Home > Branding the Virgin (Cowboys & Virgins #1)(3)

Branding the Virgin (Cowboys & Virgins #1)(3)
Author: Alexa Riley

“Wish a little thing like that would get lost on my ranch,” Blake says, tipping his hat up.

I can’t reply to him because I’m watching as she walks over to stand in front of us, a shy smile on her lips. Neither of us speaks a word, and she puts her hand out in front of her and introduces herself.

“One of you must be Ty Jennings. I’m MJ. Short for Mary-Jane.”

3

Mary-Jane

I stare up at both cowboys, who look at me like they’ve never seen a woman before. Or maybe more like I’ve got two heads. One starts to smile, reaching out to take my hand, and I immediately know he’s not Ty. Even if they look a lot alike. Ty is the one with the hard look on his face that matches all the pictures I’ve seen. Most of them I could only see part of his face, but looking up at him now, I can see almost every inch of it. The cowboy hat can’t hide him from me at this angle.

Before I shake the other guy’s hand, Ty grabs mine, shaking it first, but he doesn't let go for a second. He looks over at the man next to him, shooting him a glare before finally letting me go. They are clearly related. The other man’s smile only turns bigger and he lifts his hands in the air.

Ty turns back to look down at me. He dark eyes meet mine. They’re dark brown and almost look black around the edges. “You’re not a man,” he bites out through clenched teeth. I didn't even know someone could talk like that. His eyes narrow on me like he’s studying something. Maybe he’s waiting for me to turn into a man.

“Ah. No,” I say simply, unsure how else to respond to that.

“Fucking shit.” He turns his back to me, and I look over at the other man.

“Sorry he’s a dick. I’m his brother, Blake.” He winks at me. “The nice one. And you are?” A dimple forms in his cheek, and I wonder if Ty has one, too. I’m guessing if he did, you’d never see the thing. Then I wonder how cute my little boy will be with that same dimple. It reminds me why I’m here to begin with.

These men are my little boy’s family, and I don’t look to be off to a good start with them. It’s clearly a problem that I’m not a man, and that's definitely not something I can change.

“Mary-Jane,” I say, trying to be polite. “Or MJ.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to fucking be?” Ty barks, turning around and making me jump. I almost lose my footing, but he grabs me right before I can fall, pulling me to him.

“Don’t scare the tiny thing,” Blake jokes, the laughter clear in his voice. At least someone thinks this is funny.

I go to pull away from Ty’s hold, but he only grips me tighter as a string of curses like I’ve never heard leaves his lips. Then he practically jumps away from me from me like I’m on fire. “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” he barks again, making me wonder if he can say one sentence without dropping the F-bomb.

“No!” Blake says, laughing so hard he bends over, slapping his thigh as he howls with laughter.

Ty just turns and storms back into the house, leaving me standing there with my mouth agape.

“I…” I look at the front door he’s left wide open. I wonder if I’m supposed to follow him, but I quickly halt that train of thought. “Maybe I should go and come back,” I suggest. “I think I’m supposed to be at the bunkhouse or something.” Maybe this guy could take me over there. I really don’t want to drive back to town. I feel like my feet are starting to swell a little from the car ride and the summer heat. I really just want to sit down for a minute with my legs out.

Blake just shakes his head as if getting himself under control after his laughing fit. The ball of nerves in my stomach is growing, which isn’t good, because throwing up comes way too easily to me these days.

Seems like the articles calling Ty an asshole might have been pretty spot on. The reality is hitting a lot harder than I thought it would.

“Don’t think you can stay at the bunkhouse.”

“She’s not staying at the fucking bunkhouse,” Ty barks, once again making me jump.

“Would you stop that!” I snap back. My hand goes to my chest as I try to get my heart under control. How can someone so big move without my hearing them?

He just ignores me. “Where’s your shit?”

I have the urge to tell him he can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, but I stop myself. This isn’t just about you, Mary-Jane. You have to give this a go. Even if only for a little while.

I point behind me to my SUV, not trusting myself to talk because the knot growing in my throat is so big I’m not sure I even can.

“You get gone,” Ty says, pointing to Blake before making his way towards my SUV.

“He doesn't bite,” Blake says as he moves past me towards a black truck. I’m not sure I believe him.

I take a few breaths and attempt to push down the knot in my throat.

“Why aren’t I going to the bunkhouse?” I finally get out as Ty starts pulling my two bags from the SUV.

He just grunts a non-response, moving past me back towards the door. I follow him because I don’t really have a choice.

When I enter the house, I stop short, taking it in. There is nothing. Not one thing hung on a wall, not a trinket in sight. Just the basics a house would need. Two sofas, a TV mounted on the wall, and a medium-sized dining room table that draws my eye to the equally bare kitchen.

I’m not sure how something could feel cold in this Texas summer heat, but it does.

   
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