Claiming the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 7)

“I didn’t have sex with Hadleigh.” And she’s not his girl.

His eyes widen. “Wait, what? I thought you stayed the night.”

“Yeah, so? It didn’t happen. Everyone is too damn busy assuming instead of just asking.”

Grayson straightens his stance. “Why don’t you just tell your brother that? Put him out of his misery. Wouldn’t that solve a lot of these issues you’re having?”

I chuckle. “I’d much rather see him squirm.” Cocky son of a bitch deserves to shake in his boots.

“You’re an asshole.” He shakes his head.

“Not the first time I’ve been called that, and it damn sure won’t be the last,” I say as we continue working.

Though I feel a little guilty that Kane thinks we fucked, it’s none of his damn business. It would’ve been before he confessed his feelings to her anyway.

However, she wasn’t the reason I denied her that night. Kane was.

CHAPTER TEN

HADLEIGH

Thank God for working four twelve-hour shifts in a row. I’ve been too busy and tired to focus on my shit show of a personal life. As soon as I’d get home and shower, I’d eat, then pass out.

Luckily, Abbie kept me sane for the most part. I’m looking forward to my date with Kane, and since Knox refuses to respond to my messages, I’ve decided to avoid him. If he wants to act like a child, I’ll treat him as such.

Apparently, he can’t handle adult feelings or hold grown-up conversations.

And it’s pushing me right into Kane’s muscular arms.

“You look stunning, Hads,” Kane says when he picks me up for our night out. His eyes rake down my body, slowly eating up every inch of me. Then he leans in and softly kisses my cheek like a perfect gentleman.

“Thank you, so do you.” I look at his wrinkle-free button-up and dark-wash Wranglers. He’s even wearing a black cowboy hat instead of a run-down ball cap.

“Are ya ready to go?”

“Yep, but are you gonna tell me where we’re going first?” I ask as I grab my purse off the table on our way out to his truck.

“No, ma’am, but I’ll say you wore the perfect outfit.” He flashes me a wink, and I blush when his eyes slide down my sundress to my cowboy boots. I layered on a jean jacket since it’s chilly once the sun sets.

“Okay, so that tells me we aren’t going skating or riding.”

He laughs, then helps me up into the passenger seat. “Nope.”

Once he pulls out of my driveway, he reaches over and takes my hand. I flash him a smile and can’t stop thinking about kissing him. Twenty minutes later, we pull up to Southern Sunset, a popular country bar. They usually have live music and karaoke on the weekends, but they’re mainly known for line dancing.

I raise my brows, surprised Kane would choose this place. “You dance?”

He flashes a boyish grin. “We’ll see, won’t we?”

I chuckle. “Then why’d you—?”

He leans over, cupping my chin. “Because I know you like to. Plus, I hear it’s a good time and thought it’d be fun.”

My smile grows wider as my heart beats harder. “Can’t wait to see your moves.”

We enter hand in hand, but the loud music makes it hard to hear anything. Kane leads me to the bar and leans into my ear.

“What do ya want to drink?”

His breath tickles my neck, and shivers run down my spine.

“Jack and Diet Coke,” I tell him.

Kane orders for me and a beer for himself. Next, we find a high-top table and watch the band.

“I heard Grayson was ready to punch you out,” I say. Harper’s kept me in the loop all week, and while I’ve tried not to care, I couldn’t help it.

He rolls his eyes over the rim of his bottle. “Yeah, pretty much. Knox can’t stop gettin’ under my skin. He purposely pushes me until I lose my temper, and then I have to walk away before I fuck him up.”

“I hate that you two are fightin’.”

He shrugs as if he doesn’t care, but I know better. They might give each other a lot of shit, but deep down, they love and care for one another.

“What’s it gonna take for y’all to kiss and make up?” I tease, taking a sip of my drink.

“Pfft. At this point, who knows.”

“When Kenzie and Grayson were at each other’s throats, everyone told them to bang out their frustrations, and it eventually worked.” I smirk.

He raises a brow in horror.

“Not like that…per se. Have y’all ever shared before?”

“Like…a threesome?” His face contorts.

I shrug, suddenly feeling shy about my words. “Yeah…I guess. Probably every girl’s fantasy is to hook up with twin brothers. You can’t tell me y’all never heard that.”

He leans in closer, one side of his mouth tilted up in amusement. “Is that your fantasy, Hads?”

I lick my lips, contemplating my answer. “I can’t deny it’s crossed my mind a time or two.”