Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
I quickly decide I'm not shaking his hand, and I'm not letting him stay, either. But I don't get a chance to send him on his merry way before the devil himself strolls into my kitchen.
Great. Just freaking great.
Walker takes one look at the cowboy standing in front of me, and his expression turns downright arctic. "Jackson," he growls. "What the fuck are you doing in here?"
Toby slowly turns to look at Walker. "Oh, hey, Jessup." He shoots him a lazy grin. "Just came to see if Letty could use some help cleaning up."
"Right," Walker says, his tone flat. "And how many times were you in here, asking Abel that question when he was cooking for you?"
"Uh…" Toby's confident expression slips.
"Get the fuck out of her kitchen," Walker growls, drawing himself to his full height. "And don't let me catch you in here again."
"Yes, sir." Toby shoots me a look that's part determination and part frustrated pride, making my heart sink. He'll be back again.
Great. Just great.
Walker doesn't move out of his way, forcing him to squeeze past.
"I could have handled him," I mutter as soon as I'm sure he's out of earshot.
I expect another reminder that I'm just a distraction or something equally as infuriating. Instead, Walker just shrugs. "Yeah, I know. Now, you don't have to handle him." He cocks his head to the side, eyeing me. "You need help?"
I blink at him. "You're offering to do dishes?"
"I work on a ranch, Sunshine. You think I don't know how to get my hands dirty?"
"No, I just…"
"The sooner you're done, the sooner I can go to bed."
I swear, as soon as I start to think maybe he's human, he opens his mouth again and reminds me that he's the biggest jerk on the planet. I scowl at him before turning back to the sink.
He watches me for several long moments before I hear him moving around behind me. I don't turn around to see what he's doing, but I think he's washing down the counters. At least, that's what it sounds like.
"Dinner was delicious tonight," he mutters a few minutes later.
I actually turn to look at him this time. "What?"
"Dinner was delicious."
Oh, he is such a liar!
"Good to know," I say, my tone flat. If he's trying to coax me into confessing what I did, hell will freeze over first. I'm already mad that he annoyed me into doing it in the first place. I ruined perfectly good food just to spite him. That's a sin in my book.
"Where'd you learn to cook?"
"By living."
"I'm serious, Letty. Where'd you learn?"
"I went to culinary school for two semesters," I say begrudgingly.
"Didn't graduate?"
"Couldn't continue." I attack a cookie sheet with a sponge. "My dad got sick and needed someone to care for him. I was the only Alvarez left to do the job."
"What about your mom?"
"Dead."
"No siblings?"
"Two brothers. One is overseas."
"Where's the other?" he asks.
I hesitate for a long time before sighing. "Prison for drug trafficking."
"Shit. I'm sorry."
I shrug without looking at him. "He knew the consequences."
"How long is he in for?"
I rinse the pan and place it carefully on the rack before turning to him. He's leaning against the counter behind me, his arms crossed, his eyes locked on me. "Why do you want to know? So you can run and tell the Carringtons that they made a mistake hiring me? You already made your opinion on that clear, Walker."
"That's not—"
"I can finish up here by myself. Feel free to scamper off to bed."
"Scamper off to bed?" His brows pull together before he mutters a curse and saunters toward me. He's hot all the damn time, but he's something else entirely when he's looming over me, looking like he isn't sure whether he wants to kiss me or spank me. "I'm going to let that fiery little attitude slide because I pissed you off," he murmurs, hooking a finger beneath my chin so I'm forced to meet his steely gaze. "But keep it up, and you're going to learn exactly what I'm thinking about doing in that bed. Believe me, Sunshine. Scampering isn't part of it."
I open my mouth to say…something…but he doesn't give me the chance before he leans down, brushing his lips against mine in a hard kiss. I don't mean to whimper, but I do anyway.
His tongue flicks my bottom lip before he groans softly. "You taste a helluva lot better than the goddamn hot sauce you put on my tacos, Letty," he growls and then takes a step back, his expression searing me. "I'll wait in the mess hall for you to finish so I can walk you back to your place for the night."
"Walker, that's not…" He catches my gaze, and my protest dies in my throat. "Thank you."
Ispend all night tossing and turning, thinking about his kiss and the look in his eye immediately before. By the time my alarm goes off, I'm exhausted, cranky, and a little irrational. I've also decided that Walker Jessup is a big problem.