Breathless (Meadowlarks) (27 page)

I
stood in the doorway of Jer’s bedroom, looking around in the dark. I inhaled, and stepped in. Flipping on the light I walked over to his bed and straightened the sheets. I made his bed.

“Wish you could have been here today, Jer. He looks just like you,” I whisper
ed, smiling around at the bedroom and everything in it. I flipped off the light, closed the door and exhaled.

“Hi, babe.” Alex
was sitting on our bed, with his legs crossed, reading something on my e-reader. “This is some pretty hot stuff you’ve got here.”

I smirk
ed, and held out my hand. “Give me that back! You’re not supposed to know what I read about.”

“Not exactly your mother’s romance novels, huh?” He grin
ned and put the device behind his back, hiding it from me.

“Give it to me, now,” I command
ed with a salaciously raised eyebrow.

“Oh, I’ll give it to you all right. Just tell me where you want it. I know you like it here,” he
said, placing his fingertip on my lips. “And here,” again, placing his fingers between my legs. “And what about here…”

He reache
d to grab my behind but I shoved him back on to the bed. “You’re just a horny little bastard, aren’t you?”

“I can’t help myself.” Alex shrug
ged, chuckling to himself.

“My mother is sleeping right across the hall, it’s not gonna happen right now, buddy!”

Alex pouted. “I can be quiet.”

“I can’t!”

“True,” he said. “Well, what if I put something in your mouth to make you quiet?” He stuck out his tongue.

I gape
d.

“Oh, good! You’re all ready for me…”

“Alex! You perv.” I rolled my eyes and fell on top of him. “I love you, do you know that?”

“I think I’ve heard you tell me once or twice.”

“Go to sleep.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

***

“Holy shit,” I whispered, staring at the paperwork stating my commission on the Reacher property. The ranch sold within a few days of being listed. I could put a hefty down payment on car with this much money.
Maybe I should
, I think to myself. That way I won’t always have to drive around in the Dodge.

“Riley?” Elsa pop
ped her head into the door. “How are you, darling? Are you sure you’re ready to be back?”

I smile
d. “Yes, I’m good. Thank you, for everything, Mrs. Casey.”

“Elsa. Please,” she
said sweetly. “I might have to ask another favour of you, give me a minute or two to finalize a few things then I’ll come and speak with you.”

I nod
ded. “Okay.”

Please don’t ask me to go somewhere with your sex
-fiend of a husband again.

About an hour later, Elsa knock
ed on my office door again. She came in and sat in the chair across from me. “Well, how do you feel about taking a little trip with me? There is a home show in Cheyenne that we go to every year. I usually take Glen, one of the other agents, but he’s been sick for a week with the flu…”

“You want me to go with you? How long will we be gone?”

“Well, only two days. I know it’s asking a lot since you’re just back to work after such a loss…but I really think this could benefit your career here. Plus, it could be fun!” Elsa said, fluttering her eyes, trying to look a little youthful.

“When would we be going?”

“This Thursday. We’ll be back by Friday night. What do you say?”

“Okay, let’s do it.” I smile
d, hoping that Alex wouldn’t mind, and my mom would be okay while I was gone.

“Wonderful! Sara will make all the arrangements and I’ll get her to give you all the info by the end of the day!” Elsa
stood and opened the door to leave. “So happy to have you here, Riley.”

“I’m happy to be here, Mrs. Casey—err, Elsa.”

Sara had the details on Cheyenne on my desk by two o’clock. “You’ll be staying the Windspur Resort, it’s gorgeous! I got to go last year, I didn’t want to leave,” Sara surged about the upcoming trip. “My boyfriend has taken me there twice since.”

“Sounds lovely, maybe it’s just what I need.”

Sara winked, and left.

I tilt
ed my head, looking at her quizzically while she walked out, closing the door behind her. I haven’t seen or heard from Weston since I got back to work. It’s been really nice, actually. No added stress. And I was looking forward to going away without him too, it would just be way too awkward if I had to travel with him—and
only
him. A little ding alerted me to an interoffice message on my computer. I clicked and opened it:

Sara Sutherland:

Riley, we use a local photo
grapher

For our business cards.

Her name is Laura, I’ve set

up the session for tomorrow morning.

Sara

Well, that was awesome! No need for face-to-face talking when I wasn’t really feeling like being chatty today. I responded:

Riley Harrison:

Thanks, Sara. I look forward to it!

I s
at back in my chair, and decided what I was going to have for lunch. Staring out the window, I looked into the clearing just beyond the trees again, it looked like a meadow, and it was beckoning me to run through it. Or, maybe sit down and have a picnic. It just looks so peaceful.

Riley Harrison:

Sara, what are you doing for lunch today?

Sara Sutherland:

Fabulous cucumber sandwic
h


Riley Harrison:

How about lunch with me? Know anywhere close?

Sara Sutherland:

Love to! How about The Wolfbarrow.

I
t’s just around the corner.

They’ve got great wings.

I
swore that was the same place Addison said that crazy bitch Gwen used to work, but I heard she moved, so I might as well go. Not like I even knew what she looked like, anyway.

Riley Harrison:

Let’s go. In about an hour?

Sara Sutherland:

Okay!

I called around and set up an appointment to meet with a potential client. A single man who just moved into town is looking for a small house for himself. He came into the office on Friday, but no agents were available at the time. Sara told him that someone would contact him—fresh meat gets first dibs, I guess.

“Mr. Wilson? My name is Riley Harrison, I’m calling from Pine Ridge Realty. How are you today?”

Mr. Wilson told me he was well, and happy to hear from me. He was looking for a small house, nothing that would need a lot of attention or upkeep. He agreed to come into the office and meet with me later today, then perhaps tomorrow afternoon we would take a look at some prospective properties.

An hour
flew by, and Sara knocked on the door. “Ready for lunch? I’m freaking starving!”

Grabbing my purse I followed her out the door.
“Me too.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Rob. Then Mr. Casey said he wanted to come too.”

Rob was another agent, a younger guy; like, younger than Alex. Fresh from the farm, he was very sweet and always looks like he was blushing.

“I don’t mind…”
If Rob comes
.

I hate
d that Weston invited himself. I thought I was going to make it at least one day without seeing him.

The Wolfbarrow
was dark, but somehow cozy. A jukebox in the room played softly, and a good-looking man was behind the bar pouring drinks for two older men.

A bouncy and pretty woman with short black hair
came to our table and handed us menus. Sara and I had arrived early, and so far Rob and Weston weren’t there.

Maybe he won’t come.

The waitress said something, then looked down at her hands. She started to blush, and I knew exactly why.

Weston Casey ha
d just walked through the door.

He wa
s wearing jeans, a grey V-neck t-shirt and a black suit jacket. Why, oh why must people dress like that!? He was wearing glasses too; Ray Bans. He looked like the sexiest nerd on the planet, and as much as I tried not to, I clenched my thighs when he walked past me and his scent flowed off his body and into me. Tingling me to my core and making me want to do
really
bad things.

I was
thankful when Rob sat beside me.

“Hi, Rob! How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good Ms. Harrison. Thank you.” Rob smiled and shied away. He was such a sweetheart, I just wanted to pinch his cheeks.

“Please, call me Riley.”

“Riley,” he said, smiling at his hands.

Sara
began talking about the home show in Cheyenne, and I tried to keep my eyes planted on her during the entire conversation. Weston didn’t say much, he simply sipped the beer he ordered when he sat down.

Rob
leaned into look at pictures of the resort that Sara pulled up on her tablet. I found myself looking somewhere else.

Weston’s eyes.

He was watching me. He sipped his beer, and licked his bottom lip when a little drop tried to escape that flawless mouth of his. He raised the bottle again, along with an eyebrow and sipped again. Still keeping his eyes locked on mine.

A second later, off comes his jacket. And I’m faced with the tattoo. I
had no idea why I was so drawn to that damn thing. People are tattooed everywhere in the world, and I’ve seen thousands in my lifetime. But there’s something so sensual about where his is placed, and now that I’ve learned what it said, it made me crazy.

Because I can
…

It could
mean so much, really. And even though I hated his arrogance and confidence, it made him so excruciatingly delicious.

“I’m actually not feeling that hungry, I’m going to head back to the office.” I
sat up to leave and Weston got up too.

“I’ll walk you.”

“No, it’s okay. You stay here, finish your beer.”

“I’m done.”

I frowned, and let out an irritated sigh.

Sara
said she would see me later, as did Rob.

“Keep up,” I hiss
ed at Weston, once we were outside. “And put your damn jacket back on.”

“What? Why?” He ask
ed, laughing and jogging to catch up to me.

“Because! You know why.”

“I fucking love that it makes you so hot.” He steps ahead of me and stands, stopping me in my tracks. “I dreamed of you kissing me there…and other places, of course.”

I
gawked. “You were right before; you’re not delirious. You’re insane!” I pushed past him, continuing my pavement pounding.

Weston
didn’t walk beside me; I wasn’t sure where he went, actually. Probably back to The Wolfbarrow, trying to pick up the waitress for all I knew.

I call
ed my mother when I got back to my office, and smiled when she answered the phone with her voice sounding happy. She was having a good day, which eased my mind and my heart. After I hung up, I texted Alex.

Me:
Hi, babe.

Alex:
Hey you. How’s work?

Me:
Blah. I miss you.

Alex:
Me too. Want me to come and cheer you up?

Me:
Mmm, wish you could. Love you.

Alex: Love U.

I put my phone away, and stared out the window at the emptiness beyond the trees. About half an hour later a knock on my door snapped me from my daydream, and I turned around in my chair. “Come in.”

Alex peek
ed in through the partially open door.

“Alex! What are you doing here?” I ask
ed, thrilled that he was actually standing there.

“I said I would come and cheer you up. So, here I am.” He
sauntered in to my office and closed the door behind him.

I lick
ed my lip, and raised an eyebrow. “Just exactly how were you planning on cheering me up?”

“Well,” he
said, strolling over to my desk. He sat on the edge, wearing his rugged and dirty work clothes. He had dirt on his knees, and a small tear in the breast of his t-shirt. “Have you had lunch yet?”

“I already had my lunch,” I lie
d. I’m not in the mood to eat. “Did you?”