Page 12 of Possessive Cowboy

“He’s just up the road,” Levi says as I come forward to shake Abigail’s hand. “Known him for a while now. Mostly cattle, but he’s getting started with some crops next season. He’s also got connections in town.”

“Oh,” Abigail says faintly, shaking my hand. “That’s great. Maybe you can help us find a location. The mayor is being a real pain in the ass about zoning.”

“I can see what I can do,” I say.

But I’m looking past Abigail now, having finally seen the face of the anonymous blonde in the passenger’s seat of the little green car.

I think I have to be hallucinating. Maybe the loneliness has finally driven me insane. It was only a matter of time, I guess. Because right now I see her. Not this Raina person Abigail is referring to, buther:Bridget.

Her wide, innocent eyes are looking at me through the glass of the car window. And those luscious pink lips that I remember so well are parted in shock.

7

Raina

Sittingacross from Mav at Levi’s well-worn kitchen table is the most surreal experience. I can’t look at him, but even though I’m not looking at him I canfeelhis eyes on me. He hasn’t taken them off of me since I got out of the car. As though nothing else matters, nothing else is visible to him but me.

It’s intense.

As intense as it was the night we spent together.

All of the memories and sensations from that night have come flooding back to me. I press my thighs together beneath the kitchen table as Levi and Abby talk through the details of the business plan that Abby’s drafted. I know I’m supposed to be listening, but I can’t even concentrate on the words they’re saying.

“What do you think, Raina?” Abby asks. The mention of my name catches my attention and I finally look up from the worn out wooden tabletop to meet her eyes.

Being best friends for as long as we’ve been, Abby and I have a somewhat telepathic way of communicating without ever having to speak the words.

Right now her eyes are sayingHoly shit, it’s Maverick, THE Maverick from the Hush app! And he’s smoking hot! And he lives right next door to Levi? Holy fucking shit.

“What do I think about what?” I echo the question.

Abby gives me a sympathetic look.

“You taking a stab at a logo for the co-op?” she asks. She turns to Levi. “She had a great idea for images for the website too, taking some photos of the ranch to show where everything is grown and raised.”

“Sounds good,” Levi nods. “Show people that we’re the real deal. Local and natural. People eat that stuff up. You can take pictures?”

“Raina is the best,” Abby assures him, mercifully saving me from having to answer the question myself. As it is, my thoughts are sluggish and my tongue will barely cooperate.

I can still feel Mav’s eyes boring into me from across the table, and I steal a glance at him for a fraction of a second to see what his expression is like.

Still intense.Maybe even angry?

But what does he have to be angry about? Angry about the way I left? Angry that I used a fake name? It’s all to be expected isn’t it, with an app like Hush?

We had an arrangement.

It’s not my fault that he happens to be the neighbor and business partner of Levi, the man who my best friend has been in love with for years now, the same man she’s convinced to go into business with her to open a food co-op in town.

What are the odds? Slim to none. Which is just my luck. The one time I try to get away with a no strings attached hook up, something I’d never normally do, is the one time I hook up with the wrong man, the man in this town that Ishouldn’thave hooked up with.

Well, he can be angry if he wants. He has no right to be upset with me. No right at all.

“We should get started as soon as possible,” Maverick says, speaking for the first time. “We won’t open the store for months, but that gives us a lot of lead time to market this thing and get the word out. Let’s get our branding figured out, get the website up, and start generating excitement. The sooner the better.”

“Agreed,” Levi says while Abby nods.

“We’ll take photos in the south pasture of my ranch,” Mav continues. “More picturesque than Levi’s place – no offense to Levi.”

---