“Slept in a lot of cowgirl’s beds, huh?” I laughed at my own joke. “I’m not surprised.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“Because I have eyes?” I laughed again. “When was the last time you looked in a mirror, Cole Stratton?”
“When was the last time you looked in a mirror, Dylan Reid?” His voice was low. “I saw you trying to cover up earlier. You don’t—that’s not?—”
“I get what you’re trying to say.” I offered him a small smile. “And thanks. Sometimes straight guys are weird about giving a gay guy a compliment. They think it’ll make us forget they’re straight and try to hit on them or something?—”
My words were cut off by Cole’s mouth suddenly pressing against mine. One of his hands went down to my waist, pulling me even closer into the kiss, Cole’s tongue sliding in deep. I moaned against him, as my hands went towards him, pulling him closer to me too. Without thinking, I ran my fingers throughhis hair, his tongue still exploring my mouth, my leg wrapping around his waist?—
And then, it was over. Cole rolled away from me, as far as he could, even turning his back to me for good measure. “Goodnight, Dylan.”
“Goodnight… Cole.” I felt exposed and embarrassed, unsure about everything that’d just happened.
Why did Cole kiss me? Just because he could?
Was he willing to hook up with me just because I was there?
Still, that didn’t make him not straight…
But it did make him a complete asshole.
I burned with something for the rest of the night, a mix between rage and sadness that carried me all the way through the morning. I wasn’t here to be Cole’s plaything during his free time. I was here to do a job that I was damn good at, a job that no one else could ever replicate. I was a one-of-a-kind someone, and Cole didn’t get to treat me like I wasn’t.
I wasn’t going to let this cowboy make me stupid.
Even if our kiss was the best one I’d probably had in my entire life.
6
COLE
I can’t stop thinkingabout kissing Dylan.
Why the hell did I kiss him, anyway?
I’d never kissed a guy before. Never wanted to.
But he just kept calling mestraight. It was something about the way he said it, like he was putting distance between us, like he was pushing me away from him. But it was true, wasn’t it?
I was straight.
I barely even noticed when other guys were in a room unless I planned on talking to them about something. And yet, with Dylan, it was like I was hyperaware of his every move, always conscious of exactly wherever he happened to be. It didn’t matter if I planned on chatting with him or not, I just liked knowing where he was?—
Shit. What is happening to me?
The morning after we left the cabin, I hadn’t said a word to him. There were too many thoughts in my head but absolutely no connection with my mouth, like I couldn’t figure out how to speak anymore. Dylan had tried to spark up a conversation a few times and I just let it die in silence between us. After that,I’d dropped him back off at his own cabin before getting started with my day.
I still needed to figure out the McMillan property deal. Hell, maybe the stress of the project was getting under my skin, making me act out of character. Maybe Levi was right, and I’d simply let things go on too long, let myself be single for a few too many months. Either way, I was grateful to have something else to focus on, locking myself in my office until the late afternoon. I felt a little closer to ironing out my final offer to the McMillans, knowing they’d be overvaluing their land in the current market?—
“Cole!” Amber casually burst into my office. “Are you serious right now?”
“That door was locked.” I raised an eyebrow. “How did you get into my locked office?”
