Page 15 of Colt

Once he finished, he pushed the wheelbarrow to the next stall. As he emerged from the stall, he spotted Chelsea entering the barn.

“Colt?”

“Yeah?” He set down the wheelbarrow.

“Do we have room for three more horses? Someone called looking for boarding options.”

“I believe we do. I think we currently have five empty stalls. I’ll double check and let you know later. Right now, I need to finish these stalls. Then I’ll get with you.”

When she didn’t say anything else, he looked over at her to see her staring at his glistening chest. Clearing his throat, he caught her gaze and she smiled at him.

“Looking forward to it,” she said before turning and leaving the barn.

Looking forward to what exactly? Colt frowned as he muttered to himself. But there was no way she meant looking forward to seeing him. Women were so confusing, saying one thing but meaning another.

After finishing up in the barn, Colt headed to his office where he checked the charts and saw that there were four available stalls. Turning off his computer, he left the office and walked through the barn and yard to reach Chelsea’s house. Knocking on the door brought no response, but he could hear music playing inside so she probably didn’t hear him. Trying again with no luck, Colt opened the door and called out her name.

He couldn’t help but grin when he heard Dwight Yoakam’s voice singing Fast as You. Walking through the kitchen and dining room, he entered the living room where he came to a stop at the sight of Chelsea swaying to the music while unpacking a box.

Leaning against the doorframe, Colt enjoyed the show until she turned and noticed him. Stopping in her tracks, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed that. I don’t do that for just anyone,” she said.

“It was very entertaining,” he replied. “I knocked but you couldn’t hear me over Dwight.”

She laughed and Colt couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Her long, dark curls cascaded down her shoulders and her striking blue eyes could bring any man to his knees.

****

“I’m sorry. I like listening to music while I work.” Chelsea walked to the stereo to turn it down.

“No worries. So, we have four stalls available.”

“Great. I’ll call them and let them know. They were hoping to bring their horses tomorrow, is that okay?”

“Not a problem for me. I have weekends off.”

“Who’s in charge when you’re not here?”

“Brian.”

“Okay.” Chelsea walked toward him and stopped in front of him. “I need a drink; would you like one too? You were sweating quite a bit in the barn.”

The tension in the air was palpable as he glanced at her lips, then back into her eyes. The heat between them seemed to sizzle and spark with every passing moment. She couldn’t help but hold his gaze, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Colt?” she whispered.

“What?” His voice was gruff and strained.

“Are you afraid of me?” Her smirk widened into a playful smile.

“You have no idea.” He cleared his throat, taking a step back before turning and striding toward the kitchen.

As he walked away, she couldn’t help but admire his broad shoulders, his ass in those tight jeans, and tall, muscular frame, feeling a tingle run down her spine. But before she could dwell on it any longer, he announced that he needed to head home and shower. She watched him leave without looking back, feeling a mix of disappointment and amusement at his abrupt departure.

But as soon as he was out of sight, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh. He was certainly an intriguing man, but she knew better than to get involved with him. After all, he was her employee and she needed him here at the ranch. Plus, there were bound to be complications if they were to pursue anything.

Still, she couldn’t deny the physical attraction between them. The way his pecs looked like sculpted stone, or the defined muscles of his six-pack stomach that made her mouth water... She groaned inwardly, trying to push those thoughts out of her mind.

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