Page 10 of Stranded with a Very-Kissable Cowboy

He wraps both hands around mine and holds on to it. He smiles real big at me. “Oh, it’s a pleasure, Gianna.”

“Hey, Miller! That field is not going to bush hog itself,” Dalton hollers out as the screen door slams behind him.

He’s off the porch and next to Miller and me in an instant. I pull my hand from Miller’s and avoid Dalton’s gaze. The two men talk, and Miller is laughing as he walks away. “Gianna, it was nice meeting you.”

Instead of answering him, I wave and then return my attention to the boys. They are now having me count how long each of them can stay under the water.

With Dalton standing beside me, he counts for Ethan while I count for Evan. We’re not touching, but I can still feel the heat from his body. I was right earlier. I am not prepared for a shirtless Dalton, and the longer we stand next to each other without touching, without talking, the more intense it all feels.

When the boys get his attention and he’s talking to them, I take the opportunity to look at him, and once I do, I can’t look away. The muscles on this man are insane. He grabs a football that the boys had been playing with and throws it into the pool, and the boys chase each other to get it.

He catches me looking at him. “You okay?”

I swallow hard. It’s not like I can tell him that I’m having a mini panic attack over seeing him bare-chested or anything. He’s going to think I’m psycho or something. I try to be smooth with my answer, but it comes out with me mumbling like an idiot. “Yeah, uh, I’m okay.”

He looks at me with doubt and something else. There’s a smirk on his face, and I don’t know what to make of it. “Really? You look a little flushed.”

I slap him, and as I raise my hand, I know I shouldn’t do it. As soon as my hand hits his chest it’s like an electric current shoots up my arm. He grabs on to me and holds my hand against his chest.

“Stop,” I gasp.

He tilts his head to the side, still smiling. “Why won’t you look at me, Gia?”

A little embarrassed, I shrug my shoulders. “Please, you know why.”

He gives the innocent look pretty well. “What do you mean? Why are you all flushed?”

I pull my hand from his grip and then wave toward his naked chest. “Please, you know what you're packing there.”

As soon as I say it, I know I chose the wrong words. I start to stutter. “I didn’t mean what you're packing… I mean, come on, look at you. Any warm-blooded woman is going to flush when they come face to face with that.”

I bring my hand to my face and cover it with a groan. Oh my God, did I just say that out loud? In a muffled voice, I ask him, “Can we please ignore the fact I just said that?”

Before he can answer, Evan and Ethan are wanting our attention, and I’m saved from further embarrassment. I try to put some distance between Dalton and me and focus on the kids.

CHAPTER 10

DALTON

I love my kids,I really do. Hell, I’d do anything for them, that’s for sure. But I would love just ten minutes of uninterrupted time with Gianna. She’s been really quiet since I came out of the house, and even with my teasing, she’s not opening up. I get the boys to play a racing game where they swim across the pool, run around the house, and then a few more obstacles before running back to us. Each time they take off around the house, I try to draw Gianna into a conversation, but she just gives me yes and no answers.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I ask her.

She nods, peering around the house like she’s looking for the boys even though we both know it’s going to be a bit before they make it all the way around. “Did Miller say something to you?”

She bites her lip and shakes her head as she covers her arms over her chest. “No.”

I look her up and down and can’t get over how beautiful she is. I have to keep reminding myself that she’s off limits. She’s thirteen years younger than me, and right now she’s helpingwith my kids. I shouldn’t be looking at her the way I am, but I can’t help it. She has quickly turned into an obsession for me.

The boys come running back to the pool and jump in, and Gianna and I declare a tie.

“Get in, Dad,” Ethan begs.

I step into the pool, splash them and then sit down on one of the stairs. The boys both laugh and so do I, but Gia uses this time to try and escape. “I’m going to let you boys play while I go in and fix some lunch.”

“Stay,” I demand and then soften my voice. “Please, stay.”

The boys both look at me and then at Gia, waiting to see what she’s going to say. It’s obvious she doesn’t want to say no to Ethan and Evan’s pleading eyes, so she nods and shifts her weight to her other leg. She’s standing awkwardly next to the pool, and I wish she’d just tell me what’s bothering her.

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