Page 13 of The Cowboy's Close Quarters Claim

Clem's mine and I'm not about to let her get it in her head otherwise.

"Burrito's damn good," I say to her back as I mount my horse and head out after her. "Better than instant oatmeal any day."

Ahead of me, Clem laughs. It's a short, loud laugh with a hint of snort to it, not trying to be demure or ladylike. Her laugh reminds me of how she sounded when I was making her come for me last night.

All in.

The way I am on this idea of us together that's managed to get in my head.

It's a short ride out to the fence line. Sure enough, there are a couple of sections where the barbed wire is off the posts. A couple places where it's broken through, a post that needs to be replaced, and a long section of wire that's been pulled off multiple posts that's just lying on the ground.

"You got spare turn-buckles in that bag of yours?" Clem asks, nodding toward the bag of repair supplies I brought up that's strapped behind my saddle.

Things aren't exactly quiet between us as we get to work, but conversation doesn't flow as easy as you'd expect it to between a couple of people who spent the night as close as we did.

I toss her a smaller bag with the pieces she needs.

Clem catches it in one gloved hand and gets to work tightening the wire where she's used the buckle to splice the ends together.

"You need help with that, O'Leary?"

When I look up from where I'm doing my best to dig the broken base of the rotted old wooden post out of the dirt, she's standing a hell of a lot closer than she's dared get to me all morning.

"I wouldn't be opposed," I retort to the dirt-smudged face grinning down at me. "Damn thing's been in the earth since my grand-daddy's days."

With Clem's help, I manage to get the old post dug out and a new one secure before we work together to get the wire re-strung.

When we're done, I stand back, pulling my hat off and wiping the sweat off my forehead while Clem downs her water.

It gets to the point where I can't stand it anymore.

"You just gonna pretend last night didn't happen?"

My patience has thinned. I'm not going to put up with this cold shoulder bullshit from her; not when I know how hot she really runs.

I want to reach out for her, pull her to me, and kiss her whenever I feel like it. Like now. When she's covered in dirt, with sweat dripping down her face from under her hat, and she's got me feeling like I won the damn lottery with finding a woman who's proving as capable in the field as she is in the bedroom.

"Yes! Yes, I am!" With a flick of her wrist, she flings the claw hammer to the ground so it digs in, handle standing out.

"Look, you're a damn fine piece of ass, Gunner O'Leary, but this is the best job I've been offered. I plan on keeping it, and I don't need it getting around that the only reason I have it is because I'm sleeping with the boss."

"Well...what if you weremarriedto the boss?"

I've been kicking the idea around all morning, but now that I've said it out loud, it sounds even better to me.

Clem looks at me like I'm speaking some foreign language.

"You know, I always thought 'fucking your brains out' was a figure of speech. I didn't realize it was that could actually happen to a man."

She spits the words my way with her usual dose of salt, but I don't miss the flicker across her eyes.

Clementine feels the same thing I do. We're not just good in bed, we're goodtogether. And she knows it.

"If you have that section secure now, I'm gonna go drive the strays back over the property line so we can patch that last section and get back before supper."

Just like that, like there's not more business between us to settle, she turns on the heel of her boot and marches off. Right through the last section of downed fence, onto Ralston land, calling the dogs along with her with a sharp whistle while her wheat-colored braid bounces between her shoulders as she goes.

Stubborn ass woman. Has me hard as rock, wanting to chase after her and show her what's what. And I've got every intention of doing just that later tonight when I've got her in my bed back home. Where I plan to keep her until she comes around to my way of thinking.

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