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Shooting him a wicked grin, she drawled, “Oh, you don’t know how much I’m hoping so.”
“Behave, Allie,” he admonished with a jerk of his head toward the door. “If you’re done filling your plate, we’ll go find a seat.”
“I’m done for now.” He narrowed his eyes as they walked out, but she ignored the warning look. “Are you sure your interest in punishing girls started in college?”
“Yes,” he returned abruptly, glaring at her. “And it’s gone up a notch since meeting you. There’s room by Slade. The woman sitting next to him is his frequent partner at our get-togethers but the others at the table aren’t, so, again, behave yourself.”
“I’ll try.” This time she sighed with deliberate loudness.
His lips twitched. “You do that.”
So, he did have a sense of humor. The more Allie learned about Brett, the more she liked.
Slade eyed her stacked plate with wide eyes as she slid onto the bench next to him. “Did you leave anything for anyone else?” he asked, his gray eyes twinkling.
“A little. Can I help it if everything looked too good and Brett stirred up my appetite?” Allie peered around Slade at the brunette sitting on his other side. “Hi, I’m Allie.”
“Deb, and these guys are good at that. Nice to meet you.”
Allie placed her hand on Brett’s thigh, his quad muscle contracting as she told Deb, “You, too. Maybe I’ll see you again upstairs at Casey’s if I can talk Brett into an invitation.”
Brett grabbed her hand and pulled her back, the questioning look Slade sent him putting him on the spot as much as her remark was intended to do. She held her breath, waiting for his response.
“I should have remembered threats don’t deter you.”
She patted his arm and whispered in his ear. “Don’t fret. No one heard me.”
“Just eat and behave.”
Tickled at his rough, disgruntled expression, she picked up a fried chicken leg and shook it at him. “I’m beginning to think you were much more fun as a kid.”
“Nope, he was either breaking the rules or insisting Reed and I obey them,” Slade said.
Brett ignored them and struck up a conversation with the couple sitting across the table. “Matt, Shelly, how are you? Kids keeping you busy?”
Allie ate, only half listening to the couple gush about their kids while she watched the final descent of the sun cloak the surrounding fields in darkness. The dim lighting around the yard allowed her to witness Slade cupping Deb’s nape, his forearm rippling, she assumed from the pressure he applied. The constant ache for more of Brett’s attention intensified, and she took a bite of garlic corn, returning her hand to his thigh then inching upward until she reached his groin. Giving him an innocent smile, she squeezed the hardening bulge behind his zipper.
Brows snapping together, he deflated her balloon, plucking her hand off his leg as he spoke over her head to his brother. “Reed should have the fireworks set up. Are you ready?”
Slade nodded and stood. “I’ve been ready. Come on, Deb. You can help.”
Allie was about to give up on enticing Brett into sneaking off and picking up where they’d left off last weekend when one of their ranch hands approached as they rose to follow Slade.
“Hey, would one of you mind checking Scout’s barbed wire cut again? It’s still oozing green gunk, and I was going to take him out in the morning.”
“I’ll do it, Keith.” Brett turned to Allie. “You go on with Slade. I’ll catch up after I administer another round of antibiotics.”
“Okay,” she agreed, fully intending to do so until she turned around halfway toward the stand of fireworks and saw Keith exiting the stable without Brett. “I’ll be right there,” she called out to Slade, unable to resist taking advantage of this opportunity to get Brett alone before the night ended.
Allie slipped into the stable, an excited rush warming her the moment she spotted Brett coming out of a stall at the end of the aisle. Moving quietly up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed against his back. “Hi.” Going up on her toes, she feathered a kiss on the side of his neck, sliding her hands down to release his belt.
Brett covered her hands with one of his, stilling her efforts with a firm hold that produced goose bumps. The first pop of fireworks reached their ears as he asked, “Why aren’t you out there enjoying the fireworks?”
She went with honesty was always the best policy. “Because I want to enjoy you more.”
He spun her around and pinned her against the stall gate so fast she gasped, her heartrate skyrocketing when she gazed up at his taut, bristled face and encountered the frustration in his green eyes. “Damn it, Allie, you’re making it fucking hard to do the right thing.”
What did it say about her and why she kept pursuing him when that stark statement increased her longing? “Where’s the fun in that? I’d rather do you. What’s so wrong about that? And if you mention our age difference again, I’ll smack you.”
