Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Before West can respond, Micah is back in the workshop.
West drops his hand, disappointment flickering in his expression. He’s expecting me to reject him, to tell him no. That’s the last thing I want. Besides, he said everyone would just think we’re being friendly. There’s no harm that can come from this.
“Let me wash up before we go,” I tell him, gesturing at my messy hands that are dotted with paint. From hand-carving the heirloom wooden toys to painting them, there’s not a part of the process I don’t handle myself. I love that every item is handmade by me with love and care.
West’s eyes light up, a sure sign that I’m probably making a mistake. I can’t lead him on. It wouldn’t be right. But I can enjoy a nice sleigh ride with him today. Later, I’ll gently tell him this isn’t going anywhere.
He hovers nearby while I wash in the big basin sink. I can hear him talking with Micah. They’re casually discussing ranch business. My brother is acting totally normal, like he doesn’t suspect anything is happening right under his nose.
Meanwhile, I’m back here with my face flushed and my hair a mess and all I can think about is how good it felt when West put his hands on my hips. I want him touching me in other places, murmuring again in that low, sexy voice of his.
I take a second to fix my hair and wish I could change out of the old t-shirt I’m wearing. But Micah would definitely notice that. He’d assume that my crush is back. But it never really left. I just buried it for a long time.
“You’re beautiful,” West says. He’s watching me lock up the workshop. It’s set far enough back from the rest of the ranch activities that I don’t worry about human visitors. It’s animals like the bears and wolves that haunt these woods that I worry about.
I can feel his gaze on me, warming me even as I stand out here in my bright red winter coat and my favorite skirt paired with blue snowflake leggings. The ones that are faded in all the right places and cling to my curvy frame.
I finish locking the door and turn to him. “That’s not something you say to a friend.”
He takes two steps closer, invading my space until I bump my back against the door. The sensation barely registers because all my attention is focused on the handsome cowboy. He’s staring down at me with a feral hunger in his gaze. “Never said I was your friend.”
My knees are weak, and my mouth is dry. “You said—”
“I said we could be friendly,” he answers casually. “Seems you and I have a very different idea of what that means.”
I glance around, suddenly aware that we’re outside. Without thinking, I blurt out, “You can’t kiss me here. Anyone could see.”
He frowns and steps back. “Let’s get these deliveries started.”
My chest aches, thinking that I might have hurt his feelings. West is the last person I’ve ever wanted to hurt even if he is grumpy with me most of the time.
He helps me into the sleigh and my stomach flips. It always does when he touches me. There’s a burning ache between my thighs when he settles into the seat next to me. He’s pressed so closely and all I want to do is crawl into his lap and snuggle into his chest, just like Snowball did.
Once the horses have started clopping toward town, West produces a quilt. He unfolds it over my lap, pausing to tuck me in. His mother made this one. She tried to teach me to quilt but I never got into it.
Instead, I followed Dad into his woodshop. He’s the one who taught me how to work with the saws and the hammers. He simplified geometry terms and algebra. He helped me to see the real-world application of those subjects when I was in his shop.
Would he be angry if he knew West kissed me and I liked it? Would he send me and Micah away? It’s a chance I can’t take. I’ve gotten shipped off from various homes for far lesser mistakes.
When he’s done settling the blanket over my lap, West takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“Why have you been so different? Did the kiss really change anything between us? We’re still the same people.” As soon as I blurt out the words, I wish I could cram them back inside.
“I’ve wanted you since we were kids,” he confesses, his voice husky. “For the longest time, I didn’t think you thought of me like that. Then I kissed you and I can’t go back, Cassie. I can’t pretend anymore.”
“You like me?” The knowledge makes me feel warm all over. He likes me back. “You’ve always been so grouchy.”