Page 40 of Mister Cowboy
She slipped out the back door of the bar and walked quickly to her apartment. She showered, scrubbing until her skin no longer itched with the dirt and dust of the ranch. Throwing on a tank and a pair of sleep shorts, she climbed into bed and video called Brecken.
“Hey there, beautiful.” His voice was gruff, and he was barley a visible in the dim light from the phone.
“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”
“Nah, I just laid down. Did you get my text?”
“Yes, and I think we need to work on your sexting skills. I’ve never been sent a picture of an ass before.”
“Oh, that wasn’t sexting, sweetheart. That was a reminder. I don’t want you to forget about me while I’m gone.”
Fat chance.
“How was your day?” he asked.
She let out a breath and brought the phone closer to her face. “It was okay. I’m feeling a little behind at the ranch, but I did get the bathrooms done today. I’ll start on the bedrooms tomorrow.”
“There’s no rush. I’ve told you that. Don’t stress out about it.” He placed one arm behind his head, and she got a glimpse of a muscular bicep and a hint of his chest. Her body warmed as she realized he was shirtless in bed, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up against him and have this conversation while she let her fingers rove over his upper body.
“I’m not. Well, I am, but—sorry. I found out Michael slept with my friend Carrie. You met her at Sensual last week…or, at least I think you did. That night is a bit blurry.” January stopped rambling and waving her free hand about and settled back on Brecken’s face through the phone, surprised by the confused he was giving her.
“Is that not a good thing that your two friends are hooking up?”
“Not when it’s Michael. He never sleeps with the same woman twice, and I don’t want it to be weird if we’re all out together.” Her anger bubbled to the surface again. “I can’t believe he did this.”
“What about Carrie? She doesn’t get any of the blame?”
“What?”
Brecken shifted in his bed and repositioned the phone so it was closer to his face. A dark lock of hair fell forward onto his face and she wanted to push it back and run her fingers through his thick mane. “Well, you don’t seem to be mad at Carrie, just Michael. Seems a little hypocritical.”
“I guess so, but Michael has always stayed away from my friends before. It isn’t like him to sleep with someone that runs in our circle.”
“Maybe he likes her.”
“Yeah right,” she mumbled, not ready to admit that he had a point. “How was your day? How’s Kansas?”
“I spent more than eight hours holed up in a conference room with other heads of companies, trying to decide if we should merge and what that looks like if we do.”
“You’d sell Blackstone Software? Why?”
“Not selling, exactly. The company would become part of something larger.”
She leaned back against the pillows at the head of her bed and let her body relax against the soft support. Moving the phone above her face so that Brecken’s face hovered above her own. “And here I was complaining about organizing bathrooms all day. I feel so petty by comparison.”
He laughed and ran his fingers back over his hair, pulling the stray lock back in place. “Not even close. You’re doing a job I would never be able to do. I think that means that you’re far from petty.”
This time she didn’t agree with him, but still she didn’t comment. A beat of silence passed before he asked, “So, what are you going to do about Michael?”
“I suppose I’ll wait up for him tonight and try to talk to him.”
“No, don’t do that. Give him the night. Give yourself the night.”
Nodding, she yawned and covered her mouth.
“Call me tomorrow and tell me how it goes. Night, beautiful.”
Turning on her side and staring into the phone, she desperately wished she could transport him beside her. “Good night.”
