Page 74 of Wild As Her

“Don’t forget the wine,” he says. “She picked it out herself. Said it had ‘earthy undertones.’”

I gag dramatically. “You poor thing. Must’ve beensohard for you. You don’t even like wine.”

Jack grins, but his eyes flicker with something more like amusement and curiousity, like he’s waiting to see if I’ll admit the obvious.

Jack stretches, resting his forearms against his saddle horn. “You wanna know how it went?”

“Nope.”

“She told me she’s allergic to grass.”

I blink. “You’re lying.”

Jack shakes his head, looking downright delighted. “Swear on Pesto’s life. She said it’s ‘so rustic’ out here, but she’s ‘just not used to all the elements.’”

I stare at him. “You mean…the outdoors?”

“Exactly.”

A laugh bursts out of me before I can stop it. “Oh my God. Jessop, you’re gonna end up marrying someone who breaks out in hives every time the wind blows.”

Jack tilts his head. “Who said I was gonna marry anyone?”

I roll my eyes. “That’s literally the point of the show.”

He smirks. “I think the point is to entertain the masses.”

I turn, riding Mouse a little ahead of him, my fingers lightly running over the horse’s coarse mane. The breeze is cool against my face, but my skin is still warm from the ride.

Jack follows. “So, you’re really not gonna ask how the date ended?”

I sigh dramatically. “Fine. How did it end?”

“She tried to get me to teach her how to ‘do cowboy things.’”

I choke. “What the hell doesthatmean?”

He grins. “Your guess is as good as mine. I asked for clarification, and she said she wanted to ‘lasso something.’”

“Oh, this just keeps getting better,” I mutter. “Did she manage to lasso anything?”

“Almost,” Jack says. “Would’ve been real impressive if she hadn’t accidentally roped herself to a fence post.”

I lose it. The kind of laugh that makes my stomach hurt and my shoulders shake as Mouse keeps moving forward, utterly unbothered by my outburst.

Jack just keeps looking at me, smirking. “Glad to see you’re so supportive of my reality TV journey.”

I wipe a tear from my eye, shaking my head. “I love that you’re on this show.”

“You hate that I’m dating other women,” he corrects, his voice just a little too smug.

I shoot him a glare. “Don’t flatter yourself, Jessop.”

I wonder if Jack knows that most of the women aren’t really here for the show. I don’t want to say anything, and I definitely don’t want him to think that I’m jealous.

His eyes gleam in the moonlight, but he doesn’t push further. Just lets the silence settle around us. We ride in easy quiet, the distant sounds of the ranch on the wind, the rustling grass, the occasional snort of a horse wrapping around us like a familiar song.

We ride in silence for a while, the soft thud of hooves in the grass, and the night settling over us like a blanket. The stars are scattered thick above us, and it’s so peaceful.

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