was mid-July. Bothering with a shirt under the circumstances would be plain silly.
Well, then, she’d stay in her room. That would solve the problem. No, it wouldn’t. She definitely wanted to be in on the action when Dottie gave birth. She couldn’t picture herself cowering in her room like some nervous virgin because Drake was shirtless while he delivered a foal. That would be stupid.
“Still feeding the pigs?” The man in question walked toward her with a loose-hipped stride and a casual smile. He was sexy as hell.
“I’m just finishing up.” He’d look amazing without his shirt. Tracy had no doubt about that. If only he could have a potbelly like the pigs, but then he wouldn’t have been able to seduce Regan’s fiancée, which was the crux of the problem.
She had no idea how she’d handle the temptation of a bare-chested Drake, especially in the likely event that Dottie delivered her foal in the middle of the night. Tracy vaguely remembered discussions among the cowboys at Spirits and Spurs that mares often gave birth at night.
“I didn’t realize you’d be so fast.” She pushed away from the fence as he moved past the five-foot mark and the tingle of awareness began traveling through her body.
“Dottie’s colostrum production is still fairly minimal, which is good. The less she produces before giving birth, the better.”
Three feet. Her skin began to warm. “I haven’t started on dinner.” She gestured toward the pigs. “I like to wait until they’re done so I can let them back into their communal area. They love being together, except I can’t allow it when they eat.”
“Yeah, Lily explained that to me.” Drake stood next to her and peered down at the two pigs. “Harley seems a little skinnier, though, so I guess the new program is working.”
“It’s working.” And her libido was working, too. Overtime, in fact. Her hormones were racing around like a championship Roller Derby team.
He’d come here straight from hiking, something she remembered now. If the deodorant commercials were correct, his manly sweat should offend her. But something primitive was going on, because she longed to bury her nose in his shirt and take a big sniff of that heady scent. And then she’d...
“Look at that pig eat!” Drake sounded amused. “He’s practically licking the bowl.”
“Yeah. He’s insatiable.” Whoops. Not the best choice of words under the circumstances.
Drake’s low chuckle held an undercurrent of awareness. “Hey, Harley, are you gonna let the lady talk about you like that?”
“Well, he is.” As if she had no sense of self-preservation, she looked into Drake’s laughing eyes. Oh, Lord. She glanced away, but not quickly enough to mute the effect. Every secret, private place in her body responded. “I can let them loose now.” Her voice had a huskiness that she was very afraid he’d notice.
“You’re sure that’s a good idea? Lily used to let them roam the property, but from what I hear, that didn’t work out well.”
“I mean let them into their community area. They’ll still be fenced in.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, that’s better.”
As she walked over and opened the gates so they could both scurry into the communal pen, she told herself that she and Drake were having a conversation about the pigs. But if they had been, he should have been watching them. Instead his attention remained firmly on her, his gaze assessing.
After she let the pigs into their shared enclosure, she faced him. “I desperately need you to stay here tonight, and maybe for the next several nights.”
He remained watchful. “I know, and I’ve agreed to do that. It makes sense.”
“But asking you to stay doesn’t mean that I—”
“Of course not.” Pain was reflected ever so briefly in his expression. “I’ve been waiting for you to warn me off. Why would you get involved with a man you don’t like very much?” Bitterness laced his comment.
In a flash of insight, she
Well, then, she’d stay in her room. That would solve the problem. No, it wouldn’t. She definitely wanted to be in on the action when Dottie gave birth. She couldn’t picture herself cowering in her room like some nervous virgin because Drake was shirtless while he delivered a foal. That would be stupid.
“Still feeding the pigs?” The man in question walked toward her with a loose-hipped stride and a casual smile. He was sexy as hell.
“I’m just finishing up.” He’d look amazing without his shirt. Tracy had no doubt about that. If only he could have a potbelly like the pigs, but then he wouldn’t have been able to seduce Regan’s fiancée, which was the crux of the problem.
She had no idea how she’d handle the temptation of a bare-chested Drake, especially in the likely event that Dottie delivered her foal in the middle of the night. Tracy vaguely remembered discussions among the cowboys at Spirits and Spurs that mares often gave birth at night.
“I didn’t realize you’d be so fast.” She pushed away from the fence as he moved past the five-foot mark and the tingle of awareness began traveling through her body.
“Dottie’s colostrum production is still fairly minimal, which is good. The less she produces before giving birth, the better.”
Three feet. Her skin began to warm. “I haven’t started on dinner.” She gestured toward the pigs. “I like to wait until they’re done so I can let them back into their communal area. They love being together, except I can’t allow it when they eat.”
“Yeah, Lily explained that to me.” Drake stood next to her and peered down at the two pigs. “Harley seems a little skinnier, though, so I guess the new program is working.”
“It’s working.” And her libido was working, too. Overtime, in fact. Her hormones were racing around like a championship Roller Derby team.
He’d come here straight from hiking, something she remembered now. If the deodorant commercials were correct, his manly sweat should offend her. But something primitive was going on, because she longed to bury her nose in his shirt and take a big sniff of that heady scent. And then she’d...
“Look at that pig eat!” Drake sounded amused. “He’s practically licking the bowl.”
“Yeah. He’s insatiable.” Whoops. Not the best choice of words under the circumstances.
Drake’s low chuckle held an undercurrent of awareness. “Hey, Harley, are you gonna let the lady talk about you like that?”
“Well, he is.” As if she had no sense of self-preservation, she looked into Drake’s laughing eyes. Oh, Lord. She glanced away, but not quickly enough to mute the effect. Every secret, private place in her body responded. “I can let them loose now.” Her voice had a huskiness that she was very afraid he’d notice.
“You’re sure that’s a good idea? Lily used to let them roam the property, but from what I hear, that didn’t work out well.”
“I mean let them into their community area. They’ll still be fenced in.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, that’s better.”
As she walked over and opened the gates so they could both scurry into the communal pen, she told herself that she and Drake were having a conversation about the pigs. But if they had been, he should have been watching them. Instead his attention remained firmly on her, his gaze assessing.
After she let the pigs into their shared enclosure, she faced him. “I desperately need you to stay here tonight, and maybe for the next several nights.”
He remained watchful. “I know, and I’ve agreed to do that. It makes sense.”
“But asking you to stay doesn’t mean that I—”
“Of course not.” Pain was reflected ever so briefly in his expression. “I’ve been waiting for you to warn me off. Why would you get involved with a man you don’t like very much?” Bitterness laced his comment.
In a flash of insight, she
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