Page 10 of Lasso Lovebirds (Rainbow Ranch #4)

sky

Kissing Beau was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

And I was already causing trouble in a place that was being so kind to me.

Over the last week, Rainbow Ranch had started to feel like a home. I had to keep reminding myself that I was leaving in just a couple weeks. All of this would soon be behind me . . .

So might as well make the best of it, right?

Like kissing the really hot cowboy?

I don’t know what came over me in the office, but for that moment, I’d lost all my worries about being too much. And damn, that kiss.

That kiss had completely swept me away.

But then Pris had walked in on us.

Had I ruined everything?

I hadn’t expected to walk in and kiss Beau, but the pull had been too magnetic. It was the same pull I felt to her though, which left me feeling confused and worried that I was going to cause problems.

Seven days. Seven days of basking in the tension between the three of us.

I’d found a good routine and I enjoyed helping out Pris. So far the weather hasn't been bad, mostly clear within the area. I’d been able to take some time to go through all the photographs I've taken over the last few weeks, and get everything sorted in the way that I wanted to.

I also had time to check up on my ex-assistant’s social media accounts, to see what they were saying online. So far, nothing bad.

The storm chasing world was small. The last thing I wanted was to have a bad reputation. Especially since I was trying to do good, honest work. I was trying to help people.

All of those thoughts fell to the wayside as I found Pris in her room across from mine.

The door was wide open. She sat on her bed, her cowgirl hat balanced on her denim-clad knee.

She was wearing a denim shirt with a red bandana, her deep brown curls pulled back into a ponytail.

Pris was as gorgeous as ever, always managing to steal my breath anytime I laid eyes on her.

I hesitated, and then knocked on the door frame.

She looked up, her brows raising slightly in surprise. “I thought you'd still be with Beau.”

“I didn't plan for that to happen,” I said quickly. “I didn’t plan to walk in and kiss him?—”

“You don't need to explain yourself to me,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Despite her shrug, the tension in the room was thick.

“Can I come in?” I whispered.

Pris nodded, and I crossed from the threshold to the foot of her bed.

I was going to be brave about this. After everything I’d lost in my life, I was going to go after what I wanted, no matter how fleeting it was. Be brave. Be strong.

“Am I imagining things? Is there not something here between us?” I asked.

Pris’ eyes hardened. “You were just kissing Beau and now you're asking me if there's something between us, too?”

I winced, realizing how that must've sounded. My chest ached as I struggled to find the right words. “I didn’t mean for that to come across that way. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about you and there’s something about Beau, too.

I want both of you, Pris, but I shouldn’t have made the assumption that both of you were interested in me as well. ”

Her expression softened. “Well, for the record, I am polyamorous. Although, I’ve never had the chance to date multiple people at the same time.

I’m not sure Beau is, though. Can’t say we’ve ever discussed it.

Regardless, you’re going to be gone soon.

Unless you’re planning on staying at Rainbow Ranch? ”

I swallowed hard. “I’ll be here until storm season is over.”

“And then?”

I didn't really want to think about the future at the moment. This was the best and safest I’d felt in a really long time, and I wasn't sure I ever wanted to go home.

Not that I even had a real home. My home had been the van for the last six months.

“I don't really know yet,” I admitted. “I’m still figuring things out. Working on the ranch has been tough. It’s hard work.

I’m not used to being off my phone so much.

But, being with you has made it fly by. The bonfires, the way everyone is just here for each other, the horses.

It feels special. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. ”

“Sky, I’ve enjoyed spending time with you,” she said gently. “But I also don't really like doing casual relationships. I struggle with it.”

“I struggle with it too,” I whispered.

In fact, I had a tendency to dive in way too fast. Much to my detriment most of the time. Every time I ended up having my heart broken, I put another tough layer around myself to try to protect it from that hurt.

But then it happened again. And again.

Just like now. Here I was, diving in headfirst. And yet . . .

“I also know that there are sparks here, and I don't wanna walk away from them,” I whispered.

Maybe that wasn't right of me to do since I was planning on leaving. Then again, every time I was around her or Beau, I just wanted more. I wanted to explore my desires, I wanted to explore whatever tension there was between us.

Becoming who I was taught me to embrace all the good moments. It taught me to never let something like this go by without taking it all the way.

The problem was, I often ended up hurting people in the process. And I didn't want to hurt Pris. I didn't want to hurt Beau either.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don't want to push or anything like that. I'm sorry if I made you feel awkward or if I've disrupted things between you and Beau.”

Pris snorted and stood up, grabbing her hat. A few loose curls that laid flat against her head disappeared as she placed her hat on top. She crossed her arms as she looked me up and down.

“Do you always apologize this much?” she asked.

“Well . . . maybe.”

“Okay, well, rule number one. Don’t apologize to me for something that doesn’t need apologizing for. You didn't do anything wrong. Beau and I are not a couple, and we've never been together. We've never even kissed. We've never once talked about anything like that, and I've known him for years.”

Pris sucked in a breath, her shoulders softening before she continued.

“I think if he were interested in me, he would've said something by now. He's known you for just a couple days, and he's already kissed you. And I'm not saying that from a place of jealousy . . . Okay, well maybe I am a little bit jealous of you.”

“Jealous of me ?” I asked in disbelief.

She wrinkled her nose. “Yes. I don’t like it, either.

Not my favorite feeling. But I feel jealous because I want to kiss you.

And I also want to kiss that bossy cowboy.

But, I can’t do either, because then I’ll go falling in love with the both of you.

Then you’ll leave, and Beau will . . . Well, I don’t know what. ”

I opened my mouth to say something, but my words faltered as she took a step closer, her fingers knotting in my hair at the base of my head. She leaned in, stunning me speechless as she kissed me hard on the lips.

Fireworks burst through me. Kissing her was different than kissing Beau. Both of them were equally amazing. I swooned against her, a whimper leaving me as she took control, stealing my breath until she drew back.

“I’m an idiot,” she sighed, her eyes soft and sparkly.

And then she kissed me again.

This time, I leaned up and wrapped my arms around her. Our hips pressed against each other, her fingers knotting in my short hair at the base of my head.

The heat between us was something else. Waves of need rippled through me, a hunger for something more taking over.

God, I wanted her. I wanted her so damn bad.

This time, when she drew back, she pressed her forehead to mine.

“You're nothing but trouble, Sky,” she whispered.

“Hopefully the good kind,” I croaked.

She chuckled, and then kissed my cheek. We stood like that for a few seconds. I was in awe of her.

“Pris . . .” I whispered. “What are we doing?”

She shook her head. “Don’t know yet, honestly. Don't you need to go get some work done? Some of your storm stuff?”

The subject change was a little jarring.

I blew out a breath. “Well, Beau and I kind of left it on a note that I could work in the office tomorrow.

I also may have suggested that we see each other tonight .

. . But I won't do that if there's something between the two of you. I think you should talk.”

“I don't know. I’ll think about it. Would you have a problem if we were together? Even though that'll never happen.”

“No,” I said immediately. “No, it would make me happy if the two of you were.”

She shook her head, but she seemed less resistant to the idea of talking to him now.

“We’ll see,” she said. “For now, maybe take some time to yourself. Or go see if Boone and Winnie need help. Deal?”

I nodded. “Deal.”