company, and I was sure Easton would be pissed his delicate honor and reputation were getting smeared by some idiot journalist with too much time on his hands.
The sun was high in the sky, beating down on this land of mountains and trees in the middle of nowhere when I pulled up beside Easton’s unused truck at the farmhouse. It was a warm day, but not hot. I’d thrown on a silk shirt with a new pair of designer jeans in my attempt to keep that casual-business look about me. The open collar was less disturbing today, and I managed to avoid touching my neck every three seconds, looking for the tie I wasn’t wearing.
I strolled toward the barn and administration building since it was quiet again and no one seemed to be around. Inside, there was a rough wooden counter, a concrete floor with bits of debris all over, mounds of straw along one wall, equipment hanging off the walls, and shelving with riding helmets all lined up. A young woman in jeans and a checkered button-down came from around the corner when I called out.
“Hi.” Her smile was bright and welcoming. “Are you here for trail riding or to sign up for summer lessons?”
“God no.” I laughed. “Neither. I’m looking for Easton. Is he around?”
Her eyes flashed, and a knowing look crossed her face as she recognized me. She’d seen the paper. Pinching her lips to hide her grin, she nodded. “Yeah, he’s painting the storage barn today. Do you know where that is?”
“I do. Thanks.” I glanced around one last time and headed out.
“Nice to meet you.”
I shook my head as I returned to my vehicle. These people wouldn’t survive in my neck of the woods.
I headed down the service road toward the barn. A fluttering in my belly grew stronger the closer I got. It was stupid how much this guy affected me. I was a glutton for punishment when it came to this cowboy. It didn’t seem to matter how many punches I took to the ego, I kept crawling back, hoping for different results.
I parked in front of the barn and was greeted by two hundred pounds of dog. The beast barreled toward my vehicle and sat beside my door, waiting for me to get out. His tongue dangled, dripping saliva, and I wrinkled my nose. There was only a faint shadow of paint remaining on his side today.
“Shoo,” I yelled through the closed window. “Go away.”
He barked, and his tail wagged.
A cold sweat gathered at my nape as I considered my options. I didn’t do dogs. I didn’t do any animal that was bigger or more powerful than me, and Easton’s dog was part bear. He didn’t have an ounce of fat on him, and it was terrifying.
As I was about to start the car again and leave, a sharp whistle drew both our attention.
Like liquid honey, Easton’s eyes lingered on mine as his dog bounded back to his side.
Again with no shirt. He was the embodiment of my morning fantasy. Why did he have to be such an asshole?
A few smears of red paint marked his chest and dirtied his jeans. His golden skin glowed in the sunlight with a faint sheen of sweat, and my mouth pooled at the sight of him. He waited, one hand falling to Logan’s head, encouraging the dog to stay put while I reluctantly got out of the car.
I clung tight to the newspaper and kept my distance, untrusting of his animal while noting the hints of questions in Easton’s eyes.
“You’re like an irritatin’ tick that won’t go away,” he announced.
Ignoring his aggressive tone, I unfolded the paper and held it out. “Did you see this?”
“Are you kidding? I thought Knox was gonna break down my door this morning. I think the only reason he didn’t come scamperin’ into my room is because he thought you’d be in bed with me.”
“A shame. That would have been a far more pleasant end to my evening.”
It would have saved me jacking off to his image earlier too.
“What do you want, Lachlan? How many times are we gonna go over this?”
I stared at the front page of the newspaper, at the intimate moment we’d shared the night before. It stung, remembering the harsh words that had followed. “Are you going to let this guy keep doing this?”
“What the hell do you want me to do ’bout it?”
“It’s not true. We aren’t in bed together, negotiating a deal.”
“I know that.