irritably.
“But—”
“I know a little about this stuff, okay?” He allowed the bunched up fabric in his hand to fall back over his exposed skin. “Besides, I can’t go running for ice every time I get beat up a little. I’d have to install an ice-maker in my truck.”
“Do you ever think about getting a new line of work?” Jodie muttered.
“Every now and then.” His gaze connected with hers and once again Jodie felt a strong jolt. Mercy. “But you’d be in trouble if I’d done that.”
“Deep trouble,” she agreed, allowing her eyes to drift down to his lips, his very firm, gorgeously shaped lips, then back up to his eyes.
Oh, yes. He was feeling it, too, the strong sexual vibe between them. So…what to do about it? What was ethical? If he kept looking at her that way, what did she care? She leaned closer, could feel the warmth from his body. But when he put his free hand on her shoulder, he didn’t pull her to him…he kept her from moving closer. Jodie instantly stepped backward, feeling an unexpected flash of embarrassment. Rejection sucked.
“Why?” she asked bluntly.
“Because it’s not a good idea.”
“Is it me?”
He said nothing. He didn’t need to speak. She could read the answer in his expression.
“It is me.” This was a first. She’d never encountered a guy who’d refused an invitation to explore an obviously mutual attraction—which made this doubly embarrassing. “How about a few specifics?”
“How about we just forget about this?”
She drew in a surprisingly shaky breath, which irritated her.
“Yeah. Maybe we’ll do that.” Jodie forced a humorless smile. “All right. Well…I’ll just go find Lucas. Try not to bleed to death internally.”
She started for the house. Part of her hoped he would call her back, that they could talk this through, but he didn’t say a word and Jodie kept walking. She had her pride.
Which was about all she had right now.
Dollars to doughnuts four or five cows would have medical emergencies in the next couple of days and she’d have to swallow it and face him. Not that she couldn’t do that quite well. It was just that…she didn’t want to.
Sam Hyatt had done what no other casual acquaintance had ever managed to do. He’d hurt her feelings.
“I S S AM IN A MOOD ?” Margarite asked as soon as Jodie set foot in the kitchen after finding Lucas and sending him to the barn.
“No…I mean…why do you ask?”
“You look peeved, like he snapped at you or something.”
Jodie rolled her eyes as she turned to the cupboard for a teacup, irritated that her…peeved-ness…showed so clearly. Yeah, she was irritated. And embarrassed. After all, she’d just been shot down by a country vet. A really well-built country vet.
Now she’d probably never find out what he looked like naked.
Not that she should—it was just that it had been so long since she’d had sex.
She pulled a teabag out of the container on the counter and dropped it in the cup. It’s more than that. Jodie closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips to her forehead as the thought struck her.
She also wanted to prove to herself that she didn’t have to feel guilty about Dave Hyatt, and what better way to do that than to sleep with his brother? That was wrong on many levels, even if she was attracted to Sam.
“Vets and ranchers are notoriously surly during calving. Don’t take it personally.” Margarite brought the steaming teakettle over and poured water into Jodie’s cup before refreshing her own.
“I’m not,” she said, hoping that Margarite truly thought Sam had merely snapped at her. It would be too freaking embarrassing if she suspected the truth.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Y OU ALL RIGHT , S AM?” Katie came back into the office, where Sam had been staring into space.
“Yeah.” Other than his side still hurting like a son of a bitch where the cow had nailed him, and not being able to get Jodie off his mind. He glanced at the folder Katie
“But—”
“I know a little about this stuff, okay?” He allowed the bunched up fabric in his hand to fall back over his exposed skin. “Besides, I can’t go running for ice every time I get beat up a little. I’d have to install an ice-maker in my truck.”
“Do you ever think about getting a new line of work?” Jodie muttered.
“Every now and then.” His gaze connected with hers and once again Jodie felt a strong jolt. Mercy. “But you’d be in trouble if I’d done that.”
“Deep trouble,” she agreed, allowing her eyes to drift down to his lips, his very firm, gorgeously shaped lips, then back up to his eyes.
Oh, yes. He was feeling it, too, the strong sexual vibe between them. So…what to do about it? What was ethical? If he kept looking at her that way, what did she care? She leaned closer, could feel the warmth from his body. But when he put his free hand on her shoulder, he didn’t pull her to him…he kept her from moving closer. Jodie instantly stepped backward, feeling an unexpected flash of embarrassment. Rejection sucked.
“Why?” she asked bluntly.
“Because it’s not a good idea.”
“Is it me?”
He said nothing. He didn’t need to speak. She could read the answer in his expression.
“It is me.” This was a first. She’d never encountered a guy who’d refused an invitation to explore an obviously mutual attraction—which made this doubly embarrassing. “How about a few specifics?”
“How about we just forget about this?”
She drew in a surprisingly shaky breath, which irritated her.
“Yeah. Maybe we’ll do that.” Jodie forced a humorless smile. “All right. Well…I’ll just go find Lucas. Try not to bleed to death internally.”
She started for the house. Part of her hoped he would call her back, that they could talk this through, but he didn’t say a word and Jodie kept walking. She had her pride.
Which was about all she had right now.
Dollars to doughnuts four or five cows would have medical emergencies in the next couple of days and she’d have to swallow it and face him. Not that she couldn’t do that quite well. It was just that…she didn’t want to.
Sam Hyatt had done what no other casual acquaintance had ever managed to do. He’d hurt her feelings.
“I S S AM IN A MOOD ?” Margarite asked as soon as Jodie set foot in the kitchen after finding Lucas and sending him to the barn.
“No…I mean…why do you ask?”
“You look peeved, like he snapped at you or something.”
Jodie rolled her eyes as she turned to the cupboard for a teacup, irritated that her…peeved-ness…showed so clearly. Yeah, she was irritated. And embarrassed. After all, she’d just been shot down by a country vet. A really well-built country vet.
Now she’d probably never find out what he looked like naked.
Not that she should—it was just that it had been so long since she’d had sex.
She pulled a teabag out of the container on the counter and dropped it in the cup. It’s more than that. Jodie closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips to her forehead as the thought struck her.
She also wanted to prove to herself that she didn’t have to feel guilty about Dave Hyatt, and what better way to do that than to sleep with his brother? That was wrong on many levels, even if she was attracted to Sam.
“Vets and ranchers are notoriously surly during calving. Don’t take it personally.” Margarite brought the steaming teakettle over and poured water into Jodie’s cup before refreshing her own.
“I’m not,” she said, hoping that Margarite truly thought Sam had merely snapped at her. It would be too freaking embarrassing if she suspected the truth.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Y OU ALL RIGHT , S AM?” Katie came back into the office, where Sam had been staring into space.
“Yeah.” Other than his side still hurting like a son of a bitch where the cow had nailed him, and not being able to get Jodie off his mind. He glanced at the folder Katie
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