I lean against the kitchen island. As she reaches for a travel mug, her tank rides up and my fingers start to itch, craving to touch the tan skin of her stomach that’s peeking out.
“Cream or sugar?” she asks, glancing back at me.
“Black is fine.” I clear my throat.
“So.” She hands me the mug before grabbing one for herself, bending over to rest her elbows on the counter.Fucking hell. It’s like she asking for it.“It’s what? A three-hour drive?”
“Yeah, thereabouts. We should get there just in time for lunch.”
She nods and takes a sip of her coffee, a little smile playing at her lips. “Are you nervous?”
“Me?” My heart starts beating faster. “Why would I be nervous?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, eyes sparkling. “Taking a girl tomeet your ranch family? Kind of a big step for friends-with-benefits.”
I chuckle. “Hollis isn’t exactly the ‘meet the parents’ type of guy. More like the ‘scare you shitless then make you muck stalls’ type.”
“Nice,” she laughs, setting her mug down. “So what should I expect? Are we going to be sleeping in the barn with the horses?”
“Nope. We’ll be staying in one of the cabins. It’s rustic, but comfortable.” I take another sip, watching her over the rim. “Separate rooms, of course. Unless...”
“Unless what?” she challenges with a tilt of her head.
“Unless you get scared of the wolves and need me to protect you,” I say, flashing her a grin.
She rolls her eyes as a hint of a blush flushes her cheeks. “I think I’ll manage. Besides, the only wolf I need to watch out for is you.”
“We’ll see.”
Sasha pushes off the counter. “Let me grab my bag and we can hit the road.”
She disappears upstairs and returns a couple of minutes later with a small overnight bag. “All set.”
“Let me get that for you.”
“I can carry my own bag, Jax,” she says with a shake of her head.
But I’m not having it.
“I know you can. But my dad raised me better than that.”
Amused, she hands it over. “Didn’t take you for much of a gentleman.”
“Only when I want to be,” I wink, enjoying the flush that spreads across her cheeks.
After tossing her bag in the truck bed next to mine, I open the passenger door, staring at her ass like a perv as she climbs in.
She turns, catching me in the act. “What?”
“Just admiring the view.” Yup. Zero shame.
She just arches a brow as I close the door.
Once we’re both settled, I grab my sunglasses from the center console, shove them on my face and start the engine.
“Tell me more about J & R,” Sasha says, buckling her seatbelt. “What should I expect?”
I back out of the driveway and head east. “It’s about two hundred acres of land nestled against the mountains. Hollis and his wife Meg have helped run it for over thirty years. We’ve got cabins, horses, a few cattle, some chickens and goats.”
