Page 41 of Malice

“Just you, sweetness.” He climbed the three steps and he continued, “You so into your work you didn’t even hear me coming.” He came up beside her, bent and kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to shower and get changed for dinner.” He went inside.

She looked around, realizing she’d been working for quite a while. From the angle of the sun, it looked like she’d been working for a couple of hours. She hadn’t realized she’d been at it so long. With a disbelieving shake of her head, she picked up her things and followed him inside.

By the time she got everything put away and changed out of her work clothes, Corey was stepping out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips.

“You didn’t have to come in, I could have gone back out once I was dressed.”

“I don’t mind. I needed to come in and change anyway. I spent longer out there than I’d planned.” She turned to watch him as he dug through his drawer to find a pair of underwear, then dropped the towel to step into them. When he stood and pulled them over his butt, he looked up and caught her watching him in the mirror.

“Were you just ogling my ass?” he asked, as if he couldn’t believe she would do it.

Bonnie did her best to give him an innocent look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She knew she’d failed with the act when her face heated, but she was committed now. “I was just getting ready for dinner.”

“Sweetness, you’re too cute when you try to lie.” He stepped close and pulled her into him, dropping a quick, hard kiss on her mouth.

Bonnie couldn’t help but laugh as she pushed him away. “You’re getting me all wet. Get dressed so we can go eat.”

“I’ll make sure you’re nice and wet.” He waggled his eyebrows like Groucho Marx after making a lascivious remark. He went back to getting dressed, leaving Bonnie to finish getting ready herself.

31

Malicestoodandarchedhis back, then tilted his head as far as he could make it go to either side. His muscles were stiff and throbbed as he moved from where he’d been bent over a desk, working on some calculations for Lurch. From what Malice had seen in the months he’d been with the Souls, the only one with any ranch experience to speak of was Tuck.

But because Tuck would be leaving soonish, when Lurch had discovered that Malice had grown up on a ranch, and his dad had treated him as if he would eventually be running the place, so he’d made sure he knew how to do it. There was no way to know then that he would end up having to sell the ranch after his parents were gone.

Now, as Lurch tried to learn more about the job he would be doing with less supervision all too soon, he’d asked Malice his opinion and for assistance a little more frequently. Malice had never thought he’d come back to this, especially after he’d left without looking back and not planning to go back, at least not long enough for what he’d learned growing up to matter.

He rolled his shoulders and stepped out of the small office in the barn where Lurch did most of the paperwork. At least what he didn’t take home in the evening to do where it was more comfortable. Finding no one in the barn, he continued out until he stood in the sunshine in front of the barn. Malice closed his eyes as he tilted his face back and let himself absorb some of the warmth.

“I thought you’d be gone by now,” a voice made him open his eyes and turn toward where it had come from.

Talon had just come around the corner of the building and now approached him.

“Oh?” He hoped that would be enough to get the newest hand and prospect to tell him why he thought Malice would be gone by now.

The kid shrugged. “I don’t know. Your girl’s usually back by now and if you’re not already back at your cabin, you’re working fast to get there as soon as you can.”

Malice checked his watch and found that Talon was right. Time had gotten away from him, and it was later than he’d thought. He looked back up at the kid, one brow lifted. “I didn’t realize anyone was watching me so close, as to predict my movements. I’m not sure if I should be worried.”

“I was going to take one of the dirt bikes out for a ride. Just didn’t expect to find you still here.” Talon stepped past him and into the barn, ending the conversation.

Malice blinked wondering what had just happened, then shook his head and headed for the cabin.

As he approached, the first thing he noticed was that the truck wasn’t in front of the cabin. He frowned and checked the time again. Had he been wrong about the time? Even if she’d stopped for something, as long as it hadn’t been a long stop, she should be home by now.

He continued inside, pulling his phone from his pocket to see if she’d sent him any messages letting him know she’d be late. But before he reached the door, he knew there were no messages from Bonnie.

Outside the door he toed off his boots, they were filthy, and he didn’t want to wear them inside. He pulled up Lurch’s number and hit dial as he stepped inside.

“What’s up?” the ranch supervisor answered as Malice made his way down the hall, checking each room in case she was there, but someone else had taken the truck for some reason he didn’t know.

“Bonnie’s not home. Have you seen or heard anything? Did she go see one of the women instead of coming home?” Malice put the phone on speaker and stripped out of his filthy jeans and t-shirt, he dropped them in the dirty clothes basket and reached for clean ones instead of heading to the shower as he usually did.

“I haven’t seen or heard from her. Let me check a couple of things, then I’ll get back to you.”

“Hurry.”

The call disconnected. Unease sat in his stomach like a rock as he pulled on the clean shirt and stepped into the jeans.

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