Now, every brush of contact feels weighted in a way it shouldn’t. She lets out a quiet moan as my thumb digs into her shoulder blade, and I nearly bite my tongue as my jaw clenches.Shit.
I’ve made a grave mistake because now I don’t want to take my hands off her. Worse, she leans into my touch and exhales a breathy sigh that goes straight to my dick. I really should have rubbed one out real quick in the shower—these trunks aren’t exactly forgiving.
Touching Quinn is too damn easy—but I need to mind myself better around her.
Because I'm not allowed to want her like this.
She’s Wes’ little sister. Pops’ granddaughter. And I promised my dad I’d stop screwing around and start taking life seriously.
“So incredibly sore,” she murmurs, “but I don’t mind. The herd looks great. You and Wes always did make a good team.”
The oven timer dings, and I reluctantly take my hand from the bare skin of her shoulder.
“Wes has big plans,” I say, grabbing the pizza. “I’m just along for the ride.”
“Maybe when it comes down to the business side of things, but Pops told me you were the one who convinced him to move the cows into smaller pastures for calving a few years ago. Survival rates have been way higher since then.”
I smile, basking in her praise a bit as I cut the pizza into slices. Her recognition of what I’m doing for the ranch makes me feel seen in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. I’ve gotten so used to being the guy no onetakes seriously, but I’m serious about the things I care most about—and Dawson Ranch is one of them.
Something warm unfurls in my chest as I plate the pizza and slide a slice across the island to her. Then I grab my own and take the seat beside her.
Her knee brushes against mine. The contact is brief, but it slides over my skin like silk, warm and soft.
We eat in silence for a few minutes. It’s not awkward exactly—just thick with things unsaid. Finally, she faces me. Her eyes linger on my bare chest before swinging up to mine.
“Do you ever wonder where you’d be if you hadn’t quit the rodeo circuit when you did?”
“Sometimes,” I admit. “But I don’t regret it. I got time with my dad I never would’ve had otherwise. Cottonwood Creek—the ranch—it’s a hell of a lot quieter than the circuit, but it’s always beenhome.”
She gives me a soft smile. “Yeah, I get that. I came out here for Pops, but I think I came out here for me a little bit too. I needed something solid. Something real. Not so sterile and predictable.”
She lets out a short laugh, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “God, listen to me. I sound ridiculous.”
“No, you don’t. Everyone needs to get away from things sometimes. I’m glad you came.”
“Me too.”
Her gaze drops to my mouth for a beat before shifting back to her empty plate. She takes a long sip of her beer, then sets the can down and leans back a little, her expression unreadable. “Is the hot tub ready?”
I blink, thrown by the sudden shift. “Yeah.” My voice is rougher than it should be. “It’s ready whenever you are.”
She pushes up from her chair and walks both of our plates to the sink.
I grab two fresh cans of beer and follow her out to the deck.
She hesitates, glancing over her shoulder with a sly smile on her lips, like she knows exactly what she’s doing. Then, without a word, she hooks her thumbs under the hem of the oversized T-shirt dress she’s wearing and pulls it over her head in one smooth motion.
My breath gets sucked from my lungs at the sight of Quinn in her skimpy pink bikini, held together by flimsy strings. It would be so easy to give a little tug and watch the material fall.
I can’t tear my gaze away even though I know I’m staring—and probably drooling. Her skin is smooth, and she has tan lines from being out on horseback all day today. Her body is all long lines and slight curves. Her nipples are pulled taut from the cool air, and I’m aching to put the tight buds into my mouth and suck them until she’s grinding on my cock.
“You coming?” she asks, not quite innocently, as she sinks into the water with a low moan.
My eyes flash to hers, noting the playful gleam there. How long had I been staring at her, ogling like some creep?
Too long, I’m sure.
I reluctantly pull myself from the fantasy I’d conjured up while she was climbing into the hot tub and give her what I hope is an easy smile.
