Page 13 of Sophia & Cameron
Sophia groaned again. “And that means he has to work with me since I’m in charge of our horses.”
Slowly, Mateo nodded, and that smirk returned to his face.
What she wouldn’t give to turn back time to stop this from happening. Seeing Cameron again had opened up some deep wounds. She’d managed to enjoy her life boyfriend-free since he’d ripped her heart out, and she planned on it staying that way. Despite not knowing Cameron well, she knew he was one of those guys who enjoyed the chase. He was unapologetically jealous and cocky to boot. He probably just didn’t like the factthat she’d been the one to see through his charade before he could land whatever prize he’d been after.
Well, he’d just have to live with never adding her to his tally.
“Whatever. He’s only here for a year, right?” And he’d be an idiot to chase after his boss’s sister, so she should be safe.
Mateo nodded. “Just a year.”
She blew out a sharp breath. “You owe me.”
Sophia madesure to wear her tightest jeans and a shirt that showed a little more skin than she usually did when she worked. If she had to work alongside the man who broke her heart, the least he deserved was to see just what he had missed out on.
Her shirt was a button-up vest with no sleeves, and it rode up a little to show about an inch of her midriff. It was cute and made her feel like she could conquer the world. She reached for her leather gloves and her brown Stetson, then headed out to the barn.
Cameron specialized in breeding, so she didn’t know what he’d be doing besides picking what stallion got to breed with what mare. That didn’t seem like much of a career, and based on the way her brother had described it, Cameron was getting paid top dollar just to make decisions.
Why couldn’t Mateo trust her to do that job? She’d known that he wanted to start a breeding program for the horses. They were already the top brand when it came to breeding working dogs, and he’d said it shouldn’t be too much different to add another animal to the list.
He’d said as much when he returned from an auction last summer. He’d been in a flurry of excitement, and that probablyshould have been the first indication that he was going to turn her life upside down.
Yes, she should have definitely known.
She strode out to the barn with her head held high. It didn’t matter when Cameron planned to show up; he wasn’t going to get in her way when it came to her caring for her babies. The horses were her responsibility, and she was good at it.
Sophia entered the barn and practically stumbled to a stop. Cameron was already in the dimly lit barn. It was too early for someone like him to be working. At least that was what she’d told herself.
But she’d been wrong.
Ugh!
Sophia stormed toward him. There wasn’t a chance that he hadn’t heard her arrival. Even though he hadn’t turned to look in her direction, he was just as aware of her as she was of him. She knew it in her bones.
Before she got within ten feet of him, he drawled, “Good morning, Red.”
“Don’tcall me that.”
He peeked at her out of the corner of his eye with a mischievous smirk. “Seeing as that’s what I’ve called you for the last five years, it’s going to be a hard habit to break.”
“Tough! You’re going to have to figure it out!”
He chuckled, and the sound was like sunshine on her skin after the storm clouds had moved out. Why did he have to be so irresistible? He was a flirt—a guy who manipulated the feelings of women. There was a fine line between being a flirt who was open about not wanting anything serious and a flirt who made someone believe there could be more.
Heat seared her cheeks at the memories of their past. She’d told him she didn’t want to date. She’d been upfront about itfrom the get-go. But he’d weaseled into her heart in a matter of days and made her want more.
He was the devil in disguise, and she wasn’t going to let him manipulate her a second time. “What are you even doing in here this early? These horses aren’t your concern.”
Cameron arched a brow as he glanced up from the clipboard she’d only just noticed he had in his hands. “I’m sorry, but what exactly do you think it is I do?”
“You pick which horses get to breed with which horses.” She said it with a matter-of-fact tone that she hoped left nothing to the imagination. His job was ridiculous. They didn’t need him.
He tucked his clipboard under his arm as he folded them across his chest. “It’s that simple, huh?”
“Isn’t it?”
The smirk he gave her had her faltering. He took a step toward her, and she fought the instinct to take a step backward. Her eyes dipped from his eyes to his lips, and the memory of their kiss sent waves of electricity rippling under her skin. She swallowed hard and forced herself to focus.
