Gabe (Men of Clifton Montana Book 2) Read online

  GABE

  Men of Clifton Montana

  Book 2

  Susan Fisher-Davis

  Erotic Romance

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

  Erotic Romance

  Gabe

  Copyright © 2014 Susan Fisher-Davis

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63105-383-2

  First E-book Publication: November 2014

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by Sue Toth

  Proofread by Rene Waring

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2014 by Secret Cravings Publishing

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  Dedication

  I want to say a big Thank You to my friends, there are too many to list, but I’m sure you know who you are.

  To Natalie, for listening to my rants.

  To Heather Almendarez with HeatherLynn Portraits for the amazing cover. www.heatherlynportraits.com

  To fitness model Don Allen for being “Gabe”. I’m sure no one else would have worked as well.

  The Cravings Ebook Club

  The Cravings Paranormal Ebook Club

  Have you heard about the newest idea in ebooks, the ebook club? Secret Cravings Publishing has two ebook clubs, The Cravings Ebook Club or the Cravings Paranormal Ebook Club, and we invite you to become a member.

  As a new member, you will receive Trouble With a Cowboy* by Sandy Sullivan and Blood Kisses** by H.N. Sieverding FREE, just for joining!

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  *Trouble With a Cowboy, a western, erotic romance:

  18 wheels had her heart until one hard-up cowboy found her kickin' up her heels and propositions her to take his bull to Vegas.

  Jacie Hawkins drives big wheelers for a livin'. Something not a lot of women do. Littleton Oklahoma is just a dry stopover for a few hours of rest and relaxation at the nearest bar. Jacie needs to find a hot cowboy to release some of her pent up frustrations on for the night, but wannabe's aren't her style.

  Tucker Marshall needs a big-rig driver to haul his prize bull to National Finals Rodeo and he needs one fast. Who would have thought he'd find one shootin' pool at the local bar dressed to kill and takin' numbers?

  Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun and a little more?

  **Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers 1), paranormal erotic romance:

  Ashleigh Brown, the author of the popular Nightwalkers series, lives a quiet life free of the limelight. She keeps her real identity secret by writing under the pen name, Victoria Allure. She soon finds herself in a bind when she's kidnapped by a group of handsome vampires seeking Victoria. She then agrees to meet their Master, who's a huge fan of her books. But instead of meeting him, she accidentally crosses paths with her rock star crush. He is the sexy muse behind Nightwalkers and the man she based the hero in the series upon. She would do anything to meet him but little does she know her crush has a secret...

  We will try to match your books to your preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, we suggest you join the Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same except that three of your four books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a different genre.

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  GABE

  Men of Clifton Montana Book 2

  Susan Fisher-Davis

  Copyright © 2014

  Chapter One

  Gabe Stone rode his horse along the fence. It was a beautiful July day, the sun beat down on his shoulders, and the rays felt good on his bare arms. His Stetson shaded his eyes and kept his face from the sun, and the tall grass whished as the horse walked through it. Daffodils bloomed in butter yellow, but his mind wasn’t on the fence or the beautiful terrain of his ranch. It was on little Emma Conner. She used to be the little girl with a long blonde ponytail and freckles sprinkled across her pert nose. Now she was a tall, beautiful woman who still wore her hair in a ponytail, but the freckles had faded with just a few stubborn ones remaining across the bridge of her cute nose. When the trouble surrounding Becca Daniels broke, Gabe had sat with Emma to comfort her. She’d wrapped her arms around him and clung to him like it was all happening to her. His future sister in-law had been abducted by Steve Harris, a man obsessed with her. He and his brothers, Jake and Wyatt, went after them, and brought Becca home. In the end, Wyatt had no choice but to kill the man to protect Becca.

  That was back in May and now two months later, Gabe still couldn’t get Emma out of his mind. He knew he’d always felt something for her, since every time he walked into the feed store and she was there, his heart slammed into his ribs. Her father owned the store and Emma would work there when there was a need for help. Gabe had avoided her as much as he could because Emma was a forever kind of woman, and Gabe…well Gabe certainly wasn’t into forever
. One-night stands, definitely, but no way was he into forever. He was only thirty-four and had plenty of time to enjoy life before he had to settle down.

  He pulled the reins to stop Dandy and glanced behind him. Damn it! So lost in his thoughts about Emma, he had no idea if the fence he just passed needed any repairs or not. He turned the horse around and rode back along the fence. He swore aloud when he saw a wire down. Fool that he was he’d missed it. He dismounted and got his tools and leather gloves out of the saddlebag. By the time he was done, his T-shirt was soaked with sweat. Gabe took his hat off, ran his fingers through his thick black hair, and then resettled the hat. He used a handkerchief to wipe moisture from his brow and he could feel sweat trickling between his shoulder blades and down along his spine. The day was already a scorcher.

  Gabe’s ranch sat between those belonging to his brothers. They each took turns checking the fence which separated their properties. Gabe just happened to get the hottest damned day yet. He removed his shirt and wiped his chest with it. What he needed was a nice long shower. A cold one would feel good about now and not just because of the weather. Thoughts of Emma had him hard and hurting daily since May when he’d actually felt that hot little body next to his. He stuffed the now soiled shirt into his saddlebag and mounted his horse. Spurring Dandy on, he took off at full speed but it didn’t help. Emma’s face rose in front of him. Those beautiful blue eyes seemed to sparkle every time he looked into them. He’d hoped his being there for comfort might help her open up to him, but she still shied away from him. It was somewhat a blessing he didn’t see her as much now, since Becca opened her bed and breakfast and Emma worked there as a cook. It used to be Gabe dreaded going into the feed store for fear of seeing her there, but now he feared he wouldn’t see her.

  He rode his horse hard into the yard, kicking up dust behind him. The horse had sweat streaming off him with the exertion. One of his ranch hands met him as he rode Dandy in and offered to put the horse up. Gabe needed a shower too much to deal with Dandy right now so he allowed it. He had a firm rule that when you ride, you put the horse up and make sure it has food and water, but he was too damn hot and tired today. He was the boss so he could change the rules if he needed to. None of the hands ever questioned him because they respected him, and he was good to them. They rotated weekends when possible. Gabe took care of his employees, paid them well and so they worked hard for him. His brothers were the same with their ranch hands. The small community of Clifton Montana respected the Stone brothers, and the way they treated their employees had a lot to do with earning that respect.

  Gabe strode across the yard, eating up the distance, trying to get out of the staggering heat. He walked into the cool interior of the old farmhouse and groaned when the air conditioning hit his hot skin. Hanging his hat on a peg, he then pulled out a chair from the kitchen table, sat down and tugged his boots and socks off. He stood, unsnapped his jeans, and took them and his boxer briefs off in one full sweep before tossing them into the basket of dirty clothes. He then strolled naked through the kitchen, into the hallway and up the stairs to his bedroom. The house was really too large for just one person. It was a home made for a family. When his father died three years ago, Jake being the oldest had first choice of taking the house, but he decided not to and Gabe, being next in line, took it instead. Each brother inherited eleven hundred acres of prime land. Jake’s ranch was on the north side of Gabe and Wyatt’s on the south. The old house originally had six bedrooms, one bath, a dining room, kitchen, and large living room, which included a large brick fireplace. Gabe had taken two bedrooms and made them into one, added a full bath, and installed a fireplace in what was now the master bedroom. A half bath now took up the space under the stairs where there once was a closet. He’d done a lot of remodeling on the old house and he loved every inch of it, but what it really needed was a family. Once again, Emma’s face popped into his head.

  Gabe headed for his bathroom and turned on the shower. Stepping inside, he cursed through a low growl as the cold water hit his hot skin. He placed his hands on the cold, wet ceramic tile and dipped his head under the showerhead. The shower had enough room for ten people with seats built into it. The water sluiced over his big body, washing the dust and dirt off, turning brown as it flowed down the drain. After getting clean and cooled down, he stepped from the shower and grabbed the fluffy navy blue towel, which matched the color scheme of the room, from the towel rack. The top half of the wall was navy blue with white wainscoting along the bottom. The floor matched the walls with blue and white marble tiles. A large window brought natural light into the room along the wall above the huge modern claw foot tub.

  After toweling off, he wrapped the towel around his waist, swiped his hand across the steamed up mirror then lathered up his jaw and neck to shave. Of course, he left his mustache alone. It had been a part of his face for so long he couldn’t remember what he looked like without it. After he finished shaving, he walked into the bedroom and pulled on a clean T-shirt and sweatpants, headed down the stairs barefoot, and entered the kitchen to get something to eat. The countertops were black marble, which matched the appliances, including the smooth-top stove with a built-in black microwave above it. The floor reflected the color scheme in its large square tiles. A kitchen table sat to the left of the entry door, under a window with white plantation blinds. Gabe made a sandwich and sat down at the table. He picked up the local paper and skimmed through it. In a town the size of Clifton, the paper never consisted of more than four pages. Sighing, he put the paper down. He couldn’t concentrate on anything he was reading. Christ! He needed to get laid. His thoughts went immediately to Emma, making his groin tighten. Standing, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed toward the living room. Tomorrow he was going to make a trip to town, get laid, and quit obsessing over little Emma Conner.

  * * * *

  Emma Conner stood in the kitchen of the Clifton Bed and Breakfast whisking up batter for a new cake recipe. She hummed along as the radio played a Luke Bryan song, her hips swaying back and forth in time with the music. Emma sang the words of the song aloud then spun around when she heard a snicker. Her employer and friend, Becca Daniels, stood in the doorway with a big grin on her face. “How long have you been standing there?” Emma narrowed her eyes at her friend.

  “Long enough to know Luke has no competition,” Becca said with laugh.

  Emma stuck her tongue out at her then laughed too. “Just for that, you don’t get to taste the new coconut cake I’m working on.”

  Becca gasped. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  Emma bounced her eyebrows up and down trying to express a maniacal intention, but she laughed when Becca put her hands together in prayer formation. “All right, but if you ever tell anyone about this, you will never taste another one of my delicious creations. Deal?”

  Becca bobbed her head up and down, and shook Emma’s hand, sealing the deal. They were chuckling together when Olivia Roberts walked into the kitchen and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at them. “Did I miss something?” Olivia asked suspiciously.

  Becca shook her head, stifling her grin. “Not a thing.”

  “Was Emma singing again?” Olivia laughed at the looks on their faces. “I’ve heard you quite a few times,” she said with a shrug. “All I can say is, don’t give up your day job.”

  “I hate you both,” Emma told them, making Olivia and Becca burst out laughing.

  The back door swung open and Becca’s fiancé entered the kitchen. Jake Stone strode directly to the love of his life and kissed her deeply. Then he kissed Emma and Olivia on their cheeks. “What are you making, Emma?”

  “It’s a secret, a new coconut cake recipe.” Emma gave him a sly smile.

  “I love coconut. Do I get to sample it when it’s done?” Jake asked hopefully. He smiled when she responded with a happy nod of her head. She smiled at him then poured the batter into the cake pan before putting it in the oven. The smile left her face when the back door opened again and Gabe
, the last person she wanted to see, walked into the kitchen. She turned her back to him. She could do without seeing Gabriel Stone, since he still saw her as a little girl. What did she have to do to get him to see her as a woman? Strip naked and parade her body around in front of him? She mentally shook her head. He’d probably say ‘put your clothes back on, Emma’. The man was so infuriating.

  “What are you doing here?” Emma heard Becca ask Jake.

  “I told you I was bringing the new riding horses over today, Red. You weren’t paying attention to me, were you?” Jake answered.

  “I always pay attention to you, Stone. What were we doing at the time?”

  Jake laughed. “Not saying in front of company, Red.” Becca laughed and looped her arm through his before they walked together out the door.

  Emma turned the timer on the oven and called after Jake and Becca. “I want to see the new horses.” Everyone headed for outside except Olivia. Emma halted and smiled at her. “Come on, Liv.”

  “I see no reason to go out there and look at an animal I’m terrified of.” Olivia sniffed.

  Emma laughed and looped her arm through Olivia’s and whispered alongside her friend’s ear. “Wyatt’s here.”

  Olivia got a huge grin on her face. “Well, hell Emma. Why didn’t you say so?”

  Everyone walked toward the trailer where Wyatt Stone was unloading the horses. Emma stopped to talk with Becca, feeling Gabe’s eyes on her. She felt him behind her but she refused to turn around. She heard him grumble as he moved around her to help Wyatt. Why couldn’t she talk to Gabe the same way she spoke with Jake and Wyatt? For one reason, Jake and Wyatt didn’t get her all tongue-tied and make her feel klutzy. Sexy as the other Stone brothers were, it was only Gabe for her. Emma stood by the corral when she heard Olivia squeal. She ran behind the trailer and saw Olivia on her knees, hugging a miniature horse. Emma laughed.