Page 23 of Burn the Wild

I don’t know what her health plan is, but damn if she’s getting enough sleep.

With a sigh, Reese sinks onto the bed. I watch as she unzips her boot from thigh to ankle. Another sigh of relief pops from those pretty pink lips. The tall sides of the boots fall open, exposing slender, tan thighs. Heat licks its way over my spine.

Fuck.

I jerk away and squeeze my eyes shut to fight the image. Fight the erection that’s popped up in my jeans. But it’s too late.

It’s attraction. A dangerous one. Especially with a woman like this. One with secrets. One who makes me want to wring her pretty little neck every time I look at her. Maybe it’s because she’s a mess. Maybe it’s that sad look in her eyes. Either way, I want her out of my head.

“So…” She crosses her arms over her chest. “What do I do now?”

Christ. She wants me to entertain her?

Hell, I could think of several ways. A few nights between the sheets, a bottle of wine. But that breaks my rules. No more locals. Even if she’s not staying.

I focus on getting the key off the ring. “There’s a general store back at the lodge. Dinner’s from five to eight in the cantina.”

She tilts her head. “And how do I get back to the lodge?”

“You walk, honey. It’s called roughing it. You don’t like it, you can leave.”

“I plan to,” she snaps. “You know, for a cowboy, you surprisingly do not have a way with words, or women, for that matter.”

I grunt.

“See,” she replies, smug. “My point proven.”

With that, she digs frantically through her purse until she finds her phone. She stares at it for a long second, but doesn’t turn it on.

I frown, crossing my arms. “If I had good common sense, I’d say you’re hiding out.”

Her chin lifts, a haughty motion that has my cock, once again, springing to life. “So, what if I am? It doesn’t affect you.”

“If it affects the ranch, it affects me.”

“It won’t.”

Again, there’s no elaboration. I tell myself it’s better this way. I don’t need to know, but it eats at me.

I give a nod to her pill bottle. “You ain’t out here to off yourself, are you?” It comes out gruffer than I intend. “Because I don’t want to walk in here tomorrow morning and find you face down on that bed.”

Explosives detonate in her eyes. “Then all your problems would be over, right?”

I meet her hard stare with one of my own. “Sure you’re not running away?”

“I’m sure.”

“Nobody likes a liar.”

“Good thing you don’t have to like me.”

A muscle jerks in my jaw as questions spin through my mind. Normally, I’d press her for more, but she’s not staying. Whatever this girl’s got herself into isn’t my business. The last thing I want to do is worry about her. Get attached.

She’s not my fucking problem.

But before I can say anything, Reese shakes her blonde head.

“Listen, Country Boy, I’ll save you the trouble,” she says with a sad little smile. “I’m just going to take what’s going on in your head and say it out loud. Fuck off, okay?”

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