Page 48 of Rough Ride

“This is a guy who never has a woman on the side. He picks his subs at Rough ‘n Ready and makes sure there are no strings attached.”

It irritated her to hear, but she knew it was true. “Okay.”

May looked at Dee then back to Crysta. “Honey, there are all kinds of reasons he shouldn’t have slept with you last night. If he didn’t have feelings for you, he would have easily picked a sub tonight and went off with her. But instead, he took you to bed last night.”

“Although I hate to admit it, I have to once again agree with May here. The way he acted pissed that Devon was talking to you was fun to watch last night.”

“Yeah, Eli tried to forbid me to show Devon around the ranch.”

May giggled. “Oh, my, the Delicious Dom is in love.”

Her heart jerked. “No, I don’t think you can say that. We’re attracted to each other.”

“Oh,” Dee said, her voice softening. “You’re in love with him.”

“Am not,” she said. She covered her face with her hands. What had happened to her? “Oh, God, now I sound like a five-year-old. That man has dissolved all my working brain cells.”

“Oh, wait, here comes Cynthia. Cyn, come on over. We’re having a girl’s day,” Dee said.

She dropped her hands and turned her head. A petite but curvy blonde walked down the aisle toward them.

“Cynthia, this is Crysta,” May said. “She’s the one who co-owns the ranch with Eli.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”

“Cynthia’s hubby owns this place. Sit down.”

Cynthia chuckled as she slid into the booth beside May. “So nice, May.”

“Hey, I never said I was nice. And before you say anything, Chris deserved a reminder that he had morning sickness while you were pregnant. He was being a butt this morning.”

“How are you liking the ranch?” Cynthia asked Crysta, ignoring her friend’s comments. It was easy to hear the Deep South in her voice, telling her Cynthia was another transplant.

“I’m really enjoying it. I used to ride and compete with barrel racing, so it’s been nice to get back up on a horse.”

“Not to mention Eli,” May said.

“Oh my god, May,” Crysta said, her facing burning brighter than the sun at the moment.

May smiled. “I thought we should get it out in the open. See, Cynthia didn’t see him last night. He was all over her and about threw a fit when Devon showed up to dinner.”

“I have to admit that Eli wasn’t happy about Devon calling me later,” Crysta said.

May glanced at Dee. “Dee, you’ve been holding out. You gave Devon her number?”

Dee blinked in mock innocence. “Devon asked for it.” She looked at Crysta. “I hope you aren’t mad at me.”

Cynthia held up her hands. “Okay, I am lost. What is this about Eli and Crysta and why was Devon asking for her number?”

“Devon met her last night at our house. He wanted her number. I gave it to him,” Dee said.

Cynthia looked at Crysta. “And Eli didn’t like this?”

May leaned closer to her friend, with a small smile on her lips. “He seduced her last night.”

Crysta looked around the table and realized that she was telling virtual strangers about her personal life, but she felt strangely okay with it. Maybe there was something in the water in Hawaii. She glanced around and made sure no one had moved closer or been seated close enough to eavesdrop.

“We sort of seduced each other,” she said.

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