“This is beautiful,” I admitted, looking around at the peaceful setting. The water babbled softly over smooth stones, and the trees provided perfect shade from the Texas sun.
“One of my favorite spots on the ranch,” Diego said, leading his horse to the water’s edge to drink. Buttercup followed him without prompting, dipping her head to the water. “It’s real peaceful here…”
I was just starting to relax when several things happened all at once. Buttercup, who had just dipped her muzzle into the water,startled what looked to be a rather fat catfish in the shallows. It took off, kicking up water and startled my horse half to death. Before I knew what was happening, she was bolting across the creek with Diego cries drowned out by my screams of terror.
We only made it halfway across the stream before I couldn’t hold on anymore. Suddenly I was flying through the air, falling back to the earth that seemed impossibly far away. There was a flash of cold, and the creek swallowed me up. My body struck stone on the creek bed, but the water had broken most of my fall. However, I was so confused and terrified that I didn’t know what way was up, so I just started kicking and clawing.
Water rushed into my mouth and nose, tasting of mud and fish. My lungs burned as I thrashed wildly, panic overriding any rational thought. Everything was chaos—the rush of water in my ears, the scrape of rocks against my back, the desperate need for air.
Then strong hands grabbed me, hauling me upward. I broke the surface gasping and choking, clinging to whatever solid thing had rescued me. It took a moment for my vision to clear enough to realize that solid thing was Diego, standing waist-deep in the creek with his shirt plastered to his chest.
“Easy there,” he said, his voice calm despite the concern in his eyes. “I got you. You’re okay.”
“Yeah, I know,” I sputtered, though I was sitting in the middle of a creek, soaked to the bone, with what felt like half of Texas in my hair. “Fucking great.”
“Let me help you up,” he said, reaching for my arm.
“I can get up myself,” I snapped, pushing to my feet with as much dignity as a drowned cat could muster. Unfortunately, the creek bed was slippery, and I immediately lost my footing again, windmilling my arms before Diego caught me around the waist.
For a moment we just stood there, me pressed against his chest, his arms solid and warm around me. I could feel his heart beating fast beneath his shirt, could smell that clean masculine cologne of his even through the creek water. Our faces were inches apart, and Ifound myself staring at his lips, remembering exactly how they’d felt against mine last night.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked softly, his brown eyes searching my face.
I wanted to be mad, wanted to push him away and storm off in a dramatic huff. But the genuine concern in his voice, the gentle way his hands were steadying me, the fact that he’d probably just saved me from further humiliation... it was hard to maintain my anger when he was looking at me like that.
“I’m fine,” I said again, but quieter this time. “Just wet. And embarrassed.”
“Hey.” Diego’s voice was softer now, his hand still on my back. “Don’t be embarrassed. Horses spook sometimes. Hell, I’ve been thrown more times than I can count.”
I looked him up and down, water still dripping from my hair into my eyes. His shirt was soaked through and clinging to every muscle, his dark hair slicked back from his face. Even dripping wet and concerned, the bastard looked like something out of a romance novel.
“You’re all wet,” I said stupidly.
“Happens when you jump into a creek to fish out a drowning city boy.” He was grinning again, that cocky smile that made my stomach do flips. “Good thing I’m not wearing anything fancy.”
I became suddenly aware that our hips were pressed together and that, despite my predicament, his attention was causing my cock to stir. And thelastthing I needed him knowing, was how much of an effect he had on me. So, with no small amount of self-control, I pushed myself away.
“I thought you said this place waspeaceful,” I spat.
“Don’t worry, Freckles. You’ll dry.”
“Yeah, fuck you.” I started trudging through the water back to shore before that fucking monster catfish came back to eat me. “I wanna go home.”
“Come on, Freckles,” Diego said, catching up with me. “Just letme go catch Buttercup and we can still have lunch. Mabel packed us up a good one.”
“Diego… I don’t?—”
“If you say yes,” he said, pulling the cream cowboy hat from his head and holding it out to me. “I’ll let you wear my hat.”
What a dumb, childish thing to say to me. And yet, his offer warmed me through. Maybe it was because it seemed so innocent and maybe it was because of those big brown eyes of his pleading with me to stay. But finally, with a sigh, I took the hat and dropped it onto my head. To my surprise, it fit perfectly.
“Fine,” I said, turning away to hide my smile as I headed to shore. “But I’m keeping it.”
“I… uh…” he stammered. Then he sighed and I could hear the smile on his lips. “Alright, Freckles. It’s yours.”
Chapter 8
Hayden
