I still haven’t talked to Gunnar. Fuck. Fuck!
“Don’t look so worried,” Rhett laughs. “No one will care we fucked.”
“But Gunnar?—”
“Knew I was chasing you,” he answers with a shrug. “Besides, I knew I’d win.”
I freeze. “Win? Win what?”
He grins. “I knew I was gonna be the first to fuck you. I’d have been fine if I wasn’t, but knowing I’m the first one to taste the honey between your thighs makes it so much sweeter.” As if to prove his point, he licks his fingers, humming at me.
I scowl. “So itwasa game?”
“Life’s a game, Honeybee. Don’t let it bite you in the ass.” He chucks me on the chin. “Now that we got that out of our system, we can go back to normal. You can go back to going on dates with Gunnar, and I’ll go back to business.”
I’d known. I’d known exactly what this was, and still, his words sting. Still, I’m hurt by it.
“You’re an asshole,” I rasp. “You know that?”
“I do,” he nods, his eyes sparkling. “But you liked it. Clearly.”
I grimace and get to my feet before searching for my clothes. Without saying a word, I start tugging them on. He just sits on the ground, lounging back on his hands, watching me with a smug grin.
I leave my beekeeper suit on the ground. I won’t be needing it again, not it if means I’ll run into Rhett out here. My chest tightens further with that thought, but I don’t pick it up. Instead, I look down at him. I don’t regret what I did, but. . . It was stupid. I should have known better.
“Tell Gunnar I said hi,” he says flippantly, as if he already knows that’s where I’m going to go. He’s right, but it still irks me.
I don’t tell him that. I don’t give him that satisfaction. Instead, I turn and rush back to my four-by-four where Jethro waits. He seems to sense my mood, so he just moves over with a wag of his tail when I hop in. Rhett’s truck is parked next to it. How had I been out there and not heard him even pull up? I must have been so lost in my grief.
I glance back once to see Rhett staring after me. He blows me a kiss.
Bastard.
Chapter 35
Trent
Iwatch as Fable reappears on the four-by-four faster than I’ve ever seen her drive. She goes right past the garage and heads for the barn. Earlier, she’d gone out to the bees in her beekeeper suit. She’s missing that now as she climbs from the four-by-four, Jethro at her heels as she calls out Gunnar’s name, looking for him. I watch her with a frown on my face as I clean my fingers. Sly sits on my shoulder, chittering and trying to grab the rag from my hands.
“Stop it, Sly,” I grunt. “This ain’t for you.”
He huffs in annoyance and settles back to messing with my hair. He’ll have the rubber band out before I know it, but at least it’ll keep him distracted.
I’m about to head back into the garage when Rhett’s truck comes across the pasture from the same direction Fable came. I freeze, my eyes narrowing as he climbs out of his truck also missing his beekeeper suit. He’s wearing only his jeans and boots, but he clearly put on his boots quickly since the pant legs are sticking out of the tops of them. Before he realizes I’m watching him, he glances worriedly toward the stables, but whenhe realizes I’m standing at the door of the garage watching, he slips his mask back into place.
Good ole Rhett, always hiding his true emotions.
“What did you do?” I grunt, my tone more aggressive than I’d like.
He grins, putting on the pretty boy persona I’ve always hated, but I hate it more right now because it’s going to affect Fable. “Only what we’ve all been wanting to do.”
Something spears inside my chest. Jealousy maybe? But I have no right to be jealous. I don’t intend to act on my attraction to Fable. I thought I’d spare her dealing with a loser like me, but clearly, Rhett and I don’t think the same.
I shake my head. “You’re an asshole doing that before talkin’ to Gunnar.”
“What’s there to talk about?” he asks, shrugging. “I made my intentions clear with Gunnar.”
I scowl. “You should’ve left her alone, Rhett.”