Page 63 of Promise Me Never

“Go for it.”

I spoon more into my mouth, watching him watch me.

“It’ll make me so bloated you’ll have to roll me around the ranch tomorrow.”

“Not a problem.”

“Stop being so agreeable.”

“That’s one word I’ve never been described as.”

“Infuriating.”

“That’s definitely one.” He smirks.

His good mood is pissing me off. “We’re not having sex tonight,” I say with narrowed eyes.

“That’s fine.” He looks as though sex was never even on his mind which only pisses me off more.

“Maybe never again.” I take an angry bite and watch him for any reaction, any tell of how he feels about that declaration.

He sits down on the edge of the bed, facing me. His hand rests on my thigh, the heat of his palm sinking through the thin fabric of my leggings. “After what I did yesterday, I would deserve that.”

“Is that what you want?” Panic laces my tone. I didn’t want to push him all the way away. I just wanted to punish him a bit.

“No, Eli, that’s not what I want at all.” His fingers creep up my thigh as his eyes hold mine. “What I want to do is spend every waking moment inside you.” His fingertips brush the seam of my pants directly over my core. Just that one light brush has every nerve inside me lighting up in need, in desire. “But if all you’re willing to give me is the privilege of watching you eat ice cream, then I’ll take it.”

Twenty-Four

LUKE

* * *

I’m looking forward to getting Eli away from the ranch, even though we’ll be surrounded by people who don’t know about us. At least Colt’s house is big enough that we’ll all have our own spaces, it’ll be easier to find privacy. Even if we have to get creative about it.

I can’t remember the last time I went out of town and was looking forward to it the way I am now. As I reach up to the top shelf of my closet to pull my suitcase down, a box falls to the floor beside me. Luckily nothing fell out, it’s a box of mementos from the early days of my relationship with Amy. Stuff she kept that I’ve never had the strength to look back through. A knock at my door distracts me from putting it back where it belongs on the shelf, instead I just put it in the closest empty spot.

When I come to the door, I see one of the newest hands, wringing his hands with tension radiating from him while he waits. They come and go frequently enough that I don’t spend much time getting to know them right off the bat. This one just started a couple months ago, near the spring thaw.

“What?” I ask, direct and to the point.

“One of the tires is flat on the tractor.”

Son of a bitch. The timing couldn’t be worse. We’re leaving tonight and driving straight through to the morning. I’m sure Paul would tell me that it’s fine to leave it to him, but I’ve noticed more and more that he forgets things. Probably from a lifetime of working hard, but I don’t want to risk him forgetting regardless. I grab my faded and stained baseball cap and follow him out the door.

Luckily he isn’t a complete idiot and had already gotten things started correctly. Unfortunately for anyone who isn’t me or Paul, this piece of machinery has a few quirks that you can’t learn without experience. I walk the new guy through the series of extra steps you have to do, and he follows along without asking questions. I might actually have to keep this one around.

By the time we finish, I’m covered in mud and running an hour behind. I shoot Colt a text and jog back to my cabin to take a shower. After my two minutes under the cold spray, I pull on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, grab my bag, and haul ass down to Colt’s giant SUV.

Janey and Eli are off to the side talking quietly when I make it down. Neither of them look my way. Sam and Colt are smirking as they watch me approach.

“Took you long enough, sweetheart,” Sam singsongs at me with a flutter of his lashes.

“Fuck you,” I reply with no heat, flashing my middle finger at Colt while he laughs.

“Finally,” Janey says as she opens the back door. “I’m so ready to get out of town for a few days.”

Sam is taking the first leg of the ten-hour drive, so I jump in the passenger seat and Colt lays down in the third row to grab some sleep. The girls each take one of the second-row bucket seats.

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