Page 6 of Freeing the Wild
“Right, get goin’ then,” Haden says as he sees Dusty out.He has a controlled grace about him.His faded jeans hold snug to thick, strong thighs, and his gray t-shirt is dappled with the day’s sweat and dust.It fits tight to his arms, one of which is covered in ink to his wrist.I watch as he washes his hands before reaching under the small sink in the corner to pull out a first aid kit.Haden grabs two gauze cloths from it, then begins to run them under the water.I do my best not to stare, but I’m startled when he turns toward me before I’m done ogling him.My eyes snap to his but not quick enough.
It’s obvious by the smug look on his face that he knows I was checking him out.He shakes his head with a smirk.
“You must be feeling alright, if you have the wherewithal to check out my ass.”
“Well, would you look at that.Concussion confirmed.”
Haden turns his head from me but I don’t miss the playful grin on his lips.
If I was one to get embarrassed easily, I’d probably blush or feel awkward.But I’m not.Although I haven’t had that much physical experience with men, in my line of work, you have to meet them with a confident attitude at every turn.Besides, a nice ass is a nice ass.Put a man in jeans like that and I’m gonna look.
“I wasn’t checking you out,” I continue.“I was just thinking I’ve never met a working man who wore his jeans so tight.Soyou must be kind of a boss around here.Let me guess, the rugged pretty boy who tells everyone else what to do?”
Haden stares at me for a beat, shaking his head as he wrings out the cloths before calmly moving back toward me.He takes a knee in front of me.
“May I?”His voice has a deep timbre, sending tiny little prickles over my skin.
Those eyes pull me back in and I feel my confidence wane with him this close.I simply nod as he begins to use one cloth to clean the dirt from my face, taking a little extra time to pat my forehead as he does so.I give in and close my eyes while he swipes it across my skin.It feels nice.Then he presses the other one to my knee.I flinch and hiss with the sting.He pauses and waits for my nod to continue.I didn’t even realize I’d skinned my knee in the dirt until now.
“You’re feeling that now, aren’t you?”he asks while continuing to carefully clean the cut.
I look back to his eyes and offer him a small smile.“A little.”
We say nothing for a moment before he speaks again.
“I get them custom-made.”
“Sorry?”I mutter.When he doesn’t respond, I look back to his eyes and realize he’s watching my expression.His gaze holds mine and I breathe in his delicious scent.I’ve never seen eyes quite like his before; they’re justsoblue, with darker rings around his irises.A lazy smirk spreads across his face again.
“My jeans.They’re custom-made.”He stands.“From the special freeloading pretty-boy department at Wrangler.”
“Right,” I say with a quick shake of my head.I open the bottle of water and take a sip.“Bet you’re used to breaking hearts and taking names with those custom jeans aren’t you, Cowboy?”
Haden folds his muscled arms across his chest.He gives me a wide, cocky smile.
“You sayin’ my ass has the ability to break your heart?”
I narrow my eyes, pick my hat up off the bench beside me, and put it back on my head as I stand, swiping the dirt off my clothes and praying my legs don’t fail me this time.
“Maybe that ass does it for some women.”I shrug.Just because he knows he’s hot doesn’t mean he has to knowIthink he’s hot.“But not me.Nothing personal.You’re just not my type.Even in those perfectly fitting jeans.”
As I close the space between us, the shit-eating grin on his face falls slightly as he stares down at me, towering over me by at least a foot.
“Well then, at least we agree on something, Princess.”His tone still holds amusement, but I flex my fists at his choice of nickname.
“Which is?”
“I’ve honestly never seen anyone so damn difficult to look at.”His eyes gleam as he watches my reaction to his words.His gaze trails my face, my neck, my lips.I should back away but, instead, I move closer and breathe him in.
“Fuck,” he says gruffly.“Feels almost painful to look at you, actually.”
He holds my eyes with his and I try to form a rational thought under his spell.How is this small interaction causing me to tingle from my head to my toes?
“Well, good news for you.You’re off the hook.”I push the water bottle into his hard chest with a satisfying crunch and lean back to straighten my hat.“I’m late to meet my sister, so you won’t have to look at me any more today.And don’t worry, I won’t be suing the ranch.”
Haden scoffs as I turn away.
“Rescuing you earns the ranch a free pass, does it?”he asks.
