Cowboy Not Included: The Boot Knockers Ranch, Book 6 by Em Petrova Page A

front of her, posturing like a lion protecting his kill from another predator.
    She clamped her fingers on the back of his arm, but he didn’t respond even when she pinched him hard. Peeking around her annoying ex, she got a good glimpse of the hot man. He shot her a grin.
    Oh yes. That was nice. She’d take more of that. And she liked the no-boundaries feel of the ranch. The ladies flirted with all the cowboys, it seemed. And Booker…well, he flirted with everyone.
    Apparently Booker had ideas about Skye flirting, if the wall of his back was anything to go by.
    She cleared her throat, and he stepped aside long enough for her gaze to meet the big cowboy’s. “Hi,” she barely squeaked out before her vision was obscured by Booker’s back again.
    The men exchanged a few words about a wet part of the ranch that needed a drain pipe.
    After the couple moved off, Skye balled her fist and punched Booker in the arm. Pain shot through her fingers. She must have made some noise, because he caught her fist. Rubbing his rough thumb over her knuckles, he looked deeply into her eyes. “I thought you’d learned your lesson the first time you tried to punch me.”
    “How did you get all this muscle, anyway?” Her tone was accusatory as she cradled her hand.
    “Ranch work. Do you think I fuck all day?”
    Yes, she had thought that. At least in the beginning. Now looking at him, she understood he couldn’t get that body from doing the horizontal tango. “So you still work with horses?”
    He nodded. “Horses, cows. We’ve got some chickens, but I avoid cleaning the coop. Not my thing. And there’s a lot of acreage to keep up.”
    “I see.”
    “Let’s go to the pool.”
    Now that she could get on board with. She hadn’t been swimming in ages, and she relished the thought of doing laps then sinking into hot, bubbling water.
    The ranch was spread across the valley in a neat fashion. Each building had a quaint red roof and the grounds were kept tidy. When they passed the office, a woman with short, blue hair rushed out.
    “Booker.”
    He stopped with a slow smile. “Howdy.”
    “I just wanted to thank you for helping me yesterday.”
    “Sure thing, sugar.”
    The syrupy drawl made Skye groan in disgust. New muscles and a few tender moments while poring over pictures of his daughter couldn’t make him less of a man-whore.
    “Your little trouble’s cleared up, then?” he asked.
    She bobbed her head, and a blue lock of hair fell into one eye. “Definitely.” The way she said this, with a flare of her eyes and tongue flicking over her lip gave Skye no illusion as to how Booker had helped her.
    Skye turned and started walking away, fast.
    “I’m glad things worked out for you. Hey, Skye, wait up.” He reached her side in a few long steps.
    She could barely stand his presence. Nor did she want it.
    “Earlier I showed you a different pool. There are two and of course, the pond for skinny-dippin’ if you’re interested. I wouldn’t suggest it tonight, though. The water’ll be too cool after the rain.”
    “I’m not interested in swimming with you at all.”
    “Too bad. You look great in a bikini.”
    Damn him to hell. She hadn’t had a compliment in forever, but having one from a man who gave them out to everything on two feet wasn’t welcome. If only he were as free with his secrets as he was with sweetly drawled praise.
    She continued walking, avoiding conversation as much as possible and trying to keep from strangling the man. She couldn’t go to jail—her daughter needed her.
    “I’m ready to go back to the bungalow,” she said.
    “You don’t want to see the chickens?” His happy, open expression told her he was clueless to her animosity. She wasn’t doing a very good job of ditching him.
    “Not right now.”
    “Supper’s on in a few. You won’t want to miss Cook’s dinner, and I can’t let your sugar get too low.”
    The man probably bedded the cook too. “Just how many people do you sleep