She smiled and nodded. “I think it’s fitting.” Then she leaned in. “Plus, none of the other calves can ever make fun of him. It’s strong.” She flexed her arms. And then her gaze fell to her skin. She dusted her hands, as if that was going to wipe off the dried-on blood.
Watching her gave him an idea. “Hey, let me take you somewhere,” he said as he straightened and made his way over to the four-wheeler.
Christine followed. “I hope it’s not the Ritz. I have a feeling they just might turn me away.”
Sean smiled over at her. “It’s not the Ritz. It’s even better.” He handed her a helmet and patted the seat behind him.
He drove the familiar path to the small lake that sat in the middle of his grandfather’s land. He stopped just outside the thick brush and turned off the four-wheeler.
He waited for her to get off and then he followed after. Christine’s eyes were wide as she pulled off her helmet.
“Did you bring me here to kill me?” she asked.
Sean laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it once or twice.”
She shoved his shoulder.
He raised his hands. “Joking.” Then his expression turned serious. There was something about her. The way she hadn’t given up on that baby. The way she’d thrown herself into the crazy mess that birth had been. She’d proven herself to be a rancher today.
“You did good out there,” he said, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but kept his fingers inches from her skin.
Her gaze fell to his hand and then up his arm to meet his gaze.
“I did?” she asked. Her voice was quiet—unsure.
Sean nodded. He needed to keep talking before his mind won out and he stopped. She needed to know. “Parker’s an idiot. If you attack audits the way you helped Bessie, then he’s a fool for letting you go.” He threw caution to the wind and made contact with her shoulder. Just as his fingertips grazed her skin, shots of electricity raced up his arm and exploded throughout his body.
Christine’s cheeks turned pink as she met his gaze. “You’re just saying that. I really didn’t do much. I’m sure it’s like a jar’s lid, you just loosened it for me.” Then she pinched her lips together and closed her eyes. He could tell she was mentally scolding herself.
“Somehow, I never imagined someone describing birth like loosening a jar’s lid,” he said.
She shook her head as she kept her lips pinched.
“If you had let me finish, I would have told you that you’ve earned a rancher’s celebration.”
Christine opened her eyes. “Really?”
He nodded and turned her toward the foliage. “It’s through there.”
Christine started to walk and every so often turned around to glanced back at him. “Should I be nervous?”
He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think so. Remember? Not a murderer.”
Just as he said that, the thicket opened up. The bright blue water of the lake glistened in the sunlight.
“A lake?” she asked, turning around and meeting his gaze.
“An after-birthing swim.”
“Swim?”
Sean nodded. What was she not getting about this? “Do they not swim in Washington, DC?”
Christine turned toward the water. “They swim. In like, bathing suits and such.” She waved to her body. “Of which I have none.”
Sean studied her. “It’s called living a little. Loosen up, Dragon.”
She huffed and turned to face him. “Oh, I’m plenty loose,” she said, twisting her head and rolling her shoulders.
Sean leaned in. He was enjoying this back-and-forth they had. He liked that he could push her buttons. “Oh, and if you’re loose enough, there’s a swing over there for you to try.”
Her gaze followed his motion and rested on the old tire swing he and Jane had put up when they were kids. “I’m plenty loose.”
Sean sat down on the bank, resting on one shoulder. “Prove it.”
She watched him. “You’re not coming?”
The familiar ache that could be solved by getting in the water resurfaced. He stared at the dark water and almost allowed himself to think about what it would feel like to jump into it. But then he shook his head. “Not for me.”
Christine stared at him. “Oh no. If I’m getting in, you’re getting in.”
“No. There’s no way I can get back into the water.” He moved farther away from the water’s edge. As tempting as it sounded, he couldn’t go down that path again. He’d closed himself off from anything that used to matter to him. Right now, he needed to protect himself, and that meant staying away from his past.
When his gaze met hers again, he saw understanding there. She nodded as she reached up and unbuttoned her pants. “I get it. I’ll go.” She started to shimmy out of them but then paused. “Mind turning around?”
Sean’s heart began to pound, so he turned away and studied the bush behind him. The sound of her splashing into the water caused him to turn back around. Just before she slipped under the water’s surface, he caught a glimpse of her lacy underwear. That was a mistake. He should have stayed turned around.
When she dipped under the water and resurfaced, he was relieved that her entire body was covered by the water. Her head bobbed above the surface. Her shoulders emerged every so often, showing the straps of her camisole. She smiled. “You’re really missing out.”
Sean found a large rock and sat down on it. He knew he was missing out. But right now, he wanted to stay away from any part of his past that haunted him. Plus, getting into the water with Christine didn’t seem like the right idea at all. Not with the feelings that were burning in his chest.
She was studying him when he turned his attention back to her. Her eyebrows were raised as she treaded water. Then she flipped to her back and began to back stroke to the other side of the lake. He watched as her figure grew smaller the farther she got. Then, she flipped around and made her way back.
He started to relax, enjoying the heat of the sun on his skin. He tipped his head back and breathed. It was the first time in a long time he’d stopped. Normally, he was running from place to place. Putting out fires here and there.
But at this moment, he was just himself. Sean. And that was it.
Splashing drew his attention toward the lake. Sean’s gaze raced across the lake until he saw Christine dip below the water and then flail as she came back up. When his gaze met hers, he saw the panic inside it. Then she slipped back under the water.
Before he could think, he had pulled off his jeans and shirt and dived into the water. There was no way he could let her drown. She needed him.
He sped over to her, his body slicing through the water like that was all it had been made for. When he got to the place where she’d disappeared, he dove into the water and searched. He found her floating a few feet down. He kicked his way over to her, grabbed her body, and shot to the surface.
He gasped for air as he turned her onto her back and ran his gaze over her face. Her eyes were closed and it seemed as if she wasn’t breathing.
“Christine?” he asked, grabbing her around the middle and swimming one-handed toward the shore.
“Sean?”
When he glanced behind him, he saw that her eyes were open. And she was smiling. Why was she smiling? Realization sunk in. She’d faked drowning just to get him into the water. He stopped swimming when his feet touched the ground and faced her.
“That was fake?”
She shrugged as she treaded water. “I needed to get you in somehow.” She smiled over at him with an innocent look on her face.
He reached over and wrapped his hand around her arm, pulling her toward him. The water splashed into her face. She sputtered.
He pulled her close and looked deep into her eyes. She stilled as her eyebrows rose. Enjoying the effect he seemed to have on her, he let his gaze fall to her lips and then back up again. Her breathing changed as he could feel her hesitate.
T
hen he pushed her back. “Not funny,” he said as he turned and started swimming toward the shore.
“Hey!” she protested.
He felt her fingers grab his arm and pull him back. He fought for a minute but let her drag him close. Which was a mistake. She pulled him so close that he was only inches from her.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed, and her expression turned serious. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just thought that maybe, if you got into the water, you’d remember how good it felt. And perhaps”—she reached out her hand and ran her fingers across the scar on his shoulder—“it would help you move on.”
Shivers ran up his body from where her fingers touched him. She glanced up and met his gaze. It might have been his imagination, but it was almost as if she were inching closer and closer to him.
And he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want her as close to him as possible. In this moment, the only two people who existed were him and her. They were all that mattered. Not his past. Not his future. Just the two of them.
He was done with thinking, so her reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her eyes widened as he looked down at her.
“Sean,” she whispered, her hand sliding up his shoulder to the back of his neck.
“Dragon lady.”
She shoved his shoulder, sending him away a few inches. He wrapped his other arm around her hand. Her expression turned serious, and she chewed on her lip.
He leaned forward to whisper into her ear. “I’ve never kissed a dragon before.” He pulled back to look into her eyes.
“Well, I’ve never kissed a cowboy either.”
And that was all he needed. He bent down and pressed his lips against hers.
Chapter Twelve
Christine
Thankfully, Sean was holding onto her when he dipped down and pressed his lips against hers. As soon as he made contact, she forgot how to do anything.
His lips were light at first, exploring and testing her own. But then he deepened the kiss, pushing out all rational thought from her mind. In that moment, all she wanted was him. All of him.
Worried he might back away, she wrapped her fingers up in his hair. If he let her go, she just might slip into the water’s depths. He responded by pressing her body so close to his that she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.
He pulled back and peered down at her. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Too stunned to speak, Christine just nodded. Never in her life had she ever felt this way about anyone. So frustrated one minute, and then the next minute? Completely intoxicated.
She leaned closer and he met her lips again. He let out a guttural sound as he deepened the kiss. For the first time in a long time, Christine felt whole. Like she was exactly where she belonged. She allowed herself to forget about why she was here and what she needed to do. Instead, she allowed her mind to be consumed with one thought—Sean.
Once they finally broke contact, they swam for the rest of the afternoon. Christine enjoyed watching Sean cannonball into the water from the tire swing. No coaxing from him convinced her to do the same. The branch it was tied to bent uncomfortably low when he was on it, and she really didn’t want to risk her life to try it out.
By midday, the sun was high in the sky. Christine dragged herself out of the water and laid down on one of the large rocks by the water’s edge. Sean followed after her. She tried not to stare at how the water droplets glistened off his tanned skin. Or how his chest looked like it came off of a Greek statue.
“What are you staring at?” he teased, lifting up his arms as if to strike a warrior pose.
Heat raced to her cheeks as she dropped her gaze. What was she supposed to say? That he looked amazing. “Are all cowboys so muscular?” Just as she said the words, she pinched her lips shut. What was that?
“Am I muscular?” He flexed again, turning so she could see his back.
She rolled her eyes. “Never mind.”
He plopped down next to her, resting his weight on one elbow. “No. I want to hear how you think I’m this ripped guy.” He smiled up at her with the cheesiest grin.
“I didn’t say that. I was asking in generalized terms, so when I meet another cowboy, I’ll know if it’s an expectation or if you’re the exception.”
He scooted closer to her. “Another cowboy? What are you talking about?” He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed each finger. “With me around, you’ll never need another cowboy.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he looked up at her.
She giggled and scooted away from him. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.
His face grew serious as he gazed over at her. “Are you enjoying your time here in Montana?”
Christine looked at him. For a moment, she allowed herself to get lost in his gaze. There was a rawness to his expression. Like he was trying to open up. That thought made her heart soar. But, as quickly as it came, she pushed it away.
What was she thinking? Did she seriously think that this was okay? That either of them was going to walk away unscathed? She was here to audit his ranch. His ranch. This wasn’t a vacation or chance meeting. She was here to uncover secrets that just might destroy him.
So, despite how much it broke her heart, she broke contact with him and pulled back.
“It was nice. Nothing like the pools in Washington, DC, but not everything can be.” She sat up and reached for her jeans. They were covered with mud from earlier, but she didn’t care. She needed to get out of here. Put distance between her and Sean.
Once she was dressed, she looked over at him. “We should go,” she said.
He was still leaning back on one elbow, studying her. She could tell he was thinking—she just wasn’t sure about what. Did she want to know? Thankfully, he didn’t push her. Instead, he stood, shook out his pants, and pulled them on.
Christine slipped on her boots and then they started through the thicket together.
Sean was quiet. It was as if he understood her thoughts even though she hadn’t said them out loud. As much as she wanted to take it back, she knew she couldn’t. Not if she was going to save either of them from heartbreak. Feelings weren’t a luxury they were allowed.
The ride back to the ranch was quiet and Christine reveled in it. She was grateful that the rush of the wind mixed with the helmet meant there wasn’t an opportunity to speak even if they’d wanted to.
He pulled into the barn and shut off the four-wheeler. Christine climbed off, setting her helmet down on the ground. She needed a shower, a change of clothes, and to get back to work. Focusing on why she was really here seemed like the best move.
But as she made her way out of the barn, she stopped. This wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want him angry with her. She just wanted to keep him safe and her heart protected.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice came out lower than she’d intended.
He set his helmet down on the bench next to the four-wheeler and turned around. His expression had turned stony as he peered over at her. “For what?”
She fought back the tears that clung to her lids. What was the matter with her? He was the frustrating cowboy that she was here to audit. She wasn’t supposed to have feelings for him. That was not part of the job.
Desperate to protect herself, she cleared her throat and forced a smile. “I just thought perhaps I hurt your feelings. Which, now that I say it out loud, sounds ridiculous.” She ran her hands through her damp hair. “I’m just going to go inside now.” She turned, made her way up the porch steps, and didn’t stop until she was locked in the guest room.
Now alone, she sat down on the bed and studied her hands. Why was she reacting this way? Perhaps what Parker had said was true. She did get too emotionally attached. Perhaps auditing in the field wasn’t the right thing for her.
Frustrated with how jumbled her emotions were, she pushed off the bed and headed toward the bathroom. A shower sounded amazing. Just t
he thing she needed to wash away everything that had happened that morning. Especially the kiss. The one that had left her speechless.
The hot water pounded on her back, relaxing her muscles. She leaned against the shower wall and took a few deep breaths. She needed to get her head on straight and focus. Do her job and then get the heck out of Moose Falls.
After she was dried and dressed, she pulled her hair back into a braid and made her way downstairs. Mr. Petty was sitting at the table when she entered the kitchen.
“Hey, Mr. Petty,” she said, walking over to the cupboard and grabbing a glass.
“Hello, Christine.”
She jumped and turned. Her stomach sank as she stared into the eyes of Parker. What was he doing here? “Parker?” she squeaked. She cleared her throat. “I mean, Parker. What are you doing here?”
He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “I’ve come to check up on you.”
Well, at least he was to the point. “Wh-why?”
“Well, I’ve been chatting with Mr. Petty here and he informed me that you haven’t been focusing on the case. Is this true?” Parker met her gaze head on.
“I—um. Well, it’s been a bit harder for me to get to the paperwork. My car broke down and I’ve needed to depend on rides.”
Parker’s eyebrows rose with each excuse she gave him. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what she could say to get him to stop staring at her. She felt like a little kid getting scolded by her grandfather.
“Christine, you told me that you could handle this. You gave me your word. I trusted you.” He narrowed his eyes.
Realizing that there was nothing she could say that would convince him that she wasn’t an idiot, she just lowered her gaze and nodded. “I know. I’m sorry.”
The sound of chair legs scraping the floor drew her attention up. Parker had pushed back from the table and was standing, buttoning his suit coat. “Now, since I’m here, I might as well lend my expertise.” He walked over to her and extended an arm. “Take me to the files.”
Christine nodded and downed the water in the glass. Once it was empty, she turned and set it in the sink. “Right this way,” she said, leading him out of the kitchen and over to the study.
Fighting Love for the Cowboy (A Moose Falls Romance Book 1) Page 9
