She stays silent, and I see her looking me over. After licking her lips, she swallows hard. Kenzie’s terrible at hiding her attraction to me. If I honestly thought it was one-sided, I wouldn’t push her so much. I won’t stop until she admits it or tells me why she’s hell-bent on pushing me away every chance she gets.
“The proper response would be thank you,” I tease.
“I don’t need your compliments, Grayson. Get the hint already.” She stalks off, but I follow close behind.
“Fine,” I mutter. “You look horrible. That color with your lipstick is all wrong.”
She halts, and I nearly collide with her back. Kenzie turns with a scowl.
“Was that better for ya, princess?” Lowering my eyes down her chest, I notice her hard nipples poking through the thin fabric. I raise my brows and rub my fingers over my chin. “I’m guessing you liked it a lot.”
“Seriously. You’re the fucking worst. Stop following me like a lost puppy.”
“You like being degraded in the bedroom, don’t you? That’s why you always fight me.” I step closer, and when she backs up into the wall, I cage her in with my arms. “It’s our version of foreplay, and I’m willing to bet if I felt between your thighs right now, you’d be soaking wet for me. Am I right?”
With a mischievous smirk, Kenzie arches her back, showing off her delicious cleavage. Then she slams her hands against my chest, and I stumble back. “Too bad you’ll never find out.”
Jesus fuck. She’s clawing at my patience.
“Fine,” I say as she walks past me. “You finally ready to tell me what your deal is then?” I follow her until she spins around.
“You are.”
“And what is it that I did?”
“If you don’t know, that’s your problem,” she snaps.
Frustration rolls through me. “Woman! I swear. Just tell me so I can like, I don’t know, apologize?”
She snorts. “I don’t want your apology.”
“Then what do you want? What’s it gonna take for you to stop acting like a snotty princess?” I ask desperately.
A corner of her lips tilts up as she crosses her arms. “I want revenge. And maybe then we’ll be even.” The amusement in her tone makes my heart pound. If I’ve learned anything about her over the years, it’s that she doesn’t make promises she can’t keep.
“You’re insane. I didn’t even do anything.” I shake my head, moving away from her.
I’ve had enough of this crazy train, and if I don’t get off, I’m going to get further tangled into her web. I wish I could say I’ve had random hookups, but between work and the limited selection of single ladies in town, there haven’t been many chances. Even if there was someone else, I know I’d be thinking of Kenzie the whole damn time.
Once the wedding ceremony begins, it’s back-to-back action. We watch the newlyweds exchange their vows and first kiss, then we’re thrown into wedding party photos. Kenzie ignores me as we stand close and smile for the camera. It’s hard not to notice those luscious lips or feel the softness of her skin when she’s next to me. Hell, I notice everything about her.
By the time the reception begins, the majority of the guests are halfway to tipsy town. Kenzie’s been dancing with her cousins, and I’ve been watching her while I drink. She might be the only sober one here, which means my plan to offer to drive her home has gone to shit. So instead, I drink myself stupid and try to have a good time.
“You lookin’ pretty messed up there, Cowboy.”
My vision blurs as I blink at Kenzie. She tilts her head and assesses me.
I shrug, walking away.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think you’re going, Grayson Harding?”
The sound of her using my full name grabs my attention, even if her voice is different. Oh wait, she’s not scolding or shouting at me for once.
“To find someone to keep warm tonight,” I blurt out.
Kenzie barks out a laugh. “Unless you plan to snuggle with Payton or Luke, your options are limited. Everyone’s married or over fifty ’round here.”
It’s funny because Payton and Luke are the ranch hands who help Ethan with the goats, and they also very much like women. She’s right, though, because most of the ladies here are taken or too old for me. That fact doesn’t explain why she came alone. However, she’s made it very clear she doesn’t date ranch hands.
“And what would you do if I found someone else?” I ask curiously as I struggle to get my keys out of my pocket. “I’m not waitin’ forever, baby.”
She groans. “You idiot. You can’t drive.”
“Why do you care? You’d probably like me ending up in a ditch.” I’m rambling and blurting out shit, but I’m too drunk to care.
“I don’t, but I worry about who you might hurt in the process. Let’s go.” She snatches my keys out of my hand and finds my truck in the parking lot.