She gave him another one of those quick, flirty glances.One that promised him things.One that made him want to laugh, because it was so bold and brazen, but also, to run his hands and his mouth over every inch of her body.
Proving he had more imagination than he’d thought.The tractor drifted to the right, as if she could tell what he was thinking, but she straightened the steering without any help.She was a quick learner.
She’s as curious about you as you are about her.
His mother’s words had stuck with him.They were curious about each other, alright.
But what had stuck with him most was the unsettling knowledge that Malika was little more than a paycheck—to her brother, to her future husband, to Burning Scrub, and to the Ride No More Ranch.
He wasn’t okay with it, either.
Because, somewhere between her bravery, her love of flirting, and the fun she got out of the little things he took for granted, he’d figured out what his problem was, and why he had such a hard time reading her signals.
He wanted more than she was free to give.
*
Malika
Riding behind Jayceon a four-wheeler, with her clasped hands warmed by his midriff, was a wonderful experience.More fun, even, than driving the tractor.In Malika’s eyes, the entire day had been perfect.She loved everything about the Ride No More Ranch.
While Burning Scrub, despite its many small inconveniences and lack of modern amenities, had its charm, too, the town was immersive, intended to give a realistic experience of what the Wild West was like.
The ranch, on the other hand, was a wildlife park and high-end resort rolled into one.As far as she was concerned, this was a far better adventure than the one Adeel had arranged.She could spend the entire day outdoors in the sun, then afterwards, relax in comfort with a movie or a long soak in a tub.
She couldn’t imagine Jayce having difficulty finding a woman who wouldn’t be happy with this.Therefore, the problem was him.She had no trouble imagining that.
He’d had plenty of opportunities to kiss her again and had acted on none.While she might not be as beautiful or perfect as Belle, she was hardly second best.She had her own appeal.If her kisses hadn’t yet measured up, well, perhaps she needed more practice.Whose fault would that be if she didn’t get it?
The sun had fallen behind the mountains, and long shadows now stretched across the fields by the time Jayce pulled up next to a barbwire fence, braked the four-wheeler, and turned off the engine.
He helped her dismount.“Don’t touch the top wire.The fence is electric.”
“What if you touch the top wire and I touch you?”she suggested, giving flirting with him yet another attempt, because she remained eternally optimistic that he’d eventually catch on.
He grinned, and her heart jumped.He was so verybeautiful.
“That’s not a good idea,” he said, sounding more amused than flirtatious.“The electricity passes through the first person.I’d get a bit of a jolt, but you’d get the bigger shock.Still want to try it?”
She remembered what had happened when he touched the bear fence.
“No, thank you.”
He held the wires apart so she could pass through the fencing that surrounded the field.Binoculars swung from his neck, and he carried a flashlight in one jacket pocket.Full darkness was a few hours away, but the light was gradually fading.The air smelled of wildflowers and grass.
“It’s durum,” Jayce said when she asked what the fluffy-headed stalks were.He pointed ahead.“There.See the burrows?”
She did.Small, shadowy mounds of earth, barren of grass, poked out of the field.
Jayce crouched in the wheat.“Close enough.Now, we watch and wait.”
Malika sat cross-legged beside him.She poked her hands into the sleeves of the sweatshirt he’d insisted she wear, even though the evening was warm.They waited almost a half hour before he touched her arm and spoke softly.
“Don’t make any sudden movements.Do you see it?”
She craned her neck.A long, narrow body darted out of one of the burrow’s many holes, where it froze, its head in the air, as if it knew they were watching.It looked like a weasel and belonged to the same family.Three more heads emerged, these ones, much smaller.
“Kits.At least three.”Jayce sounded pleased.
