Page 77 of Lassoed Love

Olivia whines over the phone, “Please save me, Xav is making memilk a fucking cow—a COW, Isla.” I laugh out loud. I can hear a commotion happening in the background, cow’s mooing and people talking. Then, Olivia goes silent for a second before blurting out, her excitement overflowing,

“Omg, you should come and help me milk the cows—we have five of them here,FIVE,and Xavier is makingmedo it all. Come and save me?” I can’t help but laugh at Liv’s enthusiasm, her voice breathless from her rambling. Just as I’m about to respond, Xavier’s unmistakable voice booms in the background, demanding to know, “Who are you on the fucking phone to?”

Over the phone, Olivia answers Xavier’s questioning voice, “Isla! You know yourgirrrlfriend,” she says with a teasing tone. I freeze at this, I’m not his…girlfriend, but before I get to correct her, Xavier’s voice cuts through the phone.

“Doc, do I even want to know how my sister got your number?” I let out a soft laugh, “Hey, it wasn’t me. Apparently Imogen gave it to her.”

“Good luck, she’ll never leave you alone now.” I snort at this, and in the background, I hear Olivia exclaim,“Hey, don’t be rude, you big asshole.”

Ignoring her, he says, “So how’s your day so far, Doc? You missing me yet?”

I snort at his question, a smirk forming on my lips. “Oh, terribly,” I retort, feigning sarcasm. “My day is just so dull without you, Xavier. How will I ever survive?” I smile at my own words.

He chuckles on the other end, and without missing a beat, Xavierfires back, “Now, now. Don’t be getting all sassy with me, woman. You’ll hurt my feelings. Don’t lie, I know you miss me."

“In your dreams, Cowboy.” But the truth is, I do miss him. Tragic.

Olivia chimes in,“What feelings? You don’t have any. Stop flirting and give my phone back.”I blush at this. Flirting? Is that what we’re doing?

Xavier’s voice joins the banter, and as he shifts his tone sternly to Olivia.

“Don’t you have cows to milk? Move along,” attempting to shoo her away, and I can’t help but roll my eyes at his futile effort. As if Liv would listen to him. It’s both amusing and incredibly arousing to witness his commanding side. My mind drifts for a moment, wondering what it would be like to have him boss me around in bed. The thought sends a tingling warmth through my body, and I quickly push it aside, focusing on the present banter. Yet, a nagging question lingers—what am I into?I’ve seen Xavier’s dirty side, but I haven’t explored my own desires. Justin was so… vanilla, and vanilla is just not my cup of tea,evidently.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Xavier remarks, his tone teasing.Question?

“What question?” I ask, momentarily confused. He chuckles softly, the sound rich and deep.

“I asked, how’s your day so far, Doc?” he repeats, his voice laced with amusement.

“Oh, that question,” I reply, feeling a flush creeping up my cheeks. “Uh, pretty quiet now. The morning was busy. That’s how mostdays are. That’s why we shut the clinic early most of the time.”

“If you’re up for it, and have nothing else to do, you should come past. Liv here is hopeless and could really use your skill set or two in milking these cows,” Xavier suggests.

I let out a huff of laughter, “And you think I’ll be any better? I have never milked a cow before.”

“Well, it’s never too late to learn, right?” he replies, the mischievousness evident in his voice. As I ponder his invitation, Katy walks back into the room, a mischievous look in her eyes.

“Hm, true,” I respond, trying to sound nonchalant. Xavier repeats his previous question, “Anyway, no pressure, the invitation is there. Liv is going to bust my balls until you say yes, just saying,” he says casually.

Liv chimes in, “Isla, you’re a lifesaver. Please say yes.”

I consider it for a moment. “I’ll see how I go here at the clinic. But no promises,” I add with a chuckle.

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll be seeing you soon, byeee!” Liv cheers, her voice filtering clearer onto the phone now, and then she hangs up. Katy watches me with a raised brow, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

She keeps staring at me, her eyes filled with mischief. I finally break the silence, “What?”

Katy smirks knowingly. “Oh, nothing. Just wondering if you’re really going tohelpLiv, or if it’s just an excuse to spend time with a certain cowboy.”

“How much of that conversation did you hear, huh? Do you havesupersonic hearing or something?” I ask in disbelief.

She chuckles, “Well, let’s just say I have a sixth sense when it comes to juicy gossip.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s just helping out with the cows. Nothing more.”

She chuckles, “Sure, ‘Doc’. Just don’t forget your veterinary expertise while you’re at it, and make sure you give thosecowsa thorough check-up,” she says while wiggling her eyebrows.

I shake my head, laughing. “Hm, why do I get the feeling that when you say‘cows’, you mean nothing of the sort, huh?” Katy smirks, hinting at something dirtier.

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