Shoulda Been a Cowboy (Rough Riders 7)

“Is he making friends?”

She shrugged. “He doesn’t say. He is disappointed he isn’t hanging out with you tonight.”

“I’m sorry I can’t watch him and you had to cancel.” Why had Rex insisted Nadia cancel their date? Wouldn’t he encourage Nadia to bring his son along? Even one time? Especially if he was serious about making them a family again?

The thought of Rex living in the same house with Nadia and Anton turned Domini’s stomach. She knew what Rex used to do to Nadia. She saw what he’d done to Anton and how that beating had finally forced Nadia into leaving the man for good.

Or so she’d thought.

“I’m sorry too. Anton likes coming here. You spoil him.”

Spending time with Anton didn’t equal spoiled in her book.

Anton raced into the kitchen. “Any cookies left?”

“No. You ate them all.”

“It’s time to go home anyway. Get your stuff,” Nadia said.

“But we just got here!”

“Domini has a life, Anton, don’t whine.”

His chin fell to his chest.

“Hey.” Domini tugged him until he was sitting on her lap. “You are part of my life too. You’ll see me again soon.”

“Promise?”

She smooched his head and laughed when he made a face. “I promise. Now vamoose, both of you. I need to get beautified for my date.”

An hour later Domini fussed in front of the mirror. Why bother pinning her hair up? Cam would just undo it at the first chance.

She tidied the kitchen, setting the plates in the dish rack to dry as she waited for Cam to arrive.

Three distinctive raps echoed…forty-five minutes later.

Domini opened the door.

Oh yum. Look at the sexy man on her doorstep. Double yum. The spicy scent of aftershave drifted from the open collar of his white button-down shirt. He wore dark blue jeans, combat boots and a wolfish grin.

“Excuse me?”

Domini’s eyes met his. “Um. What?”

“You said double yum and I’m wondering if that’s some kind of Ukrainian slang for ‘dumb ass you’re late’.”

“No. That’s American slang for you look and smell yummy.”

Cam actually blushed. The man could f**k her like an animal and demand all sorts of kinky things from her, but a compliment caused him to blush? She bit back a grin. “Come in. We must’ve been on the same wavelength because we even dressed alike tonight.”

“I’ve often thought about how you’d look wearing my shirt…and nothin’ else.”

“Maybe later.” She kissed his smoothly shaven cheek. “You want a beer?”

He groaned. “Shit. I was probably supposed to bring you wine or flowers or something.”

“You’re fine.” In the kitchen she passed a bottle to him. “Need a glass?”

“Nope.” He rested his backside against the counter and sipped.

She sipped.

Drip drip drip echoed in the silence.

“What’s wrong with that faucet?”

“I don’t know.”

“How long’s it been leaking?”

“Since I moved in.”

Cam walked over and inspected it. “Just needs to be tightened. Checked for corrosion. Your landlord oughta be able to fix it pretty fast.”

“Which would mean something if I’d ever seen the landlord. I send rent checks to a post-office box in Denver.”

“Huh.” Cam set down his beer. “I don’t suppose you have a toolbox around here?”

“I think Colt or Blake left one in the utility room.”

He left the kitchen and returned a couple minutes later with a rusty-looking toolbox.

“What are you doing?”

“Fixing it.”

“Cam. You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to. It’ll just take a minute and then we’ll go, okay?”

“Okay.”

He rummaged in the toolbox and fit the mouth of several wrenches to the base, discarding each one with a loud clank until he found the one that worked.

Cam muttered under his breath as he cranked the metal. Once the handle was off, he took a small steel bristled brush and scrubbed the inside. Domini couldn’t see exactly what Cam was doing, but it gave her an odd feeling of domesticity to see him with his sleeves rolled up. She’d never had a guy around to do manly things for her.

She sipped her beer as he reassembled the parts and wrenched it all back together.

He grinned as he tested the handle. “See? No leaks.”

“You didn’t have to do that, but thank you.” She frowned at his chest. “Now you’ve got grease on that shirt.”

Cam attempted to rub the spot away.

“No! Don’t do that. Take if off and I’ll get the stain out.”

“Domini, you don’t have to—”

“I want to.” She began unbuttoning his shirt. “After spending my life working in a restaurant, I know a thing or two about removing grease stains.”

“Or you just wanna get my shirt off,” he drawled.

“That’s a side benefit. Or it would be if you didn’t always wear a T-shirt underneath everything. Maybe you could skip it next time.” She waited while he peeled the shirt off and handed it to her. “Be right back.”

Domini treated the stain and tossed it in the washer. Cam casually leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest defensively, not looking particularly happy.

“What?”

“I ain’t exactly dressed for a night out. Not that I was Mr. GQ before but…” He sighed. “I always seem to f**k up.”

“You haven’t screwed up anything.” She stopped in front of him and debated. If she ran her hands up his arms would he see it as a sexual advance? Or the reassuring gesture she intended?

Only one way to find out.

Domini set her palms on his biceps and perused the thick muscles to the wide curve of his shoulder. When he didn’t flinch, she kept going until she reached his neck. With her hands at the base of his jaw, she feathered her thumbs over his jawline. Every inch of him was utterly masculine. Body. Face. Stance.

Cam didn’t budge. He appeared to have quit breathing. But he watched her, very closely, with those dark, hooded eyes.

Her left thumb arced over his plump lower lip, and the dip in his full upper lip. Then both together until Cam’s damp lips parted and she could feel the heat drifting from his mouth.