Page 37 of A Taste of Whiskey
This was crazy. He prided himself on being a calm, rational person. He’d never even lost it or felt possessive of his own wife when she’d cheated on him. Then again, he’d never felt anything like he felt for Sasha toward Tina. He needed to get ahold of himself and fix this mess with Sasha before he fucked up things for Gus.
He slowed to a walk as he came to his pull-up tree at the end of the trail. He did thirty pull-ups, but they did nothing to loosen the knots in his chest. He dragged his forearm across his sweaty brow and walked off the trail. Dropping to the grass, he did fifty push-ups and a hundred sit-ups, hoping they might take the edge off, but he knew better. He’d done a grueling weight workout before his run, and he was still fit to be tied.
Pushing to his feet, he took off his shirt and wiped his face and chest with it as he made his way across the grassy knoll toward the road where he and Sasha lived. As he came up the hill, Sasha’s truck came into view in front of her cabin.
Gripping his shirt in his fist, he headed up to her porch and knocked, ready to face the music. His pulse raced as minutes ticked by like hours. He had the uncomfortable thought that she could be in the shower, washing off Flame’s scent. Fury boiled inside him, and that made him an even bigger prick, because he wasn’t only angry about Flame. He didn’t want her withanyoneelse. He knew he should get his arms around that before going looking for her, but fuck it. He headed down to the barn, where he really fucking hoped he’d find her.
As he traipsed across the grass, he told himself not to be an asshole. He’d had the same thought when he’d come to the ranch as a teenager, but the minute he’d seen Sasha, all his good intentions had gone out the window, andHey, Bo Peep, how about a roll in the hayhad rolled off his tongue. How could one woman wreak havoc with his sanity for so many years?
He saw horses in the smaller rehab paddocks and a couple in catch pens and knew Sasha had to be there. She loved the horses as much as she loved Gus. His chest constricted with thoughts of his son. Part of him wished Tina hadn’t picked Gus up for the weekend. Then he could have been oblivious to Sasha’s whereabouts last night. Hell, part of him wished they’d never kissed, so they could go back to the friendship he cherished.
He headed into the first rehab barn and found Sully standing in front of a stall, talking to a horse. “Hey, Ezra. Is Gus with you?” She peered around him.
“No,” he said curtly. “He’s with his mother for the weekend.”
“I wanted to tell him that we framed the picture he drew for me and hung it up in the living room.” Sully and Cowboy’s walls were filled with Sully’s sketches and photographs of their families and close friends on the ranch.
“He’ll be thrilled to know he’s made your wall.” Their love for Gus was a great reminder of why he needed to keep his emotions in check. “I’m looking for Sasha. Is she around?”
“Yeah. She’s in the other barn.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
His nerves kicked up as he headed into the other barn, but he was determined to apologize and make things right. Stifling the urge to call out for her, knowing it might startle the horses, he scanned each stall as he walked past and was saddened by the poor state of some of the rescues. He knew they would thrive under Sasha’s care.
Just like Gus and I did when we came to the ranch.
The tack room door was ajar. He saw Sasha standing on her tiptoes in those cute maroon boots, her T-shirt inching up as she stretched to reach a shelf. Her hair was loose and a little tousled, and she wore his favorite cutoffs. The ones that were a little too big and hung low on her hips. They had a rip above the left back pocket, revealing a sliver of skin. But those cutoffs reminded him of last night and the way Flame’s hands had moved along her back. That reminder unleashed another surge of emotions. Jealousy and desire went head-to-head with his rational thoughts. He tried to maintain control as he stepped into the room, but when she turned around, her hair swinging over one shoulder, surprise and a glimmer of lust shimmering in her eyes, all bets were off.
“Ezra” flew breathily from her lips, her gaze falling to his bare chest.
“We need to talk.” He closed the door and turned the lock, dropping his shirt to the floor. He didn’t want any distractions.
“Why did you lock the door?”
“Because we’re not leaving this room until we figure this out.” He left no room for negotiation, closing the distance between them. He didn’t miss the way her gaze trailed down his body as he neared. “Sorry I was an ass at the bar.”
She nodded and licked her lips as if her mouth suddenly went dry.
“You didn’t come home last night.”
Her gaze flicked up to his. “How do you know?”
She didn’t deny it, and jealousy slammed into him like a bullet train, obliterating any chance at rationality. “Did you fuck him?”
“We’re not doing this.”
“Yes, we are.” He needed answers or he was going to lose his fucking mind, and it wasn’t fair to ask, much less demand, but he wasdonebeing the guy who did the right thing with her. He pressed in closer, holding her gaze. “Did youfuckhim?”
“Ezra,” she said pleadingly.
“You know you don’t want anyone else touching you but me. I see it in your eyes. I felt it when we kissed.” He didn’t know where that claim came from, but she swallowed hard, and the wanting look in her eyes told him it was true. “Did he fill yourneedslast night?” he gritted out. “Did you let him touch you the way you wantmeto touch you?” He skimmed his hand up her torso and brushed the side of her breast, feeling her shudder as “Ez” fell from her lips. “Did you let him do this?” He slid his hand along the nape of her neck and grabbed a fistful of her hair, tilting her face up to his.
She was breathing hard, her eyes darkening with desire.
He lowered his lips closer to hers. “Did he kiss you deep and hard the way I did? Did you moan and writhe for him the way you did for me?”
“Ezra, please,” she whispered.
