Page 8 of Cowboy Daddies

He held up his hand and stopped her mid-sentence. “Now that you’re settled in, I’d like to get Rose back to her normal routine. That includes chores. I took the liberty of assigning you a few as well. Chores start after breakfast, to be completed before Rose’s lessons,” he told her. “You have a list on the counter, right next to hers. Curfew’s eight o’clock sharp. No exceptions. Rose has lessons from nine until noon as you requested. That way, you can both have the afternoon for fun things. Are we clear?”

Sage stood up, brushing imaginary dust from her jeans. “As crystal, boss.”

“Now it’s boss?”

She nodded her head. “Yes, boss.”

Well, that was a step in the right direction, whether it felt like it or not.

Mid-afternoon, he found her in the barn. She was supposed to be sweeping the aisle between the horses’ stalls, so of course, she wasn’t doing that. The broom lay abandoned on the floor.

Instead, she was on her tiptoes trying to braid one of the horse’s manes, belting out Lainey Wilson’s “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” off-key and at the top of her lungs. Damn, she was cute.

“Sage.”

With a yelp of surprise, she turned toward him, tugging the horse’s mane in the process. The horse pulled away, knocking Sage to the floor.

Grady reached her in three long strides. He picked her up as if she weighed no more than a feather. “You all right?” he asked, gruffer than he intended.

She stared up at him, trembling. “I’m fine,” she answered quickly. “Sorry, you startled me.”

“I noticed.”

She brushed herself off. “Yes, boss?”

For someone who’d just been bumped to the dirt by a horse, she looked far too pleased with herself. The woman needed constant watching. It was like she looked for ways to get hurt. If he didn’t find a way to stop grinding his teeth, he was going to owe his dentist a fortune.

At least she hadn’t called him Daddy, which was good. Even if it did irritate him a little.

“You finished the list I gave you?”

“Yeah… well, mostly.”

Grady crossed his arms. “Mostly isn’t finished.”

She shrugged one shoulder, that playful spark back in her eyes. “I got distracted. Your horses are so pretty.”

He picked up the broom. “Hold out your hands, Sage.”

She did as she was told, but not before snapping to attention with another salute. “Officer Sage, ready for duty.”

He placed the broom in her hands. “Finish what I told you to do. And don’t forget curfew is eight o'clock,” he reminded her again. “Be in the house by then. No excuses.”

Sage stepped closer, tilting her head up at him. “What happens if I’m late?”

Grady leaned down until his face was only inches from hers. His voice dropped to that low, commanding tone that made most people take a step back.

“Try it, and you’ll find out, little girl.”

What the hell? Had he just called her little girl? What was he doing? She wasn't his little girl and never would be. He was way too old to be playing with that kind of fire. Especially this particular wildfire.

She squirmed where she stood. Her cheeks turned the brightest shade of pink he'd ever seen. What she didn’t do was protest. Nope. Her reaction was exactly the opposite.

Her pupils dilated, darkening her intoxicating eyes, and her breathing quickened. He wouldn’t allow himself to look below her face because the last thing he needed was to see if her nipples had hardened again. His cock was already hard enough.

She bit her lip, then gave him that signature cheeky grin. “I’ll be sure to be late. I hate leaving a puzzle unsolved.”

Grady straightened, fighting the urge to smile. This woman was going to be the death of him.