He purrs and brushes up against me before settling back down to his afternoon nap in the tiny sliver of sunlight shining on the corner of my desk.
Ding!
Cord's name lights up the notification at the bottom of my screen.My heart jumps into a full gallop.I quickly click into his email, eager to see his response.
Ms.Murphy,
How much did it cost to sneak a peek at my library card?Did you find anything interesting?And here I thought Lorna was closely guarding my reading habits.I shall discuss her loose lips with her on my next venture into town.
You say "real cowboy" as if there's any doubt.I can assure you, princess, I ain't the fantasy version.Unlike Jedidiah.Eleven inches?!Christ almighty.Real cowboys get it done with a few less.And still leave you walking funny.
Skip the balloons.The ugly bastard doesn't have an appreciative bone in his body.If you really want to celebrate…tell me more about this bubble bath and tea.Can I drink it from a man mug or must it be from a dainty piece of fine china like one of your romantic heroes?
Cord
PS: If this bubble bath involves you, tell me more.This isn't a request.Tell me more.
"He's a crazy man," I say, smiling despite myself.I don't even know why I'm smiling!He emails me to complain.And yet…and yet I look forward to hearing from him far more than I should.
Mr.Decker (if that's really your name),
You claim to be a "real cowboy", but I've yet to see any qualifications.For all I know, you're actually a forty-year-old who lives in his mom's basement and spends all his time knitting socks for kittens and playing video games.You probably smoke a carton a week and never wear anything except boxers and a wife beater.
Huh.I think I just solved the mystery as to why you keep reading my books when you clearly hate them.I think I also just realized why you aren't a manwhore…
You need a hobby that isn't bugging me every day.Perhaps trolling people on Reddit would be more your speed?
Cassia
PS: Leave Lorna alone.I paid a pretty penny to get her to spill your dirty secrets.You've been up to no good, haven't you?
I read over it and giggle to myself.It's just the right amount of feisty and insulting.If he was hoping to get a rise out of me by being all bossy and sexy, this will drive him nuts.At least I hope it does.It's his turn to stew for a little while.
I quickly hit send before I can talk myself out of it.And then I sit and wait.And wait.And wait.
"Ahh!"I cry fifteen minutes later, nearly catapulting out of my chair when his response comes in.Even though I was waiting for it, it still scares the crap out of me.What is this man doing to me?!And why do I like it so much?
Ms.Murphy,
Proof.
I knit them sweaters, not socks.Get it right, princess.
Now, about that bubble bath…
Cord
I click on the link in his email, rabidly curious.A webpage for his ranch loads, stalling me in my tracks.Either he's a real cowboy, or he's catfishing me.For some reason, I doubt it's the latter.He seems too…comfortably familiar with cowboys.I have no idea why he's torturing me by reading my books, but I don't think he's lying about who he says he…
"Holy crap," I whisper, my mouth gaping open when a picture of him loads on the screen.This is the bossy, rude, crazy man who keeps emailing me?He'spreciselythe reason that saying,save a horse ride a cowboywas created.I am not mentally prepared to deal with this.
His penetrating gaze cuts through me, even through the dang computer, making my stomach tremble.His square jaw and dark scowl give him a rough, mean look, as if he's as wild as the bull he keeps telling me about, but there's something about him, something…soothing.His skin is tanned a dark golden brown from the sun, with darker spots on his forearms and bold tattoos peeking from beneath the sleeves of his shirt.He's a brick wall of muscle, easily more impressive than the massive horse at his side.
My stomach trembles again.
"He's a giant," I mutter."A hot, sexy giant."
No wonder he's all…ugh!And argh!I bet growing all those muscles shrunk his brain.He probably thinks it's totally normal behavior to annoy me every day.I bet he's been thrown from horses and bucked around and who knows what else.Clearly, it addled his brain.It definitely has if he thinks I'm telling him about me in a bubble bath.
