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When she got up to top speed out in the far end of the course, her body took on the low, sleek form of some kind of water creature. It was the same fluid grace Mama had when running for a tennis ball sent deep into the fields behind the barn.
Every time Charlie commanded “Come bye” or “Away to me” to the dog in his Irish accent, I felt a little tingle of sexual awareness. It was embarrassing to be turned on by herding commands. But I couldn’t ignore the tightness in my jeans as I thought about how this slender man with his hair pulled back in a messy bun and brows furrowed in concentration commanded me in the dark of night the same way he controlled these dogs in the light of day.
Effortlessly, decisively, firmly.
“Dammit,” I muttered, shifting in my seat.
“Man knows what he’s doing, yeah?” Glen said from the spot next to me.
“Sure seems that way,” I agreed. “I’ve never seen him do this before. I mean, I’ve seen him go through commands with Mama, but it’s not as impressive with no stock to herd.”
Glen nodded. “You two going to the Houston stock show next month?”
“We were planning on it. It’s in March, right?”
“March fourteenth, thereabouts,” Glen said.
I wondered if we could make it work considering the pub would be newly open and we’d be preparing for St. Paddy’s Day events. Correction: Charlie would be preparing. I, on the other hand, might be back to working long hours in Dallas.
Even if I could get time off for the Houston stock show, it was a reminder St. Paddy’s marked the end of Charlie’s required stay in Hobie. The plan had been for someone from Fig and Bramble to give us a couple of months to make sure the pub was set up right and launched successfully. Once we’d been open a full month, there’d be no need for him to stay.
My heart fell into my stomach.
“We’ll see what happens,” I mumbled.
Indeed.
“You coming to Valentine’s Day at the pub?” Charlie asked Saint over wings at a sports bar. We’d stopped overnight in Dallas on the way back to Hobie from Junction.
“Pfft. I don’t like that romantic bullshit. Never did buy into Hallmark holidays,” Saint said. “But if there are going to be hot guys there, I’m in.”
“Spoken like a man without a current lover. You know… there are going to be hot guys there,” Charlie said pointing a thumb over his shoulder at me. “Case in point.”
Saint narrowed his eyes at me. “Ew. Don’t make me hork up potato skins right here.”
“Stevie will be there,” I offered.
Saint seemed to consider it. “Hm. The guy’s cute enough. I wonder if—”
“No,” Charlie interrupted. “He’s taken.”
I turned to him. “We don’t know that for sure.”
“Taken?” Saint laughed. “From everything I’ve ever heard, the man’s as available as watermelon on the side of the highway in summer.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Charlie said. “But he’s clearly pining for a certain someone we all know and think is hot as fuck.”
“Speak for yourself,” I grumbled.
“Oh please. Don’t tell me if you were on fire you wouldn’t let him douse you with his hose,” Charlie teased.
“Stop,” I groaned, dropping my face into my hands.
“What’s happening here?” Saint asked.
Charlie turned to him. “We think Stevie has the hots for the fire chief.”
“Stevie has the hots for anything with a nut sack,” Saint said. “Count me in for Valentine’s.”
When it came time to decide where everyone was sleeping that night, we were saved by Saint’s work calling.
“Dammit. I have to fly out. The prima donna pop star I’m protecting has decided to lunch in Paris tomorrow. Which means wheels up tonight. Sorry,” Saint said after disconnecting the call. “Duty calls.”
Once my brother took off for the airport, Charlie pounced. “He’s gone. Can it be naked time now?”
The warmth in my chest bloomed hot and fast down to my groin. I pulled his hips closer to mine so he could feel my interest.
“Meh, I guess so. If you insist,” I said. “But we should probably sleep if we want to get back to Hobie in the morning.”
“Fuck that,” he growled. “Sleep is for the weak.”
Charlie led me back to the guest bedroom and threw me down on the mattress. “Strip.”
He rifled through his bag and came out with the lube and a condom. I wondered who was going to wear it. I wondered if we needed to buy more condoms. I wondered if I should wash my hands first. I wondered—
“Stop,” he said. “Your brain is spinning round so hard you might hurt yourself.”
I’m falling for you.
The realization wasn’t a surprise, but my brain finally putting it into words devastated me. It meant this wasn’t what I’d set out to do. This wasn’t going to be easy to extract myself from when Charlie left. This wasn’t going to end smoothly or without a shit ton of pain.
