Page 45 of The Darkest Knight

“Come on.” He started for the barn and she followed him. He pointed at the large white bucket next to the stall. “She gets a mixture of grass, hay, and grains as well as corn and grass silage.” He lifted the lid and scooped out the proper amount into a stainless-steel pan and handed it to her. “Beware, she’ll get excited knowing she’s being fed.”

“Abby, stay,” Reese commanded the dog, and she sat.

Spike realized what they were doing and he followed closely.

They strolled out together into the pen and, sure enough, Cow jumped back and forth from front to hind legs and then trotted toward them at a fast pace. Reese snuggled in close to Seth as if she feared the cow’s charge. “Will she stop?”

“No worries. She’s docile. Sprinkle the food onto the ground.”

Reese did as he requested and Cow nibbled at the feed hungrily. “How did you end up with a cow?” She pressed the empty pan against her chest.

“She was a gift.”

“Wow. Some gift.” After Cow had munched all of the food, she lifted her head and nuzzled Reese’s leg. Seth was a bit envious. “Are all cows this friendly?”

“Not always, but cows can be quite nice animals to have.”

Turning, Reese nailed him with a bright gaze. “You surprise me, Seth.”

He laughed. “Because I have a cow?”

“Because there is so much more to you than scarred flesh and a badass façade.”

“I am human, and flawed.”

Cow came up behind Reese and nudged her, sending her hard against Seth. He clutched her arms to hold her steady, but when he got a strong whiff of flowers and woman, he thought he felt more links in his chain break. She lifted her chin, her bright gaze meeting his, and his heart knocked right into his throat. Her bottom lip trembled, matching the quivering of his balls.

“What would you like to show me next?” Her soft voice made the hairs on his arms stand.

“That’s a loaded question.” Most items on his list were too dirty to voice aloud.

She swallowed hard. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her lips, her cheeks, her neck, and every available spot on her body.

He pulled back. “I do have some questions about the project.”

She blinked. “Okay.”

“Let’s walk.” He nodded toward the door. It had taken every ounce of his restraint not to take her right here and right now. Seth had a feeling she wouldn’t have pushed him away. Why didn’t he just move in, experience the most pleasure he’d had in years? True question was, why was he punishing himself?

With that thought, he moved out into the fresh air and sucked a large dose into his lungs. Every part below his belt ached with need.

“What questions do you have?” She stayed beside him and the breeze came along and sent her hair along her cheeks. With slender fingers, she tucked the wayward tendrils behind her ears.

“First, will we have a limit to the number of veterans we take in at one time? You’ve already said training the dogs takes time, but how about getting the people adjusted to the dogs?”

“That’s a question that the trainer can answer better, but it took me a few weeks to get used to Abby and to understand her needs so she can be better for me. Training service dogs is the most time-consuming part of this.”

“Twelve cabins seem too little when we’re talking about the number of veterans that need it. I don’t want to jump too fast, but we have two hundred acres here, plenty of room to expand if necessary.”

“You’d be willing to do this?” One thin brow lifted.

“It’s a forethought. And if you’re talking a cook, we’ll need a place for her to do that. None of the cabins are large enough to house a kitchen and a canteen. The Howard boys can erect what we need in no time.”

“Again, you surprise me, Seth Knight.”

You’ve inspired me. I haven’t had a kick in the pants like this in a long time.”

“There’s the garage where you keep your hot rod.” She pointed to the large building.

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