Page 59 of Cowboy Breaking Point

“A few hours? You were awake half the night, Clay. The blue light from your tablet was keeping me up.” A voice from the doorway drew their attention away from the list as Lark breezed into the room.

She stopped, took one look at Quaide and did an about-face. She strode from the room as fast as her petite legs could go, but the action left them all trading questioning looks.

“What was that about?” Jennings asked.

Clay shrugged. “Beats me, but she was looking at Quaide. Whatever she’s mad about, it’s his fault.”

Chuckles followed, but Quaide had to wonder if Lark and Dove had gotten together and had a talk about Dove’s prior issue with him. He thought they’d cleared that all up when he fingered her to a gasping, panting, boneless orgasm against the wall of the study earlier. But maybe he was wrong.

“Third guy on the list.” Quaide pointed. “He’s out. He’s a sharpshooter and likes to show off his skill by taking the shot. He wouldn’t use blunt force trauma to kill a man.”

“Ewww! You guys are always talking about death and destruction,” Lark interrupted on her return.

Clay grunted. “That’s kind of the point of Sentry, doll.”

“I know, silly. But there are fun things about Sentry too. Like this!” She whipped a bag out from behind her back. She flounced up to Quaide and held it out for him.

He took it from her, and without even peeking inside, he knew what the bag contained.

The familiar weight in his hand gave him a little thrill, and he felt a grin spread across his face. All the years he came to visit his grandparents, he always sported one.

Everyone watched as he pulled out a black Stetson. When he turned it around in his hands, Clay gave a single nod, stamping his approval on this purchase, and Julius let out a low whistle. “That’s a sweet one. Good quality.”

Lark did a little bounce on her toes. “Try it on. I think it will fit, but…” She bit down on her lower lip.

He set the hat on his head and adjusted it. Not so loose that it fell off when he bent over and it didn’t squeeze.

“What do you guys think?”

Lark bobbed her head, a wide smile on her face. The other guys gave their stamp of approval too—but only one opinion mattered.

And that was Dove’s.

She stood in the doorway, watching him. A hand fluttered to her chest.

Was he the only person who saw the pink flush on her cheeks? She was aroused.

For him.

Their gazes connected and held. Several heartbeats throbbed between them.

“Here we go with the uncomfortable staring again,” Julius drawled out.

Jennings and Clay laughed. Shaken from the moment, Dove threw her shoulders back and stepped into the room.

“I’d like to be part of whatever’s going on.”

Lark bounced up to her. “Good! Because I had abigshopping trip. Wait until you see what I got for us.”

Dove looked at Quaide again. “Us?”

Lark answered. “Yes, for Operation Clone. We needed three outfits, makeup, I had to get a wig… It’s going to begreat.”

Quaide swallowed hard. They were really going through with this risky plan.

That just meant he needed to be at the very top of his game so he kept all of them safe.

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