Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Her teeth sink into that pouty bottom lip as she looks around, sheepish. "I didn't think of that," she mumbles. "Fine. I guess you can carry me to the ranch." Her eyes narrow in warning. "But keep your hands to yourself or I'm telling."
"Yeah? Who you tellin'?"
"Everybody."
I can't fight my smile this time. I think I'm in love.
"Hey, boss! Everything okay?" Jace yells, finally making it to us with Toby hot on his heels.
"Get that damn bull in the barn before he wanders off again," I order, not surprised the bastard brought himself back home this time. It's going to snow later today. He wants no part of that. I swear to God, he's escaping just to fuck with me at this point. "And then get the rest of the herd inside before the storm hits."
The damn fence will have to wait.
Jace and Toby eye Cassia, gazes full of curiosity. She keeps her head down, trying like hell to hide her face behind her hair. It's a wild tangle at this point, full of grass and bits of leaves. She's still beautiful, lush and ripe in all the right places. Judging by the way these two fuckers are looking at her, they agree. Too bad for them. She's off limits. If anyone even thinks of touching her, they'll be answering to me.
"Keep your eyes to yourselves," I bark, sending hard glares in their direction.
They both jump.
"If I find out any of you have been anything less than respectful toward her while she's here, you won't be setting foot on another ranch this side of the Sierra Nevadas, are we clear?"
"Yes, sir," they say at the same time, sharing a grin I choose to ignore. I know damn well what it means, and they aren't wrong. Women come and go on the ranch all the time. They chase cowboys as much as cowboys chase pussy. But they leave me the fuck alone and vice versa. Cassia isn't just any woman though. Might as well make that shit clear now so there isn't any confusion.
I jerk my chin in a nod. "Take care of the bull. He's riled, so be careful."
"Yes, sir," they say again.
I turn on my heel and head toward the house with Cassia in my arms.
"Um, do you expect it to take long for the police to get here?" she whispers.
"Long enough," I mutter. "There's a storm coming. It might be a day or two before the Sheriff can make it out here." I don't mention that I have no intention of calling him at all. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
"A d-day or t-t-two?" she splutters, making me want to kiss the shit out of her and laugh at the same time.
"Maybe longer," I lie. "Until then, you're stuck here, little cattle thief."
"You can't just keep me here."
"Yeah?" I grin at her, a slow, devilish grin. "Says who?"
"The law."
"This is my ranch, pretty baby. I'm the only law around here."
She gulps audibly. "Fine," she huffs eventually. "But I intend on being a difficult prisoner, just so you know."
"You do that then, princess," I say, not sure if I'm more impressed, frustrated, or amused that she doesn't immediately give up her charade as a cattle rustler. Whatever she's up to, she's not giving up the truth easily. She's going with a theme today, tempting bulls. And the harder she runs, the more I want to chase.
"What kind of ranch is this?" Cassia demands fifteen minutes later, gawking all around us as we cut across the ranch toward the house. Everyone is busting ass, trying to batten down the hatches before bad weather hits. I should be helping, but I've got something more important to tend to for the time being.
She seems to have recovered some of her composure. Enough of it to be driving me insane by wiggling all around in my arms. My dick is hard enough to pound steel.
"You mean you didn't scope us out before you picked us to knock over?"
"I…did," she lies. "But only from a distance."
"We're a seedstock ranch," I murmur, skirting around one of the barns.
"Which means what?"
"Which means we breed cattle to sell."
"For what?"
"Money."
She narrows her eyes at me.
"I'm only partially kidding," I say, smirking as we circle around the side of the corral. It's empty, the last of the yearlings being led to the barn. Aside from the heifers still grazing and Hamburger, the rest of the herd has been taken to shelter. "We sell them for a lot of money. You picked an expensive herd to rustle, little thief. Every cow born here has a pedigree and a high dollar value. We're a genetic supplier."
"Oh. So you raise purebred cattle?"
"We do."
"I thought Hamburger looked like a Red Angus."
"Good eye," I say, impressed. Most people can't tell one breed from another, but Cassia is far from stupid. She's wild as hell but there isn't an ignorant bone in her body. She's quirky and sassy and incredibly intelligent. Her intelligence shines through in her writing. It's the first thing I noticed when I started reading.