Page 29 of My Cowboy Valentine

I add, “After our ride, I’ve got dinner lined up for us and a little surprise.”

She smiles broadly, stealing my heart all over again. “Now that Billy’s story is out there, we’re bound to encounter some paparazzi,” she warns.

I nod lazily, tempted to stay in bed with the stunning redhead all day. Usually, the paparazzi thing would rile me up, but I couldn’t care less now that I’ve got Lesley all to myself. “They’ve already descended on Jameson & Cash. Shelley texted this morning about it.”

Red’s face hardens. “I need to talk with Shelley, but I wanted to speak with you first. I was very unimpressed by how she performed during the first fit testing… So much so that I think you need to let her go.”

“Really?” I ask, scratching my chest. I dread this part of being a boss most. “Can’t you train her up or something, so she does better next time?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. How long do you want to babysit her, Ron?” Red frowns, her emerald eyes drilling into me.

“Understood. We’ll discuss it later. But I don’t want to hear another word about work. It’s Valentine’s Day, and we’ve got to get to the stables before I decide to fuck all my best-laid plans and spend the day in bed with you.” I devour her with my gaze,the corners of my mouth turning up in a seductive smile. Never have I hungered this way for a woman before. But considering she’s the first woman I ever remember hungering for, it makes sense.

“You keep looking at me like that, Rowdy, and we’ll never get to the stables.”

“You have a point,” I acknowledge reluctantly, easing out from under her. Jumping out of bed, I feel the heat from her eyes following me. “We’ll need to stop by your hotel so you can change.”

Red nods her head lazily, lying on her belly on the bed, her chin resting on her folded fingers and her legs bent behind her, swinging in the air and showing off her round, ivory ass to perfection. Pale beige freckles cover her skin, like stars in the night sky, and I make a mental note to spend some time playing Connect the Dots with my tongue later. Fuck, if my cock doesn’t stiffen at the thought. I’ve seriously got to get my head out of the gutter.

Trying to pull myself together and show a little self-control, I clear my throat, saying, “I hope you have something better than those dumbass cowboy boots you showed up in the other day. They haven’t seen a lick of work or mud. And I bet you spent a small fortune on them.”

She shrugs. “I can’t recall off the top of my head. But yes, they’ll have to do the job today. Sorry cowboy, but I had better things to pack than work boots.”

“We could run by your mama and daddy’s. Do they have any of your old boots kicking around?” I raise an eyebrow, unwilling to admit this is a test. If Lesley freely brings me around her parents, claiming me as hers, I’ll know we’re getting somewhere.

“They probably have a couple of old pairs, but I’d rather buy new ones than wade through all the junk in their garage. I’m sure they’ll have plenty to say about you and me, too.”

“Are you ready to hear it?” I ask.

“If that’s how you want to spend today, sure. But I don’t want to ruin whatever plans you mentioned either.”

“Good,” I say with a firm nod. “We’ll stick with the original plan. But we’ll also call them from my truck on the ride to the hotel and set up a dinner with them. Your daddy’ll be fit to be tied that I didn’t ask his permission before the engagement.”

Red bites her lower lip, admiring my ass as I turn, grabbing a couple of robes and bath towels from the walk-in closet. I throw a robe and towel in her direction.

She questions, “Don’t you think we should tell them the truth?”

“And what’s that?” I ask, my pulse racing.

“That Billy tricked us into getting engaged, and things progressed from there?”

I grin. “It depends on what you mean by ‘progressed.’”

She covers her blushing face with her hands, peeking through her fingers at me. “We’ll have to spare them the details, of course.”

“But we’ll tell them we’re together? And this isn’t fake?”

She nods, biting her lower lip, and I breathe a sigh of relief. “Alright, Red, are you showering with or without me?”

“With you, of course,” she replies with a look that tells me we’ll be lucky to ever reach the stables.

After talking her into packing up her hotel room early and checking out to make my place her landing pad, we head back to the ranch, fielding a thousand questions from her parents along the way. The Cashes sound confused about Billy’s part in everything, and Mr. Cash emphasizes several times that I owehim a private conversation. But despite their general surprise and confusion, neither parent acts especially concerned or upset, which has Lesley and me shaking our heads after the call.

“Wow, I thought they were going to freak out more,” she says. “If anything, they sounded happy.”

I nod, side-eyeing her. “They want you back here, Red, like we all do. Maybe they think with us being in a relationship they’ll see more of you.” I swallow hard, my face warming. “And they know what kind of man I am. That I would never purposely hurt you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and make you happy.”

Tears brim in her eyes, and she smiles bittersweetly. “You are too good for me, Ronald Jameson.”

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