Page 2 of Filthy, Dirty, Cowboy

The sexy giant laughs. “Not the people of Rugged Mountain. You’re wasting your time. I’ll let Waylon know you stopped by.”

My brows narrow and a hearty laugh ensues. “I’m sorry. Do you own this property or have some sort of power over Waylon?”

His shoulders square and his jaw tightens. “I’ve lived up here for forty-four years.”

“Forty-four.” I roll my eyes. “Wow. An old man getting in the way of progress. Who could have imagined that one?” I push past him, dwarfed by his size as I make my way to the main house where I was told to meet Waylon.

But before I make it three feet, the giant’s big hand stops me. “I’m going to make you regret this.”

I chuckle and turn toward him. “Do you honestly think I have any say over a deal between a billion-dollar company and this ranch? I’m arepresentative,country boy. That’s all. I’m the pretty face that delivers the news and makes the deal more palatable. If you have a problem, you need to take that up with my boss.”

Hawk stares toward me with a wide stance, his jaw tight as though he could rip me limb from limb.

I flinch away from the cowboy and sink my heels into the grass as I stalk away from the man who’s desperate to make my life a living hell.

Truthfully, I’d like to see him try.

Chapter Two

Hawk

Why do I want to touch that woman so badly?

It makes zero sense. She’s a little princess who was raised on concrete, which makes her view on everything unappealing. And by the looks of her, she’s spent more days worrying about the shade of her lipstick than anything else.

Ever since we met up at Ash and Dodge’s house, I can’t stop thinking about her. But at the time, I brushed off the feelings I was having for Portia as wedding fever.

Portia happened to be right there the whole ceremony, staring at me with those pretty blue eyes and that long blonde hair. There was definitely chemistry. I guess there was something to it, though. The energy I had for her never went away.

Seeing her today, I realize how stupid I am. In my mind, I’d created a version of Portia that was much more palatable. In reality, she’s the complete opposite of me, and as we’ve already discovered, we’d never work.

I back the truck into the horse trailer and hop out to latch everything up. Kane is standing by the back wheel well with a box from the hardware store on Main Street. He’s the leader of Rugged Mountain MC and part owner of that store.

“Hey, man.” He meets me with a hearty handshake. Like everyone in town, I’ve known him for the better part of my life. “Waylon asked me to drop these fuses off for the tractors.”

I grab the box from his hand and set it on the shelf next to the stables. “Won’t be needing any of this if that girl in there gets her way.”

Kane laughs and strokes his long beard. “That pretty little thing who’s inside talking to Waylon now?”

I nod, trying not to linger at the fact that he’s just affirmed how gorgeous she is. I guess my brain decided that no one else was supposed to have noticed her.

“Don’t lose sleep over it, man.” Kane leans against the back of the truck. “No one’s turning this place into nothing. It’s a ranch. It’ll stay a ranch. You remember when that plastic factory came in trying to buy up land? Everyone lost their minds.”

“I know, but this is different. It’s grain. I looked it up. They’re a low emissions company and the footprint is small. People here will like the jobs.”

“Everyone here is a farmer or a rancher. No one is going to want factory work. Trust me on this one.” He rounds to the trailer hitch. “Are you still going to Mrs. Robinson’s tonight to fix that fence?”

I clip a trailer chain in place. “I’ll be there. You guys coming?”

He glances back to see Portia making her way to the barn, then turns back toward me. “I’m bringing a few guys to help.” He grins and leans in, lowering his voice as he says, “I’ll see you later. Don’t let this chick fuck with you. You’re the big, strong man… remember?” He laughs and nods toward Portia as they pass each other.

I know Kane isn’t interested in Portia‘like that.’He’s never interested in anyone‘like that.’For some reason, he’s spent his life in solitude, and he seems to be okay with it. That said, I didn’t like the way he noticed how pretty she was. She’s more than pretty. She’s fucking perfect and any man would be lucky to have her. She’s five foot eight, long blonde hair, light blue eyes, and curves that would rival any of the mountain roads in town. She’s a complete knockout and something tells me she knows it too.

“I had a chat with your boss,” she says, climbing up on the John Deere parked in the barn. She looks out of place in her tight skirt and silky pink blouse.

“And?” I redirect my attention to the trailer hitch, glancing up every few seconds to the way her heels dig into the ridges on the tractor step.

“And… he’s going to take the weekend to think about it.”

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