Cade nodded but didn’t voice his thoughts on how tenderhearted her actions were. It touched him that she’d be so concerned about a stranger. But then, she’d picked him up off the side of the road and offered him better prospects than he’d had this morning.
“Plus,” she added, “if I miss a payment, the farm will revert back to him, which is why I need to make as much profit as possible off the harvests. I’m arrogant enough to buy the place, but not enough to think that I can run it by myself. At least, not indefinitely.”
“You ever worked a farm before?”
“No, not really.” When his eyebrows went up, she continued, “I mean, I can grow things, but I’ve never done it on a large scale like this. That’s why I was looking for reliable, knowledgeable help.”
“I see.”
Her chin went up obstinately and she glared at him. “I could do it if I had to.”
Wow. All spit and fire all of a sudden. She was feisty. He liked it. And not just because she would need all that stubbornness and grit to run a farm.
He gave her his best smile—the one that always disarmed the ladies he met. “I didn’t mean to imply that you couldn’t.”
“Well,” she said, eyeing him askance, seeming both uncertain and feisty at the same time, “just remember I’m as capable as you. So keep me in the loop on everything. I want to learn.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And, please, call me Addie.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She glared at him again.
His head dipped to hide the blush that heated his cheeks. “Addie.”
She dropped her chin and her lips tugged up. “Thank you.”
Kissable lips, he thought, then mentally shook himself. She’s your boss! And you’re just a homeless loser who doesn’t need another heartache. So, stop it!
“May I call you Cade?” she asked.
Despite the familiarity of it, he hesitated only a moment. “Sure.”
“Great,” she said cheerily and headed toward the house. “This way, Cade.”
Following her wouldn’t have been so bad if his mind had cooperated with his previous command. But now, with the nice view of her perfect derriere swaying seductively in front of him, his thoughts turned dirty once more.
What’s wrong with me? It’s not as if he’d been celibate since he left home. There’d been plenty of buckle bunnies at the rodeos he’d attended over the last two years, but that had gotten old. He’d found himself turning down their invitations more often than not over the last few months.
At one time, he’d wanted so much more than that. He’d wanted the whole package—marriage, children—and was on the verge of getting it, too. At least, he’d thought he was.
Now, he was a drifter who just wanted some peace.
“So, you’re growing corn and hay,” he said, hoping to distract himself from the sexy roundness of Addie’s rear end and how it would feel in his hands.
“Yep.” Heading for the open garage, she grinned over her shoulder. The brightness and bit of tease in her expression made his cock jump in his jeans.
He swallowed, ignoring the heat flooding his nether regions and quickened his pace. “What kind of hay?”
She spun on her heel while still walking backward, her beautiful breast swaying as she moved—which didn’t help the situation in his jeans at all.
“Timothy and alfalfa,” she said and spun around again when he caught up to her.
He whistled. “That’s some high-end feed.”
“Yep, and it’s almost ready to be cut again. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. When we’re done here, I’ll take you on a tour of the fields. It’s a little late to do much else today but get you settled.”
He nodded again.
She rushed ahead a few steps and gestured expansively with her arms, clearly proud to be showing off her home, despite its shortcomings.
“The barn and machine shed have most of the tools, but in here,” she moved forward, “you’ll find my little car, lots of other things to help with your truck, and the door to the mud room.” She pointed to an inside door behind her. “There’s a sink in there and a place for dirty,” her gaze drifted down his body and back up, a little too slowly to only be assessing his state of cleanliness, “boots,” she finished and then averted her eyes.
That can’t be what it looked like. It had happened so fast that he wondered if her seeming interest had only been a figment of his overactive imagination.
“There’s cold water bottles and soda in the fridge beside the door if you need it. And over here—” She started to turn in the opposite direction as she entered the shade of the garage but never made it.
A surprised yelp escaped as her feet slipped out from under her and she started to fall. Cade rushed forward, putting himself between her and the fender of her sporty little car. His arms snaked around her as her head smacked into his breastbone instead of the metal, and he gathered her against his chest.
“Ow,” she mumbled, pressing her hand to her head. She tried to stand, but her feet slid backward. He tightened his hold on her body to keep her from falling again and looked down. The concrete floor was covered in what looked like used engine oil. No wonder she’d lost her footing spinning around on that slick stuff.
“Hold on to me, I got you,” he said as he stepped back onto the dirt driveway, taking her with him.
Safely back on her own feet again and with her hands on his shoulders, she looked up into his face. Her brown eyes were wide and the prettiest shade of pink crept over her bosom and cheeks. She felt so good in his arms, the soft pillows of her breasts crushed against his chest, straining upward in a lovely display, her nipples poking into him…
He inhaled sharply. Oh, shit…
He should let her go and move away,
