I shift in my chair, trying to adjust myself, and cross my legs.
Colby’s eyes follow the movement, and a muscle jumps in his jaw. I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but the look in his eyes is unmistakable. He’s undressing me, and the thought of his hands on my bare skin makes my heart beat a little faster.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“How come you’re not married?”
I stare at him, trying to decide if he’s playing with me or not. What the hell kind of question is that?
“Seriously? You’re asking me about my marital status?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You’re a strange man, Colby Burke.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“Am I?”
“You are. Now, tell me, River Thurston, why are you single? A woman like you must have men crawling all over her. What are you doing here, all alone, on this big empty porch?”
“I’m not alone. You’re here.”
“That I am. And I’m asking you a question.”
I let out a long, slow breath and turn my attention back to the horizon. I can’t bring myself to look him in the eye. Not when he’s staring at me like that.
“I’m actually here because of a guy,” I admit.
“A guy?”
“Yeah. My ex-boyfriend. The relationship went bad. He...well, he didn’t want a partner. He wanted a possession. A toy he could play with and put away whenever he wanted. I was too stubborn and stupid to see it. We were together for two years, and it was a mistake. The whole damn relationship.”
“So, what happened?”
“What do you think? We broke up.”
“I suspect there’s more to it than that, or you wouldn’t be hiding out on my ranch.”
“I’m not hiding, Burke.”
“No?”
“No. I’m healing. And this is a nice place to do it. It’s quiet. Serene. Getting away from that monster nearly killed me. Literally.”
“What do you mean, literally?”
“I mean, literally. I nearly died.”
He sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You wanna elaborate on that?”
“Not particularly.”
“Thurston, if he hurt you...”
“I don’t wanna talk about it, Burke. Okay? I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I just...I need some time.”
