“I need to talk to you,” she calls, a hint of urgency in her voice.
I circle slowly, whip dragging beside me in case Bruiser charges. By the looks of it, he’s not convinced I’m worth the effort. “You leaving?” I call back. It’s the only thing I can think of that might be so urgent.
She’s had enough.
“N—no.”
Relief settles in my chest.
“Got my hands full, Willow. Say what you came to say and go.”
She grunts restlessly behind me. “Well,” she whines, then pauses for a moment. “Can I come in there?”
“No,” Silas and I bark at once.
Bruiser snaps his neck around and I crack the whip into the dust again. “Easy now,” I murmur, stepping closer.
“Is he dangerous?” I hear Willow ask. Silas wouldn’t particularly know the answer to this, other than the sheer fact he’s a bull.
“He can be,” I breathe steadily. “Knowing how this usually goes between us, Sunset, think it’s best you say what’s on your mind and go.”
She’s quiet and I can’t tell if she’s holding back from yelling at me some more or deciding she’s got me exactly where she wants me.
But something about the desperate look on her face when she showed up tells me I’m way off base.
I hear metal shuffling behind me. The distinct sound of a latch falling loose. My heart rate kicks up and I snap my head back. “Willow, don’t.”
She’s already inside, pressing her back and arms along the fence, watching the animal with wide eyes.
Christ, this woman.
I take a breath, then extend a gloved hand toward Bruiser’s shoulder, palm flat. “Willow I’m going to ask this once .?.?.”
“I’m sorry,” she calls in a burning yet steady tone. Not loud though. She keeps her volume in line with mine. From the corner of my eye, I see her rounding the fence to get closer.
“Willow, not now.”
I crack my whip in the direction I want him—away from her. And this way, I’m facing her, meeting her eyes.
One look is all it takes to know she’s not going anywhere until she says what she came to say.
I glance and signal at my brother and he reads me like a book. Saluting me, he takes off in that yellow sports car of his, dust swirling in its wake.
Turning my head back, Willow shifts her gaze from the bull to me. I catch her swallow. “I was out of line last night. I should have told you about the gig.” She closes her eyes, takes a breath then opens them again. “I should havetalkedto you first.”
My chest constricts at her sincerity, but I cock my head and stay focused. “With the understanding that you’d do it anyway, right? Permission or not?” I couldn’t help adding that last part. I glance at her with a smirk.
She shrugs, her voice a little shaky. “Probably. I wasn’t trying to be a brat or difficult. I was .?.?. frustrated about something.”
I meet her gaze. Her brown eyes are penetrating, carrying a need that damn near undoes me.
Her eyes flick to the bull, lip pulled between her teeth.
I sigh, the corner of my mouth tugging to ease her tension. “Fair enough, Sunset.”
Her eyes soften and it’s everything I didn’t know I needed.
I don’t know what to do here. Except abandon the damn bull and go to her. Find out what the hell this thing is between us and if she’s feeling it the way I am. But my movements are limited and I can’tdo thishere.
