chances he’d walk back into her life at that exact moment? “Uh…”

“I know, right? And there’s not a wedding ring in sight. Now go over there and kiss him.” Her snickering friend pushed her after the hunk striding toward the livestock section of the fair. “Go on before he gets away. Or is that what you wanted?”

She gulped. Pulled herself together. The knowing tone in her friend’s voice revealed she expected Beth to chicken out.

Wrong.

Any other time, yes, she’d lose the dare. It was childish and irresponsible, and she didn’t have time for foolish games. But she did have time to help her friend de-stress. Her friend who was also her client. It was Beth’s duty to put her client at ease. So, technically, it was her duty to kiss the sexy cowboy whose body she knew as well as her own.

That was her story and she was sticking to it.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

Rachel squealed and clapped her hands.

Grasping bravado with two fists, Beth set her shoulders, lifted her chin, and marched after the hot guy striding away from her down the fairway. So what if she’d decided he was part of her past? The opportunity was too good to pass up. Things like this never happened to her.

Zigzagging around fairgoers, she avoided running into two children wearing a blue coating of cotton candy, and closed in on her prey. Her confidence rose with each step. Not only had she received her first ever dare, she was actually in the position to have the upper hand on the challenge.

A flicker of guilt and a touch of anxiety mixed with excitement. She pushed them both aside and smiled when the cowboy suddenly stiffened and came to a halt. It was as if he could feel her presence as sure as she could feel his. Not wanting Rachel to see the guy’s expression, Beth didn’t give him a chance to turn around. She slid in front of him, her anxiety fading at the pleasure curving his mouth into a sexy grin, dimpling his cheeks.

“Hello, Brick,” she said.

Then she cupped his deliciously scruffed jaw, pulled his face down, and kissed the ever loving heck out of him.

Best dare ever.

…

The best damn fantasy Brick Mitchum ever had hit him in the middle of the Braxton fair, of all places…and he was in no hurry for it to end. The gorgeous, green-eyed woman from two weekends ago miraculously appeared out of nowhere and laid a lip-lock on him that sent all the blood storming straight to his crotch.

She had to be a figment of his imagination. How else could he explain how they were both back in Braxton today and happened to bump into each other at the fair in a town of over forty-thousand people? The odds of them being there at the same exact time was not only impossible, it was improbable. It sure as hell wasn’t a coincidence. He didn’t believe in them.

And yet, here she was.

The sweet little thing nibbled and tasted and let out a breathy sigh of pleasure that had him harder than the sledgehammer used in the strongman game down the fairway. Part innocence and part hot-as-hell in a lacey peach sundress, Beth was already halfway to ringing his bell. Doing his best to keep cool and let her run the show, he tried to concentrate on the fact Cord was waiting for him at the auction, but then she went and brushed his bottom lip with her tongue.

During the eleven years he was in the Army—the last eight as a Ranger—Brick had planned and carried out enough missions to know that if you wanted something to happen, you made it happen. And, hell yeah, he was making this happen.

With a low growl, he shoved his hands into her soft caramel-colored waves and held her head while he took over the kiss. Deep, long passes with his tongue brought her essence to him and a soft whimper to her throat. He loved how she clung to his shoulders, practically climbing his body in a show of need that rivaled his own. Brick knew from their hot weekend they had a killer chemistry, but the way this simple kiss morphed out of control in the space of a heartbeat shocked the hell out of him.

All too soon she drew back, staring up at him with heat smoldering in those incredible eyes he hadn’t been able to get out of his head the past two weeks. He’d tried. Oh, he tried. After all, they’d had a fun, no-strings-attached fling. Nothing more. Hell, they hadn’t even exchanged last names. No need. They’d kept it light. Fun. Hot. He might have broken his one-date rule with her, but he wasn’t sticking around Texas. Once the ranch was in the clear and the veterans’ barracks were completed, he was Vegas-bound to work in his former commander’s security firm.

Didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the moment at hand, though.

“Well, hello to you, too.” He grinned as his hands made themselves at home at her waist. They certainly knew every inch of her delectable body. And itched for a reunion. “I’m not complaining, mind you, but what was that for?”

Color increased in her cheeks. “It was a dare.”

A dare?

He raised a brow. The woman was full of surprises. “Someone dared you to kiss me?”

“Sort of. I was supposed to kiss the next cowboy to walk through the gate. I’m just grateful it was you.”

Well, hell. “You were willing to kiss a stranger?”

“No.” She released him completely and stepped back, a flicker of unease clouding her gaze. “I refused until you strode in and I saw an opportunity to make this work to my advantage.”

Normally, he’d turn tail and run like hell the other way from a manipulating female. Not today. No. In fact, he wanted to get closer. Even took a step, which was damn strange. What was wrong with him? He should be annoyed.

He wasn’t.

In fact, he was pleased. Beyond pleased. Hell, judging by the euphoria warming his chest, he’d almost say he was giddy. Who would’ve thought Brick Mitchum was capable of such a girlie emotion? Thank God the guys weren’t around to see him.

A smile pulled at his lips. “Do tell.”

She returned his grin. “My friend doesn’t know you’re not a stranger, so I’m betting her jaw hit the ground when I actually went through with kissing you. And if I’d have had the good sense to keep my eyes open, I would’ve witnessed the phenomenon firsthand. But…you tend to swamp my senses, cowboy.”

He liked the sound of that. “Are you spending the day with your friend at the fair?”

“No.” She shook her head, fidgeting with her purse strap. “I’m in town on more business. I have an appointment this afternoon.”

“Too bad. How about later? Can I take you to dinner tonight?”

The invitation—out before it registered in his brain—was as unexpected as bumping into the enchanting woman. If she said yes, this would be a milestone for Brick. His first ever third date. The crazy thing was, he really wanted her to say yes. He actually wanted to get to know her beyond the bedroom.

Uncharted territory.

Hang on there, Romeo. Do you know what you’re doing?

No.

He watched as the same shock he felt ricocheting through his body rolled over her pretty features—followed by a wave of pleasure, if the reappearance of her smile and flushed cheeks were anything to go by.

She opened her mouth and hesitated, making him rethink the spontaneous invitation, until she nodded. “Okay.”

He let out a breath and grinned. “Is six o’clock good for you?”

“Perfect. I’m staying at the same hotel, but in room 132.”

Nodding, he pulled out his phone, added a new contact then handed it to her. “I have to go, but not before we exchange numbers.”

Another first for him. Brick never let a woman get anywhere near his phone. The last thing he usually wanted was to remain in contact. This time, however, he wanted to keep in touch. Yeah, he wanted a whole lot of touching.

“Okay.” She swapped phones, glanced at the one he handed her and her expression softened. “My Angel? Aw, that’s sweet, cowboy.”

“Yep. Like you.” He took her cell, added his number, and then handed it back.

Her gaze dropped to her screen again, and she grinned. “Secret Cowboy, huh?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He winked. “Well, I’d better get to that auction before my buddy starts spitting bullets.”

Or demands my head on a platter.

“And I need to get back to my friend before she becomes suspicious. See ya later, Secret Cowboy.” She shoved her phone in her purse and walked away.

Hot damn, that woman sure knew how to walk away. That pretty peach sundress hit her curves in just the right spots as she swayed. He hoped she wore it for their date, because he was going to spend the whole afternoon fantasizing about removing the frilly thing from her sweet body…with his teeth.

Giving his head a shake to clear his mind, he rushed to the auction. Cord would definitely be wondering what happened to him. Brick didn’t care. The guy didn’t need him to bid on a horse—he knew more about them than anyone at the ranch.

A few moments later, he caught up to Cord walking in a busy pathway from the stalls to the auction arena. “Something catch your eye?”

Without slowing his steps, his buddy glanced sideways at him. “Yeah, and I’m guessing same goes, or are you this late because you decided to park in Oklahoma?”

Brick fell into step alongside him and grinned. “Can I help it if I’m irresistible?”

“Full of shit, too. That’s why your eyes are brown.”

He chuckled. “You’re just jealous.”

Cord snorted, his normally tight lips twitching. “Not hardly. I’m here to find a horse, not a woman.”

“That’s too bad, cowboy.” A stacked redhead winked, sauntering up to his buddy to set a hand on his chest. “I’d be happy to save a horse and ride you.”

Brick laughed. Not because it was a great line, but because of the expression on Cord’s face, stuck somewhere between shocked and foolishly uninterested. It was a shame. His buddy needed to lighten up. Let loose.

Get laid.

Ever the diplomat, Cord detangled himself from under the woman’s clutches and tipped his hat. “Thanks, but I really am just here to find a horse.”

“If you change your mind, give me a call.” She swiped the pen sticking out of Cord’s shirt pocket and scribbled her number across his buddy’s palm. “I promise I’m a lot more fun in bed than any horse.” With that parting remark, she returned the pen and walked away.

What was with the females at the fair today? Brick glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Maybe Beth’s friend.

“What are you looking for?”

“Just wondering if someone put her up to that.”

“Guess you’re not the only one women find irresistible.” Cord shoulder-checked him on his way toward the crowd funneling into the arena. “Come on. The auction starts in five minutes.”

He caught up to his scowling buddy. “No, it’s not that. I’m wondering if it was a dare.”

“A dare?” Cord glanced sideways at him like he had two heads.

How much was he willing to disclose? He settled on truth with a side of vague. “Yeah. That’s why I was late. A woman ran up to me and kissed me and said it was a dare.”

Cord stopped dead and blinked, then a second later his head snapped back as he laughed his fool head off. Brick nearly tripped over his own feet. He hadn’t seen his friend full-out laugh in so long he’d forgotten what it sounded like. It was great to hear. Damn great.

Although, he probably should be offended.

“Not sure it was that funny. In fact, it was hot.” He left Mr. Chuckles and sprinted up a set of bleachers to a great observation spot at the top.

“Hot, huh?” Cord settled next to him.

“Yeah.”

“Then why the hell are you here with me?”

“She had work.” He grinned. “But I’m taking her out to dinner later.”

Cord nodded as he surveyed the arena. “Didn’t figure you’d blow the opportunity.”

“It’s not like that.” Brick eyed the guy, wondering how much of the truth he was ready to reveal. His feelings for Beth were…strange. And strong. He didn’t understand them.

“Oh?” Cord turned that shrewd gaze on him again. “What exactly is it like?”