She swallowed hard, staring down at a button on his shirt, pleading with him to just take pity on her since she could already tell getting home without him would be near impossible.
But then he hooked his finger beneath her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “Forget them. You’re here with me. And I certainly didn’t get all dressed up just to put this—” he took her hand and spun her away from him with another appreciativesmile, —“to waste.” Leo pulled her back to him, and she collided against him once more. “Dance with me,” he murmured in her ear. “Stay with me for just thirty minutes, and I promise if you’re not having fun, we can leave.”
Kat gazed at him skeptically. “Thirty minutes?”
Leo nodded. “Thirty minutes.”
She sighed. “Fine.”
The grin that lit his face was one she’d only caught glimpses of before now. Leo Chambers was objectively attractive. He had everything going for him in the looks department. But he was usually so sullen around her.
But then he’d grin like that, and her legs all but buckled beneath her.
His handon the small of her back was distracting all on its own. But then Leo would engulf her with his scent when he pulled her body flush with his and speak to her in hushed tones like they were the only two people in existence.
“I didn’t grow up here.”
“You didn’t?”
He shook his head.
“But you seem to fit in so well.”
Leo’s rumbling chuckle was yet another thing she was starting to love. “I visited here a lot as a kid, but my dad actually workedconstruction when I was growing up. We lived in Colorado most of my childhood. We only moved out here just after I graduated.”
“That must be why Bo wanted you as the liaison for this project.”
Leo hummed a thoughtful sound. “I suppose that makes sense. I do know some stuff about the process. But you haven’t really needed any help, so maybe I haven’t been as needed as he thought.”
She scoffed. “You’ve been helpful in different ways. You know a lot more about the ranch than I do. And I’m sure as we continue to work on this project together, your insights will be just as important.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
She pulled back and frowned at him. “Don’t sell yourself short. This lifestyle, it’s different than anything I’ve ever experienced. There are a lot of working cogs.”
He didn’t respond to that. Instead, he tugged her against him again.
“Do you like it?”
“Like what?” he murmured.
“Being a cowboy? Living in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever considered moving back to Colorado… or somewhere else?”
He went quiet for a moment then shook his head. “Nah. It’s great out here. There’s a sort of freedom and at the same time, there’s routine. You get the best of both worlds.”
“So this is what you want to do with the rest of your life,” she said pointedly. “Ride horses. Raise cattle. Work with your hands.”
His grip on her tightened and he used that husky voice of his. “It’s not the place that matters. It’s not even the work.”
“Then what is it?” she whispered.
“Family.”
Tingles erupted throughout her body, but before she could speak, he continued.
“My father died when I was in high school. We made do with what we had, but the day my mom got the call that her older brother wanted her to pick up and move out here to be closer to the family? She did it without question. The way my uncle runs this place is so far removed from anything else I’ve seen. He cares about his family. He cares about the people in his life so much so that he’ll do anything to make sure they’re covered. How could I walk away from something like that?”
She pulled back to look into his eyes, seeing nothing but honesty. As irritating as he’d been throughout their encounters, this man made it clear that he was more than he let others see. His feet were planted firmly in a soil rich with loyalty and love.
