Page 53 of Deadly Attraction
Her lips stung from his kisses, her nipples were still hard from his handiwork. Easing her bra back into place, she couldn’t keep the silly grin off her face.
I think I’m finally ready for therapy.
Mitch stole across the kitchen floor, gun cocked and ready. Salt and Pepper came scrambling up behind him, but he stopped them with a hand gesture.
Well trained, they both sunk to their haunches and waited for his next command.
He didn’t think Goodsman or Brown would walk up to the door and knock, but they were both loony as jaybirds, so he wasn’t taking chances.
A peek out the window showed him a broad man standing on the porch wearing a hat and overalls.
“It’s me, Will,” Emma’s ranch hand called. “Don’t shoot.”
Smart man. Mitch lowered his weapon and opened the back door. “What’s up, Will?”
Will’s eyes were wary as always, skimming over Mitch, then tracking over his shoulder. The Pit-mix sat next to his leg and started wagging her tail when the Labs rushed forward to greet her. “Emma okay?”
“Of course,” Emma came bustling into the kitchen at that moment, face flushed. Her shirt was slightly askew and strands of hair had come loose from her ponytail. “Is everything all right with the horses?”
Will removed his hat and nodded. “Horses are fine. You didn’t come out to check on the foal.”
“Sorry, I overslept.” She gave a slight chuckle that sounded forced. Her fingers worked the edge of her shirt hem and she kept biting the inside of her cheek. “Mitch said he helped you take care of the morning routine and that you had everything under control.”
It was weird to see the doctor without her composure. She was cute, shifting her weight and brushing back a strand of hair as her eyes darted to Mitch and then away.
Will’s gaze cut to Mitch as well, stayed there a condescending moment, then went back to Emma. “I wanted to ask about switching out Second Chance and Hope to the far stalls so I could start cleaning out the main barn.”
Total bullshit. Mitch could tell by the way the guy was standing with his feet spread and his hands flexing and releasing on his hat brim that he was pissed. The guy was protective of Emma, which was good, but maybe there was more to it than that.
The stall cleaning was an excuse for him to get the lay of the land. To check up on Emma and see for himself if something was going on with her and Mitch.
Boy, was it. Mitch wanted to throttle the man for interrupting what could have been one hell of a start to his morning.
“Danika is coming tomorrow to help us clean out the main horse barn,” Emma said. “It’s part of her therapy. She’s going to need plenty of hard work to keep her mind off the holiday, and it’ll be good for me, too.”
Will spun the hat in his hands. Flex. Release. Flex. “All right. I’ll inventory the feed and do some mowing in the far pasture today. With the fires and all, I want to make sure we’re going to have enough feed to last for the next week.”
“Yes. Good idea.” Emma gave him a nervous smile. “Mitch and I are going to ride the trail to the park and back. You’ll keep an eye on things here, right?”
Will’s eyes narrowed slightly at Mitch. “I thought you were going alone.”
Mitch shot Emma a look. “I am.”
She reached out and playfully punched his bicep. “No, you’re not. I’m going too.”
The woman was crazy. Sexy but crazy. What was he going to do with her?
Fuck her blind and then get the hell out of her life.
But it was already too late for that. He couldn’t walk away from her so easily. She’d gotten under his skin, made him lower his defenses.
“I guess Emma is going too,” he said to Will, barely believing he was saying the words. “Just so you know, it’s a dangerous risk and I’ve advised strongly against it.”
Will gave him a pitying look, as if he knew Emma’s stubbornness all too well. “I’ll ready Igor for you, Em,” he said, even though he didn’t take his eyes off Mitch.
“Thank you, Will.” Emma headed for the pantry. “I’ll get some food for the trail.”
Mitch stepped out onto the porch next to Will and closed the door behind him. “She’s a handful.”
