The chuckle that leaves me is startling. “It’s the complete lack of sunscreen use. Keeps a guy young.”
Her laughter tinkles right over me. “It’s the fresh mountain air that ages a guy.”
We share a grin, and my heart does a hard clench, as if it’s been orbiting in one direction and suddenly shifted. I rub my sternum and take a seat. Back to business. “Do you want to show me where you want everything? I’ll need to access the location with a delivery truck.”
She frowns, and I don’t like that one bit. “Are they still making out on the couch out there?”
Seeing that must’ve been hard. She could be over him six ways to Sunday, but the sting would remain. “Couples that have to prove to the world they’re solid are often the most fractured.”
“Except you know how the youths are.” She shoots me a knowing look. “Are you saying you wouldn’t be out there sucking face with Natalie?”
Definitely not, and I should say so. I don’t. “I’d take her aside in an empty room or a closet, and then I’d make damn sure she had time to gather herself after so people wouldn’t look at her and know exactly what we’d done. Because that’s for us. No one else.”
The person I’m with in that dark closet has highlighted chestnut hair. My shower experiences aren’t staying in the shower, dammit.
Her lips puff open, and there’s yearning in her eyes. Stanford never made her feel that special? “Isn’t spontaneity romantic?”
“I never said it wouldn’t be spontaneous.”
The apples of her cheeks flush pink, almost like theywere in my dream. “Maybe you should give Stanford some notes on romance.”
I’m the last guy to talk to about romance. “He’s not getting a damn thing from me other than an amazing drink, and only because my pride can’t serve him a weak one. But once this event is done, the one we’re doing as a favor foryou, then he’s not allowed to step foot on Hennessy property. I’m sure the rest of the guys will agree to ban him from Foster House too.”
Her eyes glisten. “You’d do that for me?”
“It’s the principle.”
“And you’re a man of principle.”
I nod.
She looks at the door, then back at me. “Can I ask you something personal?”
“Shoot.”
“The whole long-distance thing. You’ve never wanted to... You’ve been loyal?”
“Have I ever cheated?”
She nods.
“No.” I bypass the explanation of how I’m a single man. My brothers already think my loyalty is misplaced.
“Hmph. Then you really do need to give him notes. I practically lived with the man, and he still found time to step out.” She straightens her spine and pushes back. “We’d better get to work.”
“You got any alarms set?”
“Just the one to meet with Chef tonight to go over the final menus, but that’s not until after he’s done with the evening meal.”
The kitchen provides food for all the guests and the workers for both sides of the ranch. “Let’s go then.”
She marches out of the meeting room, and I followher. She doesn’t glance at the couple on one of the plush couches. January’s cupping Stanford’s face in her hands, practically straddling him. Groans and whimpers can be heard, but Campbell doesn’t react.
I hate both of them even more.
We go out the front door, and she takes the stone path that curves around the house and leads all the way to the pavilion in the back. She’s not wearing a dress today, but the air has a spring chill to it that’ll be gone by this afternoon. Instead, she’s got on rust-colored leggings and a spring-green sweater that falls past her ass. Her cowboy boots are the same as the ones she wore at Bootleg Tavern.
The breeze ruffles her hair, and once again, the memory of the silky strands haunts my fingers. Noticing the way her hips sway doesn’t help. I refrain from adjusting myself. I’m not going to get an erection just because I’m walking behind a woman.
