Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Adler’s smile faded, replaced by an indignant frown. “I’m fully sober.”
“Good.” I had no reason not to take him at his word, but my concern remained.
“Maybe I’m simply bad at ranch work.” His tone was sly, almost teasing.
“I’d agree except I saw what you hammered out at first.” I hadn’t wanted to load him up with praise, but he’d been better at stall mucking than a lot of new hands who’d done 4-H all through school. Adler had done extra as well, shining drain covers, getting corners and baseboards, keeping his area in the bunkhouse all clean and neat, instead of the explosion of clothes currently erupting from his dresser. “I think you’re being bad on purpose. Only question is why.”
“Perhaps I need more oversight.” Adler’s eyes sparkled. Today, they were more hazel thanks to his dark coat and black hoodie. “A stern hand, so to speak. You should discipline my insubordination.”
“Fuck.” The word escaped before I could school my reaction. Of course. I should have known. “That’s a lot of big words to say you did it to get a rise out of me because I wasn’t praising you enough.”
“Clearly, it worked.” He grinned.
“You’re happy I’m pissed?” I might never understand this man. He sure did like to poke at me, though, and just like that, the memory of the pond bubbled back up, the way he’d pushed and pushed that day too. And I’d liked it. Heat swept through me.
“I’m happy you noticed.” Adler’s eyebrows went up like exclamation points on his grinning expression. His heated look said I wasn’t the only one with memories of that day. “And like I said, feel free to punish me.”
“Finish sweeping while I think on what to do with you,” I growled. This banter was getting us nowhere good. I was seriously worked up and in danger of losing my cool. No matter what Adler said, working out my frustrations by ordering him to his knees right here and now would be all kinds of wrong.
“If you need suggestions…” Adler trailed off with one of those musical laughs of his.
“Sweep.” I pointed at his broom. Amazingly, he actually listened this time. Of course, being Adler, he had to add a lot of shimmying as he finished the job. He did have a nice ass, not as skinny as the rest of him, high and round, and all kinds of distracting as he wiggled with the broom.
“Did I say dance?”
“It gets the job done.” Adler shrugged like there was nothing wrong with his little pole-dancing routine. He swept the last of the chaff into the dustpan with a flourish. “See? All clean.”
“I see.” It was a much better job than his first effort, but I wasn’t about to heap on the praise.
“You’re still mad.” Adler’s face drooped right along with his shoulders. “You should do something about that. Teach me a lesson.”
“I don’t fool around on the job.” No sense in tiptoeing around what he was asking for because it sure as hell wasn’t extra chores.
Adler made a show of checking the time on his phone. “Believe it’s past quitting time. Everyone else is taking their night off for Halloween. Nothing but leftovers and time on our hands.”
“Maverick isn’t expecting you?” Lord, I should not be entertaining this idea in the slightest. Sneaking around was a terrible idea and unlikely to lead anywhere good.
“Nah. He and Colt are taking the girls to the county festival at the school. I didn’t want to be a fifth wheel.” Adler moved in close enough to lay a hand on my arm. It was the first time he’d touched me in months, and an electric sizzle raced from my arm to my neck right to my already overloaded brain as he continued, “How about I trick or treat at your place instead? You don’t want to risk fooling around in the barn here, but you’ve got a door that locks, I presume.”
“You presume a helluva lot.”
“I do.” He grinned because he knew he had me.
“Someone needs to bring you in line.” I’d gone and done it, let him poke me until I had no choice but to play along. Something about fooling around with him was more intoxicating than half a bottle of Jack. Letting my stern yet playful side out felt good in ways I couldn’t fully understand.
“Someone should.” Adler nodded his agreement.
“Go shower.” I pointed in the general direction of the bunkhouse. “You see fit to knock on my door after, you better be in a following orders mood.”
“Oh, I will be.” Adler winked at me and gave me another electric pat on the arm. “You’ll see.”
I’d see all right. I’d see all the reasons this was a bad, bad idea, but hell if I could stop the anticipation gathering low in my gut.
Chapter Twelve