Page 30 of Worth the Want

“It suits you,” I tell her. And it does. She looks sexier than she has a right to in that hat, and I can’t imagine another woman with her name. “Come on, Indie. I’ll walk you to your place.”

She shakes her head at me. “Not necessary, Cowboy.”

I smile down at her. “Cowboy?”

“Isn’t this the Wild West?” she asks with a flutter of her eyelashes.

“I wouldn’t describe Silverthorne like that exactly.”

Smiling, she slides open the glass door, and I follow her through it. “You really don’t need to walk me. It’s what? Half a mile?”

“More or less, but it’s dark.”

“Do you think something is going to get me? I’m a pretty fast runner, you know,” she jokes.

“Oh yeah? I might believe you, but if you can’t see it coming, then how will you know to run?” I flinch in herdirection, causing her to scream.Loudly.We may not have neighbors, but I would be shocked if someone in the next county over didn’t hear it. I laugh. Hard.Why is it so fun to tease this woman?

“Asshole.” She shoves at me, but I don’t move. Her hand lingers for a few seconds on my stomach. I may or may not be flexing for her.

“A lot of the time I can be,” I agree quietly.

“That must be freeing.”

“How so?”

“Not worrying about everything that comes out of your mouth and how someone else might take it? What that must be like?” she says dreamily.

“Is that really how you go through life?” I ask.

She nods. “For the most part.”

“I’m not an expert, but I don’t know if that’s healthy,” I tease.

“Oh, it’s not. Rest assured, the experts all agree with you.”

I hum, but don’t comment.

“Got any big plans for tomorrow?” she asks.

“I’m going for a hike.”

“I’ve been wanting to go on a hike. I even made a list of trails in the area I want to try.” I think she might be fishing for an invite, but I’ve been wrong before.

“Have you ever been hiking before?”

“Not exactly, but I went for a run on the trail that cuts off the main drive here and made it back in one piece,” she tells me quickly. Eagerly. There is no pretense now.

“Would you want to go, Indiana?” The question hangs between us. It’s not like I've asked her on a date, but close enough.

“Oh. Um, sure. What time?” I can tell she’s excited, but she doesn’t want me to know. Her mouth is tilted up, and I want to kiss the corner of it.

I grin. “Seven?”

“Perfect. I’ll be on your porch ready to go,” she says, moving to take the steps up to the front door. I don’t try to stop my eyes from watching her ass as she goes. She turns back to me when she reaches the top. “Goodnight, Knox.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, Indie. Goodnight,” I say, before walking back to my house in the cool evening air. I can feel her eyes on me until I make it to the edge of my yard.

When I lie down in bed, it takes me much longer than usual to fall asleep. Thinking of Indie being right down the road, within walking distance, has me wired. When I do succumb to sleep, she’s there too. In that blue swimsuit, smiling at me.