Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
I smacked his arm and scowled, grateful the dim lighting hid my certain blush.
“You can head on home, Vic. Get some rest. I’ll hang out with Axel. The early shift will be here within the hour anyway.”
The older man didn’t have to be told twice. “If you’re sure, I don’t mind if I do. Thanks, Boss.”
Once we were alone, I tried again. “All right, smartass. I’m helping. I’ll clean the stall while you handle medication and fluids. Sound good?”
Grunt.
All right. I’d take it.
We worked in companionable silence for a while. I brought in new hay, fresh blankets, and feed, turned on the heating lamp and triple checked the temperature. Axel dealt with food, water, medicine, and wrote up a detailed treatment plan for Hazel.
“You’ll want Lou’s recommendation too, but this is somewhat standard procedure,” Axel reported, washing his hands in the basin outside her stall.
“You worked for Dennis for four months?”
“A little less than that, but yeah. He lost a couple of heads due to fucking ineptitude. I think the vet he’d hired before I came along warned him, but Dennis was no businessman. You saw the state of his ranch. He was bleeding money. Something had to give, and the herd suffered. I can’t tell you how glad I was that he decided to sell. It might have sucked for me job-wise, but he never had the resources to handle health issues. It’s criminal.”
“Hazel’s gonna be okay.” I tossed a paper towel into the nearby bin and waved to Andy, a ranch hand on the early morning crew. “Looks like reinforcements have arrived. Let’s give Andy a rundown and get some rest. It’s going to be a long day.”
“Yeah, I’ll pick up Phoebe. Where does Josh live?”
I furrowed my brow and checked the time on my watch. “It’s not quite five a.m., Axel. Let them be. Josh texted an hour ago that Phoebe had already drifted off. Their whole house is asleep now.”
“Hmph. I’ll catch some shut-eye in my truck and—”
“Come to my house,” I intercepted, unthinking.
He didn’t have a chance to argue without Andy overhearing.
Once Andy had been briefed, we wordlessly stepped outside into the predawn morning. The moon hung like a hazy spotlight in a sea of stars against a velvet indigo backdrop. My breath plumed in the chill. It was cold for sure, but it felt refreshing after being cooped in a barn for a couple of hours.
I stopped at the gravel path where Axel had parked his truck, wondering if he’d take me up on the offer. I hoped so. I meant that as an employer…purely platonic. No, really.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and miraculously kept my mouth shut.
“You never told me where Josh lives,” Axel rasped.
I pointed in the general direction. “Thataway.”
“And your place?”
“Five minutes, the other way. I have two empty guest rooms with private bathrooms if you want to shower.” I shrugged. “Your call.”
Axel’s eagle-eyed stare simultaneously gave me shivers and made my heart flip in my chest.
“Am I sleepin’ in your bed?” The jagged, deep timbre of his voice moved through me like a knife through warm butter.
I swallowed hard as a wave of desire swept through me. “If you’d like.”
His slow-moving smile spelled trouble in any language. “Let’s go.”
Axel left his veterinary bag in his truck, casting a parental look toward Josh’s house and following me.
My house was a two-storied bungalow with white siding and brick trim. A large olive tree cast shadows across the path dotted with lavender and white roses and an old-fashioned lantern illuminated the generous door and the large bay window where two black noses had pushed aside the curtains.
Gordy and Lila circled Axel excitedly the second I unlocked the door.
“Hey, there. Who’re you two?” Axel crouched on one knee, gamely accepting puppy kisses from the rambunctious duo.
“Gordy and Lila, my fearsome guard dogs. They pretty much run this joint for kibble and treats,” I replied, slipping my jacket off and hanging it on a hook in the entry.
“Got a nice deal, eh?” Axel scratched both dogs’ ears and was sweet-talked into belly rubs before he finally stood and unzipped his leather bomber.
“Want some water or anything?” I asked.
“No, thanks, but I’ll take you up on that shower.”
I led us upstairs and stopped at the landing. We stared at each other for a long moment.
Fuck, he was here, in my house, taking up space and making my head spin. It had been less than twelve hours since our jerk-off session in the barn, but it might as well have been a year. I was hornier than ever.
“The last time we were alone, you said something about fucking me,” I rasped. “This could be a good time to—”
Axel fused our mouths in a demanding mashed-up kiss, then bit my bottom lip and released me.
“Your room.”
I race-walked into my suite and headed straight to the bathroom, fumbling with my belt as I prepared to strip. I froze instead. I couldn’t do words in my current situation, and anyone with a pulse would have understood.