Page 9 of Owning His Girl

And also a little sexy.

"Well, figure something else out because I'm not getting on that ATV with you."

Even as I say it, I know my words sound more petulant than powerful. But there's no way I'm backing down now.

"Fine," he grumbles.

Before I have a chance to react, he picks me up. I squeal, but the sound is lost in the noise of the rain.

"Let me go!" I try to push him away, but he's too strong.

"No."

I can feel his heartbeat against my hands, steady and warm. I'm so surprised, I stop struggling. Up close, his eyes look even darker, like he's made up his mind about something.

"Hold on to me. I'm taking you back, whether you like it or not."

I wrap my arms around him, my hands resting against his stomach. His ATV roars back to life and I lean against him, the smell of rain and Wes filling my nose.

It's weird being this close to him, and part of me—the part that's been arguing with Wes since we were kids—doesn't like it.

But another part, the one that's sick of fighting, thinks it might be nice to let someone else take charge for once. Even if it is Wes.

The ATV grumblesto a halt in front of my cabin, the engine's echo fading into the surrounding wilderness.

I glance down at myself, mud splattered up to my knees and caked into my clothes. My hair feels heavy and tangled with grime, and there's an uncomfortable sensation of dirt covering every inch of me.

I cast a sidelong glance at Wes. He's equally covered in mud, but somehow it seems purposeful on him, like a badge of honor earned from a victorious battle with nature.

Wes dismounts the ATV with an easy grace, a stark contrast to the tight set of his jaw and the rigid line of his shoulders.

"Keys," he demands, his voice cutting through my thoughts.

There's something about the way he's looking at me that sends a shiver down my spine.

It's not entirely unpleasant.

Suspicion wars with the burgeoning heat spreading through my veins.

"Why?" I ask, even as I dig into my pocket, fingers closing around the cool metal.

“Just give me the fucking keys, Fiona,” he snaps, and I bristle at the tone, but there's this edge in his voice, something that sounds almost like... care?

"Fine," I relent, flipping the keys through the air toward him. They land with a smack in his open palm, and he doesn't even flinch.

"Stay here," he instructs, before turning and striding towards my cabin door. His tall figure disappears inside, leaving me alone with the pulsing silence and the erratic beating of my heart.

Pissed or not, there's something about Wes's commanding presence that has always sparked a fire in me—a fire I've spent years trying to douse with disdain. But now, left alone with thethrumming silence and the fading scent of rain, desire coils tight in my belly.

"Stay there," he'd said, like he had any right to order me around. I roll my eyes, but I don't move.

Partly because I'm curious—what is he doing in there?—and partly because I'm suddenly, acutely aware of how much I want him to come back and look at me with those fierce, hungry eyes again.

The door swings open, and Wes is back before I can even consider making an escape. He's got this look in his eye, one that says he's not up for any of my usual antics. He scoops me right off the ATV as if I weigh nothing, his arms secure around me.

I squirm, trying to break free, but it's no use. Wes holds me tighter, a silent reprimand for my feeble attempt at independence.

He doesn't say a word as he carries me through the cabin. My gaze flits across the cozy living room, past the kitchenette, down the narrow hallway. There's a determination in his stride that has my heart racing for reasons I'm still trying to pretend don't exist.

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