Chapter 16
Cole
Living in the house with Jesse was becoming unbearable. Not that anyone else would’ve known except me. Two weeks had passed since the cattle drive and Jesse was getting braver and more obscene with every passing day.
At first it was just little things. He started leaving the bathroom door open in the morning when he was showering or he’d walk around the house in his underwear after Evelyn had gone home for the night.
And sometimes, when we were in the barn together, he’d go to pick something up and let his jeans slip down just far enough that I could tell he wasn’t wearing underwear.
It was driving me insane.
I tried my best to ignore it. Told myself it was just Jesse being Jesse, trying to get a rise out of me like always.
But he knew exactly what he was doing. The worst part was, he never actually said anything suggestive.
Never tried to touch me again. He just..
. existed in my space in a way that made it impossible for me to think straight.
Last night, I’d caught him in the kitchen at midnight, eating ice cream straight from the container wearing nothing but those low-slung sweatpants of his.
The ones that hung off his hips in a way that should’ve been illegal.
When he saw me, he just smiled and asked if I wanted a taste, licking the spoon in a way that had nothing to do with ice cream.
I swear I saw his cock twitch in his pants.
I’d turned around and gone back to my room without a word.
This morning, I got up before dawn, hoping to avoid him.
I had work to do anyway. The first batch of cattle had been processed and was due for delivery that day, and I needed to make sure everything was ready.
The freezer was up and running, Jesse’s fancy new website was live, and orders were already coming in.
I hated to admit it, but his direct sales idea seemed to be working.
But when I got to the bathroom to grab my shower before my day started, Jesse was already there, the mirror fogged up with steam.
“Mornin’,” Jesse called out from the shower, his voice cheerful.
I froze in the doorway, gripping the handle too tightly. He was visible through the glass door, water cascading down his tattooed back. I should’ve turned around and walked out. That’s what I’d been doing for weeks now. But something kept me rooted to the spot.
“Didn’t expect you up this early,” I managed, my voice rough from sleep.
Jesse turned, giving me a full view of his front through the foggy glass. “Thought I’d help with the deliveries today. Website’s been blowing up with orders.”
“I’ve got it handled,” I said, trying to keep my eyes on his face and not the piercing glinting between his legs.
He shut off the water and slid the door open, not bothering to grab a towel. Water dripped down his body as he stepped out, droplets clinging to the sandy hair trailing down his stomach.
“You sure?” he asked, reaching for a towel but making no move to cover himself. “I thought you had chores and ranch hands to take care of?”
My mouth went dry. “I said I’ve got it.”
He smiled, that cocky grin that made my blood boil. “No can do, boss.” He’d gotten in the habit of calling me that because he knew it pissed me off. “This is supposed to be a partnership, remember? Besides, you can’t do it all yourself.”
He finally wrapped the towel around his waist, but not before I got an eyeful. As he moved past me in the doorway, he paused, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his shower-warm skin.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” he said softly. “Water should still be hot.”
I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. “Thanks.”
After he left, I closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. This was torture. Pure, calculated torture. And the worst part was, I couldn’t even call him out on it without admitting that it was affecting me. That would only inspire him to torture me further.
The shower didn’t help. All I could think about was Jesse standing in this exact spot minutes earlier, water running down his body, that damn piercing always catching my eye. By the time I got out, I was in an even fouler mood than before.
I dressed quickly and headed downstairs, praying Jesse had gone back to his room. No such luck. He was in the kitchen, thankfully dressed now, pouring coffee into two mugs.
“Made you some,” he said, sliding one across the counter to me. “Figured you’d need it.”
I grunted in response, taking the mug but keeping my distance. The kitchen suddenly felt too small with both of us in it. I could smell his shampoo from here.
“So,” Jesse continued, leaning against the counter, his lower back arched provocatively while he pretended it was totally normal. “I’ve got about twenty-eight deliveries to make once the beef shows up. Probably won’t be able to help much around the ranch today.”
“Finally,” I grunted. “A peaceful day.”
Jesse’s lips twitched with amusement. “Peaceful? That hurts my feelings, Cole.”
“Good,” I muttered, taking a swig of coffee and burning my tongue in the process. I winced, setting the mug down harder than necessary.
“Careful there,” Jesse said, his voice dropping lower. “It’s hot.”
I shot him a glare, but he just smiled innocently back at me. That was another thing he’d started doing—making everything sound like innuendo while maintaining plausible deniability. If I called him on it, he’d just act confused, like I was the one with the dirty mind.
“I’m heading out,” I said, grabbing my hat from the hook by the door. “Cattle need feeding before the delivery truck arrives.”
“Want some company?” Jesse asked, pushing off the counter and taking a step toward me.
“No.” I jammed my hat on my head and yanked the door open. “Just... stay here and wait for the delivery.”
The crisp morning air hit me like a blessing as I escaped the house. I sucked in deep lungfuls, trying to clear my head of Jesse’s scent, of the way water droplets had clung to his skin, of how his lips had wrapped around the rim of his coffee mug.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered to myself, stomping toward the barn. “Get it together, Cole.”
The ranch hands were already up and moving, going about their morning chores with the efficiency of men who’d done this work for years. They nodded respectfully as I passed, a few calling out good mornings that I returned with a grunt.
Mitch fell into step beside me as I headed for the feed shed. “Morning, boss. Heard we got deliveries coming in today.”
“Yeah,” I replied, grateful for the distraction. “First batch from the processing plant. Jesse’s gonna handle distribution.”
Mitch nodded, helping me load feed bags onto the ATV. “His website idea seems to be working out. Evelyn was showing me on her phone yesterday. Says we’ve got orders coming in from all over the country.”
I grunted noncommittally. The last thing I needed was to hear about how right Jesse had been. About anything.
“You two getting along any better?” Mitch asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
I stiffened, nearly dropping the feed bag I was holding. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged. “Just asking. You two were at each other’s throats when he first showed up. Seems like things have calmed down a bit.”
If only Mitch knew just how wrong he was. Things hadn’t calmed down at all. They’d just changed into something I couldn’t talk about with anyone.
“We’re making it work,” I said shortly. “For the ranch.”
Mitch helped me secure the last bag, then leaned against the ATV, studying me. “You know, regardless of what you say, he doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”
“You his fuckin’ agent or somethin’ now?” I shot back.
Mitch held up his hands in defeat. “I’m just sayin’, Cole. He could’ve let you lose the ranch and he didn’t. He can’t be that bad.”
I huffed. “Yeah well… you haven’t known him as long as I have.”
There was a challenge in my tone, daring Mitch to continue. But he’d worked for me long enough to know what that meant. Instead, he kept quiet and hopped on the other ATV, the pair of us riding out to begin morning feeding.
And that’s how the rest of the day went.
The hands knew I was in a foul mood, so they steered clear.
I only saw Jesse once as the delivery truck arrived and the beef was unloaded.
After that, he disappeared into the barn to pack orders for the rest of the day.
It was dark before I finished up my work and headed back to the house at last, my body exhausted from overworking all day in an attempt to forget about Jesse.
It seemed I’d missed dinner since Evelyn’s truck was already gone.
But she always left me something in the fridge.
I hung my hat by the front door as always, kicking my boots off on the mat.
I was dead tired and ready for a hot shower.
My feet carried me to the kitchen out of habit where I snagged a piece of sliced ham from the fridge, part of tonight’s dinner, and stuffed it in my mouth before heading upstairs.
To my surprise, I saw neither hide nor hair of Jesse as I headed toward the bathroom.
The shower I took was long and decadent, the water so hot it was almost scalding.
The warmth helped relax the ache away from a long day.
I found myself thinking about Jesse again earlier that morning, but I was too tired to care very much.
Instead, I just finished my shower, toweled off, and threw on a pair of pajama pants.
I was about to head to bed when I heard a noise from downstairs.
It was faint at first. There was a soft thump, followed by what sounded like a low groan. I paused at the top of the stairs, listening. Maybe Jesse had come back and dropped something. Or maybe I was hearing things, my mind playing tricks after a long day.
But then I heard it again. It was definitely a moan this time.