Chapter Thirteen
Cheryl
They bounced along the trails at a speed that forced her to hold on tight, something neither of them had an issue with.
Rowe was right, of course. If she wanted to, things between the two of them could take an entirely different track.
She had to shout to be heard once words finally came to her. “You’re not giving up, are you?”
Rowe shook his head. “No, I’m pretty set on making you mine,” he shouted, his words torn at by the wind, even though their heads were practically pressed together.
“That’s a little possessive, don’t you think? Making me yours?”
He laughed, his back bouncing up and down. “Maybe. Tell me that you don’t like the sound of it though, and then we’ll talk.”
“Sometimes I hate you,” she muttered, sitting back into the seat as she realized he was right. “It’s not like I’ve told you I feel like that.”
“Maybe not.” He slowed so they could talk more easily. “You haven’t told me to leave yet though, which makes it fairly clear that you’re just as interested.” He licked his lips. “Plus you kissed me back. That was a bit of a giveaway.”
Cheryl wanted to be angry, but she could do nothing but laugh. He had a point there.
“Then there are your efforts to push me away, which have been lackluster at best.”
She looked down, watching the ground go by for a few seconds. “You think you can read me fairly well, do you?”
“Sure. That’s not the hard part.”
“What? What the hell is the hard part?” Every time she thought she was starting to figure things out, Rowe went out and left her more confused. “Me being able to read you?” She didn’t think she was that bad at it.
“That’s not hard; you just aren’t allowing yourself to. No, the hard thing for you is reading yourself. You’re trying to convince yourself of one thing, when you want another. Yet for some reason you won’t allow yourself to have it. I don’t know why, and I’m not entirely sure you do either. You claim it’s because of the job, but I think we both know that’s no longer true.”
She flinched at the accuracy of his prediction. But inside that spark of rebellion reared its head.
“Things have already become more difficult with the job since I’ve let you in,” she countered. “The first time anything happened between us, I couldn’t focus the next morning, slept in, and was late to work. What kind of example is that? Not to mention you have much different standards of what is and isn’t appropriate.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you thinking that a strange woman would be perfectly comfortable walking around in her underwear around you!”
“Oh. That.”
“Yeah, that,” she said, mocking him lightly. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that.”
He looked over his shoulder and grinned. “It’s okay, I haven’t forgotten a thing about it either.” He let go and tapped his head, then winked and focused on the trail.
“Not cool, man,” she growled.
Rowe brought the ATV to a halt once more. “I just want to say for the record that if you hadn’t stopped what was happening to us that night, I have a sneaking suspicion you would have woken up in the morning just fine.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re a distraction, Rowe. Like, a really big one. You’re hot, and charming, and yeah, fine, the idea of taking you to bed is appealing. Which is exactly why I can’t. I need to keep my brain on the task at hand, not what I can fit in my hand.” She mimed stroking a dick for a second, until she realized what she was doing. “Dammit, even now I’m thinking about it.”
“Maybe you should just stop trying to resist it,” he offered. “Have you—and I don’t mean this to be pushy—but have you considered that maybe by accepting what’s going on between us, it might stop being such a big distraction for you?”
Cheryl sighed, frustrated. “Of course I’ve thought of that, Rowe! Yeah, it’s a possibility. But I know myself, okay? I’m a serial relationship-er. Or however you want to say that.”
“A what? You aren’t going to try and kill me, are you?” He was smiling.
“No, silly. I mean that I jump from one relationship to another, and I devote all my attention and efforts to the relationship. Often to the detriment of things around me. Which in this case is my job!”
Rowe nodded slowly.
“What? What’s that nod for?”
“It’s because this is the first time you’ve actually opened up to me, do you know that? Actually told me why focusing on the job would be so difficult if you were to be with me. My sex appeal isn’t an answer I’m willing to accept. I’d make sure you were more than satisfied before and after work, so that it wasn’t an issue.”
If her lady parts could howl with lust, they would be doing so right then. The idea of succumbing to him completely and letting him do just that wasn’t one she was sure she wanted to fight. Let alone could fight it.
“Rowe, please.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just… I can’t always control what I’m thinking around you, and sometimes it becomes words without me meaning to.”
She scoffed. “Right. Like you have that sort of problem.”
Rowe turned in his seat, giving her a quiet stare.
When she finally found the ability to speak, her voice came out as a squeak. “You do?”
“I must be appearing a lot calmer on the outside than I think, because you drive me wild. My mind can’t think straight half the time when I’m around you. I just want to say the right thing to make you happy, and if we’re still being honest, I’m often terrified that I’ve said the complete wrong thing.”
She smiled. “It’s refreshing to see this side of you.”
“What side?”
“Vulnerable. It makes me feel like you trust me.”
Rowe blinked rapidly a few times, but his eyes never moved from her. “Do you feel like I don’t?” he asked at last.
She thought about the question, giving it the diligence he deserved. “I don’t know. There’s something about you that’s different than any other guy I’ve ever met. Like, something tangible, but you keep it hidden. Locked away, and I can’t even identify enough of it to begin to explain.” She laughed. “That makes me sound crazy.”
“Maybe,” he agreed cryptically. “Then again, maybe not.”
Cheryl eyed him sharply. What the hell was he talking about? Was he hiding something? She started to ask him, but the buzzing of her phone startled her, and she shifted her weight, frantically trying to reach it.
The ATV was already on a bit of a slope however, and Cheryl’s actions moved her even more on an angle, until suddenly gravity took hold.
“Rowe, I—!” She went splat, landing on her back in the muddy half-frozen ground. “Ack.”
Rowe laughed and got off the ATV, lifting her to her feet with ease. “There you go.”
“So much for saving me.” She was teasing, and stuck out her tongue to prove it.
“You’ll notice that I’ll always save you from outside interference. But when it’s your own silly fault, well, you’re on your own there.” He grinned.
She laughed, pulling out the phone and answering it at last. “Hello?”
What she heard wiped the smile from her face.