Love Me Reckless
Sawyer
I’ve never believed in love at first sight. It’s a fairy tale. Cute, kind of. But fucked up.
Mutual attraction, sure. Call it biology.
That’s not the same thing as love. Not by a long shot. Love isn’t something that sprouts overnight, like a weed. It takes time and careful tending. It takes attention.
Not that I’d know much about that.
The girl from across the room laughs at something her friend says, covering her mouth with her fingertips. She glances my way, as if she’s sensed me watching. I expect her to look away, or scowl—I’m an outsider, after all. Instead, her smile warms .
At my best friend Zach’s swearing in ceremony earlier, I saw her with a tall guy in a pale suit, but she’s been with friends since we arrived at the restaurant.
The bartender sets two icy lemonades on the bar, snapping me back to the room. I carry the drinks to the back deck where the party’s in full swing. Zach is standing at the railing, watching his brother William throw the football to one of his teammates out in the grass. I hand Zach a lemonade and we clink rims.
“Is he nervous about tomorrow?” I nod at William who at that moment fires off a perfect pass.
Zach sets his lemonade on the railing. “I think so, but he’s not sharing much.”
“Keeping it close to his vest, huh.”
“You remember how that is,” Zach says.
“So you do,” I reply.
There was a time not too long ago that both Zach and I had a reason to keep our fears locked down. He’s managed to untangle from his secrets, while I’m still outrunning mine.
“We still going riding tomorrow?” I ask while William fires off another textbook throw.
Zach leans sideways against the railing and squints at me through the bright sunshine. “Of course.”
“Your old boss gave us a day pass for the ranch.”
From across the crowded deck, Zach looks to Stu Valentine, head of security at Finn River Ranch. He’s also a big dude and though he’s been friendly, I wouldn’t want to meet up with him in a dark alley.
Stu gives Zach a subtle lift of his chin, like the two of them are sharing some secret.
Like I don’t know their plan. Stu already offered to put in a good word for me as a diesel mechanic, working on the ski lifts. I’m sure Zach gave him the idea.
“Is that so?” Zach sips from his lemonade.
“I told him I’d never seen a chair lift before, let alone ridden on one with a freaking mountain bike.”
“The trails up there are sweet,” Zach says .
I set my glass down on the railing and whip out my phone, pulling up a map of the exclusive and meticulously maintained trail system located inside the members-only Finn River Ranch. “We should start here,” I say, and zoom in. “Then work our way to the backside. We can probably fit in Sidewinder, then Snowberry, then loop around the back of Glory Basin.”
Zach gives me a fist bump. “I’ve never been on any of those. I’ll go wherever you want.”
I shoot him a look. “You worked at this fancy ranch and never went mountain biking?”
“Nope.” He shrugs, and it’s easy to read between the lines. Zach didn’t have the luxury of riding a bike for fun when he was starting his life over here almost a year ago now. “Stu must like you. Those guest passes are like gold.”
“He’s trying to woo me.” I puff out my chest.
Zach grins. “Told you.”
The young woman I saw laughing in the bar steps through the back door with Zach’s girl, Sofie.
“Who’s that?” I ask Zach in a low tone. Her hair looks red the sunlight, and the loose sundress she’s wearing reveals her bare shoulders, which are dotted with dainty freckles.
“Kirilee St. Claire,” Zach says. “One of Sofie’s best friends. Her dad owns Finn River Ranch.”
I choke on my lemonade. “Seriously?”
Zach grins. “You want me to introduce you? She’s probably the nicest person I’ve ever met. And really talented. It’s too bad…”
“And who’s that?” I ask.
The guy in a pale gray suit followed Kirilee outside, and he puts his hand on her lower back. Her long eyelashes flutter and she straightens her spine, like she’s fighting her reaction to this guy. Then he continues past her.
I don’t have any right to not like him, but I don’t.
“Uh, that’s her dad’s latest attempt to marry her off to someone richer than him so their two families can combine forces and rule the universe. ”
“For real?” I try to make sense of this while the guy pulls out his phone and continues to an empty corner of the deck, his back to the party. “Does she want to get married?”
Zach’s mouth twists, like he’s conflicted. “I don’t think she’s being given a choice.”
I shake my head. “That’s wrong.”
“For real.”
After another game of foosball and meeting more of Zach’s Finn River friends, the party winds down. After Zach leaves with Sofie and William, I help bring in a bunch of glassware and the bartender waves me into the back. When I slip inside the empty kitchen, Kirilee is limping toward me, a pained look on her face.
“Hey,” I say, frowning. “You okay?”
“Sliver,” she says over the sound of the dishwasher. “The bartender said they had a first aid kit back here.”
I glance around but don’t see one. Quickly, I unload the glasses into the dishwashing tray, then hurry to the main prep area of the kitchen, now spotless and bare after the end of the shift. “Is there an office?”
“That what he said,” Kirilee leans on the edge of the counter.
“Hop up,” I say, nodding to the kitchen prep table. “I’ll go find it.”
She gives me a look.
“Need help?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.
Her eyes flash with curiosity. “No.”
It takes her a moment to realize I’m waiting.
“I can’t sit up there,” she says. “It’s for prepping food.”
“You’d rather stand here in pain?”
“Well, no.”
I’m getting the sense that this girl doesn’t break many rules. So I slide my hands to her waist and lift her to the table. I shouldn’t notice how her body feels or the little gasp of surprise. And I shouldn’t like it.
“Stay right there.” I don’t mean it to come out bossy, but it’s better than her thinking she’s got me flustered. Plus I won’t have her walking another step in pain.
I walk down the hallway. I’ve worked in a few restaurants, so I know there’s usually an office for things like payroll and bookkeeping. But as I round the corner, two things happen at once. I find the office—a door is ajar. And I hear noises coming from inside it. Music?
I’m about to walk up and knock when the noises turn distinctive. Slurping and…
“Yesss, suck my cock. Ooooh, yeah.”
Oops. Not music.
I’m pivoting to get the hell out of there but at that same moment, the person inside the room leans back, bringing his profile into the slice of light from the hallway.
It’s the tall pinch-faced guy from the party. Kirilee’s date. Getting his dick sucked. Enthusiastically.
Shit.
I want to kick this guy in the head. He’s in here with someone else while a sweetheart of a girl he’s supposed to be paying attention to is hurt. And while putting this guy in his place would feel really good, it would also draw attention.
With my fists clenched, I retrace my steps, forcing the image of this asshole bobbing into some girl’s mouth from my mind so Kirilee won’t be able to read it on my face.
“No luck?” Kirilee asks when I round the corner.
“I couldn’t get into the office,” I say. I’m a shitty liar, but I can skip over details like a pro. “I got a better idea though.”
“Oh?”
I turn around and tap my shoulder. “Get on.”
“Where are we going?”
“I happen to know a paramedic.”
“I’m not dying,” she says with a laugh.
I have a feeling she might if she knew what was happening down the hall.
“He tells really good jokes too,” I say because I don’t want her to be here when doucheface date appears.
“Is he handsome?” Kirilee asks, sliding her hands and legs around me.
“Definitely. But…married.”
Kirilee sighs. “Darn.”
I lift her from the table, hitching her up a little higher as I do. I shouldn’t like the little gasp that escapes her lips. And I shouldn’t like the way her body feels against mine.
But I do like it.
A lot.