Colt and I messed around a couple of times when he first got here, but then he started working for us, and we decided it’s better not to mix the two. It takes a special kind of stupid to be the architect of your own cock-blocking rules, but here we are.
Eh, screw the rules.There’s gotta be some exceptions for swoon-worthy double wedding receptions—with ice sculptures, for fuck’s sake—that make you feel like shit about yourself.
I lean against his shoulder. “Hey, want to sneak out of here, have a little fun for old time’s sake?”
He takes a deep breath. Luke mentioned that Colt’s sister’s been struggling to stay sober, and he spent all of today with her, which is why he arrived late.
Lucky bastard.
“Sure.” He shrugs as though it’s no big deal, but there’s none of his usual flirtation, and his posture is stiff as hell.
“Hey, we don’t need to if you’re not into it.”
He shifts his eyes to meet mine, and I’m struck by the intensity in them. “No, I am. After a day like this, I need it.”
Hell, I do too. And Colt is the perfect kind of cuddly for all this hurt I’ve got rattling around inside. Holding up a finger, he stands and scans the crowd. “Just give me a few minutes. I’ll meet you by the gate.”
I send him a salute. “See you outside.”
He walks over to where Luke and Sparrow are sitting, and I make my way out to the fence line. He finally joins me about twenty minutes later, and I wave off his apologies. Luke is his best friend, after all.
“I’m guessing Luke wanted an update on Destry.”
He nods. “Yep. Thinks of her like a little sister. And I couldn’t leave without hugging my friend at his own reception.”
“He okay with you leaving early?”
“Me and Luke don’t stand on ceremony. Never have, never will.” Colt grins, but it lacks his usual spark. “So yeah. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
We grab one of the Rebel Sky ATVs parked near the gate between the vineyard and the ranch. The drive back to the main house takes mere minutes and passes in complete silence. When I unlock the big sliding door to our barn-turned-bunkhouse, Colt, usually so chatty and funny, is oddly quiet.
I push open the heavy door and turn to him. “You seem off tonight, big guy. Seriously, it’s no problem if you’d really just rather not.”
Colt nudges me through the door and slides it shut behind him. “Would you just shut up?”
He pushes me against the door and his kiss is rough, demanding. The few times we got naked together before were fun, light, and filled with laughter, but there’s none of that in this place tonight. Though he’s bigger than me, having him take charge is…weird. Wrong, I’d dare say.
Tugging on his arm, I direct us toward the stairs, holding his hand as I walk across the landing to my room. I open the door, and he steps through, standing awkwardly by my bed.
Stepping up to him, I yank off his tie, undoing his collar and waistcoat, nearly ripping off the buttons. There’s still this disturbing sort of quiet about him, so I decide on a different tactic.
Softening our kisses, I carefully pull up on his shirttails, then make slow work of his buttons. His shoulders relax, and he takes his time divesting himself of his nice boots and pressed jeans.
My eyes fall to the series of scars that map up the side of his thigh, and I trace them with my fingertips while his fingers fall to the scars on my hips. I’d asked about his scars the first time we slept together, and his one-word reply said it all.
“Rodeo.”
In turn, he’d asked about my scars, and I’d given him a one-word answer too.
“Marines.”
The only difference is that he was telling the truth, and I was not. I had been in the USMC, that much was true, but the career I thought would change the trajectory of my life was cut short by shit I don’t like to think about.
No matter the scars, Colt and I have perfect chemistry that’s impossible to come by, and we’d fucked wherever and whenever we had the chance.
Weirdly, our chemistry isn’t my favorite thing about him. My favorite thing about the man is how much his positive, sunny attitude came into our lives at exactly the right time.
His buddy Luke McCall, a.k.a. the Rodeo King, had come to stay with us after a devastating shoulder injury and brutal public outing, and Colt visited him at Rebel Sky shortly after.
