“Um… Beau…” She said softly, still looking at my erection. I couldn’t help it. I wanted it to go away, but it stood proud.
I prayed to all the gods I could think of. I thought of my grandma. I thought of every possible thing that could kill a boner. The way her eyes wouldn’t leave me, wouldn’t avert. My arousal skyrocketed demanding I tap into the urges, to play on them.
The tips of my fingers itched to reach out of their own volition to rub the smooth skin of her cheek and down her long, feminine neck. Her normally dark hair now darker with the shower dripping water droplets down her back and over her shoulder. My eyes trailed a water droplet down her neck, over her collarbone and I watched as it disappeared at the spot I really wanted to touch, but resisted.
The air sizzled and crackled with the tension between us. Desire burned and fizzled in waves. Something I couldn’t decipher spread across her face and I held my breath, anticipating what came next. My eyes found hers and she tilted her chin up at me, a silent invitation to touch the soft dip at the base of her throat. I watched as she swallowed audibly when I finally allowed myself to reach out and touch her, but then remembered myself and why touching her wasn’t the right thing to do.
Her breath quickened and I watched another water droplet fall. Her hands tightened around the teal towel she held tightly to her body, but she wasn’t running. She wasn’t looking for a way out. This was the first moment that I felt like maybe she wasn’t afraid of me at all. Like maybe she wanted this as much as I did, but that was ludicrous. She’d been through what—I didn’t know—but all the evidence pointed to bad things, and especially a bad man in her life.
I wanted to reach out and reassure her somehow. Let her know that she wasn’t alone. I caught her gaze and her hooded eyes. Her body was saying do it, but her eyes were still cautious, unsure. I didn’t want to push her and realized that she wasn’t ready for what I wanted yet. I wanted her. All of her and she couldn’t give me that. I was afraid that once I started, I wouldn’t hold back. I’d want it all and right now wasn’t the right time.
I pulled my hand tighter to my side, showing her that I wasn’t going to disrespect the trust she’d put in me so far by having me touching her. Seeing the disappointment gutted me. I shouldn’t think about taking liberties with her like that, we hadn’t built enough trust between us yet.
“I’m sorry Cassidy Mae,” I rasped. “I need to… shower.” I say pointing to the shower behind her. She moved out of the way and scurried down the hall. Before I could shut the door I heard her say.
“Hey, Beau.”
I peeked out of the bathroom door. “Yeah?”
“Do you have…could I borrow… I didn’t bring a change of clothes…and well… I don’t… I was wondering if I could… could I borrow a shirt and some shorts maybe?”
I thought about it for a minute. “Oh… I mean, you could but you’d be swimming in it. Let me get Reagan. You guys used to swap clothes, right? I think you’re still the same size.”
She nodded and smiled at me. I walked out of the bathroom and turned jogging off down the stairs, trying to get my body to calm down so I could think and control it.
“Reagan Harper!” I yelled walking into the kitchen. Her smile said it all. She knew what I had been walking into and gave me no indication. “You knew?”
She shrugged her shoulders not divulging the truth. She knew. I could read it in the smile on her lips.
“Did you need something, dear brother?” For once I was glad the evidence of my arousal was gone. Quickly drowned when Reagan’s name ran across my brain after it had slipped from Cassidy’s lips.
“It’s Cass. She doesn’t have a change of clothes. She asked me, but she’d be swimming in my clothes. Can she borrow some from you?”
“Oh shoot. Yeah, I should’ve suggested she bring a change. Maybe I’ll suggest it from now on. I don’t think you’re complaining much though.”
I growled my frustration and headed back upstairs. I turned on the shower inhaling the sweet scent of the being that occupied it before me. She smelled like peonies and sugar. I stripped off my clothes as the steam from the shower fogged up the mirror in front of me.
As I looked around the table, I realized that Willow Springs Stables was starting to feel like home again. I’d been invited to join the group for dinner. A few I’d met over the past couple weeks of being here, but tonight was the first night that I’d meet the rest. Everyone around us had been friends with Beau and Reagan for as long as I could remember. Most of the workers lived on the property in case something happened. It seemed like most didn’t have families of their own yet or had family that lived far away. I felt like I was sitting in on family dinner. Each of the crew sat and laughed together.
Jameson and Rhett sat beside each other. A girl I hadn’t yet met, named Faith, sat across from them beside Reagan. Reagan told me that she taught lessons at the stables. Another barn hand named Remington sat at one end of the table opposite Beau and I sat at the only chair that was empty beside him. I didn’t miss the smirk that Rea sent Beau’s way when she realized where my chair had been placed.
With everyone seated at the table, we started passing around the fixings before us. Meatloaf, potatoes, and green beans. It wasn’t fancy or
