Page 15 of My Cowboy Trouble (The Cowboy Romantic Comedies #1)

GAVIN

The storm did a real number on us last night. And I'm not just talking about the barn roof, though that's fucked too. I'm talking about Kenzie locking her bedroom door.

She didn't want us there. Yet.

But this morning, watching her come downstairs in those blue jeans she wears and another tank top that's already clinging in the humidity, I'm thinking today might be the day she changes her mind.

"How bad is it?" she asks, looking out the window at the gaping hole in the barn roof where a branch went through like a spear.

"Scale of one to ten?" I pretend to consider. "About a 'we're fucked if it rains again' off the scale kind of mess. "

"It's Montana. It's always about to rain again," Trent points out, clearly making lists in his head of what we'll need. "We need to patch it today."

"We?" Asher asks. "You mean you need volunteers for roof duty in ninety-degree heat?"

"I mean exactly that."

"I'll help," Kenzie offers, and all three of us turn to stare at her. "What? I can help. I fixed a fence, didn't I?"

"The wrong fence," Trent reminds her.

"Still fixed it." She crosses her arms, which does interesting things to her chest. "I'm not useless."

"Nobody said you were useless," I say, already imagining her up on that roof with me, sweaty and determined. "In fact, I think you'd be very useful. I call dibs on Kenzie for my repair team."

"There are no teams," Trent says. "This is a barn roof, not a competition."

"Everything's a competition with you three," Kenzie points out. "Might as well make it official."

"Fine." Trent's jaw does that thing where he's trying not to show emotion. "Gavin and Kenzie take the north side. Asher and I will handle the south."

"Divide and conquer," Asher mutters, shooting me a look that says he knows exactly what I'm doing.

What I'm doing is getting her alone. Well, as alone as you can be on a barn roof in broad daylight with half the town driving by to check storm damage.

"Better get started," Trent says, heading for the supply shed. "Temperature's only going up. "

Kenzie follows me to gather materials, and I can't help but notice she's walking normal today. The soreness from our night together must have faded. Shame. I liked knowing she felt us with every step.

"You sure you're up for this, princess?" I ask, loading her arms with shingles. "Roof repair isn't exactly in your wheelhouse."

"Neither was riding a horse in a rodeo, but I managed that."

"Barely."

"Still counts." She shifts the weight of the shingles, and I resist the urge to take them from her. She wants to prove herself? I need to let her. "Besides, how hard can it be? Nail goes in, shingle stays on, roof gets fixed."

"That's adorable. You think it's that simple."

"Isn't it?"

I lean in close, ostensibly to adjust her grip on the materials. "Nothing's ever simple with you involved, city girl. Thought you'd have figured that out by now."

Her breath catches, just for a second, before she pulls back. "We're fixing a roof, Gavin. Try to keep it in your pants."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"The fun is in not falling off a barn and breaking our necks."

"You worry too much." I grab the ladder, testing its stability. "Though I appreciate your concern for my neck. I know how much you like it."

Her face goes red, and I know she's remembering her lips on my throat, her teeth marking me. I've still got the bruise to prove it.

"Just climb the ladder, cowboy."

"Yes, ma'am." I start up, then look back down at her. "Nice view from up here. You should see it."

"I'm sure the pasture looks great."

"Wasn't talking about the pasture." I grin as she realizes I'm staring down her tank top. "But that's nice too."

"You're impossible."

"I'm charming."

"That too," she admits, starting up the ladder behind me. "Unfortunately."

Two hours in, and Kenzie's a mess. Her hair's escaping from her ponytail in sweat-dampened strands, there's a streak of tar on her cheek, and her tank top is soaked through. She looks absolutely fucking perfect.

"Pass me those nails," she says, not even looking up from where she's positioning a shingle with surprising accuracy.

"Bossy."

"Efficient. There's a difference."

"You weren't efficient that night. You took your sweet time with?—"

"Working here," she interrupts, but I can see her fighting a smile. "Besides, that was about quality, not speed. "

"Can't argue with the quality." I pass her the nails, letting our fingers brush. "You're getting good at this."

"I'm a fast learner."

"You are." I watch her hammer in the nail with confident strokes. "Remember when you couldn't even hold a hammer right?"

"That was a week ago."

"Feels longer." And it does. Feels like she's been here forever, like she belongs here. Which is dangerous thinking, but I can't seem to stop. "You're different than when you arrived."

"Still a city girl."

"Yeah, but you're our city girl now."

She looks up at me then, hammer paused mid-swing. "I'm nobody's anything."

"That's not what it looked like the other night."

"That was?—"

"Don't say it was a mistake." I move closer, ostensibly to help with the shingle she's working on. "And don't say it was a one-time thing. We both know you've been thinking about it. About us."

"You're awfully confident."

"I'm observant. You've been watching me all morning."

"You're shirtless. It's hard not to look."

"You locked your door last night."

She focuses on the shingle like it's the most interesting thing she's ever seen. "I wanted to sleep."

"No, you locked it because you knew if you didn't, you'd invite us in." I'm close enough now that our shoulders touch. "You locked it because you wanted us so bad you didn't trust yourself."

"That's not?—"

"I tried your door."

Her head snaps up. "What?"

"About three a.m. Couldn't sleep. Thought maybe you couldn't either." I grin at her shocked expression. "Good thing you locked it. Might have done something we'd both enjoy."

"You're unbelievable, Gavin."

"I'm honest. There's a difference." I take the hammer from her hand, setting it aside. "And honestly? I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. How you taste. How you sound. How you feel when you're coming apart under me."

"Hey—"

"Tell me you haven't thought about it. Tell me you don't want me right now."

She looks at me for a long moment, and I can see the war in her eyes. Want versus wisdom. Desire versus distance.

"It's complicated," she finally says.

"Fuck complicated." I reach out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Simple question: do you want me?"

"You know I do."

"Then what's stopping you? "

"Reality. The fact that I'm leaving. The fact that this can't last."

"Nothing lasts, princess. Doesn't mean it's not worth doing."

She laughs, but it's shaky. "You and Asher have the same terrible philosophy."

"Great minds." I let my hand trail down her arm. "Come on, Kenzie. We've got twenty-three days left. We can spend them pretending we don't want each other, or we can make them count."

"And the others?"

"What about them?"

"Won't they be upset if we..."

"If we what? Have amazing sex in the hayloft?" I grin at her expression. "Princess, we all shared you the other night. I think we're past jealousy."

"That was different. We were all together."

"And it was fucking incredible. But that doesn't mean we can't have solo time too." I move closer, close enough that she has to tilt her head back to look at me. "Unless you only want all of us at once? Because that can be arranged."

"You're the worst."

"I'm the best and you know it."

She shoves me, but she's laughing. "Your ego is out of control."

"You like my ego. Among other things."

"God help me, I do." She picks up the hammer again. "But we're still fixing this roof. "

"Now who's the responsible one?"

"Someone has to be. You three would just stand around comparing dick sizes all day."

"We already know who wins that competition."

She raises an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yep. You. Hands down. Biggest dick energy on the ranch."

She laughs so hard, she nearly drops the hammer. "That's the weirdest compliment I've ever gotten.

"I aim to please." I watch her work for a moment, admiring the determined set of her jaw. "You know, you never did show me your nails."

"My what?"

"That day with the fence. I teased you about showing me your nails, like you were some prissy city girl who'd be worried about breaking one."

She sets down the hammer and holds up her hands. Her nails are short, practical, with chipped pink polish that's mostly worn away. There's dirt under them, a blood blister on one thumb, and calluses forming on her palms.

"Not exactly manicure-ready," she says.

I take her hands in mine, studying them. "They're perfect."

"They're a mess."

"They're working hands. Ranch hands." I trace my thumb over her calluses. "They're earning their place here."

"I'm not staying, Gavin. "

"I know." But I don't let go of her hands. "Doesn't change the fact that you belong here. Right now, in this moment, you belong."

She looks at me, something soft and dangerous in her eyes. "You're going to make this harder than it needs to be."

"That's the plan."

"I mean leaving. You're going to make leaving harder."

"Also the plan."

"Gavin—"

"Stop overthinking." I pull her closer. "Just be here. Now. With me."

We're almost done with our section when it happens. She reaches for one last shingle, stretches too far, and her foot slips on the sweaty tar paper.

"Shit!"

I catch her before she can fall, yanking her against me. We both freeze, her body pressed against mine, my arms tight around her waist. Her hands are fisted in my shirt—well, they would be if I was wearing one. Instead, her nails are digging into my bare shoulders.

"You okay?" My voice comes out rougher than intended.

"Yeah." But she doesn't move away. "Thanks. "

"Can't have you falling. Who'd help me finish the roof?"

"Right. The roof." But she's looking at my mouth, not the roof.

"Kenzie."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"Okay."