“You see, I don’t need to know, because you know. It’s all part of my strategy.” He shrugs.
Knox rolls his eyes, then points to the box I’m standing on. “In the lower toolbox is extra equipment and tools. In the upper is our gear bags and hanging clothes.”
I step down from the toolbox.
“Sooo, I’ve gotta ask about your red-headed friend,” Trey says. “Knox refuses to tell me her name.”
Ha, of course he wants to know about Jessie.
“I was trying to keep the peace as long as I could,” Knox explains.
I nod. “It’s true, they’ll meet eventually, but I agree—it’s best to keep the peace.”
“The two of them together is a liability; we may need a lawyer on standby.”
“You do realize I’m standingrighthere. I can hear you,” Trey interjects.
We both turn to him and say at the exact same time, “Yeah, we know.” Turning back to each other, Knox gives me a wink, and we laugh.
“You ready to head out? I have the horses saddled. We need to meet Chet and the guys in ten minutes.”
“Yep, let’s go.” Knox grabs his cowboy hat out of the camper and my stomach does a little flip. I love him in a cowboy hat.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll just hang out here. All by myself,” I hear Trey whine as we walk away. “No redhead or nothin'.”
“You’ll be fine. Go take a nap. You bitched all morning about how tired you are,” Knox hollers back.
We get the cattle moved and put the horses away before heading back to my house. Knox grabbed a change of clothes out of the camper and said Trey is happily playing Xbox.
Once we get to my house, we both take a shower. I take my time and do an everything shower. I need a few minutes alone to calm my raging hormones. Spending all day with him, watching him handle a horse, the lingering feeling of his arms wrapped around me . . . I wanted to grab the man by the belt and yank him to me more than a few times today.
Once I’m showered and dressed, I feel more in control. He said he didn’t want to sleep with me and leave for the summer, and I need to respect that. Even if I don’t necessarily agree with his logic, I can respect it.
I walk out of my room and down the hallway. Right before I get to the guest bathroom door, Knox walks out in nothing but a towel.
Fuck. Me.
So much for having my hormones under control. He still has water running down his chiseled chest. He turns his shoulders slightly, making his abs flex, and I can see the tattoos on one rib cage clearly.
This is so not fair.
I know I’m staring, but I can’t stop myself. I’m also pretty sure Knox just said something to me, but all I can hear is the pounding of my heart. I’m running my eyes over his torso when he moves his arm, reaching up to run his fingers through his damp curls. My eyes snap to his and I see him watching me with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Like what you see?”
I shake my head. “Sorry, you just caught me off guard, is all. Not used to having someone else in the house.” I hurry past him and into the kitchen as he chuckles behind me.
Knox follows me into the main living area, grabs his bag, and heads back to the bathroom. I start prepping dinner and it’s not long before he’s moving around the kitchen helping. I finish seasoning the burgers and he offers to grill them. When he reaches around me to pick up the plate they’re on, I can feel his body heat and smell him. That bergamot and sandalwood with a touch of leather.
He grabs the plate with one hand and places the other on my hip, sliding in next to me.
I have to stop myself from leaning into him.
We make small talk while we eat, and I catch him up on what’s been going on at the ranch since he left.
He tells me about his upcoming rodeos and asks about Estes Park. Jessie and I booked our rental cabin the day after Knox answered during his interview. She said there was no way we weren’t going to see him after that. So at least I know I’ll see him again in a few weeks, even if it’s just for one night.
My kitchen isn’t overly small, but as we clean up dinner, it seems like we can’t go a full minute without brushing up against one another or touching in some way. By the time Knox finishes washing dishes, my skin is on fire, and I need to touch him. I need to feel his hands on me, my lips on his. I know he can sense it; I’ve felt the tension coming off him all night. This attraction between us has never been one-sided.
