Page 70 of Stables

Provide for you.

She pauses, looking up at me. Her palm lights on my wrist, and she rises on her toes to curl her glistening hot tongue into the gap of my fingers, tugging the succulent shrimp from between them.

She gives me a sultry smile, then swallows. “You spoil me, Dixon.”

“It’s what a man is supposed to do.” I want to tangle into her dark tresses and pull her closer.

But I don’t.

She hesitated. Just for a moment, so there’s still that seed of distrust that is floating through her.

I can’t blame her.

I won’t push her.

That tongue is going to be the death of me, though.

Paisley smacks her lips happily, kicking her feet into my side. “More, please.” She leans away from me, reaching for the closest container.

It’s like holding onto an octopus as she wriggles.

“Okay, baby girl. How about you sit in your chair and we’ll have dinner?” Char turns and pulls some clean dishes from the drain rack by the sink while I thread Paisley into her seat.She takes the smallest plate and puts a tiny portion of several different meats and veggies for Paisley.

Only after her daughter is taken care of does Char serve herself.

She’s a good mother.

I wonder how she’d fare with more? What would she look like with a ripe belly poking beneath the hem of her shirt?

Fuck, it makes the blood rush to my cock thinking about it.

“My brother needs help up at the ranch moving cow-calf pairs to the late summer pasture.” I let my words hang in the air.

Char pokes at a piece of grilled pepper, avoiding my eyes. “I’ll get a hold of Libby.”

“For what?” I rake up a dollop of sour cream and guacamole with two chips. “I’m not leaving you alone. We can bring Whiskey if you want to put some miles on her.”

Does she know it makes my belly tingle when she opens and closes her mouth like that?

“I, um. I just can’t show up at your family’s house with a horse uninvited.” She moves her food around on her plate.

“Char. I’m inviting you. You go where I do, you’re important to me.” My jaw ticks watching the pink shade move up her throat. “Unless you don’t want to, I won’t force you.”

What I want to do is push her to her knees and give her something to suck on if she wants to be petulant.

Later.

“Don’t you think it’d be weird? I mean, it’s not like we’re, um…” She trails off, absentmindedly licking melted cheese off her thumb. “What about Paisley?”

“What about her? She’s a part of you. Besides—” I lean back, propping my elbow over the back of my chair. “—you don’t know Sophia very well. She’ll be begging to hang out with her. And Lori will want to talk babies, I’m guessing, since she just had Jack a couple of months ago.” Pinching a piece of tomato, I holdit up before popping it into my mouth. “She’s trying to learn how to garden. Now that I think of it, she may not let you leave.” I give Char a crooked grin, but it doesn’t lessen the furrow in her forehead.

Her knees rise to her chest and she perches on her chair, hugging her legs. “I’m not very good with new people. I don’t want to embarrass you.” She fidgets with a frayed hem on the cuff of her jeans.

Fuck.

If I could rip out Matt’s throat, I would without blinking.

He did this to her.

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