He stares, stern and hard, as he bites out, “You shouldn't be distracting the ranch hands.”
Yeah. Emphasis on theinfuriating.The nerve of him. The absolute nerve.
“Hecame up tome,” I say through my teeth.
“I saw that.”
“Did you.”
It's not a question. We both know he saw it. We both know he watched every second of it from across that field with those dark eyes and that clenched jaw.
I continue, “Then you saw that I was just standing here.”
“What were you talking about?”
“I don't think that's any of your business.”
He rubs a hand along his stubbled jaw, suddenly looking regretful. “Sadie…”
I’ve lost my patience for his moody bullshit.
“The weather,” I say. “Texas. And then he asked me out.”
I hold his gaze and watch it happen: his whole body tensing up. Every muscle in his face tightening just the same.
There it is. Undeniable evidence.
Walker Rhodes is jealous as hell.
And it looks good on him. Unfairly, outrageously good. All that barely leashed tension, that dark energy rolling off him in waves, those green eyes gone practically black under the brim of his hat.
He also looks like a man who made his bed and is just now understanding he has to lie in it. Fine by me. I offered to share mine and he said no, so this is what he gets.
“I gave him my number,” I add.
There’s a silence. Then he blurts, “You can't go on a date.”
I stare at him. How the hell am I supposed to take that?
Has he lost his mind?
Have I?
“What are you talking about?” is all I can eke out.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate. For Jonah’s sake.”
Oh my God. Seriously?
“For Jonah’s sake?” I stare at him, caught between outrage and sheer astonishment. “He won't even be home Saturday night.”
“He will be Sunday morning. And when he sees you getting dropped off at home by some strange guy, what’s he gonna think?”
The sheer audacity.
“I see,” I say. “So you assume I’m gonna be spending the night with this guy on the first date?”
He steps closer. Not crowding me, but close enough that I have to hold my ground deliberately, close enough that I can smell the leather and the mountain air on him and the particular warm scent underneath that I’ve made the mistake of memorizing.
