Page 122 of Maddox

Charmaine’s sharp cry forced me to slam on my brakes. “What?” I almost reached for my weapon before searching the road. It was entirely possible she’d seen a deer or even a fox crossing the road. With the earlier light snow and more in the forecast, they were foraging for food and the ranch was a good place to find some. At least there’d been some rays of limited sun throughout the day, but it was still as cold as a witch’s tit.

Like my grandfather used to say.

“Would you look at that?” Her sigh was heavy, the smile on her face serene. She’d been furious with me only minutes before because I’d told her under no circumstances could she publish the article. That didn’t mean I wasn’t eager to read what she’d put together. Maybe doing so would lead to some clue.

But the girl was determined to get herself killed, and me in the process.

That wasn’t going to happen.

Even if I did need to follow through with my promise to keep her locked in a cage. My gut told me whoever was working with Alfaro was more than eager to clean up loose ends. That was in addition to what Gray had alluded to when I’d called him early that morning. I’d yet to tell her there’d been an attempt at obtaining her new identity and whereabouts. The last thing I wanted was to worry her.

Fortunately, the bastards hadn’t been successful. They hadn’t been caught either though. That had only been four days before. The noose was tightening.

“What am I looking at? A bear?” I teased. “Cause there are lots of man-eating bears around here.”

She poked my arm and leaned further forward, staring up at the sky through the windshield. “Very funny. Look how beautiful the sky is. I’ve never seen so many colors mixed together. It’s like a rainbow of pastels crisscrossing the sky. And the way the stars are forming bright spots in the horizon is incredible.”

Narrowing my eyes, I took a quick glance and snorted. “It’s a sky. There are clouds and stars. See it every day.”

She punched me hard then pointed toward one of the pastures. “Park over there.”

“Excuse me?”

“Pretty please?”

It felt good to laugh with her, something I hadn’t done in four months. Four months of craving what I’d thought I couldn’t have. Maybe she’d be good for the ranch, especially if I turnedit into a tourist attraction. The thought continued to churn my stomach, but something had to give.

I pulled to where she suggested, shifting the gear into park. “What now, ray of sunshine?”

The look she gave me was saucy. Just like the woman. “The cows are beautiful. Look at their colorations and with the backdrop of the mountains? Just amazing.”

Once again, I narrowed my eyes, but this time on purpose, staring at the group of cows who were currently nibbling on winter grass. Thanks to my foreman for making that happen.

“Beautiful cows? Are you hungry?”

The look she gave me could fry me into charred beef. “They are majestic animals. This would create a perfect artistic background to use in marketing material for your dude ranch.”

“You have this all figured out. Don’t you?” I sat back, amazed how good it felt to be around her.

“Actually, I think I do.” When she unfastened her seatbelt, I was certain she had plans on spending time petting another cow, which seemed highly unusual to me. Instead, she pressed her finger against the level lifting the tilt steering, shifting and climbing into my lap. With her knees bent, she straddled my legs, her expression one of utter desire.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

She threw her arms around my neck and ground her bottom back and forth across my groin. Did she have any idea what she was doing to me?

Of course she did.

“Just trying to christen your truck. It’s big and rough like you.” When she mimicked the rumble of the engine, my cock did more than just twitch. Leaning forward, she pressed her soft lips against my neck.

My balls tightened.

“You are, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” She dragged her tongue to my ear, darting the tip inside the shell before nipping my earlobe.

“Be careful, little girl. Like I said, there are wild animals in these parts.”

“I hope so,” she breathed, the rush of heat creating another wave of desire.

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