AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I prefer behind you.” His tone is playful, but I am not in the mood.
I remain silent.
“Come on.” He sighs.
“No, Rhett,” I snap back as he walks up beside me. “You come on. Ya know, I don’t feel I’ve done anything to warrant your anger. Other than having pink hair and accidentally oversleeping on my first day. But only one of those is cause enough for you to reprimand me.”
“I—”
I cut him off. “I’m not done. I may be, what? Five years younger than you?”
“Try a decade.” He scoffs.
Oh, that’s surprising. This man does not look much over thirty, let alone closer to forty. The manual labor of working on a ranch has been very, very kind to him. I eye him out of my peripherals but soldier on.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m a child. I grew up in a small town surrounded by farmland. So while I may not be as knowledgeable as you, I’m not an idiot.” I tug out my French braids and run my fingers over my scalp. This man is giving me a headache. “I’m an adult, with childcare experience, who was asked to watch your kids for one afternoon. I love those kids. I wouldn’t let anything happen to them, and I need you to trust me on that.”
He grunts. Just freakinggrunts…
So I give up and resign myself to walking in silence the rest of the way to my house. Clearly, he’s not going to let me walk alone, and I’m not going to try and hold a conversation with someone who only communicates via grunting like a caveman.
The little house comes into view after a tense walk, and I couldn’t be happier. It was cooler today, so I left the windows open, and the string lights they hung outside for me cast a warm glow over the little porch.
“I think I’m good from here,” I tell him, gesturing to where we can both clearly see the house. But he won’t stop walking, just trudging on like he’s determined to drop me at the damn door.
“Made it this far,” he says in a quiet voice. “May as well walk you to the door.”
I roll my eyes but let him. Not like I could stop him anyway. This man doesn’t give up. I’ve shouted at him and physically assaulted him. At this point, I’m genuinely surprised I still have a job.
“Why didn’t you fire me?” I ask when we walk up the front steps.
“Why would I fire you?”
I give him a look. “Because you showed up at my front door the first morning I was supposed to be working and saw me covered in wine. I was incredibly late. And then, if you remember, just a while ago, you laid into me about taking your kids into a cow field.”
“Because I overreacted about my kids and because one fuckup doesn’t mean you should lose your job.”
“Meaning your mom and dad said no.”
He laughs. “Something like that.” He rubs the back of his neck and reluctantly meets my gaze. “The ranch needs you. Wells needs you. He’s been doing this alone for too long, and it’s startin’ to wear on him. Poor kid needs a life outside this ranch.”
I nod.
“Okay, then.”
He crosses his arms under his pecs, which make his biceps bulge and puts his strong hands on display. I can’t help but let my eyes wander over his body, just like he had done to me back in the pasture. Where I’m soft and curvy, this man is hard and straight. Broad shoulders, strong torso, and thick thighs are proof that he works hard.
When my eyes finally make their way back up his body, I find a little glint in his eyes. He’s been watching me soak him in. But when he steps closer, crowding me toward the front door, I get a little wary. My body is screaming yes, but my mind has alarm bells going off.
The scent of sweat, leather, and a hint of laundry detergent fills my senses, making those alarm bells a bit quieter. There’s a cool breeze that sweeps across the porch and makes a few pieces of his hair fall into his eyes. I fight the urge to push it back because that isnotwhat employees do to their bosses. Those brown eyes bore into me, and I can’t look away, no matter how badly I want to.
My back hits the screen door. There’s nowhere for me to go. He’s stalked me into a corner with no way out. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I can’t take a deep breath. Meanwhile, he just smirks down at me, his eyes moving from my lips to my eyes and back like they can’t decide what they like the look of better.
“Poppy.” My name sounds delicious on his tongue. “See somethin’ you like?”
“I do,” I admit.
He pushes closer, his hips bumping against my own. His arms unfold, and his hands can’t decide where to go. They sit on his hips and then move quickly like they’re going to grab me before getting shoved in his pockets. I put one of my hands behind my back, making my chest push forward a little as I search for the doorknob, while the other goes to his jaw. The scruff bites at my fingers, and my clit pulses when his mouth opens just slightly.
