Page 25 of Toxic

“Tha-” I stopped when his brow arched. “I appreciate it,” I said instead. His smile made my chest warm.

“My family has a cattle ranch up in Wyoming.”

“I remember you saying that.”

“I run it now.”

“From here?” I asked in surprise. That was a lot of work. A lot of details to oversee from afar. Now I understood what he meant about those details.

“Yeah. My cousin takes care of all the physical shit. I do the rest.”

“You’re lucky to have him.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“Why aren’t you up in Wyoming on your ranch?”

He looked down to the soup again in a meaningful way and I began eating while he spoke.

“Needed to get away. Once I got out of the military, I joined my motorcycle club here.”

I had the feeling there was more to the story, but my eyes were getting heavy. He’d all but lulled me to sleep with soup and the sound of his voice.

“Get some sleep,” he said, brushing his hand over my hair.

I’d sleptthrough the majority of two more days, it was the morning of the third day and I’d never felt better. Apparently my body had needed the rest in order to recharge and continue on. Every time I’d woken up, Toxic had been there with soup and bread and water.

I’d stayed awake long enough to eat and drink then had been dragged back under. I didn’t even know when the fever had broken. Now the only thing I wanted was to get back to the hospital to see my grandpa.

It was amazing to me that I’d let go so fully. I’d barely trusted my long-time foreman to take care of the ranch for short bouts of time, let alone leaving the ranch in Toxic’s hands for three fulldays and nights. But that was exactly what I did. I’d checked out completely because I knew I could.

Pausing, I groaned to myself because him carrying me into the shower flashed into my mind. He’d kept my clothes on for it at least, but afterward he’d gone to take them off. I was only just lucid enough to stop him. When I’d shut the bathroom door in his face and spun toward my dresser, I’d nearly face planted because I’d started jerking my clothes off so fast. That would have been the cherry on top. To have him come out with me face down, bare ass up ‘cause I’d tripped. But he’d just tucked me into bed and held me. It had been so nice to have those muscular arms wrapped around me. I couldn’t let it happen again, but it’d been nice.

Even after only knowing him for a short time, I knew Toxic wouldn’t let anything happen to my animals. That realization had made my chest tighten to the point it was uncomfortable. I wasn’t a naturally trusting person. People had to earn it. But Toxic had. That first night when he’d come out here and helped my animals out of the goodness of his heart and a singular request from my best friend.

I froze on the porch, eyes widening. My jaw dropped open as a man who was as big as my house strolled past with a ladder over his shoulder.

“Morning,” he called out.

He had no shirt on. Neither did the other five men working on painting my barn. There were so many muscles, tattoos, and tanned glistening skin on display I was worried I might die of a heart attack. Good lord.

The man’s voice made Toxic’s head swing in the direction of the house. He called out something to the other men and came jogging over. This wasn’t fair to the female population of Earth. These men were…delicious. All of them were staring over at me.They were all gorgeous, ripped, and had that same dangerous aura that Toxic carried around.

“Um…” Was all I managed as he slowed to a stop before me.

“These are some of my brothers.”

The men were coming this way. I wiped my suddenly sweaty hands on my jeans.

“Hey! I met you the other day,” Ricochet said, smiling in my direction.

“I’m Hellfire,” the mountain said.

“Hey, Darlin’, I’m Hush,” an older man said with a grin.

Wow. If a woman liked her men older and more of a silver fox he’d knock them dead. I gave them all a hesitant smile.

“Idaho,” the last man said.

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