Page 63 of Colt

He spots some deer and rides ahead a little ways, leaving me and Colton alone yet again.

I wonder what I should say. Are we going to actually talk about what happened in the barn with the handcuffs? If we are, do I play it cool? How the fuck would I do that?

He clears his throat. “So you’re good.”

“I’m better than good. I’m fucking crushing it, Colton. Obviously.” I motion to the saddle I’m still in.

“No. I mean…after what happened that night at the barn.”

Is he talking about the bite mark he left on me? The one that’s still visible, albeit barely? The one I revisit every night when I’m alone and so turned on I want to scream? Or is he digging into the fact that there’s a fucked-up power dynamic between us with him being the boss and me being…whatever I am to him?

Also, why does he care?

I don’t know how to answer that, so I’m quiet for a beat. “You know, you’re so hot and cold. If you’re gonna push me off this horse, just do it already and put me out of my misery.”

“Aw, Dallas, don’t pretend like you ain’t enjoying hatin’ me.”

“I do like hating you. I’m just confused as to why that happened. Like, why were you Dr. Jekyll then and Mr. Hyde now?”

His turn to pause. He looks down at the reins he holds in his hand. “That day…it was a super shitty one before I ran into you.”

I let out a mirthless laugh. “I mean, how shitty does your day have to be to bite someone?”

“Oh, but you liked the bite, didn’t you?”

Fuck, I really, really liked the bite.

“Keep telling yourself that,” I blurt.

Colton looks away. “I mean, I think it’s safe to say you’re having a shitty day when your sister and your best friend tell you they’re dating or hooking up or whatever behind your back.”

My heart trips to a sudden stop. “You mean Billie⁠—”

“And Ryder. Not sure if you’ve met him yet, but…yeah. Billie and I got into it that day, and…” Looking down, he shakes his head. “Never mind. It’s stupid.”

“Doesn’t sound stupid. Sounds like it hurt. A lot.”

He doesn’t say anything to that.

“You didn’t know about them being together?” I ask.

“Nope.”

“Shit,” I say. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

Why am I being nice to Colton all of a sudden? He is confiding in me. Which seems totally incongruent with his rudeness from before. But here he is, opening up to me. Even if it’s just a crack.

He lets out a mirthless chuckle. “I been lied to before. Shouldn’t be surprised it happened again.”

I wonder if the person who lied to him was his wife. Is that why he always has to be in control? Why he’s so angry all the time?

I frown. “That’s a sucky way to go through life, thinking everyone’s out to pull one over on you.”

“That’s reality. And now I’m worried…” Colton sighs. “I just don’t want this to blow up in their faces.”

“Billie and Ryder’s?”

“Yes—”