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Seeing the struggle to shake the sleep fog from her brain, he pushed to his feet. “Just a minute.”
He walked into the kitchen and checked the coffeemaker. Some smart person had loaded it with water and coffee the previous night. All he had to do was press the start button. When the dark brew the cowboys preferred trickled out, Declan caught the first cup in a waiting pottery mug.
Minutes later, he carried it back to the room. Belle was lying down once more, this time facing the doorway. When their gazes met, his cock stretched longer behind his fly. What he wanted more than anything was to climb under those covers with her.
Kiss her and touch her. Cuddle her and stroke her bare skin until she quaked with need. Then he’d dip his fingers between her thighs and find her soaking-wet heat. The idea of drawing her to an orgasm she couldn’t vocalize—one he’d have to stifle with his kisses—turned him on even more.
“Here you go.” He held out the coffee, and she sat up to take it. When she brought it to her lips, he waved at the foot of the bunk. “Mind if I sit?”
“Of course not. Youaremy boyfriend.” Her lips twisted, and she brushed them over the rim of the mug to hide her smile.
His was unstoppable though. He might be hiding his reason for sticking close to her, but the only thing that mattered was that hewasclose to her.
After taking a sip, she lowered the mug. Above the rim, her striking eyes landed on his.
“What do you think about sledding today?”
Oh god. She hated being cold. Trudging to the top of a hill sounded like the most unpleasant idea ever when she could spend her time sitting around a roaring fire, sipping hot cocoa with itty-bitty marshmallows floating on top.
But she said sledding because of all the choices that her ex was presented with, he would definitely pick sledding. Though the biggest risk it provided was pink cheeks and cold toes, she just knew that her ex would be flying down that mountain slope on a sled with his awful fiancée.
She cradled the warm mug of coffee that Declan had so thoughtfully brought her. Waking to his ruggedly handsome face had confused the hell out of her because he’d been the star of her very…um,graphic…dream.
Bringing the mug to her lips, she darted a look at him from under her lashes. She was all too aware that he sat so close on the bed, yet they were not alone in the bunkhouse. Was it too early for a romp in the barn?
“Why don’t you drink your coffee and wake up? Get dressed for breakfast and then we’ll come back here for some warm layers to spend the day outside in.” He pitched his voice low to keep from waking the others in the room, but the guy in the bunk above her stirred.
She rolled her eyes upward at her strange companion, and a grin brightened Declan’s face.
Yes, brightened. Until that moment, she didn’t realize how solemn and serious he’d been. She didn’t know him well at all, but she had to question the change in him overnight. She hadn’t thought to ask about his reason for attending the weekend alone. She’d been so selfish not to ask. What if he’d suffered from a bad breakup and this was his escape too?
He made a move toward the open doorway to leave. Then he suddenly changed directions, walked to the bunk and leaned down. His piney scent warmed over her senses, bringing her dream about him to the front of her mind again. It woke her entire body with a crackle of electricity.
Unlike her dream, he didn’t press her down on the bed and sink between her thighs. He simply dropped a tender kiss between her brows.
The action had her breath hitching for a reason that had nothing to do with desire. He straightened and turned for the door again.
She watched his tight ass before he vanished from the room. What was that all about?
They might share awholelot of chemistry, but that kiss hadn’t left her panting with need the way his other ones did. It felt…
Sweet.
After a few sips of coffee, she set it aside on a small shelf next to the bed. That drew her gaze to her weekender bag sitting on the floor below it—and her computer tablet sitting right on top.
What she’d done last night would get her kicked off the ranch and ruin her parents’ long-time friendship with the Wynton family.
They wouldnotlook kindly on her hacking into their mainframe. She could only guess how much they prided themselves on how secure their cyber division was, and they wouldn’t want to hear how breaking passwords and cracking codes to unlock their system had been the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life.
They’d frown on her actions, and they might actually want to press charges against her too.
From what she’d seen while in the system, no security breaches had taken place yet. But there was a small gap that people could enter through. She didn’t think Ethan possessed that kind of ability. On the other hand, Haileigh might.
Hopefully, with luck and a little skill she’d learned from her nerdy friends, Belle had created a patch to keep Ethan out, if that was his intention. And she’d dated him long enough to know how shady his morals were and how addicted he was to the adrenaline highs.
If the patch wasn’t necessary… Well, the system was strengthened against the next criminal.
She shoved the tablet deeper into her bag and grabbed her belongings to take to the bathroom. The shower had amazing pressure and tons of hot water. She guessed the ranch hands needed those things to scour the dirt off them and work their sore muscles after a long day, and she was very appreciative right now.
