“Keep lookin’ at me like that, firefly,” he murmurs, thumb pressing into my hip, “I’ll kiss you right here, and I don’t give a shit who sees us.”
My eyes go wide.
“These are your people,” I say, remembering what Reese told me—how in a small town, reputation is currency. “You’re the one who cares what people think.”
He shakes his head slowly. A low growl rumbles from somewhere deep in his chest. “I couldn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks about me, baby. I only care what my son thinks, and he seems to think you’re his new friend,” he tells me, stretching out the word like it has a second meaning.
My eyes flutter shut. The words sink into me like heat, like something I haven’t known I’m starving for. And for one reckless second, I forget about the gawking men. Forget about the party. Forget about every wall I’ve built to keep people exactly where I want them—at arm’s length.
I open my eyes and look into his. Lost, yet found at the same time. I almost kiss him. Almost. “Perhaps you should care about your reputation, cowboy,” I breathe.
He chuckles, tongue dragging across his bottom lip like he’s savoring something only he can taste. “The only reputation that means anything to me is whether or not I proved a cowboy fucks better than any other man.”
My mouth falls open. Heat crawls up my throat and spreads across my collarbone like wildfire. “Hunter,” I whisper-hiss, shoving at his chest.
He leans in closer. His lips graze the shell of my ear, and I stop breathing. “Well?” He smiles, and I can feel it against my skin. “What did your research conclude about cowboys?”
I bite down on my lip so hard I taste copper. Then I straighten my spine, smooth my expression, and take one deliberate step back. “It was inconclusive.” I keep my voice maddeningly casual. “More research needs to be conducted to validate my findings, Mr. Sterling. Sir.”
His gaze drags up my body like he’s already conducting his own research. “What are you doing tonight?” he asks. It sounds casual, but his blue eyes tell a different story.
My heart slams against my ribs so hard I swear he can hear it. To hell with it. Violet is right. What do I have to lose? I need tolive a little. And nothing has ever felt as right as standing in front of this man. “You.”
The word lands between us like a lit match. He nods like he already knew the answer. “I’ll see you later then, baby.”
When he tips his hat and winks at me, my knees damn near buckle.
I suck in a breath and try to plaster on my professional smile. But all I can think about is Hunter Sterling and everything he could do to me outside of a truck.
I can still feel his gaze burning between my shoulder blades as I walk away and over to the suited men. “Here you go,” I say brightly, holding out the tray. They reach for the food like nothing has happened.
And then I hear the footsteps.
I look up, and every ounce of warmth Hunter poured into me turns to ice. Reese is beelining straight for me. I’m a deer in headlights, completely frozen, brain scrambling for an exit that doesn’t exist. I pull the tray away from the men and step back.
“Ah. Reese! You made it!” One of the suited guys claps him on the shoulder like he’s been waiting all day for him.
Reese is wearing a grey suit with a black cowboy hat that looks… wrong on him. Like a costume. Like he’s googled “ranch party attire” and added to cart without a second thought.
I offer him a polite smile, the kind you give someone you’d rather not see, and hold out the tray.
“Hi, Lola.” He winks.
The silence that follows is deafening. Every man in the circle goes still.
Jesus. Not again.
“Hey. Nice to see you,” I say quietly.
His eyes track down my outfit with a possessiveness that makes every nerve in my body go on high alert. “I didn’t realizeyou worked for Violet now,” he says, plucking one of the salmon bites off the tray.
“Just helping her out,” I say, keeping it short and sweet. Don’t engage.
“Do you two know each other?” The guy with the long blond hair glances between us.
“He’s my landlord,” I blurt.
Reese lets out a rehearsed chuckle and steps beside me. His arm snakes around my waist like it belongs there.