Page 25 of Brands

“In my defense, you were hammered. There’s no way to win in that situation.” His nostrils flare as he watches me.

“So, I shouldn’t finish this?” I hold up my pink fruity drink.

He lifts his palm in a sign of surrender. “You’re an adult, you can do whatever you want.” A flicker of a smile ticks the corner of his mouth up.

There’s a tremor in my hand as I set my bottle on the desk. “See, I don’t think that’s the case.”

His ice-blue eyes stay fixed on mine while I slowly stand.

“Why’s that?” His voice is huskier, lower.

“Because there’s a million reasons I can’t do what I want to do.” I thread my arms inside the straps of my overalls, wrapping them across my belly to try and calm the stampede that is rumbling through me.

His fingers splay on his thigh and his jaw clenches. “And what do you want to do?”

I feel light headed. Woozy.

And surer than I’ve ever been.

“You.”

Chapter Nine

Blue

I had really hopedthat it was the alcohol talking the night of her birthday party.

But I know she hasn’t had nearly enough today for it to be doing the speaking.

My body feels as if it’s on pins and needles. I need to tread very carefully…

“Your father would cut off my nuts and string me up in the bull pasture if I laid a finger on you.” I try to give her my best charming smile as I create what little bubble of distance the cramped office allows.

Her arms pull out of her coveralls.

I hope that means she’s going to walk away so I can breathe.

Instead, she drops her palms on my thighs and leans over me, the fruity scent of her exhale makes my brain misfire.

All I can focus on is the pink triangle of her tongue poking out from her fulllips.

“Maybe he doesn’t need to know? Like you said, we’re both adults.” Her hands are surprisingly strong as she pulls her thumbs higher towards my groin.

Fuck. I have to stop this.

Grabbing her wrists, I pin her fingers down.

“Why Miss Taylor, I do think you’re trying to seduce me.” I stare into the deep sea blue of her eyes, silently begging her to quit.

But secretly wanting her to keep pushing.

“I just want to have some fun. My dad trusts you, so does Char and her family. What if we just, I dunno, mess around? Then we go our separate ways once I figure out the dairy paperwork stuff.” Her mouth forms a strawberry tinted pout. “I promise. No feelings.”

That makes me snort. “There’s always feelings. And they always get hurt.” I manage to work both of her hands off my legs and pull them together between us before I get serious. “I don’t want that. I’m the luckiest man in the world right now, and probably the dumbest for saying ‘no’. If you were anyone else but Clay’s daughter, we’d already be naked.”

When the corners of her lips tighten, I know somehow, some way, I fucked up.

Her spine straightens and she stands over me. “You know what I think?” One fist goes on her hip. “I think you were all talk the other night about yourabilities. I betyou’ve never gotten a woman off, and don’t want me to learn the truth.”

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