Page 98 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy
But I can’t.God,I want to. If I stay, I know exactly where this ends. The fireplace still crackles low, casting gold across skin and shadows. If I give in, if I so much as brush against Ridge, I’ll cave. And we’ll end up tangled on this rug, my clothes gone, their mouths on me, and I’m not sure I’d ever recover.
And worse?
I’m starting to worry. My body’s been heating steadily since arriving at the ranch, the slow kind of build that always comes just before the crash. My next heat isn’t due for weeks, but something’s wrong. Orright.That’s the terrifying part. Because if it happens here, without warning, without meds, without a clinic? Withthem?
I might not survive it.
So I smile, sweet and sinful, and say, “Walker.”
He perks up like he just won a prize. “Yeah?”
My heart pounds. “Walk me home.”
A pulse of stunned silence. Then?—
“That’syour dare?” Cash looks personally offended. “Boo.”
“Cop-out,” Ridge mutters, but his voice is hoarse.
Walker is already standing, eyes dark with understanding. “You got it.”
I laugh like it’s no big deal, but it is. I clutch that illusion of control with both hands as I head for the door, every step screaming with want. Behind me, I feel their eyes, hear the soft disappointment they don’t even try to hide.
They wanted more.
So did I.
But tonight, restraint wins.
Just barely.
Walker walks me to the door, the others staying behind in the soft glow of the living room. I glance back at them once before stepping out onto the porch, then turn and offer a small, warm smile.
“Good night, boys.”
They smile and say their good nights, then I’m out before I change my mind.
Walker lingers beside me as we head down the path toward the guesthouse. We don’t talk at first, the gravel crunching underfoot the only sound. It’s a beautiful night, cooler now, the stars scattered across the sky like secrets waiting to be told. And beside me, Walker strolls like a shadow, steady and unshakable.
“It was amazing having you with us tonight,” hesays eventually, voice softer than the breeze. “You brought the house to life.”
I bite my lip, unsure how to respond. “It felt… right. Being there.”
He glances sideways. “Then why do you sound so uncertain?”
“Because the more right it feels, the more terrifying it becomes,” I admit. “Like I’m slipping too far into something I can’t undo.”
Walker stops walking and faces me. “Then don’t undo it.”
I look away, heart hammering. “That almost sounded like a proposition.”
He doesn’t smile as I glance his way. “We want you closer, Sophia. The guesthouse is nice, sure. But it’s too far from us.”
“I like my space,” I say, though the words sound thinner than I meant them to.
“You’d still have it. Your own room. Your own quiet. But you’d be near if you needed us.” His tone gentles. “Ridge said you’ve been… nesting.”
My eyes narrow. “It’s not a nest. It’s a highly organized comfort zone.”
