God, she has my heart racing in ways no other woman has ever made me feel.
By the time we make it to the truck, it’s already after nine. Anxiety swells within me. I might have all day to make her stay, but whatever holds her back has her wound tighter than a bull at a rodeo. I want to ask more about it, but I have a feeling she won’t budge, even if I get on my hands and knees to beg.
Now, I’m not beyond doing that. But I have no desire to push her away.
I just need her to trust me.
Opening the door for her, I keep hold of her hand as she slides into the truck. “Ask me anything,” I tell her, leaning in. “Anything at all. I’ll give you all my deep, dark, dirty secrets.”
Olivia rolls her tongue in her mouth, looking like she doesn’t believe me. “Anything?”
“Yes, m’am,” I murmur. “Anything at all.”
She runs her gaze over me for a moment before sighing. “Why were you in Vegas?”
“Because a friend wanted to gamble after a bad bout of lady troubles, and he took about a grand from me,” I reply easily. “That’s why I was roaming the casino floor. And that’s when I saw you.”
The corners of her lips quirk with a smile she tries to suppress. Rolling her eyes, Olivia sits back. “Are there any other women in your life?”
I hesitate. “There is one,” I admit, watching her expression. “Although I don’t think she’ll be a problem.”
“If you’re waiting to get a reaction out of me by saying it’s your mother or sister, forget about it,” she mutters.
I chuckle, pulling back. “No, not that at all. My mother died a long time ago, and I have no sisters. Only the boys left in my family, sadly.”
Olivia stiffens, though she quickly brushes it off. “Alright. This lady friend, then?”
“It’s nothing,” I tell her, shaking my head. “An old vendetta.”
“Oh, so there’s a woman you have beef with then,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Perfect.”
“Why’s that?” I ask, genuinely curious. I can’t tell if there’s jealousy hidden in her words or something else.
When she looks at me, I can’t read her expression at all. “Tells me you have unresolved feelings for someone. Maybe you’re not as invested in this marriage as you say you are.”
I rear back in surprise. “What?”
She nods seriously. “I watched this happen with my cousin,” she explains, a hint of sadness entering her tone. “Her fiancé had this woman he claimed he loathed. Called her all sorts of names. And the week we were in Vegas on her bachelorette trip—that’s why I was there—he cheated with that woman he hated oh so much.” Olivia shakes her head sadly and sits back. “Passion comes in different ways. Most of the time, men don’t know the difference in the way it feels.”
“I’m not most men,” I growl. “And I happen to know for a fact that won’t ever be the case between us.”
“That’s easy enough to claim now, but it’s not a promise you can make.”
I grit my teeth, taking in the way she wrings her hands, the droop of her shoulders. “Is that the reason you’re so insistent?”
She snorts and shakes her head. “No. It hadn’t even crossed my mind.” Her gaze flickers to mine. “Don’t we have dance lessons?”
I curse under my breath, close her door, and rush around the truck. “Shit.”
We’re going to be late. Fuck me.
I pull out of the small lot and get on one of the roads that cut through the ranch. “You have any more questions for me, darlin’?”
“I thought that conversation would have scared you off,” she laughs, crossing her arms. “Okay. Well. Children. Do you want them? Do you…have any?”
I shake my head. “Never thought much about kids. Although, when I do, I’m not sure I’m the kind of man who could be a good father,” I mutter, hands tightening on the steering wheel. “But if I have the right person by my side and a stable gig, maybe. Can’t really raise kids in the employee lodging here on the ranch.”
“But do you have any?” she reiterates, leaning forward, observing me.
