Page 36 of Dirty Player
“You have to know that’s the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Not that I’d done it. We’d been wild. Hell, my dick was sore, too. Not so sore I couldn’t—and wouldn’t—go again, but she’d drained me dry.
“You say things to me that I think should gross me out.”
“But they don’t.” I pulled her to me, my hand at her hip. “And that’s why this will work. You like my filthy words. You like that they turn you on. This next month…you get to enjoy whatever the fuck you want to do, knowing you have someone willing to do whatever you want.”
“And you? What do you get?”
“Someone who gets off on doing whatever I want.”
Her pulse jumped into her throat and she swallowed. For a moment I thought she was going to take me up on the idea I’d had about waking her up. I could use a shower, and a long, relaxing one would do my tight muscles some good before I had to get to the stadium.
“I should go,” she whispered, pulling away.
The rumble of Lee’s engine echoed in the distance, growing closer.
She turned her eyes to me. “Who’s that?”
“Lee.” I pulled off my work gloves and tossed them on a nearby shelf. “He helps with my horses during the season.”
“And off season?”
“I do it.”
She didn’t hide her surprise. “You? All of this land? The work in the barn and the horses?”
I couldn’t hide my scowl. Or the fact my next words fell with disdain. “Not all of us can tour the country in party buses.”
It was what Beaux had done last summer, and the summer before. The day the season ended, he’d hopped into a tricked-out RV, gathered friends from wherever, and took off. Last year there’d been an Instagram feed devoted solely to“Where’s Hale?”
Shannon stiffened at the comment. I didn’t take it back. Seemed as if I wasn’t the only one underestimating a person, and I didn’t care enough to apologize.
“Hey, Ollie,” Lee shouted as he climbed out of the truck. He took in Shannon’s messed and unruly appearance without hiding the surprise on his face. “Hello,” he said, walking directly toward her. “I’m Lee. Powell’s caretaker. And you are?”
“Leaving,” Shannon whispered. Her angry burning eyes flashed to me. “I’m leaving soon.”
Lee tipped his hat in her direction and wished her a good day, giving me a scathing look as he passed.
“If you give me a few minutes to change and grab my workout bag, I’ll get you home.”
She cleared her throat. “I’ll wait for you by the car.”
She walked away to the fence as Lee guided Ralph out to the paddock. There, he saddled him. Ralph would roam the circle for a while before Lee would come back out and give him his morning ride.
I tried not to look back this time, but when I reached the door to my house, I couldn’t help but watch Ralph canter over to Shannon and nudge her hand with his nose.
I went inside and kicked off my work clothes, threw on a clean outfit, and washed the smell of horseshit off my hands before I walked back out to the car.
Shannon was still at the fence, arms folded on the top rung when I approached. Her smile was soft as she watched Lee ride Ralph in circles but never leave the pen.
“He’s older than the others,” she said.
“Almost sixteen. An old man in horse years.”
She said nothing then before she turned to me. “You’re nothing like I thought you’d be.”
“I’m exactly what you thought I’d be,” I said, warning her.
