Page 15 of Make Me Whole
Chapter Eight
BRADLEY
Holy shit.
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as my teeth dug into my cheek. My gaze firmly fixed on Hailey's swaying hips. Or more specifically, her perfectly rounded ass. The skin-tight denim, that might as well have been painted on, didn't leave much to the imagination at all.
I wanted to ram my fist through the nearest post. Before she'd even cleared her throat, I'd known she was there. In the same way her touch had branded my skin, her scent had branded my nose.
A field of wildflowers, that's what she smelled like. Subtle and sweet. She reminded me of them too. An air of innocence surrounded her but when you looked closely you could see she'd been scarred by the wild winds of life.
"What the hell?" I shook my head. Clearly, my lack of sleep was to blame for the odd direction my thoughts had taken. I should thank Hailey for that too. My brain had refused to shut down; a million questions remained unanswered.
I'd even attempted to Google her. However, with no last name, it was nothing more than a fishing expedition. Sure, I could've asked Mavis or even my sister, but that would've only led to me getting the third degree.
Besides, after my behavior at dinner, I didn't think Mavis would believe me if I said my intentions were good. From the little I've seen I already knew she'd protect Hailey with the fierceness of a lioness.
"I'm ready."
Like the shock to my system she appeared to be, Hailey's voice jolted me back to the present.
"Where do you want me?"
Oh, I could think of a few places. Up against the wall. Maybe over the haybales. Grinding my teeth together, I did my best to push those thoughts to the very back of my mind. "I've already started in here." I threw my thumb in the direction of Max's stall. "It's as good a place as any."
Without another word, I spun around and marched back to the stall. A few minutes later, Hailey gingerly entered as well. Her nose scrunched up while her eyes frantically scanned the floor.
I bit back my grin. "Something wrong?"
She focused those big, green eyes on me, brows pulled together. "No…not really. It's just—" she glanced at the floor before meeting my gaze again "—I didn't realize horses pooed so much."
My hand came up to cover my mouth in time to catch the snort-laugh that broke free. I quickly masked it with a cough. "They're big animals, they're bound to shit a ton."
Lightning fast, her features went from worried to fierce. Her chin tilted defiantly; her hands perched on her hips. "It was just an observation. No need to be an asshole about it."
One brow arched, my lips curving into a half-smile. "It's just poo. No need to be such a girl about it."
Hailey's eyes narrowed into thin slits while she pursed her lips. I could feel the anger radiating off her and for whatever reason, it only made me want to smile even more.
"I hate to point out the obvious," she gritted out. Her hands left her hips to gesture to her body. "But Iama girl."
Nope, not a girl. Hailey was all woman. The blood in my veins turned to fire while I took in her luscious curves in a slow perusal. It sent my mind reeling; wondering how those curves would feel pressed up against me.
Shit, I was doing it again.
"Right. The stall ain't gonna muck itself." There was an edge to my tone that could easily be mistaken for anger.
"Okay." A hint of uncertainty flashed across her face, but it was gone a moment later. "I've never done this before. Could you walk me through it, please?"
"You'll need that." I pointed toward the shavings fork resting against the wall. "Then you're gonna have to scoop up the—" I flashed her my teeth in a too wide smile "—poo. Then you're going to have to shake off the shavings before throwing the waste into the wheelbarrow."
Hailey eyed the fork then the floor. With a sharp nod, she said, "I can do that."
I leaned back. Bending my knee, I propped one foot against the wall and crossed my arms in front of me. This was going to be too good to miss. Those green eyes found me again, shining bright with determination.
My gaze stayed on her when she spun around and snatched the fork from its resting place. She then shoved it into the shavings with a lot of purpose and absolutely no skill. Shit and shavings went flying everywhere with each vigorous shake of her arm.
"Stop!" I closed my eyes for a beat before opening them and pushing off the wall with a sigh. "You're making more of a mess than the horses."
