“Is he bothering you?” My heart pounds against my chest as Tristan jogs up to us. He’s wearing a snug pair of jeans, a dark blue t-shirt that hugs his wide shoulders, brown boots, and sunglasses.
When did it become the Sahara Desert here?Also, when did guys start paying so much attention to me? I lick my lips as he stops directly in front of me. I can’t help it when my eyes flit up and down his frame one more time.
I point up to his empty head. “Aren’t you supposed to wear a cowboy hat or something? We’re on a ranch.”
He dips his head and snorts, shaking his head. He peeks up at me, and I can see his beautiful eyes over the rim on his sunglasses. “I left it in the barn. I’ll make sure to pull it out next time I see you.”
“All right, you two. No need to flirt with one another while I’m standing here,” Holden interjects.
I shake my head, my eyes wide and my face burning with embarrassment. “N-no. I’m not flirting with him.” I hear Tristan mumble something under his breath, and it almost sounds like he said, “Shame.” My stomach picks the right time to beg for food and rumbles loudly.
If I didn’t die from embarrassment a few moments ago, I am now.
I look straight ahead and see Molly walking with her family. I excuse myself from the boys and run up to her. I glance back one last time to see the guys talking—watching me. For extra measure, I add a little shake to my hips before disappearing inside to feed the grumbling beast.
* * *
I’ve been sitting on the dock by the pond for the better part of an hour. Molly got bored with me after a few minutes by the water and ran off to find Holden. When I told her he was offering riding lessons, she jumped at the chance. I read the last line of my story before I see the two most dreaded words—‘the end’.
I’m a smiling fool as I put the book down next to me and kick some water up with my feet. A few droplets of cold water land on my upper thighs, and I gasp in surprise. My feet are used to it, but the sun has warmed my thighs so much I wasn’t anticipating the temperature difference.
My phone rings, and I look down at it, confused.I don’t get service, so why is it ringing?I pick it up and see I have two bars. “Son of a bitch,” I say to myself, amused. I open the message from Beth, but the pictures she sent wont load.
Me:I have bad reception. The pictures won’t load. What are they?
I watch impatiently as the sending message stays on the screen and the timer circles over and over. Standing, I hold my phone to the sky, hoping the added height will be what it needs. When it does nothing, I stand on tiptoes for the extra inch. The ugly red words ‘tap to resend’ appear under my message, and I growl before pressing the button again.
“Thought you didn’t get service?”
I jump in surprise, squeak, and place my hand over my beating heart. “Jesus, Tristan, you scared the shit out of me. Is that what you do for fun? Scare innocent girls?”
His lips pull up in the corner as he continues to lean against the post at the end of the pier. I look up and see he put on a light-colored cowboy hat.I’ll make sure to pull it out next time I see you.That’s what he had said before I ran away from him this morning. He walks toward me, the wood creaking under his weight as he gets closer and stops in front of me
I incline my head quickly toward his hat. “I see you followed through with your promise.”
He stops in front of me and keeps his eyes glued to mine. I can feel the heat coming off him, and every time I breath in, my chest brushes against his. I lower my eyes, not able to handle his stare anymore.
“I always keep my promises, Lana.” He says it loud enough for me to hear, but quiet enough for it to sound intimate. My girly parts just woke up, and they definitely have a mind of their own. His fingers skate along my hips, and on instinct, I step closer to him, breathing him in. “Wanna go for a swim?”
My phone rings, and I step away, the heated moment between us passing.
Bethany:Pictures from the party. See what you missed. Joe has been asking about you.
My heart squeezes, and I suddenly want to be alone.Maybe Tristan will let me use his phone to call Joe.
As if he could read my mind, he says, “No.”
I scrunch my face.Did I ask out loud?“No to what? You asked me the last question, remember?”
“You’re not using my phone to call some loser boy who forgot about you the moment you left town.”
How could he have possibly known that? My blood boils just under the surface, and I jab my finger into his chest and push him back a few inches to drive my point home. “You don’t know anything about him. He’snota loser. He’s a great guy and wants to get to know me on a deeper level.”
The words leave my mouth with a conviction I myself don’t even believe. Wasn’t I worried about the same thing a few days ago when I talked with Bethany—or even last night? I want to believe what I just told him… but I can’t.
He smirks, and his eyes darken as he tosses his hat behind him on the grass and peels his t-shirt over his head.Dear lord, he has a nice body.I want to skim my fingers over every ripple, but there’s no way I have the guts for that. Next, he kicks off his boots and socks. The button to his pants is undone before he slides them down his legs, standing there in his black boxer-briefs. “I think you need some time to cool off.”
Chapter 6
