“A perfect gentlemanislying alone with me in a hayloft.”
He squeezed her shoulders.“I hope that’s true.I don’t ever want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
She sat up and looked him in the eye.“You’ve never done anything to make me feel uncomfortable.”
He pushed himself up and unwrapped the cloth from his hands.“Not even when I shouted at you to leave?I saw you flinch.”
“I wasn’t afraid of you.That was just”—she shrugged—“old habits, I suppose.”
He took her hand in his.“I’m sorry.But thank you for staying with me.”
The blue-grey color of her eyes drew him in and he couldn’t pull his gaze away as her pupils dilated, just a bit.
“Trent Gibson, are you going to kiss me?”
He sucked in a breath and shook himself, pulling his hand away.“No.I am going to climb down that ladder now so I can help you to the bottom.That ankle hasn’t finished healing yet and you shouldn’t have climbed up here.”
Not giving himself another moment to change his mind, he threw his legs over the side and got to the ground as quickly as possible.
She smiled down at him.“A perfect gentleman.”He helped her down, and when she turned to face him, she giggled.“A perfect gentleman who blushes.”
With a shake of his head, he walked away from her before hedidkiss her.What in God’s name was happening?How was it that the one woman who was absolutely off-limits to him, was also the one he wanted more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life?
Oh God.His jacket, just draped there in plain sight.
“I need to go find Brennan.I hope to see you at dinner.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she called after him.
Trent gave himself a bollocking the whole way to the western fence.He was a bloody fool and a coward and he’d put Samantha’s reputation at risk, even if she didn’t think that was possible.
But when he reached his destination, he could only stare.Brennan was working alongside Theo and Stanley, and they’d already completed the repairs on almost the entire fence.Another project that would have taken him a week.
Brennan brushed dirt off his hands as he walked toward Trent, a smile growing on his lips.“I told you they were good workers.”
“I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.Having other people take care of the labor allows you to see to whatever else requires your attention.”He didn’t accuse Trent of anything, but his raised brow confirmed that he knew.
“Will you ride back to the stables with me?We need to talk.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Brennan mounted his horse and pulled in close.Trent kept their pace slow so that as soon as he plucked up the courage, they could have a conversation.
“It isn’t what you think,” he said, eventually.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
Trent rolled his eyes.“You do know what I’m referring to.I know you saw my jacket in the barn.”
Brennan nodded.“And there may have also been bits of hay floating down from the loft as if someone had just landed up there.”
Trent sighed.“I’m a bloody fool, but I promise it wasn’t what it looked like.The truth is, I was crying, and I didn’t want you to see me that way.”
Brennan stopped and Trent followed suit.“I wouldn’t have thought any less of you for crying, kid.”
“You say that but end the sentence with kid?”
