Hunter (Stud Ranch 2)

her face and turned around, surprised when she saw it was Mack standing there. No wonder she hadn’t recognized the voice right off. The big, tattooed man rarely had much to say. He seemed to prefer glaring as his main form of communication. She never took offense since he glared at everyone equally and seemed perpetually pissed off with the world.

“I’m fine. I’m just putting these away and then I’ll—”

“You’ve been crying.”

She froze. Didn’t he know it was rude to blurt things like that out? But he just stood there, staring at her and frowning.

“Is there someone’s face I need to go bash in?”

That made her crack a a real smile. She shook her head. She looked past him at the ice cream and felt her face heat with shame. They were all probably melting like crazy. She needed to get them back in the freezer but she didn’t want to do it in front of Mack. Surely he had to wonder why she had so many containers open all at once. It was a freak thing to do. She was a freak.

But before she could decide what to do, he walked over to the containers. “You finished or do you want me to scoop you a bowl?”

Her cheeks were on fire. “I’m done,” she managed to squeak. Then she ran over and tried to push him out of the way with her shoulder. “But I’ll get these. You just go on with whatever it was you came in here for. I didn’t mean to—”

“A couple of us were thinking of going out to Bubba’s. You’re gonna come out with us.” He said it as a statement.

She looked up at him—he was over a foot taller than her. She paused where she was putting the lid on the cookies and cream.

“I am, am I?”

He nodded, his dark eyes alight. Wow, she didn’t know he had an expression other than the glare, but there it was. He seemed amused by her. All he said was, “You are.”

She felt like cocking a hand on her hip but instead she just went back to the ice cream. “And why would I do that?” She grabbed several containers and opened the freezer to put them back.

“Because you need to do something other than work. It’s important. Socializing and shit.”

She laughed again, closing the freezer door and looking at him. Did he realize the irony of him telling her she should be socializing? “Socializing and shit?”

He gave a decisive nod. “It’ll be good for you.” He took the last big bucket of ice cream and slid past her, his hand brushing hers as he opened the freezer.

She took a step back. “Is this— Are you trying to flirt with me?”

He laughed, a deep, glorious bass, and she didn’t know whether to be insulted or not. When he closed the freezer, he leaned in, one hand on the cabinet over her head. “Oh honey, if I ever decide to flirt with you, you’ll know it.”

She sucked in a breath. Damn, the man was pure sin and sex when he wanted to be.

He pulled back and nodded. “Now go on upstairs and put on something tight and sexy. We’re leaving in fifteen. You’re gonna drink some tequila, let loose, and have some fuckin’ fun tonight.”

“Doctor’s orders?” She arched an eyebrow.

He grinned that sexy grin of his again. “You bet your ass.”

She just shook her head at him and left the kitchen. The other guys called out to her as she walked through the den and she smiled and waved back.

She considered just going upstairs and tucking herself in bed with her e-reader. But then she thought about how Mack had distracted her from how miserable she’d been feeling moments before he’d come in the kitchen. If she stayed home tonight, she’d just retreat back in her head and get all stupid and self-involved again.

So, with that in mind, she walked to her closet and shoved aside all the practical, farm-worthy clothes and pulled one of the few dresses she’d brought off its hanger. She breathed out and bit her bottom lip as she undressed and then pulled the slinky black dress over her head.

When she’d ordered her work boots off Mel’s Amazon account, she’d also used the opportunity to order all the basics she might need. On impulse, she’d used the last of her money to throw a cute little pair of strappy black pumps into her cart.

She slipped them on and they fit perfectly. She went to the bathroom and tried not to look at herself too closely. She leaned in just long enough to apply some mascara and lipstick. She hesitated only a second before choosing her siren red lipstick. Because why the hell not? She was going to go have fun, dammit.

She rubbed her lips together and then popped them. She stood up, allowing herself one look at the full effect. Her hair was mostly dry and not too much of a disaster. She pulled it up and looked at her face left and right, puckering her mouth.

And for once… the woman reflected back at her actually looked sort of… pretty.

She spun away from the mirror, shaking her head at the strange thought. Grabbing her purse, she opened her door.