Fuckin’ fireworks go off. I know nothing but the feel of her lips and the taste of her mouth—the heat of her almost bare body pressed against me. I growl and shove us both back until she’s pressed to the wall behind her. I snarl into her lips, kissing her deeply as she eagerly whimpers for more.
One of her legs rises, coiling around mine. I growl as my hand slides from her hip up her thigh, gripping her as I press against her. Her body undulates eagerly into me as our tongues dance. We gasp into each other’s mouths as I grind my thick bulge against the tiny slip of blue against her center.
But then suddenly, it’s like we’ve both been hit by lightning. It’s not even her pushing me away or me pulling myself away. It’s both of us springing apart, simultaneously.
I stumble back away from her, until I’m fully back at the front door, gripping the sides of it. Tansy’s got her arms around her chest, half turned away from me. Her face is red, and those big blue eyes are wide and wild.
“Hell,” I groan.
“Shit,” she hisses.
“That… uh…”
“Too many beers,” she blurts.
“Right, exactly.”
“I’m sorry,” she winces.
“No, don’t…” I frown. “That was me.”
“Okay.”
I frown. “Right, okay. I’m leaving.”
“Okay,” she nods quickly. “Uh, thanks.” Her face blooms. “For the towels, I mean.”
“Yeah, any time.”
I cringe. Smooth, dipshit.
“Alright, night,” I mumble.
“Night,” she fumbles back.
I turn, yank the door shut behind me, and stumble back across the yard to my house. I leave the dishes, and I don’t stop until I’m in my bedroom. The door slams behind me, and I groan as I slump down to the floor against it.
Whatever the fuck just happened, it can’t happen again.
That was wrong. That was messed up. I groan and glance down. That also made me hard as a fucking rock.
Hurricane Tansy has officially made land fall. And here I am scrambling to find something to hang on to.
5 Tansy
Part of me wants to think it was a dream. Or hopes it was. But the feeling still pulsing through my core when I wake up is a reminder. Last night happened, and it was very, very real.
The kiss happened. His hands gripping me with an urgency and a desire I’ve never once felt before happened. His masculine groans rumbling through my core happened.
And then me gasping into my pillow with my hands between my thighs happened probably ninety seconds after he walked out.
I groan, my reflection flushing in the bathroom mirror. I quickly rinse off, get dressed, and take a breath. It was just too many drinks, that’s all—no one’s fault. Or maybe both of our faults. Bottom line? I kissed my boss. Or, got kissed by my boss; it’s actually a little vague in my head who did the first part of that kissing.
Either way, so what? I kissed my boss. I mean, worse shit has happened. This is hardly a Lewinsky-level scandal. And besides that, Colt and I are both adults, right? I take a deep, cleansing breath. This won’t be a problem. Both of us are mature enough to look past the mistake of last night.
Right?
My confidence, though, starts to wan as I walk over to the stables. Before I even get there, I spot Colt messing around with Harley outside. I feel a rush of heat throb in my core. For a second, I fantasize about rushing over and throwing myself into his arms and picking up where we left off last night.
But then I imagine a different sort of fantasy. And in that one, I’m turning and running as fast as I can away from Colt Patton and my embarrassment of kissing him.
As I get closer, before I can bolt, Harley spots me. He barks excitedly and ditches Colt to rush over. Instantly, he rolls onto his back for tummy rubs, right on my feet.
“Disloyal little shit,” Colt mutters. I look up, and our eyes lock. I tremble with heat. The air seems to get sucked out of my lungs. My legs feel unsteady. I can’t do this, I think. I really can’t face—
“So you wanna come take a look at my horse’s cock or what?”
Instantly, I burst into laughter. Colt grins, having successfully just broken down the awkwardness.
I laugh as I drop down to rub Harley. Then I stand and look back at Colt.
“Um, so, last night…”
“Pretty good steaks, huh?”
I blush. “Yeah.”
Colt folds his arms across his broad chest. “Last night was an overstep, by me.”
I frown and shake my head. “No, that was me. Or at the least, both of—”
“Take it off your plate, darlin’,” he growls quietly. “Let me take this one, and we can move on.”
I blush as my lip catches in my teeth. I nod. “Okay.”
“Perfect. Now let’s go figure out what’s not doing it for ole’ Chance.”
I stare at the animal. I swallow, fiddling with my hands as the anxiety washes over me.
“You, uh, wanna come over?”
Colt’s already in Chance’s stable, hunched down next to him.
“I…”
Chance neighs and snorts loudly, stamping his huge feet. I swallow another lump in my throat. Once again, I think about bolting.
“Oh, don’t let him scare you. That’s just him saying hi. And don’t worry, if he gets ornery, he’s harnessed up pretty good in here.”
Colt’s not wrong The huge stallion is standing in a device especially made for veterinary horse exams. But still…
When I don’t move, Colt stands with a frown. “You’ve, uh, worked with horses before, right?”
“Right, so, about that…”
His brow furrows. “Are you joking?”
“I’ve been told they’re just like big dogs?”
He groans. “Fuck.”
“Look, I know the anatomy, and I know what I’m doing, mostly. I’m just—”
Chance snorts again, and I gasp as I jump back a foot.
“Please don’t tell me my new horse vet—who apparently has never actually been a horse vet—is also scared of horses?”
My mouth twists.
“Tansy?”
“Well do you want me to tell you that, or
