“Fuck yes, there’s a goddamn problem.”
“You never used to swear this much.”
“I’ve always sworn like this, just not at work. What the fuck, Lena? Why didn’t you tell me that you’d torn apart your heels?”
She glances down and then winces. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
“Look, if we weren’t about to traipse all over the wilderness, I’d go barefoot. It doesn’t bother me, but I don’t want to step on woodland creatures or slimy things, or whatever. So I’ll deal. I’ve had worse.”
“I want you to listen to every word I’m about to say. If you tear your skin up like this, you can’t train. You can’t be reckless here. I know you’re tired. You should be. You’ve been through hell this week, and now you’re in a strange place. It makes sense that you’d be adjusting to the altitude and everything else. But you have totalk to me, Rebel. Youcan’t just keep injuries and fatigue to yourself, because I can’t read your mind, and I’m responsible for you.”
“I’ll tell you when I want you to know something, Gideon.”
That’s the wrong fucking answer.
She stumbles away from me, but I take two strides and I’m in front of her, my back to her, and I squat down.
“Hop on.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Get on my back.”
There’s no movement, and I finally look back at her. She’s biting her lip and staring at my ass.
Christ.
“Lena, jump on my back, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder. You’re not walking a mile like that. Fuck, I don’t want you walking ten feet with your heels torn up like that.”
“The house is a mile away?” That caught her attention.
“Just over.”
“You can’t carry me for more than a mile.”
I turn to her. “Yeah, I can. You’re tiny. I’ll carry you around all day if you want.” My leg aches like a bitch, but I won’t have a problem toting this little thing around. “Now get on my fucking back so I can take you home. Wills doesn’t like it when we’re late.”
“So Willow runs a tight ship around here.”
“She’s the only woman on this ranch, and we all adore her. What do you think?”
I turn back around, squat, and wait, and finally, Lena’s hands grip my shoulders, and she bounces onto my back and wraps her arms around me, and I hold on to her thighs.
This was a bad fucking idea.
I should have jogged home and gotten the car.
Because now, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is wrapped around me. Her breasts are pressed to my shoulders, her pussy to mylow back, and she’swarm. Not to mention, I can smell her oranges, and now I’ll be walking with a goddamn semi all the way back to the house.
Hockey.
Fishing.
Terrorist attacks.
Running into a grizzly.
