Defiant Heart (Starlight Cove Book 1)

THIS WEEK HADN’T GONE EXACTLY as expected. Rain had been a blessing and a curse—it had kept any deforestation from happening, but it had also kept me from leading any yoga classes outside. And without any guests currently staying at the resort, I’d run through my sequences by myself in the parlor overlooking the ocean. It wasn’t as good as outside, but I was going to take advantage of the space, considering I couldn’t exactly practice in my van.

Today, though. Today was the day. It was unseasonably warm outside, which normally meant I’d be up at the crack of dawn, chaining myself to that huge tree to halt progress, but Brady had held up his end of the bargain—much to my shock—and the motion for discovery had been pushed through. Progress on the razing of the land had been halted—for now—as they investigated the property. And I’d never felt prouder.

Look at me, doing shit. Helping to make a change and a difference in the world. First, stopping the deforestation of this beautiful town. Next up: pulling the stick out from Grumpy’s ass.

Since this would be my first official outdoor class in Starlight Cove, I wanted it to make a splash. Be an event. Something that actually drew people into the resort since there was no denying how bad off they were. So I’d asked around and gotten in touch with a local farmer who was all too willing to lend her baby goats to the cause in exchange for a few massages. Bartering was totally doable—was, in fact, my preferred means of payment and why my savings hadn’t taken much of a hit since I’d settled into van life. Turned out there wasn’t much people wouldn’t do for a massage they didn’t have to pay for.

And, yeah, so when I’d texted Brady a time to be at the resort for his first yoga class, I may have left off the tiny detail of this being yoga with farm animals. But there was no way he would’ve come if I’d been upfront about it. Better to beg for forgiveness and all that.

First thing that morning, I’d swung by Jane’s farm to pick up the equipment I needed for a temporary enclosure. I’d love if this could be a standard offering at the resort, even if it happened after I was long gone—Addison had already registered half a dozen people, thanks to the sign I’d posted in town—which meant I needed to make sure this went off without a hitch.

I was usually a night owl, always had been, so today was going to be challenging, considering I’d woken up early and had slept like shit last night—and the several previous nights—my dreams consumed by one Sheriff Grumpy Pants. But I’d make do and find my Zen—while also definitely not thinking about the kiss that had ruined me. Or all the dreams I’d been having that’d had no qualms hypothesizing what might’ve happened if we hadn’t stopped.

After dragging all the equipment out of my van, I stood, hands on hips, staring at the location Addison had suggested we put the enclosure. The space was tucked in a little area along the main path that wove through the entire resort. It was bracketed by trees and away from any cottages, but still close enough to the shore that the sounds of the crashing waves washed over me.

I pulled out my phone, glancing at the cracked screen for the time. I had a few hours yet before class started, but considering I was setting up the temporary enclosure on my own, I needed to get started. Addison hadn’t been sold on something so out of the box—which meant Aiden definitely hadn’t been—so this was all on me. Even if I’d never so much as hammered a nail in my life.

After two hours, one mishap with a mallet, a few splinters, and a stubbed toe, the enclosure was up and I was just laying out the mats when a throat cleared behind me. Beck and Ford stood outside the makeshift fence, eyebrows raised and arms crossed, looking like…well, twins. I still had no problem telling them apart, though. Besides the dead giveaway of the backward baseball cap Beck wore constantly, there was also the perpetual smirk on Ford’s lips that Beck couldn’t replicate if his life depended on it.

“You need some help?” Beck asked. “For the record, I’m volunteering him.” He jerked a thumb toward his brother.

Ford shot me a smile—one that almost definitely got him laid plenty around town, but for some reason didn’t do anything for me—and nodded. “Happy to help. Just tell me where you want me.”

I opened my mouth to respond and tell them I had it handled, but before I could, Brady strode up, his jaw firm as he darted his gaze between his brothers and me.

“Those lines really work for you?” he asked Ford.

“Usually. Luna’s a tough nut to crack, though.” Ford winked at me. “But I’ll keep trying.”

Brady just grunted, narrowing his eyes on Beck before turning back to me. He lifted his chin toward the enclosure surrounding me. “You afraid I’m going to escape?”

The question was an easy one to answer—yes, obviously—but the words wouldn’t come. Not when he’d struck me speechless, showing up here looking all kinds of indecent in basketball shorts and a tight white T-shirt that clung to his obscene muscles. Something so simple shouldn’t look positively sinful on him, but there was no denying it did, especially considering I’d never seen him out of uniform. No denying how much I liked it, either. A lot. Definitely more than was advised of the person who kept arresting me.

Clearing my throat, I shook my head, my gaze torn away from the three larger-than-life McKenzie men—Jesus, what was in the water around here?—and to the large truck bouncing its way down the road. “Maybe a little, but this is for them.” I lifted my chin toward the truck as it pulled to a stop behind the McKenzie brothers.

As if choreographed, all three men turned to look over their shoulders before regarding me with various expressions. Ford looked downright gleeful, Beck smug, and Brady looked wary. As he should.

Jane jumped down from the driver’s side and offered a wave. “Hey, Luna! Glad to see you got that all set up. Let me just open up this back end, and we can get the sweet babies in there for your little event.”

“What ‘little event’ is she talking about?” Brady asked, his tone heavy with wariness. “Something happening later today?”

“Not exactly.” I shot him my best and brightest smile and swept an arm out to encompass the area I’d just set up. “It’s for this.”

Brady’s eyes narrowed, but it was his brothers who figured it out first. Beck snorted at the same time Ford let out a loud bark of laughter.

“And you signed up for this?” Ford smacked Brady on his chest. “Does Addison know? This would be perfect for the resort video footage.”

“Not happening.” Brady leveled me with a stare, his thick arms crossed and jaw set.

My nipples were standing at attention, and I couldn’t think about what he was doing to things south of the border. Oh, he definitely had that whole intimidating man thing down—something I normally wasn’t into, but my body positively lit up for when Brady was the one dishing it out—and it wasn’t any less potent when all six foot, three inches of him was wrapped up in a T-shirt and shorts instead of his uniform.

But I didn’t intimidate easily. My parents had taught me early to stand my ground. To not give in to the whims of anyone unless I wanted to, even if that anyone was a man twice my size. And if I could do that with the partners in my dad’s law firm, who were stern and harsh, unaccustomed to not getting their way, then I could certainly do it with one grumpy small-town sheriff.

I tipped my head to the side and stepped toward them, stopping just on the other side of the enclosure. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of some baby goats.”

His eye twitched, but that was the only tell that this was getting to him. “Depends on what those baby goats are doing.”

“Yoga, obviously.” I gestured behind me to the mats spaced evenly throughout the area.

He just continued staring then finally gave a firm, solid shake of his head. “There’s no way I’m getting in there with those things.”

I shrugged. “Then the deal’s off.”

Brady’s jaw ticked, his gaze dropping to my lips before heating just long enough for me to wonder if I’d imagined it. With narrowed eyes, he said, “After the other day, the deal’s definitely not off.”

Beck divided a look between us. “What happened the other day?”

“Yeah, I’d like to know, too.” Ford propped his elbow on Beck’s shoulder, his permanent grin firmly in place. “I promise I won’t tattle to Mabel.”

Brady ignored them both and shook his head at me. “I think you’re making this up. There’s no such thing as goat yoga.”

I huffed out an indignant breath even as the goats came over in search of attention, their heads butting my legs and hands. “There is too! Look it up.”

“That’s a great idea.” Brady stepped back, eyeing the animals warily. “I’ll head home and do that now.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at the twins. “Does he always whine this much?”

Ford nodded and said, “Yep,” at the same time Beck said, “Pretty much.”

Brady narrowed his eyes at his brothers, then at the innocent baby animals in the enclosure with me. “You get in there with them, then.”

“Pass.” Ford shook his head and took a giant step back.

Beck mimicked his twin. “Yeah, not gonna happen. I have to get back to the diner, and I’m pretty sure being around those animals before cooking would break several health codes.”

My eyebrows lifted as I regarded all three of these grown-ass men who looked as if they’d rather jump off the bluffs and into the ocean than step in here with me. “Seriously?” I asked all three of them before pinning my gaze on Brady. “You carry a gun for a living and actively chase the bad guys, but you’re scared of some baby animals?”

“I’m not scared of them. I just don’t like them.”

“How can you not? Look at these cute faces.” I squatted down, laughing as a couple goats attempted to crawl up my body and one head-butted me.

Brady folded his arms over his chest and leveled me with a stare that did things no single look should have had the power of doing. “You’re only saying that because you weren’t here for the Goat Incident of 2017.”

I snorted—I couldn’t help it. Brady had delivered the line with as much weight as he would the report of a serial killer on the loose. “‘The Goat Incident of 2017,’ huh? Sounds like the premise for a very boring documentary. Has Netflix gotten in touch yet?”

“No, but Mabel was all over it.” Ford darted his gaze to Brady before returning it to me. “It was the talk of the town for at least three months after it happened. Betty’s vegetable garden never recovered.”

“Not to mention the knocked-over beehives,” Beck said. “I had to use store-bought honey for months.”

“It was pandemonium,” Brady agreed.

I stood and rolled my eyes. “Only you would think a bunch of goats loose in town was pandemonium.”

“He’s just uneasy because of how many tried to head-butt him in the junk,” Ford said with a shrug as he walked backward. “I’ve gotta run. Addison’s got a list for me a mile long, but have fun with all that.” He gestured toward the enclosure before turning around and heading in the direction of the main inn.

The mention of Brady’s junk was all it took to have my gaze snapping to it like a magnet, remembering exactly how hard and solid he’d been against me during our kiss. He cleared his throat, and I shot my eyes up to his, my cheeks flaming over being caught ogling him. He pinned me with an unreadable gaze, one brow raised slightly, but there was no way I was explaining why I was looking in the general vicinity of his dick as if desperate for X-ray vision.

“Am I early?” a feminine voice asked, and I jumped at the interruption, as if I were a teen caught looking at porn. A woman walked toward us, her stride one that said she was on a mission. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she had a bright smile on her face.

“Late, actually,” Beck grumbled.

“You’re here for the class?” I asked, though that much was obvious by the rolled-up yoga mat she had slung over her shoulder.

“I am,” she said, sticking out her hand for me. “I’m Everly. We haven’t officially met yet.”

“Luna,” I said, returning her smile. “It’s nice to meet you. Is this your first time with goats?”

“First time doing yoga with them, yes, but not my first time with goats. I’m the vet in town, so I was there for the birth of all these beauties. But I don’t get nearly enough time with them. I skipped my morning jog so I wouldn’t miss it.”

Beck studied her, his gaze tracking over her from head to toe, as if to make sure she was still in working order. “When you didn’t show up for your morning coffee, I was hoping it was something I said.”

Everly laughed and patted his biceps. “So those twelve texts demanding to know where I was and that I was okay were just, what? Butt-dials?”

Beck grunted some semblance of a nonanswer before turning and stalking off, Everly’s laugh directed at his retreating form.

I may have been new to town and didn’t know all the ins and outs of the residents and their varied relationships, but there was no denying something was going on there. “What’s that all about?”

“What? That?” Everly pointed to Beck’s retreating form then shrugged. “Beck being Beck.”

“Why do you care what’s going on with them?” Brady asked, a hard edge to his voice that was ever-present around me.

“Oh good, I see you brought your bad attitude to class so we can work through that with some deep breathing.” I grinned at him, gesturing toward the makeshift gate. “You’re wasting time, Sheriff.”

“Aren’t we waiting for the rest of your class?”

“We’re here!” Mabel called, waving her hand wildly as she hurried down the path, three other gray-haired ladies trailing after her, all wearing spandex. “Save me a mat, would you? I just need to do a quick intro.”

She fumbled with her phone before holding it out in front of her, her back to me as she spoke to the screen.

“Seriously?” Brady said as he held open the gate for the other newcomers to enter in front of him. “I don’t think yoga necessitates a Facebook Live, Mabel.”

I snorted, knowing full well how much he loathed the older woman’s penchant for getting in the way of official business with her special brand of reporting. And let me tell you, I was here for it.

“It’s goat yoga, thank you very much.” Mabel sniffed, sliding her phone into her pocket. “Besides, I thought you’d be all for a Live that showcases more of your family’s resort. Am I wrong?”

Brady grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like nosy old woman is going to be the death of me, but before I could call him on it, he stepped into the enclosure and shut the makeshift gate behind him. With his eyes tracking the erratic movements of the baby goats, he strolled straight for a mat at the back, but I shook my head before he got settled.

“Not so fast, Sheriff. I saved you a spot. Right up front.” I gestured to the mat directly in front of me.

Brady’s eyes locked with mine, and that ever-present zing of awareness shot through me, turning my nipples to hard points against my thin top. Okay, so this maybe wasn’t my best idea, but there was no way I was going to let him slack off at the back of the class. Not with what I’d given up for this deal.

“Show us how it’s done, Sheriff!” Mabel called, her friends clapping their encouragement. “I promise to only take video of you if it’s flattering. But considering what you’re working with, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. You know that video I made of you directing traffic with your derrière pointed my direction still holds the record for highest views, right? Imagine what a video of you doing yoga will accomplish! Probably, you should take your shirt off. The classes will be booked out for months.”

“That sounds like a very interesting video, Mabel,” I said. “I guess I know what I’ll be doing tonight.”

He shot me a look that said don’t you dare, and I just grinned in response, settling into place at the front even as the goats roamed around, eating grass—and hair—or burrowing in for cuddles. “Thanks for coming, everyone. How many of you have taken a yoga class before?”

Only one hand rose—Everly’s—though I wasn’t surprised.

I nodded and settled onto my mat in Sukhasana and gestured for everyone to do the same. “This class will be a fun one to start with. If you’re looking for something a bit more structured, be sure to stop by the main inn and grab a schedule from Addison for the standard classes I run.”

With that, I began the class, guiding them through their practice and walking around to help correct poses when needed. While older, Mabel and her friends were surprisingly limber and able to do most of the poses with little direction from me—because of all the sex, she’d stated with a wink.

Brady had just grunted at that—whether from Mabel’s statement or the goats that flocked to him, I wasn’t sure. He definitely needed the most help of this group. The guy was a mess, though that wasn’t a surprise, considering he looked more like an Avenger than he did a yogi.

I squatted next to him as he attempted a balancing table pose, and I tipped my head until I could meet his eyes. “Need some help, Sheriff?”

“I’m fine,” he grumbled, even as two goats pounced on his back, a third attempting to jump up as well.

“Actually, you’re getting a little droopy. Do you mind?” I held up my hands and gestured to his core.

He grunted. “Can’t get any worse.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but I slid my hand between the goats to press a palm on his back, the other on his abs—abs I could’ve gone my whole life without knowing how hard and solid they were. How hot his skin was under my touch. Why the hell had I offered to help him hold this pose?

Right. Because it was my job. A job I needed to focus on.

“If these goats weren’t on me—”

“You’d still have this problem.” I smiled, though it died on my lips when he turned his face toward mine, our noses so close I could feel his breath sweep across my mouth. When he was quiet like this, just his gorgeous green gaze boring into me and enough electricity between us to power a small country, it was easy to forget our differences and why I absolutely should not close the distance between us and remind myself what he tasted like.

Before I could do anything I’d regret, one of the baby goats burrowed her way between us, bopping me with her nose before she, too, tried to climb up on the Brady train, desperate for a ride on the sheriff.

Me too, girl. Me too.

Needing to avoid any further missteps, I made sure to pay extra attention to the rest of the ladies, even completing an impromptu Facebook Live interview courtesy of Mabel when class had wrapped up. Anything to keep busy and away from the grump who’d somehow snagged my—and my libido’s—attention.

I’d led hundreds of yoga classes, and I’d never—not once—been attracted to a client. Not like this. And certainly not to a man like Brady.

But I’d gotten myself into this because, as usual, I’d leaped before I looked. So not only was I going to have to do this all over again with him—and without the convenient interruption of the baby animals—but there was still the matter of that massage…

After all the other attendees left, Brady, for all his goat bluster and bad attitude, helped Jane load the animals back into the truck before sending her off with a double pat to the truck bed and a wave.

I squinted up at him when he stepped in front of me, the sun peeking out behind his tousled hair. “How was it?”

“Exactly as bad as I thought it’d be,” he said, reaching out to pluck something from my hair. He held the blade of grass up between us before releasing it into the breeze. “And not nearly as relaxing as you promised.”

His gaze dropped to my lips, and the heat between us ratcheted up another dozen or so notches, officially sending it into the stratosphere. There was no denying whatever I was feeling wasn’t one-sided.

I just didn’t know if that made this special hell we were in better or worse.