“Whatever we won’t get caught doing?”
He gives me one curt nod. “Just between us.”
It’s a tantalizing offer. Anonymity. The thrill of getting caught. The risk. Do I want to deal with that? I could tank my name in my own hometown, where I’m hoping to get a fresh start.
But I’m so tired of trying to prove myself—to my parents, to my ex, to his family.
I need a way to let off steam that’s more powerful than cuddling kittens, and Durban’s dangling it right in front of me. He didn’t say no strings attached, but he means it. I’m not his type.
No strings. With a hot man who gets under my skin?
I lift my chin and hug the cat. “Deal.”
I have my arms folded, pacing across the tack room in the barn. The vet was out earlier for an abscessed hoof, and all the horses are out grazing. I have Hailstorm, Mildred, and Clyde in the pen closest to the barn.
I’m set to take Stanford and January riding in an hour. Then we’ll work on getting Hailstorm used to two riders before we progress to swooping brides up.
Durban said he’d see me today, but I never clarified how that’d happen. Is he just going to show up? Am Isupposed to meet him somewhere? Did he come to his senses, unlike me, and realize what a bad decision this would be?
We’re creating an uncomfortable destiny for ourselves, to be with each other for every family get-together Iverson and Jamison ever have. Awkward birthday parties and self-conscious barbecues. Do I want to see what kind of woman he’ll bring when Iverson and Jamison host Christmas next?
I should call Avery and talk to her, but she’ll ask me what the hell I’m thinking and tell me to keep my hands to myself and not fuck up the wedding because it’ll all come crashing down on me. Avery’s the coldly logical one.
I pace the room, pinging from the wall with the headstalls and lead ropes to the rows of saddles jutting out from their posts in the other wall. The smell of wood, dust, and faint horse sweat rises up around me. Comforting, but not soothing enough.
“The dress was much easier to work with.”
I let out a cry and whip around. He looks as delicious as yesterday. “Is scaring me foreplay for you?”
Heat sparks in his eyes. “If that’s all you think is in my foreplay game, I’m hurt.”
I roll my eyes and hold back a smile. I notice hima lot. “I wasn’t sure how this would work.”
“The spontaneity will make it fun.”
I keep pacing. “How are we going to explain why you’re here?”
He enters all the way and leans against the table across from the halters. “I have business at the ranch until the wedding is over. We have Jamison to discussand how we’re going to help her and Iverson when it’s baby time.” He shrugs. “We’ll think of something.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re outhere.”
“I miss the animals.”
He says it so simply, I almost believe him.
Nerves zip up my body and back down. I hug myself.
He pats the counter next to him. “I’m not going to jump you. Come and have a seat. We’ll talk.”
I reluctantly do as he says. “This is weird.” I lift myself to sit. I’m still not at eye level with him.
He turns and brackets me in, his hands planted on the surface on either side of me. “How’s your day going?”
A nervous chuckle leaves me. “Not the best.” It just got infinitely better as soon as his body heat radiated into me. The knots in my muscles start to relax. Our faces are close, but I like being able to see the dark striations in his irises.
“Why not?” His question is a caress, as if he’s feathering his fingers down my cheeks.
“I called Bryce to arrange a time to meet up, see if there’s anything I can do for his company, and he asked me out.”
