“What the hell are you doing?” I slapped at his back, my fists hittingmarbled muscle. “Let me down. Wilder, I?—”
His hand came down on my ass and damn well slapped it. “Cut the yelling, Brownie, you’re hurting my ears.”
He stooped to pick up my purse, remaining steady even as I wiggled to get free of him.
“Night, ladies,” he drawled. “Nash messaged me to say he’ll come pick you up whenever you’re ready.”
He then strode through the bar, me slapping athisass while everyone yelled and cheered. As he held tight to my legs, it struck me hard in the chest, I was not only wet for this man, but I would never be ready to be over him.
Chapter 28
Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur
Wilder
The atmosphere inside the truck was heavy with a mixture of my anticipation and Tally’s smoldering annoyance. The faint smell of her perfume enticed me to keep snatching glances at her. Each time she seemed to have pushed herself further away from me, up tight against the door as she looked out into the darkness.
The silence was deafening except for the crack of seat leather each time she shifted away from me. She didn’t want to speak, and I was struggling to find the words as to why I’d literally hauled her out of the bar. I mean, I knew why but wasn’t sure how to explain it to her, not without sounding crazy.
Was it crazy, though, to want to talk to her in private about us? About what I wanted us to be. No, but I supposed I didn’t need to throw her over my shoulder to do it.
My fingers were wound so tight around the steering wheel my fingers were cramping. Flexing them, I drew in a breath, like a cue to Tally that I was going to start talking. When I opened my mouth, nothing came out.
An intake of shallow breath drew my attention to her to see she’d crossed her legs and was leaning her head against the window.
“You okay?” Was the best I could come up with.
Silence except for the hum of tires on black top as we continued toward the ranch.
The hum of tires, tense breaths and stolen glances were what we were left with all the way home.
When I finally pulled up at the side of the main house, my shoulders were hunched almost to my ears. At least she didn’t immediately get out. Instead, she sliced me with a look of disdain.
“What the hell was that about?”
A deep breath did nothing to help steady my heart into a natural rhythm. “Can we go to your cabin to talk?”
There was a beat before she nodded and finally opened the truck door and practically threw herself onto the grass, stalking toward the back path to her cabin before I’d even got my door open.
“Brownie, just wait,” I called jogging after her.
She was almost to the side of the stables when I caught up to her, arms wrapped around herself as she braced against the biting cold.
“Why didn’t you take a jacket?” Her breath was coming out in quick puffs of white vapor, and I could see goosebumps rising on her bare arms.
“Why didn’t you,” she snapped, picking up the pace. “Oh yeah, I forgot, you’re a caveman and don’t need one.”
“I’m sorry.” My breath fogged in front of me. “Actually, you know what, no I’m not sorry.”
Tally pulled to a stop and glared at me. The security light cast a bright glow on us, like we were on a stage about to give a performance. With a camera pointing at us from the corner of the stable, I was not up for that.Grabbing her hand, I pulled her along the path, continuing to the cabin.
“Stop pulling me,” she protested.
“I’m not having this conversation out here. Not with Gunner or Nash watching, since we’ve set the security light off.”
Glancing up, Tally sighed and followed me, her hand limp in mine until we got to her front door.
When she opened it, without having to unlock it, I growled making a mental note to broach that argument another day. I had to choose my battles carefully with her and not locking her cabin wasn’t a choice for tonight.
