Sutton
Iwake up to sunlight streaming through the curtains, the warmth of it soft against my skin. For a moment, I’m still tangled in the haze of the best sleep I’ve had in… well, maybe ever. My body feels loose and relaxed, like every knot of tension has been smoothed out. And then there’s this other sensation, a tingling warmth low in my belly that makes me think of Wade.
My clit is humming still.
Damn, that man is incredible.
I’ve never known a man who only cared about what I needed in that moment.
The memory of him floods me: his hands on me, his voice, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered. My core tightens at the thought, and I stretch out in the bed, half-reaching for him… only to find cold sheets.
I smile to myself. Smart man, really. He knew that if he stayed the night with me last night, neither one of us would have gotten any sleep. We have too much work to do, and there’s toomuch riding on me to find the cause and a solution before Hicks Creek disappears from the map.
I’m so irritated that Ronnie showed up. Of course he had to be a jerk, too. It’s like Wade knew what I needed before I did. I’ve spent so long being angry at him, but what if I wouldn’t have run away from him that night in Texas?
I cannot go there right now. Yes, I’m completely falling for this man, but I absolutely cannot afford to do so right now. There’s too much riding on my shoulders and I won’t let any man distract me.
I throw back the covers and get out of bed, shaking off the lingering ache of disappointment. My running shoes are by the door, and I grab them, deciding that a run will help clear my head. A quick shower can wait. Right now, I just need to move.
The air outside is crisp, and the morning sun filters through the trees as I hit the trail. My legs find their rhythm quickly, the steady pounding of my feet on the dirt path grounding me. The wind brushes against my face, and I focus on my breathing, on the way my body moves. For a little while, it works. I forget about Wade and how he makes me feel like I’m standing on unsteady ground.
But by the time I’m heading back to the house, my thoughts are circling him again. It’s infuriating how much space he takes up in my head. I need to let it go. He’s a complication I can’t afford, and I’ve got enough on my plate without adding anything else to it.
Maybe I should just take some space from him, and then when all of this is over and fixed, we can reconvene.
I don’t want to stop whatever is happening between us, but I can’t get distracted. Not with Ronnie here causing problems, and especially not with the ag officer sniffing around.
As I round the last corner, the house comes into view, and my stomach tightens. Wade is standing outside, his broad shouldersand strong stance impossible to miss. He’s talking to Ronnie, who leans against his BMW with that cocky smirk that always puts me on edge.
Great. Just what I need.
Ronnie is trouble, always has been, and I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. He’s the kind of guy who’s always got something up his sleeve, and whatever it is, it’s never good.
There’s a reason we’re not together anymore. He wanted a woman he could control, keep small and hidden, and that’s not me. He’s a jerk, but for the most part I really don’t have to deal with him at work. He gives me mostly free rein. However, every now and then, he shows up and makes gross comments. If I didn’t love the work I’m doing, I would quit in a heartbeat.
I always dreamed that I would move back to Hicks Creek and that Dad and I would get along great and make up for lost time, but I don’t know that it’s not possible. This trip has proven that, because even when I save the cattle and save all the ranches, I just think the divide between us is too wide for there to be any fixing it.
The tension between him and Wade is obvious, even from a distance. Wade’s posture is stiff, his jaw tight, and Ronnie’s smirk widens like he’s enjoying it.
I push down the unease curling in my gut and jog up the driveway, stopping just short of the two of them.
“Morning,” I say, keeping my tone neutral.
Wade glances at me, his expression unreadable. “Morning.” His voice is low and clipped, and he doesn’t meet my eyes for long before looking back at Ronnie. He walks away, leaving the two of us alone.
“Hey there, Sutton,” Ronnie drawls, his grin turning sharper. “Out for a run? Looks like you’ve been working hard.”
I ignore the way his eyes linger too long and turn to Wade. “What’s going on?”
“Just catching up with your old friend. No harm in that, right?” Ronnie asks.
“Do you want me to show you around here?” I snap at him.
Ronnie isn’t a veterinarian, and he doesn’t have a degree in animal medicine either. He’s an animal health executive with absolutely no experience. It just so happens that his father is the owner of the company, and when he retired, he put Ronnie in charge.
I found out quickly that he wasn’t at all the man he pretended to be. If I didn’t believe in my work at the lab, I would have left when Dr. Jameson retired.
“Sure. I need to make sure you’re not stealing company money.”
