Obsessed Cowboy (Whiskey Run Cowboys Love Curves 1)

“Are you afraid to be alone with me?” he asks.

“No! Of course not. I trust you completely, but I’m not going to risk you getting hurt worse than you are. You’re obviously tired.”

He reaches for my hand and pulls it up between us. His fingers wrap around mine, and my heart starts to race. Just from a simple touch, he has my body reacting to him. “Or another option, I take you out to my ranch. I mean, the house is not done, but I’d like you to see it. And there’s nowhere to really sit, but...”

“I have chairs in the garage. I’ll grab those.” I start to walk over to the garage. They’re right inside, and as soon as I grab them, he takes them from me. “Here. I got them.”

I follow behind him, taking in his slight limp. I know he doesn’t want me to notice it, but there’s no avoiding it. “And I think I’ll drive my car so you don’t have to come back into town.”

He loads two chairs into the back of his truck and then comes for me. “Nope. No way, not going to happen. I’m not going to worry about you driving back into town tonight. You’re coming with me.”

I do as he says but still argue with him. “So I’ll just worry about you then when you have to drive all the way back home.”

I get into the truck, and he pulls the seatbelt securely around me and plugs it into place. “I’ll be fine.”

He’s close, and I can feel his breath on my cheek. I look at him, taking him in, and examine him up close. There’s a tiredness in his eyes, but there’s something else too.

He stares back at me and licks his lips. “Friends,” he mutters.

My eyes widen. “What?”

“Friends. That’s what we agreed to. But I’ve never had a friend that I wanted to kiss like I want to kiss you.”

I reach up and grab on to his forearm. His muscles cord under my palm. I shouldn’t taunt him, and I’m not a flirt, but it comes out so easily. “Maybe we can be kissing friends.”

He leans his forehead against mine. “I’d like that, Janie. I’d like that a lot.”

He doesn’t kiss me, though. He stands up almost rigidly and shuts the door before moving around to the driver’s side. As soon as he’s in, he backs out of the driveway and starts driving toward his ranch.

We talk about our days, and I tell him that I haven’t heard back on any of my applications that I’ve submitted so far. The ride out to the ranch is quiet and peaceful. Neither one of us feels the need to fill the silence. He turns down a dirt road and drives about a half mile when his house comes into view.

“This is it,” he says as he turns into the long driveway. I can hear the pride in his voice, and I turn in my seat to take it all in. The walls and roof are all up. It looks like the siding still needs to be completed, but I can already tell the house is going to be beautiful. There’s a big wraparound porch that is almost finished, and when he stops in front of the big house, he leans on the steering wheel. “That’s my favorite part.”

I look out the front windshield and gasp. My hands go to my mouth. “Oh my gosh, Carter. It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.” I reach for the door and stumble out before he can come around to help me. As if drawn toward the lake and mountain view, I walk to the edge of the property to the fencing. Carter walks up behind me. He doesn’t touch me, but he doesn’t have to. I can feel his heat as if he’s all around me.

“This is just beautiful, Carter.”

“Thank you.”

I turn and look up at him. “Tell me all about it. What are you going to do on your ranch? Breed horses, cows? I know I sound dumb, but I want to know all about it.”

He brushes a piece of hair off my face. “You could never sound dumb. It’s a small ranch. I bought ten acres from Austin and his family.” He points off to the side where the lake water ends and toward Jasper. “My acreage goes that way. I’m going to train horses. I’ve already hired a good hand. Chase Michael. He’s great with horses, and I’m excited to get him started. Anyway, training horses is something I’m good at, and since I can’t compete anymore, I thought this would be a good way for me to kind of stay in the game.”

I clasp my hands under my chin excitedly. I can tell he’s happy with his plans. “That’s perfect. I bet you’re good.”