“Or.” Hazel leans forward, her voice dropping conspiratorially. “Your body is trying to tell you something.”
“Yeah, to get more sleep.”
“So are you going to see them again?”
“At this point, I think they’ve installed a tracking device on me.” I glance toward the window where Kai appeared. “I’m starting to wonder if I should be concerned or flattered.”
Hazel laughs. “Definitely flattered.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. “Okay, your turn. How was the date?”
Hazel’s expression shifts into something wicked. “The date was… educational.”
“Okay, that’s unusual.”
“I learned several things about myself. And about him.” She takes a slow sip of her latte. “Turns out, I really enjoy being in charge.”
“Go on.”
“In charge ofeverything.” Her grin widens. “He was very… accommodating. Willing to follow instructions.”
“Hazel.”
“I may have left him tied to his bed this morning.”
I choke on my croissant. “What?”
“He asked for it! Literally begged me.” She drinks her coffee. “I used his own neckties. Very secure. He said I needed to come back later and ‘finish what I started.’?”
“You tied a man to his bed and just… left him there?”
“I untied one hand so he could free himself eventually. I’m not a monster.” She grins. “But I might make him wait a few more hours.”
“You meet the strangest people.”
“I attract them. There’s a difference.”
My phone buzzes. A text from Pete:Don’t forget to call me back. This is urgent.
I sigh, setting it facedown on the table.
“The man is desperate. The whole town depends on that rodeo circuit.” She sets her phone aside too. “Speaking of things that won’t give up… you know what they say about plumbers.”
“What?”
“Big pipes.” She waggles her eyebrows. “And they’re not afraid to get dirty.”
“You’re terrible.”
“I’m hilarious.” She nods toward the window.
I turn to look, and my brain goes completely offline.
Seth is across the road outside, bent over near the bed of a pickup truck, loading something heavy. And bent over means… yeah. Low-slung jeans. A strip of tan skin where his shirt has ridden up. And an ass that belongs on a museum pedestal.
“Well,” Hazel says appreciatively. “That’s a view.”
I can’t actually form words. My mouth dries.
