Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90315 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
I don’t know why it bothers me that he’s flirting with Lena. He’s closer in age to her than I am. He’s a good kid. He’s one of my favorite people in the world, and I only have three of those.
Nope, still don’t like it.
“Come on, we’ll head back to the house.”
Lena’s chin firms, and she takes a breath before she walks ahead of me. Something isn’t right. My eyes move over her, watching her stilted gait, and then I see the blood on the backs of her heels.
“Stop.”
Immediately doing as she’s told, she glances over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow. “Problem?”
“Fuck yes, there’s a goddamn problem.”
“You never used to swear this much.”
“I’ve always sworn like this, just not at work. What the fuck, Lena? Why didn’t you tell me that you’d torn apart your heels?”
She glances down and then winces. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
“Look, if we weren’t about to traipse all over the wilderness, I’d go barefoot. It doesn’t bother me, but I don’t want to step on woodland creatures or slimy things, or whatever. So I’ll deal. I’ve had worse.”
“I want you to listen to every word I’m about to say. If you tear your skin up like this, you can’t train. You can’t be reckless here. I know you’re tired. You should be. You’ve been through hell this week, and now you’re in a strange place. It makes sense that you’d be adjusting to the altitude and everything else. But you have to talk to me, Rebel. You can’t just keep injuries and fatigue to yourself, because I can’t read your mind, and I’m responsible for you.”
“I’ll tell you when I want you to know something, Gideon.”
That’s the wrong fucking answer.
She stumbles away from me, but I take two strides and I’m in front of her, my back to her, and I squat down.
“Hop on.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Get on my back.”
There’s no movement, and I finally look back at her. She’s biting her lip and staring at my ass.
Christ.
“Lena, jump on my back, or I’ll throw you over my shoulder. You’re not walking a mile like that. Fuck, I don’t want you walking ten feet with your heels torn up like that.”
“The house is a mile away?” That caught her attention.
“Just over.”
“You can’t carry me for more than a mile.”
I turn to her. “Yeah, I can. You’re tiny. I’ll carry you around all day if you want.” My leg aches like a bitch, but I won’t have a problem toting this little thing around. “Now get on my fucking back so I can take you home. Wills doesn’t like it when we’re late.”
“So Willow runs a tight ship around here.”
“She’s the only woman on this ranch, and we all adore her. What do you think?”
I turn back around, squat, and wait, and finally, Lena’s hands grip my shoulders, and she bounces onto my back and wraps her arms around me, and I hold on to her thighs.
This was a bad fucking idea.
I should have jogged home and gotten the car.
Because now, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is wrapped around me. Her breasts are pressed to my shoulders, her pussy to my low back, and she’s warm. Not to mention, I can smell her oranges, and now I’ll be walking with a goddamn semi all the way back to the house.
Hockey.
Fishing.
Terrorist attacks.
Running into a grizzly.
Getting shot in the knee.
I’m trying to think of anything that’ll take my mind off the sexy woman clinging to me like a sloth on a tree.
“Can I ask you something?” Her lips are inches from my neck, and all my distraction tactics evaporate into thin air.
“Ask.”
“You don’t limp.”
I pause in the middle of the field and look back at her. Her eyes are wide, and then she looks away and rests her forehead on my shoulder, so I keep walking.
“That wasn’t a question.”
“How?” It’s whispered.
I don’t want to talk about this. Not today or any other day. It was the worst night of both of our lives. What we went through together is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, or my biological father, and that’s saying something.
“A lot of fucking work” is all I say.
And yeah, the leg aches like a bitch today, but I’ll push through it the way I always do.
She tightens her arms around me, and I pick up the pace because I need to get her off me. I can’t touch her like this. I can’t be this close to her and not want more.
And wanting more is absolutely not an option.
She’s my job. She’s the president’s daughter. She’s completely out of my league and off limits.
Finally, the house comes into view, and once we’re inside, I carry her up to her room and set her on her feet.
My knee fucking aches.
No, I don’t limp, because I make sure I don’t limp. It’s a weakness I’m not willing to show.