“No, I’m walking.”
“Damn it, Astrid, stop being so stubborn.”
“I’m not being stubborn.There is nothing in our business contract that states I have to listen to you!”She glared at him.“I went to the bar, and now I’m walking home, just like I have done before.”
The truck suddenly jerked forward and crossed her path, coming to a stop right in front of her.Within seconds, Lord was out of the car, and there was no escaping his wrath.He looked super pissed.She waited.
“Do you mean to tell me none of my men even offered you a lift?”
He sounded angry.
“They live their own lives, and I’m not their responsibility!”She did not want any of them getting into trouble.There was no way she was going to tell him they didn’t offer either.She didn’t expect a lift.She was a grown woman, who could make her own choices, and if that meant walking to and from the bar, that was exactly what she would do.
“You need to back off!”She glared at him.
“No, I’m not backing off.You’re a fucking human, and it’s still dangerous out there.”
“We’re in No Wolves Road.The only damage that has been caused by anyone is ...by you!”She didn’t want to say that.“You’re not responsible for me, remember?I’m just an employee.”She started to walk around him.
The last thing she wanted to do was admit she had feelings for him.That he hurt her with his rejection.No woman wanted to be told they were only a convenience.If it wasn’t for the job, she would have left.She was not a sucker for punishment.
Astrid was about to go around the truck when all of a sudden, she was over his shoulder.She let out a squeal.
“What the hell are you doing!”She tried to thump at his ass and wriggle out of his hold.
Lord was a lot stronger than her.He dumped her in the truck and as she tried to open the door, he locked it.She went to his side of the truck, but Lord was fast.Those super wolf muscles came into effect as he climbed right in, and she had no choice but to move quickly back into her own seat.
She gritted her teeth and quickly folded her arms across her chest, trying to compose herself.This was not fair.
Rubbing at her temples, she tried to think of a logical solution to throw at him, but it didn’t matter.He’d already climbed into the car, put the truck in gear, and heading back to the ranch.The only thing she could do was sit as far away from him as possible, near the passenger door, and stare out into the cold night.
His truck was a lot warmer.She noted he’d put the heater on, even though he didn’t need it for himself.She had only ever seen Lord in a jacket, nothing thick to ward off the cold.Whereas she needed to wrap up from head to toe.She was able to warm up quickly in the truck, though.It felt nice.
She didn’t want it to matter that he wanted her to get home safely, but it did.
****
The following day,Astrid still wasn’t talking to him.This time, he wasn’t going to let her avoid him.After the ranchers heard how pissed he was, and that he was on a warpath, they spread out to do their job.
He was annoyed that they would leave Astrid to walk home alone.
This was her home.Not back at her parents’ house, even though he had spent a great deal of time in her childhood bedroom.Unlike her brothers’ rooms, her parents had kept her room exactly how she left it.He’d sat in it many times, inhaling her soft vanilla scent, imagining her there as a kid and then growing up into the beautiful woman she had become.
With all the ranchers finishing their breakfast, Blake had already left and made his way into the kitchen to find her.
He had started to realize the best times to catch her alone, when she didn’t run and hide.She was washing dishes, her arms elbow deep into the soapsuds as she scrubbed a pot clean.
She wore a pair of jeans today and an oversized sweater.He wondered if she was aware of the snowstorm that was coming.The same one the ranchers were preparing for.They were gathering the cattle, checking the fences, making sure they had enough feed to get them through.Lord was not worried.
“I didn’t get breakfast,” he said, making her startle, which wasn’t her intention.
She let out a gasp and quickly turned toward him.“You scared me.”
“Didn’t mean to.”
“Still did,” she said.She grabbed a towel, pushing some of her hair off her face.“There were no leftovers.”
He moved toward the counter and took one of the few seats he had installed.When he designed the inside of the house, he’d included a dining room, but at the same time, he’d made sure the kitchen was where he could eat, as he’d not anticipated having many guests or much of a family.How wrong he’d been.
