Page 24

She rolls her eyes.

“I was, actually, uh, hoping that some of your muffins were still around on my walk over here.”

She raises an eyebrow, then smiles. “Take one, please.”

I eagerly do as she says, grabbing a fresh muffin and taking a bite. “Fuck, I miss muffins,” I murmur between bites.

Addison laughs, turning toward the sink where a pile of her dirty dishes are waiting to be washed. “You don’t eat muffins?”

“I rarely eat offsite, honestly. And Hank isn’t a baker.”

“I’ve heard.”

The water turns on, and Addison starts wiping down one of the bowls. Her back is to me, and I find my gaze sliding along her curves. Her pajama shorts are shortenough that I can see just a hint of her ass. I swallow, taking another bite of my muffin and averting my gaze.

“Bold of you to be wandering around the ranch in that getup,” I find myself commenting.

Addison’s head whips around, and there’s that familiar fire in her eyes. I’m both excited and annoyed by it. “Are you slut shaming me, Cruz?”

Cruz.I like the sound of it coming from her lips.

“Not at all. Just saying you’d have a lot of cowboys staring at you if they happened to be around.”

She places her clean bowl on the countertop, turning to face me and then crossing her arms. “Areyoustaring?”

I find the side of my mouth quirking upward ever so slightly. “Maybe.”

Her cheeks pinken just a touch, and slight surprise flashes across her face. Her gaze flicks down my body, taking in my sweatpants, my jacket. It can’t be all that exciting, but she momentarily bites her lip.Bitesit. Holy shit, is Addison just as attracted to me as I am to her?

But then she rolls her eyes, gaining her composure. “You seem awfully attached to your whole cock-blocking role around here.” She crosses her arms over her chest. She’s referring to my behavior a few weeks ago with Graham. Honestly, in retrospect, it was uncalled for.

But I don’t exactly regret it.

“There’re a lot of assholes on this ranch,” I say with a shrug.

“Yeah, I’m looking at one.”

Ouch.Okay, I walked right into that one. Still, I smirk. “Guess better the asshole you know than the one you don’t,” I say.

Her eyes narrow. “You act like I need you to protect me. I don’t.”

I let out a short laugh, though it’s more tired than amused. “Didn’t look that way the other night.”

Her whole body goes rigid, and I realize the mistake I just made the second it leaves my lips. But it’s too late.Fuck.Fuck, fuck, fuck. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. Panic surges through me.

“Excuse me?” her voice is quiet. Quiet in a way that fuckinghurts.

“I mean—during the storm,” I backpedal, shifting my weight. “You were out there in the rain, panicked, no jacket—”

But she’s not buying it. The storm was two weeks ago. Her chin snaps up, eyes blazing. “So now you’re using my panic attack as ammunition?”

I drag a hand down my face. “That’s not what I—hell, Addison, I’m saying you don’t have to act like you don’t need anyone. Because sometimes you do. Everyone does.”

That familiar glare is back in her eyes, hot enough to burn me. “You don’t get to decide that. You don’t get to decide anything for me,” she snaps.

I meet her glare, frustration tightening my chest. “And you don’t get to decide how other people feel. I’m not yourenemy, dammit!”

She lets out a sharp laugh. “Could’ve fooled me. You boss me around, embarrass me in front of other people, and now you throw my lowest moment in my face. If that’s not an enemy, I don’t know what is.”