Bird

  BIRD

  WILD EAGLE ALPHAS

  Book 2

  RUBY ROSE

  Copyright © 2020 by Ruby Rose ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One: Bird

  Chapter Two: Moira

  Chapter Three: Bird

  Chapter Four: Moira

  Chapter Five: Bird

  Chapter Six: Moira

  Chapter Seven: Bird

  Epilogue One: Moira

  Epilogue Two: Bird

  More from Ruby Rose

  Chapter One: Bird

  “Bird!” I feel a nudge in my side, and the non-alcoholic champagne almost spills over my glass. I set it down. I never really liked it anyway. If I can’t drink the real thing, why bother with this fake stuff?

  “You good, Tiger?”

  “Stop eyeing up the new bookkeeper and come help me quick with the tractor.”

  My mouth drops open, and I struggle to find the words to come back at Tiger, but he’s a lot smarter than me, there’s no point fighting. Besides, I guess I should stop staring at her.

  “If you can’t lift it, I’ll get Chief to help the two of us, but I thought I’d ask you first.”

  I stare at the blades behind the tractor, a long piece of rope is caught inside them, and I can bet Tiger wants me to lift the whole damn plow while he untangles it.

  Not that I’m bothered about being the brute force of this farm. Sure, Tiger and Chief are strong and big, but they ain’t got nothing on me. I was big even when I was little. My momma never forgave me for the size of my head and all the grief I gave her when I was born. I did grow into it, though, and some more. I know as I got older, she loved having a big, strong lad around the place, it meant no one ever looked at her twice.

  Back in jail, when the boys first had the idea of the farm, I got all excited, thinking about how I might become a fancy businessman, but in the end, Chief took care of all that. As I said, I don’t really mind it, I’m strong, and that’s my place here. I know that every time I look at my tattoo. The three of us are a team; none of this would work without us each playing our part.

  “I got it,” I sigh, wiping my forehead as the hot sun blasts down onto me. “Just let me take off this shirt, I put it on for the welcome drinks, and it’s the only fancy shirt I got.”

  I toss the shirt over to Tiger and heave the plow up onto my shoulders.

  “You good?”

  “All good, just get to it, won’t ya?”

  All the time I stand there with the weight bearing down on top of me, I think of her.

  God have mercy on me; she might look as nice as pie, but I know once I get her in the bedroom, she won’t have to think about keeping up appearances no more. I want to see her raw side.

  See, I saw her there at the party when Chief and Lexi were celebrating their pregnancy. She looked a little shy like she kept herself to herself. She dressed up for the job. She had on a light pink blouse with polka dots all over, sweet as ever. But I also clocked that tight white skirt, hugging at her curves. I didn’t stop thinking about all day or all damn night.

  Most people there probably saw just any other woman on her first day of work, but to me, she was unforgettable.

  After being locked up for two years, I can admit I spent many a night fantasizing about spending the night with a woman again. Your body craves women like you’d never know. Being around those men all day, throwing around their egos and their weight, something inside you just begs to be with a woman.

  And I don’t just mean their bodies.

  You crave their smell, their touch, their soft, warm skin against the coarseness of your hands. You lie in bed at night and can hear perfectly the delicate voice that only a woman has.

  Most of all, I missed their peace. Daddy was always rough, shouting, fighting, drinking, smoking, arguing, causing problems, working, but not Momma. She was calm, even when she should have been screaming. I remember coming back home after school and her hugging me tight, whispering into my ear how she’d been waiting for me all day. I felt so at ease around her.

  So when I saw Moira and all those feelings came flooding back, I didn’t quite get it.

  I’d seen dozens of women since getting out, but not one of them stirred me the way I thought they would. I was damn sure the second I laid eyes on a female, my heart would start racing, and my instinct would be to take one home with me, but that never happened.

  It’s been almost a year since I got out, and I haven’t so much as kissed a woman. I was all but convinced that I’d lost my drive for good.

  And then came Moira.

  Her womanly scent dove headfirst into me. Her warm smile reached inside of me from all the way across the room. My first thought was my mother, who’s kindness was always spread across her face, just like Moira’s, but that thought didn’t last long.

  I knew she was beautiful, but the second she stepped out from behind the worktop, I could see the body I’d envisioned all those times while I was alone in my cell.

  Wide hips, thick thighs, a full chest, and an ass that’d take two full hands to grab- I have to make her mine.

  She might try to dress modestly, but I know exactly what’s lying beneath every piece of clothing. I dream of the day I’ll be able to rip it from her and kiss her from head to toe, pausing and enjoying her taste wherever she wants me to.

  “You can drop it now, Bird!”

  “Huh? Oh, right!”

  I release the plow and let it drop onto the floor.

  “Are you alright, Bird? It took me a little longer to get that rope free than I thought. Your back must be killing some!”

  I just shrug my shoulders.

  “Nah, it’s nothing,” I reply, reaching for my shirt while we head back into the office.

  Chief and his family are still fixing drinks. Lexi’s talking to her mom and sisters and Moira’s sitting behind a desk, biting her lip as she focuses on the computer screen.

  “Hey, Bird,” Chief appears from behind me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

  “Where’s Tiger? I want you two to meet Moira, the new bookkeeper.”

  Finally, I just need to talk to her so that she knows she can trust me, that I’m not as scary as I look. Once she knows that, I can ask her on a date and make her mine.

  “Hey there, Moira, this is Tiger, and this is Bird, they’re the other two owners of the farm.”

  I reach out my hand to shake hers, waiting for our skin to finally make contact.

  She grabs my hand sharply and quickly jolts it up and down before moving onto Tiger. She’s not reserved or shy at all.

  “Hey, Tiger, hey Bird. Nice to meet you!”

  Her smile is sincere but lasts no more than a few seconds before she sits back down at her desk and calls Lexi over to explain something to her. I take a step back and look towards Chief. Chief just nods and walks away.

  What do I do now? If she’s not afraid of me, like every other girl in this town seems to be, why isn’t she talking to me? What about our chat?

  I step away. She’s obviously not interested in me. I thought Moira was mine, and all I had to do was make the connection. Maybe I was wrong.

  Chapt
er Two: Moira

  And breathe Moira!

  The second Bird turns around, I release my stomach and drop my shoulders. Finally, I can relax.

  I always get worked up on the first day of a new job, even though I know I shouldn’t; everyone here seems so nice. Chief invited me to the baby shower even before I’d started, and Lexi made me feel so welcome. They gave me a hell of a lot of alcohol-free champagne, both today and then, which was great, I guess, so I know I don’t need to feel nervous.

  But then I saw Bird.

  Don’t get me wrong; all three of the boys are good-looking. Chief’s got his charm and Tiger’s obviously the brains of the bunch, but damn, there’s just something about Bird that I can’t put my finger on, and it’s driving me insane.

  The second we saw each other. I felt his eyes all over my body. Usually, that would put me right off, but I wanted him to keep looking. I knew exactly what he was doing, undressing me with his eyes. Men can be read so easily.

  Oh, sure, I was doing the exact same thing, who wouldn’t? The man is built like a Greek god. For starters, he’s taller and bigger than any of the other men. Every inch of his body is covered in muscle. His jaw is chiseled, and his eyes sink into his face without losing a single drop of electricity. That swept-back hair begs to have my finger’s run through it.

  So, of course, I’m staying as far away from him as I can. I don’t even know if I’ve got time to list the reasons why.

  I mean, first of all, he’s practically my boss. I don’t see him around the office much, he’s usually outside, lifting things or fixing things, but that doesn’t change anything. I still work on his farm. Chief made it very clear in my induction that this farm was split three ways, and I’ve heard rumors that Bird put down a large lump of the money needed to buy the land.

  I know as well as the next girl; you don’t get involved with your boss.

  Secondly, he might have been fixated on me at the party, but we both know I’m not the girl he’s looking for. I’m bigger than I’ve ever been, and finally, I’ve given up on changing- more or less.

  I’m a woman! I’m always going to stand in front of the mirror and wish I could change something, wish I could cut off a chunk of my hips, or my ass, or tighten up my legs. But every day, I stand there and tell myself I’m beautiful too, even with all the lumps and bumps.

  That doesn’t mean I fool myself, though. A man like Bird with a body of steel doesn’t date women like me. He probably wonders what it feels like to spend a night with a curvy woman, but there’s no way he sees me as anything more.

  And thirdly, and most importantly, I swore that the last time my heart got broken, really would be the last time. It’s been a year since I walked out on my ex when I found him in bed with another woman, and my new life is going great. I’m learning to love my body, I’m wearing the clothes I always wished I would, I’m starting this new job.

  All I need to do is get Bird out of my head.

  I don’t even get it. Huge body and cute smiles have never been my thing- what is happening to me!

  “Everything OK, Moira?”

  Lexi plonks herself down on the desk beside me, I’m sure she can see the tornado spinning through my mind.

  “Oh, you know, just the first day jitters, is all!”

  “Moira! You don’t need to be nervous, you know we’ll look after you!”

  “I know, sometimes I just have so much in my head I feel like I need to release it. Do you ever feel like that, or am I just crazy?”

  “Oh, girl, you’re not crazy! Sometimes I go over to the boy’s gym just so I can punch their punchbag. Hey, if you ever wanna work out over there, you’re welcome to. I’m sure if you went after you finish, it’d be empty.”

  I look down at my blue midi dress, hugging tight around my curves.

  “I’ve got a ton of workout clothes you can borrow!”

  I sigh. It’s been years since I hit the gym, but I have been meaning to go. I do run in the park, but nobody there recognizes me. This would be different. Just as I turn back to Lexi, I catch Bird out the corner of my eye. Images of him lifting that plow through the window come flooding back to me. I couldn’t pull myself away as the hot sun sent trickles of sweat down his back, creeping along the lines in his muscles.

  “You know what, Lex, I’ve really got to let off some steam. I think that gym would be a great idea!”

  The sports bra pushes my breasts together and lifts them up; for a second, I almost feel sexy. But I know that under these leggings are two legs painted with cellulite and stretch marks.

  “All the more reason to work out like crazy!” I tell myself as I head over to the punch bag.

  “No one can see me, so just work out!”

  I start punching, and I begin to feel the sweat falling down my face, but I don’t stop. All those thoughts about Bird come pouring out of me, suddenly, pushing through the pain and the tiredness is all I can think about.

  That sexual tension gripping my body is loosening, and my body becomes my own again.

  Wow! Why didn’t I do this before? Who cares about the calories I’m shredding, punching the hell out of this bag is a huge stress reliever.

  Out the corner of my eye, I glimpse a shadow passing by the barn window. I decide to ignore it. I’m moving so fast that it could have been anything. I can’t lose my focus now.

  I look around me. What else is in here that I could try?

  There’s a bench full of weights, but I wouldn’t have the first clue how to switch those giant plates the boys must use to something a little more women-friendly. Maybe the dumbbells? I’ve always wanted to tone up my arms.

  There it is again, that flashing just in my peripheral vision. This time I stop, slowly turning my head to see what exactly is in this barn-turned-gym with me.

  I hear coughing, and the shadow of Bird appears at the door. He steps in, covering his mouth with his hand and gazing down at the floor.

  “I’m sorry, Moira, I didn’t mean to-”

  “Have you been watching me in here?”

  “No, I mean, no. I just, I guess I saw you in here and that you were working out. I work out here too; I didn’t realize anyone else would be here, that’s all.”

  I wrap my arms around my exposed waist, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. I took a chance on my tight outfits at work but letting him see me like this feels as though I’m walking through a crowded street in nothing but my underwear. I’m sweaty, I’m red, I’m mortified.

  “Lexi said I could come here…”

  “That’s great. I think it’s great that you want to come here, but you know, you don’t need to.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “I’m not saying this right. I just hope you’re not doing this to lose weight.”

  “Who said anything about losing weight?”

  “Nobody!”

  Bird pushes his hand through his hair. I can see the confusion on his face, but I can’t help the burning shame rushing through me.

  “I’d better go.” I snatch my towel from the floor and wrap it around myself, attempting to end this humiliation. How long was he watching me?

  “I was trying to say that I think you’re beautiful, that’s all.”

  My mind splits in two. My heart leaps into my throat. How can I hear the words I so desperately wanted to hear from him and somehow feel… disappointed?

  I’ve spent a year building up my independence; I was all but convinced that I could do everything I wanted and needed without a man. Heck, I just spent the last half hour pounding into this punch bag. But now I feel powerless- powerless to his two little words, “You’re beautiful.”

  “You embarrassed me, Bird. I have to go.”

  Chapter Three: Bird

  I stand motionless while I watch her run out of the barn and drive off into the night. How the heck am I going to work out now? I feel deflated.

  I feel that way all night, even when I finally get to bed, my mind keeps whirring, like a refrigerator th
at never turns off. Some nights, I might imagine she’s here with me. I fool myself, using my hand to mimic what her mouth might do to me. I even find myself talking to her, anything to satisfy my need to be around her.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight I feel like an idiot, even more than usual. I didn’t mean to stare; I had no clue she was going to be at the gym. If she’d given me a chance to explain myself, I might have told her that, lately, when I work out, it’s to distract myself from constantly thinking about her, but all I did was scare her away.

  When I saw the light on in the barn, I became protective. Now that Moira and other girls work at the farm, I’m always wary of anyone that might be an intruder. Between Chief, Tiger, and I, it’s our job to keep everyone safe.