Page 82 of The Rancher's Unrequited Love

I don't normally say the F-word, but this moment just calls for it, and when I finally turn around—-

Oh God, it really is him.

I can't believe I was just talking to him this morning on the phone, and now he's really here, in front of me, and oh my God, but he looks so unbelievably fuck-me-gorgeous.

Aidan might not be wearing any fancy suit like Jack and the other guys, but I know I'm totally not alone in thinking how incredibly hot he looks. He's dressed entirely in black: a leather jacket over a V-necked shirt and denims. Real casual, but every inch of him is just oozing with macho sex appeal that I'm not even surprised when he has all the other girlfriends in Jack's table hungrily licking their lips.

I keep waiting for him to notice any or all of the women currently eyeing him like he's a piece of meat, but his eyes are all for me, and it's making me think the silliest and scariest thoughts.

"Care to make the introductions, darling?" Jack's brusque tone is like a slap to the face, but it's the way Aidan's lips tighten ever so slightly at hearing Jack call me 'darling' that yanks me out of my stunned state. I sense Jack about to curve an arm around my waist again, and I unthinkingly back away—-

Oh...shit.

Jack's face contorts in displeasure as my back bumps into Aidan's chest, and it's now Aidan who's holding my waist in his hands as he helps me regain my balance.

Aidan peers down at my expression. "You okay, baby?"

My eyes widen in horror.

His tone is polite, but the glint in his dark gaze tells me he's deliberately using the B-word to bait Jack, and all I can do is shoot him a look of appeal.Please don't make this worse.

But Aidan only smiles, and my heart sinks. I know that smile of his quite well by now. It's that smile of his that tells me he doesn't think it's right to waste words on answering questions whose answers are already obvious.

There is absolutely no way he'snotgoing to make things worse, and all I can do is cringe internally and cross my fingers behind my back as I reluctantly make the introductions. "This is, um, Aidan Blackwood. I actually came here to meet with him since he's just flown in. I didn't realize you guys were here, too."

"Then you guys should join us," one of the girlfriends says eagerly. "We'd love to know more aboutyourAidan—-"

"He's notherAidan," Jack snaps.

"I don't mind though," Aidan says. "I'm happy to be hers if she wants."

And there it is.

Aidan making things worse, just as his dangerous smile has promised.

"Ha ha ha."I force myself to laugh to make it look like a joke, but no one else joins me, and Jack's face only contorts into a look of rage.

Shit.

I clear my throat. "Anyway, it's been nice hanging out—-"

Jack's fingers suddenly circle around my wrist in a biting grip. "You're not seriously leaving with him, are you?"

"Where are you from originally?" I hear another one of the girlfriends ask at the same time.

Oh my God!

Although things have been going downhill fast, it's still been manageable, but if Aidan answers that question—-

"Wyoming."

I bite back a cry.Fuuuuuuuuck me.

There's a rapid-fire exchange of questions and answers, and I just wait for the bomb to drop. The way this night has been progressing, I know it's only a matter of time. It's fuck-me night after all, so sooner or later the bomb's just going to drop...

"Oh my God, you're the police chief!"

And there it is.

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