Page 31 of Brutal Heir

“You got no complaints from me.” I take in every inch of her body until a blush builds up on her cheeks. “Then again, I suppose I wore you out.”

“I guess you did.” The color turns a deeper red.

“If you’re ready to call it a night, go ahead. I’ll show you where the bedroom is.” I point to the hall.

“That actually sounds fantastic.” She gives me a tired smile. “I’m sorry. I feel like such a wimp,” she admits, hunching her shoulders as if she’s not comfortable with admitting that.

I wave it off. “Nah, don’t worry about it. It’s probably your bedtime anyway.” I’ve seen the people from Kelly Oil & Gas pull into the yard at six or seven. They have about an hour drive to get out here from either Carrizo or Laredo. That means they get up at four or five to start their day.

She stands. “Let me help with the kitchen.”

“I got it.” While I normally use disposable, I figured having stuff to clean up would give her time to do whatever women do before they go to bed.

“Do you mind if I grab a shower first?” she asks, setting her chair back then moving to put her plate in the sink.

“Yeah, go on in.” I point toward the bedroom. “I’ll wait until after you shower to do the dishes so I don’t use up all the hot water.”

“Let me just go out and get my bag from the truck.” She’d mentioned spending the night in Laredo, so she must have packed.

“I’ll go get your clothes,” I say, stopping her in her tracks. “It’s dark out, and you parked far away from the house.” I slip on some shoes and grab my gun belt.

“I didn’t want to park on the grass,” she says nervously. “Um, is that really necessary?” She folds her arms under her breasts as she watches me work the buckle.

“There’s a lot worse than snakes out there.”

“I suppose so.” Sage’s gaze drifts to the window, the corners of her mouth turning down.

“As a rule, it’s better to have it and not need it.” Normally, I’d just stick my gun at my lower back, but I have no idea what her suitcase looks like. “Where do you have your keys?”

She reaches into her pocket pulling out a key fob that doesn’t have a single key on it. Probably one of those switchblade keys, but what about a key to her place, or the office?

“The clicker is all you need to get in.” She points at thebutton for the door.

“Let me go ahead and bring it in closer, just in case. I’ll park it around this side of the house, by my truck.”

She chews on her lip for a second. “Only company personnel should drive the company trucks.”

Of all the crap to worry about. But then, she’s the one who runs security.

“You realize Addler owns the company.”

“Um, yeah. I guess so.” She hands over the key. “As long as you have the fob, you just need to press the button on the dash to get it to start.”

I pull the front door open then scan the area before I flip the lights on and check again. No movement anywhere. Satisfied, I step outside. While I’ve never had a problem, even when I have to go to the back and check any animals I might have to keep in the corral, you never know what or who might be in the shadows. And I’m not about to put her in danger.

I reach her truck, check the bed then the window to the back seat then press the button on the fob. As soon as I open the door, I know I’m going to have a problem. The seat’s too far forward for me to get in behind the wheel. I move the seat back so I have enough leg room then climb in.

Moving the truck around the house, I park it by the kitchen entrance, right next to mine. I catch sight of the same flower that got me thinking about her.

Yeah, I didn’t have much of a problem with the length of her legs earlier. I was able to move her around wherever I wanted without a single problem.

I get down and move to the back door then reach for the duffel bag on the seat. The bra she wore is on the floorboard. I reach for it, fingering the lace along the edge, then bring it to my nose, inhaling her scent. Yeah, she’s all woman.

With that, I close the door behind me, hit the alarm, and head back into the house. The image of the white rose stuck in my head.

Chapter 16

Sage

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