Page 22 of Highest Bidder
She blinks a few times. “Yeah,” she answers, slowly.
My hands ball into fists at my sides. “He’s not a good guy,” I let slip. I have no loyalty to the guy, but it’s a tight-knit industry. If someone hears you talking shit about someone else, it spreads like wildfire. Dealers definitely don’t want an auctioneer who talks bad about one of their own. I sigh. “I’m just saying, I don’t think he’s good for you.”
She lets out a humorless laugh. “And you know what is good for me?”
“Shit, this isn’t coming out right.” I adjust my hat on my head. “I’m only trying to say that I’ve heard a few things about him, and I don’t want you around a guy like him.”
Her jaw drops. “You don’t want me around a guy likehim?”
I rub my palms over my face. I go to say something but she holds her hand up, silencing me.
“Listen, you have no right to tell me who I can date. My love life is none of your concern. Whether or not I’m with James hasnothingto do with you. Got it?”
I slowly nod. “I know. But…”
“Goodbye, Myles.”
I watch her make a beeline to the self-checkout, quickly buying her food and storming out the door. JT walks up next to me.
He points. “Was that Hunter?”
“Yup,” I growl.
Peering over at me, he says, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nope.” I push our cart toward the checkout lanes.
Sitting on a large wooden stump,I rest my elbows on my knees, soaking up the fresh air. As I listen to the steady flow of the creek, it’s the most relaxed I’ve felt all week. I’m at the one place that feels more like home than my own. The trails that lead into the woods from the back of JT’s house can only be reached on horseback, so the area is completely secluded. I came here trying to clear my head of that wild-haired woman. But my mind continues to wander back to Hunter.
I told JT I was riding to the creek. I like to start my week decompressing out here before dinner. He told me he would try to meet me, but he got a new quarter horse after returning from the store and isn’t sure he can get her settled enough to get here before dark. He always goes the extra mile for his animals. He won’t leave their side till they at least drink some water and have a little hay. JT says he never sleeps well in a newlocation, so he wants his animals to feel comfortable before leaving them, even if that means staying in their paddock all night.
Sitting on a stump around a firepit JT and I built for colder nights, I toss a rock into the rushing water, making a rabbit dash into the woods. Cricket’s song rings in my ears as birds flap their wings overhead. We spend a lot of time here sitting by the fire at night, drinking and enjoying downtime from work.
Images flood my head of what it would be like to bring Hunter here. Does she know how to ride? I could teach her, or she could ride with me. Oh, to have her sexy little ass nestled between my legs on a horse. On second thought, I don’t want her to learn how to ride on her own. I immediately feel a boner growing hard under the zipper of my jeans.Fuck.This has been happening a lot. I can’t get her out of my head. I don’t even want to pick up random girls at a bar for a good time. The only interest I seem to have is picturing Hunter climbing out of her pool in a skimpy black two-piece, water gliding off every curve as I fuck my hand. It’s embarrassing. It's like I’m a pimply-ass, sex-deprived virgin all over again.
Fuck, I miss sex.
I hear a snort from a horse approaching and know JT must be near. He always has perfect timing. He catches me at the worst times and loves to give me grief about it for hours. I already know this will be no exception. He’ll probably take one look at me and rag on me. He’s always been able to read me like a book.
“Did you get the horse settled into the paddock?” I holler, not taking my eyes off the water.
“Obviously, or I wouldn’t be here, dumbass.” He gets off of his horse, Sunshine, and lets her get some water before tying her up. “So what’s on your mind?” He turns toward me after settling on the log next to me. “You’re giving off even more broody vibes than normal. This wouldn’t have anything to do with running into Hunter at the store, would it?”
I roll my eyes. “What? Do you want to go back and forth andtalk about our feelings around the fire?” I ask sarcastically. I don’t have time for this tonight.
“First off,” he says, holding up his index finger, “there is no fire, nor am I going to build one.” He puts up another finger. “Secondly, fuck you. It’s impossible to not mention your mood when it radiates off you and contaminates my air, and third”—finger number three joins the rest—“don't make me call Mama.”
Fuck.That would be horrible. He knows I don’t want him telling her I’m moody. JT’s pushy, but good god, that woman is in a whole other category. She wouldn’t leave me alone until I’d laid everything I’ve been feeling out on the table. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy…well, maybe CarMax James.
“I donotlike you,” I growl.
“Then, spill it.” He motions to me with his fingers, like he’s trying to drag the words out of my mouth. “We don’t have all night. It’ll be dark in 3 hours.” He stretches out his legs to get more comfortable. “Also, I want those burgers.”
I shake my head. I know if I don’t at least talk to him about it, I’m going to go insane. Or I could do something stupid. Talking to him seems like the lesser of all the evils.
I rub my hands up and down my face, hoping that if I rub long enough, the thoughts will disappear. “I put my fucking foot in my mouth.” I look over at him, and he just nods, permitting me to continue. I sigh. “I told her that CarMax wasn’t good enough for her.”
His eyebrows raise in surprise. “Okay.” He knows I don’t usually give a crap about what happens with a girl. But Hunter is different, and I know he understands that.
