Brazen (Brazen #1)(6)

He’d demanded to know how old she was as Zane watched in horror. They both looked disgusted at how she was dressed and the fact she’d offered herself for sex. She told Seth she was nineteen. He called her a liar and demanded the truth.

It was only when she saw the man standing across the room watching her, the man who’d insisted she earn her keep starting that night, that she’d broken down, sobbing in earnest as Seth and Zane stared at her in stunned silence.

The brothers had flanked her, all but dragging her out of the bar. They drove to a nearby café, sat her down, made her eat and demanded the whole truth.

She confessed that she’d run away from home and ended up on the Houston streets. No money, no way to eat or support herself. She’d been picked up by a ruthless pimp and expected to earn her keep by prostituting herself. Only she’d failed miserably. That night had been her final chance, and Seth had turned her down flat.

After that, there hadn’t been any question. The brothers drove her straight home to their ranch, hired Carmen as a housekeeper/chaperone/mother figure and they’d never looked back.

And so began her life at the Sweetwater Ranch.

To avoid any awkward questions as to why they were harboring a minor, they’d hired a tutor for her, and she’d finished high school at the ranch. After taking her GED, she’d enrolled in online college courses. Life at the ranch had been good, even if somewhat isolated. Bouts of loneliness and restlessness had led her to get into trouble on occasion. She grinned as she remembered all the times she’d snuck out to Tucker’s bar only for J.T. Summers, the local sheriff and longtime friend of Seth and Zane, to haul her back to the ranch.

“You’re quiet back there, little bit.”

She looked up to see Seth staring at her in the rearview mirror. She smiled. “Just drinking in the scenery,” she said. “After a year in Paris, it’s like seeing it all again for the first time.”

“We’ll be there soon,” Zane said. “You’ve been off in your own world back there. Did you even realize we’re just a few miles from the ranch?”

She sat up straighter to examine the landmarks, a spark of excitement shooting up her spine. Sure enough, they were a short distance to the ten-thousand-acre spread that housed the Sweetwater Ranch.

“Is Old Man still prowling around?” she asked as she leaned forward between the two brothers.

Zane chuckled. “Yeah, the old bastard is still alive and kicking. He must be six years old now. Last season he sported fourteen points. I’d love to have him scored by Boones and Crockett.”

“You’re not going to kill him!” she exclaimed.

He chuckled. “No, sweet thang, we’re not going to kill your pet. We want him to mate as many does as possible. He’s got great genes. Precisely the kind of deer we want a reputation for at Sweetwater.”

“Did you guys have a good season last year?”

“Yeah,” Seth broke in. “Managed a few record-book harvests. Happy customers. A few returning hunters. About all we can ask for.”

She leaned forward eagerly as they turned into the long, winding road that led to the ranch. They passed under a wrought-iron arch that bore the name of the ranch as well as the intricate design that mirrored the tattoos on Seth’s and Zane’s arms. As they pulled up, an older Mexican woman ran from the house, her arms waving madly. Jasmine smiled and piled out of her door.

“Mi niña, mi niña!” Carmen exclaimed as she swept Jasmine into her arms. “You are home at last. I’ve missed you terribly, mi niña.”

Jasmine gave herself over to the firm hug of the woman who’d been mother and nurturer since Jasmine’s arrival at the ranch all those years ago.

“I’ve missed you too, mamacita.”

“Can you still speak Spanish, eh niña? Or have you been among the French for too long now?”

“Sí, mamacita,” she said with a smile.

“Bueno, niña! Now come, come. Let the boys bring your stuff inside. We have much talking to do. You must tell me all about Paris. Oh, and did the boys tell you, tomorrow we are having a fiesta, a celebration to welcome you home. I have been cooking all week, niña. All your favorites.”

Jasmine let herself be pulled inside, a happy smile on her face. She’d missed home so much in the last year. Missed the way Carmen mothered her like an overprotective hen. She always seemed to know exactly what Jasmine needed, and right now, she could really use a mother.

Chapter Three

Jasmine ran a finger underneath the thin bikini strap at her hip to smooth the line as she traipsed down the stairs. Carmen’s fiestas always involved lots of food and a pool party. While Jasmine wouldn’t get into the water if her life depended on it, she’d sunbathe and watch the guys horse around.

J.T. was already here, along with Kyle Richards and Toby March. Her bedroom overlooked the patio, and she’d peeked out her window to see them all playing in the pool. Only Seth hadn’t made an appearance yet.

She made a pass through the kitchen to see Carmen on her way to the patio. When Carmen looked up and saw her, she immediately began babbling a stream of Spanish.

Jasmine laughed. “What’s wrong with my bikini, mamacita?”

Carmen glared at her. “That is no bikini, chica. That, that,” she sputtered. “That’s just a string draped around your private parts. Ai yi yi, are you trying to drive the boys crazy, niña?”