Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
"Gross. No. Just curious."
"No," he says with a chuckle that hits me low in the belly. "I can't say I've ever jumped on a horse bare-ass naked."
"That's a damn lie!" Wade says, smacking his hand down on the table. "What about that time the bear got into the east field?"
"Or when we thought there was a mountain lion after that pregnant heifer?" Bishop asks.
"Or that time you drank too much Fireball and swore you were a more aerodynamic cowboy with your dick out?" Blaze says, mischief in his gaze.
Walker scowls at all three of them like he wants to murder them, which makes me laugh.
"So…what I'm hearing is that he's full of shit," I say.
"Damn right he is," Wade says. "Staring with this eunuch bullshit."
My lips twitch at the disgruntled look on Wade's face. "It's okay. I knew he was talking about himself when he said that. He just hasn't come to terms with his body yet."
Wade, Blaze, and Bishop howl with laughter.
Walker turns those steely eyes on me, his lips quirking into a grin. "You tryin' to get yourself into trouble, Sunshine?"
"No…just looking for blackmail to use against you." I bat my lashes at him. "I'm sure it'll come in handy next time you start talking nonsense. You tend to do that, you know."
He growls, leaning over to press his lips against mine in a hard kiss.
Blaze wolf-whistles, and I freeze, my heart jolting against my ribcage.
Walker just kissed me in front of everyone. Everyone just saw his lips on mine.
I jolt up from the table, pretty sure my face is bright red. "Um, I need to go…start cleaning," I squeak.
"Letty—" Walker starts, but I don't give him time to finish before I snatch my plate up and scurry away like my life depends on it.
The whole way to the kitchen, it feels like everyone is staring at me, but I'm too damn nervous to look. What if someone tells Tanner or one of his brothers that Walker kissed me? What if they fire me?
"Breathe," I remind myself when I'm alone, sucking in a deep breath. "You can handle this." It takes a minute for panic to recede and rationality to flow in. I can handle this. I'm a grown-ass woman. I can date—or not date—whoever I want. Tanner and his brothers probably won't fire me for it. I mean, they let Flint's wife move in with him before they were married. Abel's son lives here with him. It doesn't have to be a big deal.
It feels monumental, though. Mostly because, no matter how hard I try to resist Walker, I can't seem to do it. Little by little, I'm falling for him. I have been since he put himself in danger to save my life, maybe even before that—when he let me enhance his food and still cleaned his plate without a single complaint.
I gather up dishes and then run water, pouring myself into cleaning.
He kisses me, and I melt. He touches me, and I want to climb him. I'm slowly losing my mind for him, but I'm so damn scared that this could end badly. He's a fundamental part of what they do here, with a hand in everything. All I do is cook. If this ends badly, I'll be the one without a job or a place to live.
"Maybe it's worth the risk," I whisper to myself, wiping down counters.
Aren't all the best things in life worth a little risk and a little worry? I don't want to be the girl who hides from the greatest parts of life because she's afraid to rock the boat. It feels like maybe Walker could be one of those things.
I slip out into the mess hall to gather up the rest of the dishes, my heart sinking a little when I realize that he's no longer at the table. The whole place has cleared out.
But just like every other night, the tables are all cleaned off, the chairs tucked in. The floor has been swept, and the remaining dishes are stacked neatly, waiting for me. I know that's Walker's doing—that he makes sure the hands clean up after themselves before they leave, instead of leaving a big mess for me.
I carry everything back to the kitchen in loads, wash what I can't fit into the dishwasher, and finish wiping everything down. By the time I'm done, the kitchen is spotless, and I've thought myself into circles. Walker still hasn't shown up to walk me across to my place.
I sigh heavily and slip out the door.
Walker's leaning against the side of the building with his hat in his hands.
"Hey," I whisper, staring over at him. Even in the semi-darkness, he's so damn beautiful, like a tree that put down roots in the roughest terrain and refuses to bend. The wear and tear is written across every inch of his big body, but so is his strength. "I thought maybe you decided not to walk me home tonight."