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Fuck.
I feel gutted. It’s the first time I’ve admitted out loud how damn guilty I feel. This wide-eyed girl keeps sideswiping my heart and blowing all my expectations out of the water. She listens like she cares. Like she understands.
“Oh, Charlie,” Ruby breathes. She squeezes my hand for the second time and I tighten my grip on her so she can’t go anywhere. “You should tell them.”
“Yeah.” I give her a nod. “Maybe.”
For a moment, the only sound in the house is the rhythmic spin of the washing machine.
“What about you?” I ask, clearing my throat. “What was your sunflower?”
She thinks about it. “You know what? This actually. Tonight,” she decides and hits me with a blazing smile. “I like talking with you, Cowboy. When you don’t yell.”
Damn. Speared in the heart.
I’m not used to this. Having someone around to talk to. After a long day spent on the ranch, I usually have a beer, do some paperwork, and hit the hay. I don’t spend the night talking to a beautiful woman. Ruby’s taking my logic, my good common sense, my routine, and smashing it to fucking smithereens.
“I promised,” I rasp, leaning forward. “I won’t yell, Ruby. Not at you. Never again.”
Before I can stop myself, I run my palm up her hand to encircle her delicate wrist. My rough fingers graze her soft skin, skimming the pulse that beats there, and it’s like a tether between us snaps taut.
Ruby lets out a small whimper and my cock jumps in my pants.
We sit staring too long, her hand still in mine. My lungs burn. I can feel the heat of her heartbeat pulsing against my fingertips.
Ruby watches me through heavy-lidded eyes. “Charlie,” she whispers.
My gaze drops to her full red lips. Unable to help myself, I tuck a lock of rose-gold hair behind her ear. Then I slide my hand over the high arch of her cheekbone. Her long lashes flutter with surprise. Lust flames in those pretty baby blue eyes. Instead of pulling away, Ruby tilts her head, letting me cradle her face in my palm.
Fuck it.
I lean in, ready to crush her mouth against mine, when a violent rattling noise comes from the hall.
I tense and freeze.
Ruby jerks back, her cheeks flushed pink. “The laundry. I need to get the laundry.”
Adorably frazzled, she hops up and disappears fast down the hall. The swing of her hips, the curve of that ass, causes my body to react in ways I didn’t know existed.
Shit.
A muscle jumps in my jaw. I war with myself, head versus heart versus cock.
Wanting this is wrong. But I do.
I want her.
I want to be inside of her, kissing those pouty red lips. I want to scrape my beard all over that pretty pink skin and rub it raw. I want to fuck her senseless and have her fucking own me.
Then, every ounce of control snaps, and I shove up off the couch and follow her down the hall.
Itransfer my load to the dryer and hit start.
I stare at the timer. Thirty minutes.
It’s a cruel joke from the universe to see if I’ll last the next half hour with Charlie Montgomery.
I’ve been curious about this brooding cowboy more than I’d like to admit. The way he wakes at three thirty in the morning and doesn’t return home until the sun is down. The reason for the grumpy scowl on his face.How his ranch got its name.
