“And the daughter?” I inquire with a small grin when I see Abe's jaw clench.
“Chloe's more interested in the dressage these days. Not interested in us cow hands any more.”
“Uh huh.” I say as I heel Cinders into a trot. “You keep telling yourself that, Boss.”
I kick up a gallop before he can reply. I may be a rough ol' cowboy but I got eyes that don't miss a thing.
And a sensibility that borders on animalistic, judging by how the hairs go up on the back of my neck, prickles running down my spine when I'm back to work and sense someone approaching. A dainty step heading toward me as I kneel in the grit, hammering out the foundation layer of the spectator stand for the rodeo tomorrow.
“Need some help down there, Cowboy?” the silky Southern voice inquires.
“No Ma'am,” I reply, one of those shit-eating grins stretching the corners of my mouth.
I turn and sit back on my haunches in the sand, looking up at her from under my brim. Fuck, she is gorgeous with the sunlight behind her hitting her hair and making an angelic glow all around her. Nothing celestial about the filthy look she's giving me as I become aware of how close my mouth is to her pussy and we're both reminded of the delicious spread I ate last night.
“It would be all wrong for a Princess to get her hands dirty. You can leave the work to me.”
“Well then what can I do to help out, while you do all the work?” she inquires with a flirty tone and a gleam in her eye that implies she's eager to reciprocate last night.
“Just having you here with me is damn good,” I grit out, wishing I could throw her down on the ground and tear those tight fucking jeans that drive a man to drink down her legs.
“Dallyce, can I see you please,” the chaperone woman is shouting at her from across the yard.
“Jeez-us, there's no rest for the wicked,” she says, with a knowing gaze before turning on her heel and walking away.
“There sure ain't,” I mutter, watching the finest ass I've ever seen wiggle across the yard.
Chapter TWELVE
Dallyce
I'm like a filly being put through its training routine as I sit with Modesty and Violet, listening to the instructions about our roles tomorrow for the thousandth time. Nissa started the session with a lecture on morals.
“You have a responsibility as figureheads for the community,” she intones, as pious as some evangelist TV preacher. “We don't want any scandal tainting the stampede.”
Well boo hoo. She was giving me a particular glare throughout the spiel, which didn't bother me at all. I'm not a kid. Even Modesty is of age so we don't need the big talking to.
“There are also standards of dress we need to attain,” she adds, staring blatantly at my bare legs in the tiny shorts I’ve changed up for the jeans.
I get it. She eyed out Shea for herself and maybe planned to seduce him up to her room with that slinky nightgown I haven’t seen before this trip. I'm sure that's why she was waiting up for me to come back last night. It can't have been easy, observing us riding back in, together on the same horse, me side saddle with my legs across his heavy thigh, nestled into his arm and chest. Now she's taking out her sense of rejection on my ass.
At least he was no longer tweaking my nipple and fondling my breast. My shirt was re-buttoned up to my neck. But she can't have missed the smiles and the relaxed way we rode in after our nice talk during the journey. Shea had told me plenty about himself.
“You got me talking here, Angel,” he'd said. “I don't usually chit chat with a woman like this. I hope I ain't boring you.”
“Not at all. I want to know more about you.”
Everything. I want to know him inside and out, but first I need him inside so I can know him more closely than I've ever known a man.
I was telling him my ideas for a vacation stables and how I thought horses could help troubled kids, when we arrived back at the ranch way too soon.
I got into bed and pretended to fall straight to sleep to stop Modesty yakking. Soon as I came in she wanted to chatter about Rafe.
“Did you and that naked cocky cowboy get up to anything?” she asked. “I was almost jealous when he tossed you over his shoulder?”
“No,” I said bluntly. “Good night.”
I snuggled down, with delicious tingles going through me that Shea and I had spent the entire ride kissing and suckling lips between getting to know each other. But I was also bereft that I couldn’t spend the night in his bed where I belonged as his woman. I may as well be living in a freaking convent.
“I want to remind you of the need for appropriate behavior.” Nissa intones.
“Didn't we hear all that already?” I snap. Irritated that she dragged me away from Shea for a repetition of the harangue.