Page 15 of Waiting for the Rancher
“Admit it.” His tone held a gloating note. “You want me all for yourself, darlin’.”
She froze. He’d just called herdarlin’. And no doubt if she glanced over at him, he’d be grinning one of his flirtatious grins.
Was Maverick Oakley, her longtime and forever girlhood infatuation, flirting with her?
Warmth spilled through her. She’d dreamed of such a day, when he’d no longer see her as a girl but would instead view her as a woman. Was that actually happening?
She hardly dared to breathe just in case she woke up and found that she’d only imagined their interaction.
She could feel Maverick watching her, waiting for her to banter back. But she wasn’t an expert at flirting the way he was. In fact, she’d never gotten serious about any of the men who’d paid her attention, mainly because she’d always been too busy with her work.
Regardless, she had to say something, couldn’t let awkward silence linger between them. “You’re wrong.” She tried to make her voice as nonchalant as his had been. “I don’t want you all for myself, because I’ve got my eye on someone else.”
The moment the fib slipped from her lips, she regretted it. What was she doing? She couldn’t lie about being interested in another man. Not when the only one she’d ever liked was him.
Maverick straightened, and his easy grin faded. “Who?”
“Who?” Did he want her to name a name? A real person?
Maverick crossed his thick arms over his equally thick chest. “Yep. Who?”
Was he calling her bluff? She crossed her arms too and stared back.
His gaze dropped to her chest. Then it shot right back to her eyes. For a second, she glimpsed heat there—a heat that said he liked her body.
But just as quickly as the heat was there, he seemed to douse it with one blink. Before she knew it, his lips were curling up into a crooked grin.
Maybe she didn’t need to be embarrassed after all. If he could so easily push aside his desire, then she’d do the same.
As two of the High C Ranch hands came in through the double doors on the far end of the barn, leading their mounts and teasing each other, she tried to remember their names. For a second she couldn’t think of either, then when the taller of the two winked at her across the distance, she snapped her fingers. “Ross.”
Maverick’s gaze shifted to the newcomers, and his brow rose. “You’re interested in Ross?”
From what she’d been able to tell from her infrequent interactions with the cowhand over the past year, he was a nice fellow—polite, respectful, and kind. He certainly couldn’t compare to Maverick with his good looks. But there were qualities a whole lot more important than having a handsome face.
“I’ve had my eye on him.” That wasn’t entirely a lie because she had looked at him from time to time when he’d offered her a hand with the mares or foals.
Maverick watched Ross until he disappeared into a stall with his horse, then he turned his attention to Hazel, his forehead furrowed with obvious disbelief.
She needed to do more to convince Maverick. “Maybe you can give me some tips for how to get his attention.”
“What kind of tips?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Since you’re the expert at flirting, maybe you can teach me everything you know.”
Maverick’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth as though he intended to respond, but nothing came out.
She leaned her head against Tiny to hide her smile. She’d rarely seen Maverick speechless. And she liked that she’d been the one to disarm him.
Maybe she’d have to find other ways to do so. If he taught her how to flirt, what would happen if she turned around and used his techniques on him?
Would she dare?
The very thought sent her heart into a dizzying spin. No, that would be entirely out of character for her, and he’d realize something was going on.
Yet, he’d called herdarlin’. Surely that had to mean something. The only thing she could do was try to find out what.
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