Eight Seconds (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  He set his glass down gently and looked at Danielle. He could tell not answering right away was getting the better of her. He acted nonchalantly, like it was an ordinary conversation. Yeah, he liked to watch her squirm. If he were a betting man, he’d bet that between her legs she was slick, wet, and craving him. Oh, that was so not the thing to think about. Make her squirm, dumbass.

  J.C.’s lip curled into a smile. “Yes, that’s a very appropriate name for such an intimate…friend,” he said then lightly moistened his lips. “I named my cock G.I. Joe.” He winked and picked up his fork carefully.

  Will looked shocked for a moment then grinned.

  Danielle choked on her tea and tried to recuperate with a quick “Uh-huh.” A smile played on her lips, and she began to giggle. “Why in the world would you name it…something so, silly?” Her giggling quickly subsided when J.C. slowly slid his fork from between his luscious lips. Just watching him sent her into a spiral. Heat radiated from her pussy as she replayed the word cock rolling off his tongue.

  “Oh, doll, his name isn’t silly,” J.C. drawled. “He’s always ready for action, and he stands tall and proud.” He paused and smiled. “He’s always ready for service and never gets stuck in tight places.” He emphasized “tight” seductively then winked. “Never shies from danger and has more stamina than ten average men.” With all that said, he winked again and continued to eat.

  Stacy busted out with a loud, uneasy laugh as Will nervously smiled as well. Danielle trembled inside but refused to let J.C. see exactly how he affected her. She forked her omelet and smiled. “Interesting.”

  J.C. grinned. Damn she was good. He almost believed her when she closed her eyes and smiled so seductively. Her tongue lightly licked her bottom lip. Ouch. He’d been sure the whole made-up story about G.I. Joe would rattle her. Didn’t seem that was the case though. All she’d said was interesting. He needed to get away from her or get better at his game. Currently, the score was Danielle one, J.C. zip.

  Chapter Four

  Danielle shifted her dad’s tractor into gear and headed toward the hay field. She smiled as the sun shone down on her. This was her favorite time of year. The smell of fresh cut hay wafted through the air while the warm breeze soothed her soul.

  There seemed to be something so spiritual about working the land. The tractor hummed and vibrated underneath her as she eased through the gate with the hay rake. She kicked the idle up and began the task of raking the hay into windrows to dry.

  The air was a little humid, and the temperature bordered on ninety with a breeze. It was perfect hay weather and a much needed break from everything for Danielle.

  Out in the hay field was a time for reflection and thinking. Today she’d chosen to just enjoy and allow her mind to go blank.

  Hours passed, and Danielle lost track of time. She was peaceful and at ease, time of no consequence. When her father rang her cell, she jumped.

  “Yes, Dad,” Danielle answered. “Okay, pick me up.”

  It was lunchtime. She hadn’t felt hungry before, but when her father mentioned food, her stomach instinctively growled. Her mother’s cooking was fantastic, and it would sure beat the microwave dinners she’d been eating lately in the dorm.

  Danielle hopped in the truck with her dad and smiled. She had missed him so much. She had missed times like these, working on the farm with him and having lunch with both her parents. She felt blessed and lucky to have the parents she did. The thought of leaving saddened her somewhat. She would miss everything, but home reminded her of heartbreak and the one person she’d never have. J.C. was a part of the porch swing she sat in daydreaming about him. His image flashed in her mind while watching the bulls graze. He was everywhere in spirit. He floated in the breeze through the shade trees. He was also the driver of every truck that drove by her house. She had other reasons, and they made perfect sense.

  For starters, if she stayed and worked at a county hospital, she would see friends and family. It would be hard to not become emotionally involved in their care. In a big city, she could stay emotionally detached and do her job. It just made sense. She didn’t need to add extra stress to the already stressful nature of nursing.

  Those were the reasons she used to explain her desire for flight from here. In truth, she was running from J.C. and anything that could remind her of him. It was painfully obvious he was up for a romp in the hay, but she wanted more than that. And he was not able to give more to her.

  “You all right, sweet pea?” Dean asked.

  “Yeah, great.” Danielle lied. Today had been great. She had forgotten how much she loved the country life. But it inhibited good decision-making. This would definitely be hard for her to leave.

  After lunch, Danielle finished up her raking and headed to the house to shower. The hay was drying, and with the wind whipping up the dust, she was coated in dirt. It clung to her sunblock and made her skin feel gritty.

  The best part of getting dirty and working on the farm was the ability to clean up afterward. Nothing could beat a hard day’s work, no matter how sweaty or dirty she became. It was rewarding.

  Danielle’s cell phone rang as she towel-dried her hair. Before she could say hello, Stacy was already talking. “Whoa, what?” she said to interrupt Stacy.

  “This weekend, I’m asking you to go, actually begging you to go with me to the Evans Ranch for their annual picnic and party,” Stacy squealed.

  “No, no way,” Danielle said adamantly. She actually had a peaceful day and hadn’t thought about what’s his name very much until now. Thanks, Stacy.

  “Oh, please, you’ve got to come. I can’t go by myself. Besides, this is a big deal. I haven’t met his parents before, and I’m nervous…Ya know meeting parents is a big deal, a semi-serious big deal,” Stacy said, pleading her case.

  Danielle shook her head and tossed her towel into the hamper. Damn, this had disaster written all over it and possibly more heartache or, to be more precise, added sexual frustration.

  “Stacy, I’d rather not. There’s just too much history between me and J.C., I don’t know if I can be around him for two days.”

  “You won’t. There will be so many people there you won’t have to be around him. We are staying at the main house. J.C. and Will have their own places on the ranch, so that isn’t a problem,” Stacy explained.

  Danielle laughed. “So you mean to say I will be staying at the main house. I know where you will be staying, and it won’t be with me.”

  “Uh, you got me…I would of course want to stay with Will, but I wouldn’t want his parents to know. I might look like a bimbo. Oh wait, I am.” Stacy laughed. “I would stay at the main house with you just to get you to come though,” she added in her sweetest voice.

  Danielle paced her room, contemplating the repercussions of the weekend. Maybe the best way to deal with her heart was to allow it to break wide open. Then, she could patch it up and finally forget and move on.

  “All right…you know I must love you an awful lot, you little shit.” Danielle giggled.

  “Ah, that’s the nicest thing you have ever said to me.” Stacy laughed again. “I promise you’ll have fun, really.”

  Yeah, right.

  Danielle figured she might as well go, for Stacy and all. What else did she have going on anyway? The hay would easily be finished by Thursday. She supposed she could go work on fences and other odds and ends instead. Right, then she’d paint the house and mow the yard.

  “Oh, I forgot.” Stacy gasped into the phone. “Remember Dave Wilkins?”

  “Yeah, what about him?” Danielle asked, confused at the new conversation.

  “Oh, well, he has a band now, and they are really good. He’s playing at Charlie’s on Wednesday. Ya know it’s Hump Day Wednesdays at Charlie’s.”

  Yeah, Hump Day Wednesdays equaled Hurt Day Thursdays. After her little spell Saturday night, she was in no hurry to repeat it right away.

  “Uh, well, I…” Danielle started but was quickly interrupted.


  “No, you promised me a summer full of fun before you take off and become all responsible. You’re going on Wednesday, so be ready,” Stacy said in her most stern voice but ended up laughing before she completed her sentence.

  “Yeah, I know. Sorry, I think I’m tired from haying today.”

  “Well, you get rested up. I have to help around here tomorrow, but I will see ya Wednesday.”

  “Okay, love ya, sis.” Danielle tried to sound a little more upbeat.

  After spending some long overdue time with her parents, Danielle excused herself to go to bed. Ten o’clock was early compared to the hours she had kept at the university studying for her finals, but the weight of everything these last few days had her dragging her rear up the stairs.

  Danielle lay in bed quietly watching how the moonlight played across her room. Peace at last. She pulled her grandmother’s quilt up around her chin and sighed as her head sank into her feather pillow.

  Soon she began to nod off, but before she could fall into a deep sleep, her cell beeped, alerting her to a new message. She opened her eyes with irritation. She figured it was Stacy with some new gossip or something equally unimportant.

  Danielle retrieved her phone off the nightstand and flipped it open.

  Are you naked?

  Confused, she looked at the number, figuring Stacy was messing with her. Not Stacy’s number. Must be a mistake, she thought. Someone must have sent the message to the wrong number, her number. She closed the phone and ignored it. They would figure it out sooner or later. She lay back down and got comfortable again.

  The cell beeped again, and Danielle smacked her quilt in irritation. “Oh for the love of it,” she growled and picked the phone up again to read the new message.

  I asked, are you naked?

  Danielle let out a louder growl in frustration. She was tired, wanted to sleep, and didn’t have time for this.

  She texted back.

  I think you have the wrong #.

  Within seconds, beep, beep.

  No, I don’t. Are you naked?

  Who in the world was texting her?

  Danielle punched the keys. Look, asshole, I have had a long day. Furthermore, it is none of your business. Goodnight.

  Beep, beep.

  It may be none of my business, but I still want to know. J.C.

  Danielle read his words then gasped. “Asshole,” she breathed out. “Doesn’t he get the message? I’m not some conquest, nor do I plan to jump in his bed so he can forget me tomorrow.”

  She needed to stick to her tactics, her well laid out plan to aggravate him as much as he did her. Out of all the people she knew, he was the only one that could get under her skin, and she needed to repay the favor.

  Danielle crafted her text.

  I love to sleep naked and feel the satiny sheets rub against my body. When I move, they tickle my breasts and cause my nipples to peak. It makes me think impure thoughts, dirty thoughts. Thank goodness I have Romeo. By the way, Mr. Eight Seconds, this is one body you won’t be seeing. Now goodnight.

  J.C. smiled and closed his phone. His dick now moved to the setting of “hard as steel.” Nice work, Danielle.

  Secretly he was becoming very jealous of Romeo. He headed for the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. He would break down her ice barrier, and when she warmed back up to him, he would show her just how off she was about eight seconds. And she would also learn that, no, a vibrator could not replace a man. Well, more accurately, a vibrator could not replace him.

  J.C. vowed he would make love to her continuously for hours. Make her forget anyone that might have taken up residence in her mind. She would be his completely when he was finished with her. The only name that would cross her lips would be his, and when she screamed out his name, she would do so with delight and satisfaction flushing in her cheeks.

  * * * *

  The next morning, Danielle woke up groggy. She had tossed and turned all night, thinking and dreaming about what’s his name. Like not giving him a name would work, but she would use any method she could.

  The description of G.I. Joe kept her up mind busy for quite some time until exhaustion set in. After that she had a myriad of dreams with J.C. as the star.

  When her phone rang, she abruptly answered with a loud, “What?”

  “Wow, did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed, sis?” Stacy teased on the other end.

  “Oh, Stacy, sorry.”

  “I’m not even going to ask. I just called to say good morning. It’s Tuesday, which means only one more day until Hump Day Wednesday and three days until I get to see my man. Oh, I can’t wait,” Stacy squealed.

  “Ah, I see,” Danielle noted. “Why don’t you go see him during the week if you miss him so much?”

  “I would normally, but they are busy with some ranch business, big deal of some sort. Anyway, I thought it would be better if I didn’t distract him. Ya know I’m good at distracting people.”

  “Yes, I know that too well,” Danielle agreed.

  “Well, sis, I’ll see ya tomorrow. I got to go.”

  Stacy abruptly ended the conversation.

  “See ya,” Danielle said then shut her phone and fell back onto her pillow. Her acting skills needed to improve considerably if she planned on staying at the Evans Ranch. At the rate she was going, she would soon slip up and throw herself willingly into J.C.’s arms.

  Well, the hay wasn’t going to bale itself, she quickly decided, plus they had two other fields to cut and bale this week, and it was already Tuesday. Danielle eased out of bed slowly.

  The good news was the weather for the next five days was expected to be clear and sunny, so this was one of those “strike while the iron is hot” situations. Then again, if they didn’t finish up the hay, she might be able to get out of the weekend trip with Stacy. She smiled then quickly frowned. She wouldn’t do that to Stacy, although it was a comforting thought.

  After breakfast, Danielle nearly ran to the tractor to get some peace and quiet. Her mother had poked and prodded about her job plans at the table. Danielle hated to tell her mother that she had applied to larger hospitals and most were over a hundred miles or more away. That would disappoint her completely.

  Gabby insisted that Danielle at least visit the county hospital and talk with them. She mentioned they were short-staffed, as most new graduates headed for bigger money and better status. Danielle couldn’t help that. She wanted bigger and better opportunities as well, and locally, there would be little of either. That was another strike against staying and working locally.

  When she arrived at the hay field, Danielle got out and checked the hay with her dad to see if it was cured and ready to go.

  “Looks good, sweet pea,” Dean said, and patted her on the back. “Oh, and by the way, your mother just misses you. You need to do what makes you happy. Of course, we would love it if you decided to stay closer to us, but in reality, one of these days, we will be gone.”

  “Wow, that’s a disturbing thought, Dad,” Danielle said sadly. She hated to think of the day she wouldn’t have her parents. She was an adult now, but she loved them dearly. Maybe staying close was a good idea, and later, if she chose to, she could leave.

  “Just think about what is best for you,” Dean said with a smile. “See ya for lunch.” Dean climbed up on his tractor and drove toward the backfield.

  Danielle climbed into the cab of the other tractor and sat down. The diesel roared to life. A little nudge on the throttle kicked up the idle, and a push upward on the PTO lever engaged the baler. Her dad had already checked over everything and greased it for her, so she was ready to go, thank goodness. She didn’t mind doing the maintenance, but today she just wanted to ride and feel the hum of the engine and get lost in mindless thoughts. Well, if mindless thoughts were possible at this point.

  Hours passed, and all the irritation and uneasy feelings created when talking about her future had faded away. The anxious thoughts about the upcoming weekend also began to fad
e as well. She smiled as the door opened on the baler and it kicked out another round bale into the field. It was so fantastic to look out across the clean-cut field and see the perfect bales sitting here and there. Birds swarmed and dipped over the field, attracted to the now homeless critters. The effort gave her an immense source of pride and accomplishment. Yeah, she’d miss this.

  * * * *

  J.C. sat down for lunch with Will. His mother was in the kitchen fussing over a salad and preparing plates for sons that were really old enough to fix their own, but she enjoyed having them around and taking care of them.

  Although J.C. had his own place at the other end of the ranch, he still came to his parents’ for lunch. This was a time to visit, catch up and plan…and, of course, his mother was a much better cook than he was.

  Will leaned back and opened his phone to read his latest message from Stacy with a smile curving across his stubbly face.

  J.C. was happy for him. Will was in love, and there was no denying that. It occurred to him briefly he was envious of his younger brother, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

  “I guess you’re looking forward to the weekend, bro.” J.C. smiled.

  “Yeah, I am. I miss her bad. I never thought I would, but, man, I do,” Will confessed.

  J.C. patted him on the shoulder. He understood completely.

  His Mom set down the afternoon lunch and looked up at the clock. “Where is your father?”

  J.C. and Will just shrugged.

  “That man. I swear, he will be late to his own funeral,” she fussed and headed back into the kitchen.

  J.C. smiled. One day he hoped to have someone at home wanting him to be home. One day he hoped to be as lucky as his father. His mother held down the house and did most of the ranch’s business single handedly. She was, as some would say, a damn good woman.