Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“He’s going to find the info I need and talk to his contact at the FBI. He liked the idea of us putting any pressure we can on Evan to get his side of the story.”
“X has an FBI contact?”
“Of course he does.”
“Wow. There’s a whole world I was too naive to believe in, isn’t there?”
“There’s no reason you should know about this shit. But also, X is… Didn’t you recognize him?”
I frowned. “He looked vaguely familiar. I just assumed he looked like some hot celebrity.”
“You think he’s hot?”
“Grant, I’m not blind.”
He tried to scowl but ended up smiling. “All right. The man is seriously hot, but he’s also a famous philanthropist.”
“Oh my God. He’s… When he said he was the head of a security company, you meant…”
“Yes. And ‘security company’ is code for a group of assassins, former military, and former FBI and CIA.”
“Damn. Maybe I am stupid.”
“No.” Grant’s voice was sharp enough to make me jump.
“I’m sorry.” He laid his hands on my shoulders. “You’re incredible. Everything about you from your brain to your dick is incredible.”
“Wow. You really know how to compliment a guy.”
He flipped me off. “X is… He was an Army Ranger, and he’s tough as shit, but he also knows how to move in elite circles.
“Sounds like he’s a good friend to have.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“What does he want us to do?”
“You’re not—”
Jacob glared at me. “Do you want to finish that?”
“No, but, sweetheart, I…”
I turned to face him. “You what?”
“I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t drag me into anything. You let me stay here so I would be safe.”
“You’d be safer if you didn’t know me or my family.”
“No, I’d be with Trey.”
Seconds passed before he said, “Can I please just take you for a ride?”
“Yes, but you’ve left out the part where you expected more of yourself than X did.”
Grant sputtered. “How did you… You got that just from my side of the conversation?”
I loved that I’d surprised him. “I could have guessed it before you called him.”
“You’ve been talking to my brothers.”
“To TJ actually.”
“Son of a bitch.”
I just laughed. “So tell me what X said.”
“That he was surprised I hadn’t called him sooner, that he never expected me to do this without any help.”
I bit my lip to hold in a laugh, but Grant glared at me like he knew.
“You don’t like to accept help.”
“Maybe I don’t, but X assigned me to run this ranch, and I wanted to run it myself.”
“Without any assistance from him or anyone else?”
“I have my brothers.”
“And TJ.”
Grant huffed.
“He’s not so bad.”
“Tell Rhys that.”
“Rhys… Never mind.”
“Wants to fuck his brains out. I know.”
I laughed at the disgusted look on Grant’s face.
“What else did X say?”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Interesting.”
“Jacob.”
I smiled up at him. “I’ll drop it for now, but I won’t let you try to do this on your own anymore.”
We reached the barn, and Grant surprised me by trusting me to tack up Biscuit on my own while he did the same for his horse, Zion.
I managed the job almost entirely by myself, and the few times I had questions, Grant gently guided me to the right answer and let me do the work on my own.
Instead of using mounting blocks, he effortlessly lifted me high enough that I could swing my leg over Biscuit’s back.
I didn’t think I’d ever stop being turned on by the way he manhandled me so easily. I had to focus on gripping the reins properly to keep from fixating on how his hands felt on my waist and how much I wanted to lean back into his heat instead of climbing onto the horse.
I wasn’t about to deny Grant the chance to take me on a ride around the ranch, but I sure as hell hoped he planned to finish what we’d started when we were done. I didn’t care if it happened in the tack room, a stall, the hay loft, or anywhere else. I just wanted him.
Grant kept his mount’s pace slow, and Biscuit followed right along beside him. I longed to see Grant galloping over the fields on his beautiful horse, but I knew I wasn’t ready to keep up yet. Maybe one day we could race, and…
I shouldn’t be planning the future. I needed to enjoy what I had right then. I was on a horse, and I was with a sexy man who was the protector I’d never had.
“You’re thinking too much,” Grant said.
“Aren’t you always doing that?”
“I’m not sure I like how well you’ve learned to read me.”
“So I’m right?
“I think all the time so I can keep everyone safe.”
But who keeps you safe? I didn’t ask it out loud because I knew he’d brush off my concern. Maybe TJ had been right, maybe he did need someone like me to care for him. But would he ever admit it?