“You don’t have to. Just being with you makes me”—he arched his hips, pressing his erection between her legs—“Crazy.”
Longing etched her face. “Sorry.”
“No, you’re not,” he drawled, dragging a knuckle down her cheek. “Neither am I.”
Inching back slightly, he tried to redirect his mind. Austin didn’t want to pay for his purchase with the International Space Station trying to bust from his jeans.
Nervously sweeping a quick gaze around the stockroom, Paige nibbled her bottom lip. The fact that he could still feel his teeth sinking to her succulent, plump flesh did nothing to diminish his aching hard-on.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, redirecting the conversation to a safer subject.
“I came to get some vitamins for my horse.”
“The pregnant one?”
Surprised that Paige had remembered him mentioning Rumor the first night they met, he nodded. “Except she’s not pregnant anymore. She gave birth to a colt yesterday.”
“Aww,” she gushed. “That’s wonderful. I bet he’s darling.”
Pride spilled from him in a wide grin. “Yeah, he is.”
“What did you name him?”
“I haven’t yet.”
“Why not?” The minute the question left her lips, sympathy lined her face. “You’re not keeping him, are you?”
“No. I am.”
“Oh, good.” Her relief was palpable.
Paige was an animal lover.
“You want to see him?”
“I’d love to.”
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Huh?” She blinked in confusion.
“Tonight? Do you have any plans?”
“I-I usually go to the Hangover Friday and Saturday nights, but—”
“Come over instead.”
“Do what?” She blinked.
“Text me after Raymond goes to sleep. I’ll meet you in the barn.”
“Are you insane? I can’t just come over to your—”
“Paige?” Nelson hollered.
She tensed. Fear zipped across her face. As Paige started toward the curtain, Austin mentally cursed. He hadn’t said a word about the lawyer. Snagging an arm around her waist, he pulled her against his chest.
“I gotta go!”
“The lawyer…he’s—”
“Paige, honey? Are you back here?” the old man called, much closer.
“Austin. Please,” she begged in a desperate whisper.
“Promise you’ll text me when he goes to sleep.”
“Okay. Okay. Just let me go.”
“I warned you this was going to be dangerous, little girl.” He slanted his mouth over hers, kissed her hard, then released her.
“You’re a naughty man,” she teasingly chided before racing past the curtain.
You don’t know the half of it.
Austin peered out the slit between the panels, watching as Paige slid onto the bench and gripped the top of her boot a second before Raymond rounded the corner.
“There you are,” he stated, frowning. “Didn’t you hear me calling for you?”
“No. I-I guess I was lost in thought about…my boots,” she lied, sticking out her leg and admiring the olive-green rubber.
The fib rolled off her lips with ease. The fact that she could cover her tracks so quickly both impressed and also worried him. Was Paige a naturally gifted liar, or did she have a lot of practice?
“Well, lookie there. Did you finally decide to embrace ranch life, baby girl?”
“I don’t know about that, but these will be a whole lot more practical to wear than my flip-flops while we put up the new fence.” She grinned.
After tugging off the boots, she slid on her sandals, and stood.