“He loves TV.”
“Who doesn’t?” Blake took her by the waist and lifted her down from the truck seat. He took her hand again and walked with her to the stables and straight to Boots’s door. The horse remained guarded, standing against the back wall, but when he spotted Gillian, he walked to the gate. She reached for him and gave him a pet down his long neck.
“There’s my huge boy.”
“I’ve been right here waiting for you,” Ken said from behind them.
Blake turned and glared, putting himself between Gillian and Ken. “Take that horse out to its owner in the practice ring,” Blake ordered.
“I’m on my way, boss. No harm saying hello to the pretty lady, now, is there?”
“Do your job.”
“Doing it . . . even if you’re not,” Ken added under his breath, but Blake heard him, like Ken meant for him to hear it. Ken walked the horse out of the stables.
Blake turned back, but didn’t see Gillian. He glanced over the gate and found her picking stickers and thistles from Boots’s coat. He grabbed an empty bucket and two brushes and went into the stall with her. Boots shied and blocked Gillian from him.
“Hey now, you’re okay. Blake won’t hurt you,” she cooed to the spooked horse.
Blake hoped someday soon she’d believe that statement. He moved in slowly, letting the horse see he wasn’t going to hurt him. He and Gillian worked side by side, pulling every last sticker from his patchwork of hair, mane, and tail.
Blake slid a new halter over Boots’s head. Ken poked his head over the stall door. The horse caught the movement and sidestepped, pushing Blake back two steps and nearly sending Gillian to the ground. Ken only had eyes for her. “Hey baby, you need to be careful with these big guys.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Want some help?”
“Thanks, but I’ve got all the muscle I need,” she said, stepping closer to Blake’s side.
Blake had to admit he liked her style. She handled Ken with simple and vague answers, and now she’d gone and implied all she needed was Blake. He’d take it, even if she just wanted to get Ken to back off.
Gillian took Boots’s halter and led him to the door. “Back up. He’s shy.”
“I’d love to take you to dinner tonight and get to know you better,” Ken said.
Blake wanted to step in, but held his tongue.
“I already have plans.”
“With who? Him?” Ken nodded his head in Blake’s direction.
“With my family. Excuse me. I have work to do.”
Ken smacked his palm against the gate. “Maybe another time.” He walked away when she didn’t say anything more.
“Thanks,” she said.
“For what?” Blake asked.
“Letting me handle that. Maybe now he’ll let it go.”
He didn’t think so. “You are having dinner with me, you know?”
“Yep. I know.”
She unlatched the gate and led Boots down the aisle to the concrete pad they used to wash down the horses. Blake grabbed the hose.
“Hold his head. I’ll wash him down. If he rears up, back out of the way as fast as you can.”
Gillian snuggled her cheek against Boots’s nose. “He’s not going to do anything of the sort.”
Blake made short work of washing down Boots, who stayed perfectly still as long as Gillian kept talking sweet to him. Blake grew more aroused by the minute as her hot gaze raked over every inch of his body as he worked. She liked his arms. Every time he flexed, her eyes zeroed in on them. He’d even caught her sweep the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip. The sexy as hell move nearly sent him to his knees to beg her to put him out of his misery. He’d never wash another horse again without thinking about her in those tight jeans and T-shirt with no bra to hide her tight nipples from his view. Just watching him move made her aroused. He desperately wanted to get his hands on her. God, how he wanted her.
“Come on, let’s put him back in his warm stall, and I’ll show you how to feed him,” Blake said.
It took Gillian a full five seconds to tear her eyes off his chest and meet his gaze. He smiled, and she sighed. Yep, she was as lost as he was in this thing between the two of them.
His desire for her grew more intense over the next five days. He spent most of his days in her company. Determined to do her part on the ranch, she cared for Boots and shadowed him through his workday, helping out wherever she could. Justin stayed with his grandfather after school, having a blast riding the tractor and watching the men stack hay in one of the barns.
Unable to help himself, he studied her every move. Smart, she learned things quickly and only had to be told something once. When she tried to figure something out on her own, she squinted her eyes and scrunched her lips. She ended every meal with one of the chocolate chip cookies Dee made. Her laugh came out soft and lilting when she allowed herself to give in to it. The one thing that got to him more than anything was her insatiable need to be with the horses. She loved them. Everything about her calmed and relaxed when she spent time with them.