thirties having wet dreams about his partner wasn’t normal for anyone either. Better to jump in the shower and rinse away the memories of the dream. Before he could make it, there was a knock at his door.
“ What?”
“ Are you alright?” Crysta asked.
“ Of course I am.”
She paused before saying anything else. He didn’t blame her. He had barked out the order and he knew he sounded downright mean.
“ Okay. It’s just I heard a loud crash.”
“ I didn’t crash.”
“ If you say so. See ya downstairs.”
He listened to her retreating footsteps. Sighing, he headed into the bathroom. A cold shower should do him up good, then he could deal with work. And at some point, he needed to get over to Oahu and Rough ‘n Ready. Dreaming about Crysta proved to him he needed a release. Once he got a fix, he would stop dreaming about her.
Even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie, but clinging to that thought was the only thing keeping him sane.
* * * *
Crysta tried not to be irritated. It was getting harder every day with Eli being such a bear to her. When she first learned the information about the will, she expected him to be an ass. Seriously, she would have understood. But he had been welcoming, showing her stuff about the ranch, sharing information.
Now, his niceness seemed to have worn off. He was being an ass on a regular basis. She knew he fell out of bed. He had lied to her, then got pissed that she checked on him. Men. As much as she understood about them and their egos, she could never understand why they reacted as they did. Most of them lashed out at you if you tried to help. She could remember her usually laid back father being a total pain in the ass when he was in the hospital.
She shook those memories away and thought about Eli. Crysta knew part of it was her fault. Well, not that he fell out of bed. She’d been so preoccupied with Eli she hadn’t been sleeping well. She couldn’t seem to get the idea of submitting to him out of her mind. After watching him on the ranch the last few weeks, she knew Eli would be a stellar Dom. Submitting to him would probably be the stuff dreams were made of.
Those thoughts were whirling through her head as she lay awake. Then, she heard the crash.
“ That smells good,” Jerry said as he walked through the door and headed toward the coffee pot.
She shook her head trying to ignore her last thoughts about Eli. She smiled at Jerry.
“ You haven’t had a cup yet?”
He nodded but didn’t explain further. She’d enjoyed the talks they’d been having every morning. He reminded her a lot of Joe and her father. His dry humor and no nonsense way of looking at life always delighted her.
“ Where’s Eli?”
“ He’s walking into the kitchen wondering just why you seem to have taken up time with Crysta again.”
She tried to hide her reaction but knew he’d seen it. Whenever he was around these days she tensed. She was worried he would sense her attraction.
When she glanced at Eli, she tried not to sigh, but it was close. He wore just ordinary clothes, his every day work gear, but damned if they didn’t make him drop dead gorgeous. His jeans were soft and worn and molded to every bit of that perfectly rounded ass.
Jerry chuckled breaking into her thoughts. “She makes the best coffee around. Plus, it’s oatmeal day.”
“ Oatmeal is good for you,” Crysta said as she opened up the fridge. She had planned on eating some cereal but she knew what Jerry wanted.
“ I’ve got stuff to do,” Eli said, grabbing his travel coffee mug and filling it up.
She set the bacon on the counter and grabbed the egg carton. “You’re going out without eating?”
He nodded but didn’t make eye contact.
“ You need to go check the fence on the far east side, next to Sam’s place. Mike over at the Sunshine Plantation said he saw some of it down late last night.”
“ I was just out there yesterday morning.”
Jerry shrugged. “You want me to send a
“ What?”
“ Are you alright?” Crysta asked.
“ Of course I am.”
She paused before saying anything else. He didn’t blame her. He had barked out the order and he knew he sounded downright mean.
“ Okay. It’s just I heard a loud crash.”
“ I didn’t crash.”
“ If you say so. See ya downstairs.”
He listened to her retreating footsteps. Sighing, he headed into the bathroom. A cold shower should do him up good, then he could deal with work. And at some point, he needed to get over to Oahu and Rough ‘n Ready. Dreaming about Crysta proved to him he needed a release. Once he got a fix, he would stop dreaming about her.
Even as he thought it, he knew it was a lie, but clinging to that thought was the only thing keeping him sane.
* * * *
Crysta tried not to be irritated. It was getting harder every day with Eli being such a bear to her. When she first learned the information about the will, she expected him to be an ass. Seriously, she would have understood. But he had been welcoming, showing her stuff about the ranch, sharing information.
Now, his niceness seemed to have worn off. He was being an ass on a regular basis. She knew he fell out of bed. He had lied to her, then got pissed that she checked on him. Men. As much as she understood about them and their egos, she could never understand why they reacted as they did. Most of them lashed out at you if you tried to help. She could remember her usually laid back father being a total pain in the ass when he was in the hospital.
She shook those memories away and thought about Eli. Crysta knew part of it was her fault. Well, not that he fell out of bed. She’d been so preoccupied with Eli she hadn’t been sleeping well. She couldn’t seem to get the idea of submitting to him out of her mind. After watching him on the ranch the last few weeks, she knew Eli would be a stellar Dom. Submitting to him would probably be the stuff dreams were made of.
Those thoughts were whirling through her head as she lay awake. Then, she heard the crash.
“ That smells good,” Jerry said as he walked through the door and headed toward the coffee pot.
She shook her head trying to ignore her last thoughts about Eli. She smiled at Jerry.
“ You haven’t had a cup yet?”
He nodded but didn’t explain further. She’d enjoyed the talks they’d been having every morning. He reminded her a lot of Joe and her father. His dry humor and no nonsense way of looking at life always delighted her.
“ Where’s Eli?”
“ He’s walking into the kitchen wondering just why you seem to have taken up time with Crysta again.”
She tried to hide her reaction but knew he’d seen it. Whenever he was around these days she tensed. She was worried he would sense her attraction.
When she glanced at Eli, she tried not to sigh, but it was close. He wore just ordinary clothes, his every day work gear, but damned if they didn’t make him drop dead gorgeous. His jeans were soft and worn and molded to every bit of that perfectly rounded ass.
Jerry chuckled breaking into her thoughts. “She makes the best coffee around. Plus, it’s oatmeal day.”
“ Oatmeal is good for you,” Crysta said as she opened up the fridge. She had planned on eating some cereal but she knew what Jerry wanted.
“ I’ve got stuff to do,” Eli said, grabbing his travel coffee mug and filling it up.
She set the bacon on the counter and grabbed the egg carton. “You’re going out without eating?”
He nodded but didn’t make eye contact.
“ You need to go check the fence on the far east side, next to Sam’s place. Mike over at the Sunshine Plantation said he saw some of it down late last night.”
“ I was just out there yesterday morning.”
Jerry shrugged. “You want me to send a
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