Tempting the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 8)

“I'll pick solids. Maybe it'll be easier for me to see them,” I say with a laugh.

Rhett gets into position to take his turn. He's dressed differently than most of the men in here. The Circle B Saloon is usually filled with ranchers and blue-collar workers from town, but he's wearing a polo and khakis like he just finished a round of golf. It's comical that Harper's mom thought he'd be my type. While he's a nice enough guy, he’s not someone I'd be interested in romantically, even if I was single.

One of the striped balls goes in, and as he takes another shot, Kaitlyn walks over.

“Ivy! What're you doin' here?” She greets me with a hug.

“I'm with the foursome over there.” I jerk my chin toward my sister and Harper, who are currently staring at me so hard, it's a wonder they haven't burned a hole in the back of my head.

“And who's this?”

“Rhett Fields,” he answers, holding out his hand.

“Very gentlemanly,” she sing-songs and shakes it. “Nice to meet you, Rhett Fields. I'm Kaitlyn.”

“Pleasure's all mine.” He flashes a bright smile, then kisses her knuckles.

Kaitlyn looks at me with wide eyes as if she's ready to get down on one knee and propose to him.

“How old are you, Rhett?” she asks.

“Twenty-four.”

“Dammit,” she mutters under her breath, and I sniffle a laugh. Kaitlyn's in her late twenties and isn't looking for a man-child. “Well, you two kids have fun. Kane's over there gettin' a dental exam from Malibu Barbie, so I dipped for a minute.”

My throat stings as I chance a look at Payton and Kane, who are talking to her. He glances over his shoulder, and our gazes lock. My lips turn into a firm scowl as he arches a confused brow. I roll my eyes, then turn back to Rhett.

“Do you think you could help me with my next shot?” I ask innocently. I shouldn't be baiting Kane, but then again, he shouldn't be here spying in the first place. If he came to keep tabs on me, I might as well give him something worth watching.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

KANE

My teeth grind as I watch Ivy flirt with Rhett. Kaitlyn hung out with them for a few minutes, then walked off. I wished she'd stay over there, but I couldn't ask her to watch them without her asking questions. Andrea's been talking my ear off for the past thirty minutes, and although I've tried to give her subtle hints that I'm not interested, she hasn't moved. Then Payton chimed into the conversation, and she's been glued to my side ever since.

If I didn't know any better, I’d say Ivy's testing my willpower. The moment she bends over the table and Rhett comes up behind her, I nearly lose my shit.

He wraps his arms around her back and grabs the stick, then guides her on how to aim and shoot. My jaw nearly snaps in half when I catch him glancing at her ass.

I watch as he says something to her, and whatever it is, it makes Ivy giddy with a smile. Then she leans over again, but this time, the fucker doesn't touch her. Instead, he's staring at her bare legs like they're his next meal.

I tightly grip my chair as I obsessively watch them play, and every time he gets too close, I'm seconds from stepping between them.

Andrea and Payton keep chatting, but I've blacked out their entire conversation. Kaitlyn orders another round and talks to the bartender. Meanwhile, my eyes are fixated on Rhett, who’s mere inches from Ivy.

I'm ready to do something really fucking stupid.

His hand rests on her lower back as he leans in and whispers something in her ear. I can tell she's uncomfortable by the way her body stiffens. She takes a step away, but the idiot is too stupid to understand. Instead, he closes the gap between them, and when his mouth lowers, I see red.

“Hey!” I shout as I stalk over there.

Ivy immediately spins around and looks at me with aggressive wide eyes. Rhett removes his hands from her and steps back.

“You okay?” I ask, ignoring Rhett's death glare.

“I'm fine,” she grits out between her teeth. “What’re you doin'?”

“You were tryin' to get away from him, and he wasn't takin' the hint,” I say, then narrow my gaze to Rhett. “You were gettin' too close.”

“I was leaning in so she could hear me over the music and everyone talkin’. Who are you anyway? Her older brother or something?”

Just as I'm about to blow my cover, Hadleigh walks over and nudges me. “What's goin' on?”

I explain the situation and how I thought Ivy looked uncomfortable. Ivy claims everything’s just fine, and Hadleigh gives me a suspicious look while crossing her arms.

“Is there something goin' on between you two?” She waves a finger back and forth between Ivy and me.