“You have a little something.” I motion to the spot.
He swipes at his cheek. “Damn glitter.”
I giggle at his muttering. “What’s that, farmer?”
“Halloween was a week ago, and I’m still cleaning sparkles off my face.” He doesn’t cease scrubbing.
“Totally worth it,” I laugh.
He shoves a pinky in his ear, digging for gold. “For your comedic relief, maybe. I’ll probably be finding the shit in my eyelashes on Christmas.”
His mention of our celebration makes me smile. “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy being chased around all night.”
“But why did you have to douse the cow head in glitter?”
Because everyone knows it’s pure torture to remove. I don’t admit that, of course. “Added flair, duh. It made you an easier target.”
“You still couldn’t catch me,” Reeve taunts, faking a dive to the left.
I loop my fingers around his arm and tug. “It was good practice. Besides, it was purely for entertainment’s sake. Beating the competition was an added benefit. We needed to be extra shiny to stick out in the crowd.”
He grunts. “And we certainly did.”
“Hey.” I poke him in the chest. “We won the contest.”
His eyes roll to the ceiling. “That you created to begin with.”
“Whatever. It’s not like anyone else stood a chance against us.”
“Yeah, our rhinestone explosion will go down in Bam history.”
“I can already see the headlines.” I spread my hands at the imaginary title.
“We won’t need those. Gavin will never let me forget.”
“He’s just jealous.”
“Something like that.” He laughs.
Bouncing onto my toes, I plop a sloppy kiss on his jaw. “I appreciate you being a good sport.”
Reeve dips down so my lips press harder against him. “I’m not sure I can deny you anything.”
The atmosphere grows thick with currents zapping between us. A lump catches in my throat as I try not to expose the rapid drumbeat inside of me. The gravity of this moment, and the implied meaning, hangs heavy in the balance.
“We’re an excellent team,” I mumble.
“I sure had fun using that rope later. You make a sexy cowgirl.” His breath caresses the shell of my ear.
A shiver racks my limbs. “I don’t have to wait for Halloween to dress up, farmer.”
He clutches a fistful of my ass. “Don’t tease me, babe.”
Since he asked so nicely.
“So.” I strut farther into the room. “This is where all the magic happens.”
Reeve gestures diagonally across the cramped square. “Impressive, eh?”
“Oh, sure. You betcha.” I tip backward on my heels with a giggle.
A rumble rises from his chest. “Even that accent is sexy coming from you.”
“Now that we’re in here and all alone, what are you planning to do with me?” I trail a finger along his desk.
He gives me a slow once-over. “Put you behind the wheel.”
I blink, the fringes of arousal fizzling slightly. “Um, okay?”
Rather than respond, he digs in a drawer and whips out something silver. He spins a set of keys around his finger. “We’re all set.”
“What about your contracts?” I park my hand on a cocked hip.
Reeve grips the back of his neck. That sheepish action has my hackles quivering.
“I might have ulterior motives.”
“You don’t say.” My tone is crisp at the edges. “And why did you request I wear a dress?”
He gives my stocking-clad legs a fuck-hot stare. “You’ll see, babe.”
“When?”
“Soon.” He hitches a thumb over his shoulder. “Want a tour?”
For some reason, the opposite doesn’t seem like an option.
I inch forward with caution. “I might as well get a full lay of the land.”
His teeth pierce the flesh of his bottom lip. “My thoughts exactly.”
We return to the dungeon darkness with a quick flick. We don’t have far to go, at least. Reeve ushers me through a stainless-steel set of doors into what appears to be a gigantic garage. Lights flash overhead automatically as we move into the industrial structure. Machinery and farming equipment create long rows across the concrete floor.
He sweeps an arm out to the side in a grandstand manner. “This is one of our storage buildings.”
“You have more like this?” The awe in my voice ricochets off the metal walls.
His expression is the definition of smug. “We’re responsible for maintaining thousands of acres, city girl.”
I form a small circle with my lips. “Wow.”
“Have you ever driven a tractor, babe?”
“No.” I snort at the suggestion. “We had a push mower growing up that barely got used on our scrap of lawn.”
He sidles up next to me. “Wanna take mine for a spin?”
My gaze latches onto the ridge bulging behind his zipper. “I thought that was fairly obvious.”
“Assuming can get me into trouble.” He widens his stance, hiding that glorious sight from view.
All right, I can play along. “My answer has conditions.”
Reeve’s eyes flash as he takes my bait. “Which are?”
“Do these remarkable powerhouses have big sticks?”
“Enormous.” He strokes an imaginary pole and grins. “You might not be able to handle it.”
“Oh, I can master switching gears while giving the knob a twirl.”
“You are very skilled at multitasking,” he praises.
I wiggle my brows. “This will be another fine demonstration. Which one are we driving?”
“Bertha is the easiest. She’s parked in front of an exit.” Reeve gestures to a general location we’re walking toward.
“She?”
He shrugs, striding down the aisle. “Force of habit for us.”
I tap my chin. “I think Butch will be a great name for my next car. He will be a total hunk.”
“Whatever makes you feel more secure, babe.” He laughs completely at my expense. “And here she is.”
We stop beside what can only be described as a monster truck on steroids. “This boss bitch has”—I do a quick count—“eight tires? Holy crap, farmer.”
He jams his hands into his pockets. “She gets the job done.”
“I would imagine quite efficiently at that,” I deadpan.
“The lack of snow has been a pleasant surprise. This wouldn’t be possible otherwise.”
I press a finger to his lips. “Don’t say that. You’ll jinx us.”
“Too late now,” he mumbles.
“I’m blaming you if we get dumped on,” I warn.
“While we wait
