“Oh God, that’s what you got from that?” I laughed. “I think you know that you’re attractive, Tex, let’s not pretend.”
He set the guitar down and stood up, and my eyes followed his every move, my heart rate quickening. He took a step toward me, and I felt myself suck in a breath.
When he reached out, his hand going to my hair, I practically whimpered. My nipples were hard and painful, my body flushed with desire.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice a whisper.
He swallowed, and I watched the slow roll of his Adam’s apple. “You had a little hay in your hair,” he said. His gaze was fixed on mine as he pulled the little piece of straw from the tangle of my hair without looking away.
“Rowan…” he began, and then his cellphone rang, cutting through the heated moment loud enough to startle us both. “Jesus.”
I stepped back from him, barely able to breathe. “I’m just going to…” I waved a hand in the air and turned and left the room. I went to the kitchen and splashed water on my face, trying desperately to slow my racing heart. Moments later, I felt him come into the kitchen behind me.
“That was JD,” Tex said, and I turned to look at him. I had taken the dishtowel and was dabbing my face and chest dry, and he watched the movements with interest.
“Everything okay?” I asked. “Any news?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Looks like the cartel have gone to ground for the time being.”
I looked away from him. “I hate this—the waiting. I feel like I’m walking a tightrope, just waiting for something to happen. I just want this over with.”
“Well, then maybe you’ll like what I’m going to say to you next then.”
I frowned and cocked my head to the side. “What is it?”
“JD wants to get them out of hiding. He wants to try and bring it to a head. The sooner this is over and done with the better, right?”
“I guess,” I replied.
“Then we can all get back to our normal lives.”
“Oh,” I said, hating how disappointed I felt at those words. “Yeah, of course, that’s what we all want, right?”
I stared at him, willing him to say something other than agreement.
“Yeah,” he replied, and my heart sank.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, or what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t that. He didn’t owe me anything, and that was okay. Maybe I just hoped that he was feeling the weird vibe growing between us too. But it was becoming obvious that he was just Tex, a biker with a penchant for women, whiskey, and violence, and I needed to stay in my lane.
I put down the dishtowel and looked away. “So what does he suggest?”
Tex took a deep breath before continuing. “He wants to meet in town. Right out in the open. We’re going to tell all the club members, and we’re going to have people waiting.”
“And I’m guessing you want me there,” I said, slowly.
His expression hardened. “JD does. He doesn’t think they’ll come out of hiding for us, but for you…that’s a different story. You’re what they want.”
I heaved a heavy sigh, understanding what this meant. “Why haven’t they come here? I mean, it’s not like there’s a bunch of you protecting me here—it’s just you.”
Tex looked startled by my comment and frowned. “Do you not feel safe?”
“Well yeah, but?—”
“Do you not think I can protect you?”
“That’s not what I said,” I replied, noting the annoyance in his tone. “Tex, I didn’t mean?—”
He shook his head. “They’re not coming here because they know I’ll fucking kill them, Rowan. You’re more protected by my side than they like. You know this ranch and I know how to kill. It’s as simple as that. But out in the open, things can go wrong. Mistakes are made—and that’s what they’re hoping for. Before they had the upper hand, but not now.”
