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Leander was standing beside me, eyes closed, breathing it in. Janus was trying to get a signal on his phone and frowning.
“Okaaaaaaaay,” Janus said still sounding skeptical. “You’ve brought us out to the woods. So no one will hear us scream?”
I laughed. “No! So y’all can let off some steam.”
“Trust,” was all Milo said as he hopped out of the SUV.
And that was when a man walked out of the small building we’d parked in front of and welcomed us to Rock’s Adventure Riding.
“Like horses?” Janus asked, still looking rumpled from his nap. “Leander is the only one who’s trained with horses, so I’ll just nope out and stay in the—”
“Horses?” the tall man with a goatee laughed. He looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties, the kind of man who didn’t own a shirt that wasn’t partially flannel, even in summer. “I thought you understood when you booked what this place was.”
“Oh, we do,” Milo assured. “My friend’s just an idiot.”
Janus looked like he wanted to shove Milo again, but that was when the man—Rock himself, apparently—led them to the barn out back.
And when he opened the rickety-looking door, I watched both twins’ jaws drop. I glowed with satisfaction at their response. Because inside were six of the slickest looking side-by-side off-roaders.
“We just got a good rain, so the mud should be perfect,” Rock said. “There’s trails but you don’t gotta stick to ’em. Just got some paperwork for you to sign and a quick safety video, then you can head out.”
Janus’s mouth had dropped open and, as I watched, a glint of excitement came into his eyes. Good. His gaze came my way. “You mean a day of fucking off responsibility and getting to go mudding instead?”
“Uh, fuck yeah.” This from Leander.
“Whose idea was this?” Janus asked.
“Hers.” Milo pointed my way.
I was still watching Leander, who’d gone quiet as he looked over the vehicles. “If you don’t like it, we don’t have to stay—”
“Are you fucking kidding?” Janus said. “He loves it. This is like crack to him.”
Leander grinned, his warm eyes finally coming my way. It heated me up inside, feeling their happiness and knowing I’d given it to them. “What are we waiting for?” he taunted his brother. “You afraid of how bad I’m gonna smoke your ass once we get on the trails?”
Janus rolled his eyes. “Please. Pretty sure we know who can out-drive who.”
“You two are cute.” Milo strode forward and yanked a helmet off the wall. “But who gets experience dodging paparazzi every day? Me. You two can enjoy choking on my mud splatter.”
I stood off to the side while they all got boyishly excited and crap-talked one another while choosing which ride they’d take. But then Leander noticed me standing by the wall.
“You aren’t going to take one?”
I waved my hands. “I hate to admit I’m a cliché, but I’m a terrible driver. I never really had a chance to practice much, and I only handle LA traffic when I’m forced to.”
“The side-by-sides have harnesses and a cage around them,” Leander said. “Live on the wild side.”
I just laughed and waved my hands again. “That’s okay. This is for you guys. Go out and have fun.”
But Leander looked like what I’d said was an abomination against nature. “Come with me, then,” Leander said. “It’s a two-seater.”
My mouth dropped open, eyes darting to the machine he’d picked out for himself. And as soon as he realized I was even considering it, he wouldn’t let it go. I was done for. He grabbed a helmet from the wall and walked over to me, fitting it on my head and standing closer than was strictly necessary while he clicked the strap underneath my chin. His chest was all but against mine.
“There,” he whispered, fingertips brushing my jaw. “Trust me. I’ll keep you safe.”
My breath faltered but I managed to nod. “O-okay.”
“God, you’re stunning,” he whispered, dark gray eyes slicing straight through me. I’d barely blinked and certainly wasn’t breathing, when he suddenly pulled back and tugged me forwards by the hand towards the off-roader he’d chosen.
Had I just dreamt that intimacy? And the whispered words? Stunning? Me? I was barely wearing any makeup today. Did he just say that to every woman who stumbled across his path?
I reached up and touched the helmet on my head and tried to remember how to take a breath. “Okay. Well. Then. I guess, um. Okay. Show me how to get strapped in?”
He grinned his million-dollar smile at me. My lady bits melted but then we were moving and I managed to stay on my feet. Ten points for me.
At the passenger side of the ROV, I opened the little door and climbed in.
Leander didn’t bother with the door, naturally. He just hopped over the side and landed cleanly inside. I was still trying to get my hormones under control though, so I kept fussing with my harness straps instead of letting him know just how hot I thought the move was.
