Page 61 of Married with Mayhem

“What about your cousins?” I say as a way to change the subject. “The ones who own the ranch?”

I assumed this would be a more harmless topic, but from the way his eyes jerk up and his shoulders stiffen with tension, I guess I was wrong.

“We’re not close anymore,” he says and refuses to elaborate.

A minor victory is scored when I pretend to go use the restroom but instead track down our waiter and settle the tab.

“Why do you look like the cat that just ate the canary?” he says when I return to the table.

“Because I paid for dinner and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I stick my tongue out for emphasis. “I win.”

He gives me one of his classic eye rolls. “What is it you’ve won? The right to feed me?”

“Doesn’t matterwhatI’ve won. I just won. Admit it.” I sip the last inch of my soda through a straw.

He crosses his arms and focuses on my mouth. His stubborn gaze turns blazing, drops down to my chest and then roams back up to my face.

“No,” he says.

A surge of heat zings between my legs. I resist the urge to fidget as his eyes remained locked on mine. I get the impression he understands my angst and is amused, giving me a mortifying flashback to snippets of last night’s showdown.

“You and your games, Sabrina. Quit trying to tempt me…”

Monte has known all along that I want him. He understands people and he understands sex far more clearly than I do. Where he’s concerned, I’ve always been way out of my depth.

I’m not really looking forward to going back to the motel but there’s little choice. He seems equally reluctant and leaves the room almost immediately to stand around outside and talk to Nico. At least there’s no rain tonight so he won’t get drenched out there.

It’s nearly eleven by the time he returns to the room for good. I’m already in bed and wearing my pajamas.

“You going to sleep soon?” he asks while pawing through his duffel bag and not looking at me.

I stop scrolling idly through my phone and watch his movements. He stuffs the Gino’s Pizzeria tee in his bag and now I really wish I hadn’t returned it to him in a temper tantrum. I want it back. Maybe tomorrow I’ll scrounge up the guts to ask. He’ll guess the reason why but I think we’ve already established that I’m no mystery to him.

“Yeah, I’m tired.” I plug my phone in and pull the blankets up to my chin.

Monte switches the light off and wanders into the bathroom. He’s not in there for long and my vision has already adjusted to the darkness when I watch his hulking shadow climb into bed. I want to say something to him but before I can sort out exactly what, I fall asleep.

The next morning, I’ve slept later than I meant to and sunlight filters into the room. Monte is awake and freshly showered. He sits on his bed, wearing only a pair of jeans and frowning at his phone.

Why does he have to be so hot all the time? He never even has a bad hair day because the messier he is, the sexier he is.

This is all terribly unfair.

I haven’t moved a muscle as I admire him in silence but he must have heard my hormones raging because he looks up.

“The car is ready,” he says. “Just received the text.”

I sit up and push an unruly nest of hair out of my face, aware that I probably resemble a rodent crawling out of its burrow. “Can I come with you to pick it up?”

He studies me with raised eyebrows. “You don’t look like you’ll be ready to leave anytime soon.”

To prove him wrong, I jump out of bed. Land on my bad ankle. Stifle a few curses. “Give me twenty minutes.”

All I need to do is brush my teeth, shower, dry my hair and get dressed. Bigger miracles have happened.

A few minutes later, I’m stepping out of the shower when I hear a loud bang and a man’s shout, followed by other voices. Deep voices. Fear shoots up my spine. Scuffling noises ensue and then an ominous silence.

“Sabrina,” calls a familiar voice from the next room. “Come out here right now.”

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