Page 20 of Wasted On You

Mike Paul inched even closer. So close that she had to angle her head a bit, or they’d be touching noses. His scent, a heady mixture that was unique to him, clouded the air. It infiltrated her brain and slithered beneath her skin. For just one moment, she pictured his mouth. On hers. Maybe with a little tongue.

Quickly, she blinked it away and tried to focus on anything but him.

“You don’t belong with anyone but me, and you know it.” Mike Paul held her gaze. He stole her breath without trying and punched a hole right through her heart. “I’m going to prove it.”

He slowly got to his feet and, after reaching into the front pocket of his jeans, tossed several bills onto the table.

“Thanks for a great night, but I’ve got an early appointment with a bull who needs to be parted from his balls.” He got to his feet. Ivy could do nothing but stare up at him. The nerve of this guy.

He winked in the general direction of the table, then bent low and whispered so the words were only for her ears. “I’ll be seeing you around, Wilkens.”

Chapter6

By nine a.m.Mike Paul was done with the castrating. By ten o’clock, he’d finished up a couple of well-checks for two mares that were about to give birth at the Slattery place, and by noon, he was at Taz Pullman’s ranch having a look at a couple of senior workhorses, both rescued from somewhere in the north and currently sitting in quarantine. They needed some weight, but other than that, they were in pretty good condition.

“I’ll have the blood sent to the lab, and if all goes well, you should be able to introduce them to the rest of your horses in a couple of days.”

Taz pointed to the house. “You eat yet?”

He had some time before his next call and his stomach rumbled, answering for him. Mike Paul grinned. “What ‘cha got?”

“Stew.”

“Sounds good. Thanks.”

He followed the man up to the house, and once he’d doffed his boots and winter jacket, Mike Paul washed up, then took a seat at the kitchen table.

“Beer?” Taz asked over his shoulder before he got busy ladling out two large bowls of stew.

“Nope. I’ve got three more calls this afternoon and more paperwork than I’d like waiting for me back at the office.” He glanced around the kitchen. “Where’s Scarlett?”

Taz set down the steaming hot bowls and took a seat across from Mike Paul. “She took Hank to town for a playdate, and then she’s getting the twins from school.”

Taz couldn’t keep the dopey grin off his face at the mention of his wife, and Mike Paul shook his head. “You’re about as gelded as the two bulls I looked after this morning.”

“Hey, all my parts are in working order. They keep my lady happy.” Taz grabbed a bun and pointed it at Mike Paul. “You’re the one with a problem.”

“Not anymore.” Mike Paul dug into his bowl of stew and ignored the look from Taz.

“You over Ivy?”

“Nope.”

“Didn’t think so. The last time I saw you, you were taking swipes at Kip Lafferty. And you missed.”

“I didn’t miss exactly,” Mike Paul grumbled. “I hit the wall.” He glanced down at his hand. The knuckles were still bruised.

Taz soaked his bun in the stew, took a bite and sat back. He finished chewing and shrugged. “She’s engaged. That ring means she’s not available.”

“She’s available until she’s standing in front of God saying her vows, holding a piece of paper that says otherwise.” He reached for his water. “Besides, she’s not over me.”

“More like you’re not over her.”

He shrugged. “Same thing.”

“She tell you that?”

“No. But I can tell.”

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