“You said something about sex?”
He laughs. “Lots and lots of it.”
I climb on top of him again.
“Is that a yes?”
I kiss my answer, then he makes everything go away. He makes it go away two times over.
Chapter Seventeen
Aaron
“You ready?” Quinn asks, riding up behind me on a horse.
I can’t stop staring at Devyn, who’s shaking out a rug on the porch.
Devyn sees us and waves.
Quinn sits up straighter. “Damn, she’s hot.”
Before I can get a word in, he’s trotting over to her. I pull up alongside him as we reach the porch.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” he says. “But I’m not sure why the hell not.” He reaches over the railing and holds out a hand. “Quinn Thompson.”
She puts the rug down, steps over, and shakes. “Devyn.”
“Devyn…?”
“Just Devyn.”
“I can see why Aaron has kept you a secret. Where are you from?”
“Around.”
“Well, if you’re new to town, I volunteer my services as tour guide.” Devyn glances at me. Quinn does, too. “Oh, are you two—”
“Yes,” I say. “Can we get to work now?”
He holds up his hands in surrender. “No harm, no foul. Nice to meet you, Devyn.”
“And you.” She locks eyes with me. “See you later?”
“Count on it.”
Quinn chuckles as we knee our horses into a walk. “Is that the reason you took off on me last week?”
“Do you think it’s possible to fall for someone after only a few weeks?”
He grimaces. “Like love and shit?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
He brings Tucker to a stop. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
I shake my head.
“Well, damn. I’m the wrong person to ask. Like the way wrong person.”
“Three weeks ago, I was just like you. I would have laughed if you’d told me I’d spend every waking minute thinking about a woman.”
“Who’d have thought one of us would get a girlfriend before we turned thirty?”
“She’s not just a girlfriend. I can’t get her out of my head. I’m thinking crazy shit, brother. Like tuxedos, vacations on a secluded beach, matching headstones—all of it.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Maybe it’s because she’s so hot. I bet in a few weeks you’ll be your old self again.”
“I don’t think so. Have you ever stopped to think why we are the way we are? We go from woman to woman. What are we looking for? Could be we just hadn’t found it yet.”
“And you think she’s it?”
“She’s smart, mysterious, and sexy as hell. She even has ideas about the ranch.”
“Like what?”
“We were out at my oil well the other day. When we rode on the airstrip, she said how great it would be to offer guests helicopter tours of the ranch or fly VIPs right to the property from the airport. It’s genius. I wish I could make it happen.”
“Why can’t you?”
“One, the airstrip is a piece of crumbled crap. Two, I’m not a pilot, nor do I know any.”
“Let’s think about this for a minute. What if you could fix the airstrip?”
“Not a chance. It would cost millions. Maddox and Gavin would never go for it.”
“What if someone donated the money?”
We reach the edge of the property, and I dismount. “Dude, I’m not letting you spend your trust fund on a crazy idea.”
“What’s crazy about it? She’s right. Can you imagine the business you’d get if you advertised private plane service or helicopter tours? Rich people eat that shit up, trust me.”
“It’s not happening. Besides, you never dip into your inheritance.”
“Because it’s blood money. But this would be for a good cause. Think about it. You could expand more than just the lodge business. Having a working airstrip might give you opportunities for the rest of the ranch.”
“Even if we fixed the airstrip, I’d never be able to afford to pay a pilot.”
“So I’ll do it.”
“I’m not letting you pay a pilot for us.”
“No, I mean I’ll be your pilot.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
He laughs. “No, I’m not. It’s perfect. I’d love to learn how to fly. I feel fucking useless around here. Nobody will hire me because I’m a Thompson. College is for pussies—no offense. But what the hell else am I going to do with my life?” He pulls out his phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Finding out how to become a pilot.”
I laugh. “I suppose you’re going to buy a plane, too. And a helicopter?”
“How about we cross that bridge when we get to it? Besides, anything can be rented. Hot damn, I don’t think I’ve been this excited about anything in a long time. Do you know how much chicks dig pilots? I’m going to get so much tail.”
I shake my head. “As if you don’t already. Mind if we get to work and pull our heads out of the clouds? I told Maddox we’d test all the water sources by the end of the day.”
“Oh, I’m the one with my head in the clouds? You and the future Mrs. Pearce back there… Where’s she from anyway? I’ve never seen her around.”
“I’m not really sure.”
“What did she do before she worked here?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you’re in love with the girl? You don’t know anything about her. It’s the sex, isn’t it? She looks like she’d be unbelievable in bed.”
“She is, but that’s beside the point.”
He laughs and pats me on the back. “Man, that is the point. That’s the whole point.”
I hit him.
“What’s her last name?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“You have got to be kidding. But she works for you.”
“For room and board. I don’t pay her a wage.”
“Still, she hasn’t told you her name? She could be a psycho. A gold digger. An underage runaway. She does look young. Oh, shit, you could be screwing jailbait.”
“She’s twenty-two.”
“And you believe her? When she won’t tell you anything else?”
“I do.”
“You should hire a PI before you get in too deep.”
“What don’t you understand about everything I’ve said? I’m already in deep. I don’t care who she was before she came here. I’m the last person to judge anyone.”
“Does she know about Cameron?”
“No.”
“Why not? Seems like maybe the two of you do nothing but fuck.”
I zip up my test kit, put it in the saddlebag, and mount up. “Go home. I don’t need your help today.”