“Cole,” he said softly, catching my wrist. “Stop running.”
I yanked my arm free, refusing to look at him. “I’m not running. I’m going to bed.”
“Alone?” The question hung in the air between us, loaded with meaning.
My jaw clenched as I finally met his gaze. “Yes, alone. Like I told you before, it’s not happening again.”
A slow smile spread across Jesse’s face, cocky and knowing. “We’ll see.”
Before I could respond, he slipped past me into the bathroom, but he didn’t bother closing the door. He began to strip off his clothes in front of me, not caring what I saw. I growled under my breath, grabbing the door and slamming it shut. Then I just stood in the hallway, my heart hammering inmy chest, my skin still tingling where he’d touched me. And wonderingwhyI’d closed the door when I so obviously wanted to watch.
Goddammit. Why couldn’t he just let it go? Why couldn’t he see that I was trying to protect both of us? Why couldn’t he just go back to Seattle?
And why had my father done this to us?
Chapter 16
Cole
Living in the house with Jesse was becoming unbearable. Not that anyone else would’ve known except me. Two weeks had passed since the cattle drive and Jesse was getting braver and more obscene with every passing day.
At first it was just little things. He started leaving the bathroom door open in the morning when he was showering or he’d walk around the house in his underwear after Evelyn had gone home for the night. And sometimes, when we were in the barn together, he’d go to pick something up and let his jeans slip down just far enough that I could tell he wasn’t wearing underwear.
It was driving me insane.
I tried my best to ignore it. Told myself it was just Jesse being Jesse, trying to get a rise out of me like always. But he knew exactly what he was doing. The worst part was, he never actually said anything suggestive. Never tried to touch me again. He just... existed in my space in a way that made it impossible for me to think straight.
Last night, I’d caught him in the kitchen at midnight, eating ice cream straight from the container wearing nothing but those low-slung sweatpants of his. The ones that hung off his hips in away that should’ve been illegal. When he saw me, he just smiled and asked if I wanted a taste, licking the spoon in a way that had nothing to do with ice cream. I swear I saw his cock twitch in his pants.
I’d turned around and gone back to my room without a word.
This morning, I got up before dawn, hoping to avoid him. I had work to do anyway. The first batch of cattle had been processed and was due for delivery that day, and I needed to make sure everything was ready. The freezer was up and running, Jesse’s fancy new website was live, and orders were already coming in. I hated to admit it, but his direct sales idea seemed to be working.
But when I got to the bathroom to grab my shower before my day started, Jesse was already there, the mirror fogged up with steam.
“Mornin’,” Jesse called out from the shower, his voice cheerful.
I froze in the doorway, gripping the handle too tightly. He was visible through the glass door, water cascading down his tattooed back. I should’ve turned around and walked out. That’s what I’d been doing for weeks now. But something kept me rooted to the spot.
“Didn’t expect you up this early,” I managed, my voice rough from sleep.
Jesse turned, giving me a full view of his front through the foggy glass. “Thought I’d help with the deliveries today. Website’s been blowing up with orders.”
“I’ve got it handled,” I said, trying to keep my eyes on his face and not the piercing glinting between his legs.
He shut off the water and slid the door open, not bothering to grab a towel. Water dripped down his body as he stepped out, droplets clinging to the sandy hair trailing down his stomach.
“You sure?” he asked, reaching for a towel but making no move to cover himself. “I thought you had chores and ranch hands to take care of?”
My mouth went dry. “I said I’ve got it.”
He smiled, that cocky grin that made my blood boil. “No can do, boss.” He’d gotten in the habit of calling me that because he knew it pissed me off. “This is supposed to be a partnership, remember? Besides, you can’t do it all yourself.”
He finally wrapped the towel around his waist, but not before I got an eyeful. As he moved past me in the doorway, he paused, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his shower-warm skin.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” he said softly. “Water should still be hot.”
I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. “Thanks.”
