3. Bowen
CHAPTER 3
BOWEN
“Ahhh, damn you, stupid thing…” Priya mutters, yanking one corner of the fitted sheet over the overstuffed mattress.
The moment she gets it in place, the opposite corner pops free. With a frustrated huff, she stomps around the bed and tugs it back down only for the whole cycle to repeat. Again. The way she jerks the thing back toward herself, I feel sorry for the sheet. Priya isn’t herself today. Hell, she hasn’t been for the last few days, but I can’t figure out what’s changed.
I’ve only known her for two weeks, but she’s made my world a hell of a lot more interesting. I lean against the doorway of the Pillow Plow Palace suite, watching her in silence, mentally running through all the reasons I shouldn’t pin her curvy body against the wall right now.
The list is getting shorter by the second.
Everything about Priya drives me fucking wild. She’s the kind of beautiful that stops you in your tracks and demands your full attention. She’s poised and collected. Smart as hell, that’s for sure. I can’t stop thinking about what’s underneath her perfectly pressed, high-buttoned, shirts. She isn’t the type I normally go for, that’s for damn sure.
It’s like she doesn’t know how to let loose. She’s worried about maintaining some kind of picture-perfect image. She dresses like she’s here for some kind of interview every day. But the fact that her long glossy black hair never has a strand out of place is the least interesting thing about her. It’s the cracks that surface every now and then that draw me to her like a magnet.
But even with all of that pent-up need to claim her, I’m keeping my distance. Not that I have much of a choice in the matter. My track record with women isn’t what you’d call stellar. Even though I’m thirty-five now my older brother Alex has made it real clear… don’t fuck this up for us.
I don’t know where she came from, but Priya’s the kind of talent we don’t often see way out here in Sagebrush Creek. With Pa getting older, it’s up to my brothers and me to keep this ranch growing in the right direction. There isn’t any doubt that Priya’s the person who will get us there.
The last thing I need to do is sleep with her and have her leave when I inevitably fuck it up afterward. None of us Kingridge men are good at love. My brother Alex finally settled down, but one out of six isn’t great odds. I’ve found that it’s easier to get into things if I know how I’m going to get out of them.
But watching the fire in her as she wrestles with the sheet makes me think that one night together might be worth risking everything. The way the sparks fly back and forth between us tells me that she’d agree. Maybe.
The thought is driving me fucking wild. Priya climbs onto the mattress on all fours giving me a sight I’m not planning on forgetting anytime soon. I take in the round curve of her ass and blow out a deep breath. Bending her over the bed and wrapping my hands in a fistful of her hair… not an option.
I clear my throat. “Oh, come on now, darlin’. What’d that sweet little bedsheet ever do to you?”
Priya’s head snaps toward me, her face flushing as she crawls off the bed. “Bowen, announce yourself, please. I’m just trying to make sure everything is perfect for our guests of honor.”
I don’t miss the shift in her tone. “Is it really a bunch of meathead football players that’s got you all worked up?”
“Who’s freaked out?” she snaps.
I bite back a laugh. “Clearly not you.” Stepping toward the closet, I pull out a properly sized fitted sheet and toss it her way. “Here, this one should fit. But you do know we have an entire housekeeping team who could handle this, right?”
“Thanks, but I’ve got it.” She takes the sheet and returns to wrestling with the bed.
I move to the opposite corner, giving the sheet a gentle tug to help. Priya shoots me a look but doesn’t say anything. It’s worth noting that she doesn’t stop me, either. As intense as Priya’s been, I count it as a win.
The suite is already pristine, but I stay put as Priya double-checks every inch of the space. Then, just when I think she’s done, she turns on her heel and strides out. I exhale, hopefully my girl is ready to get back to normal . Then the door flies open and she comes right back, dragging a damn vacuum behind her.
I raise an eyebrow at her, but she ignores me. Priya plugs the thing in without saying a word to me and gets to work on the already clean carpet… And that’s where I draw the line. I step over the cord and yank the plug from the wall. That gets her attention and I take the opportunity to hit her with my most charming smile.
“What are you doing?” She plants a hand on her hip.
“Come on, this is ridiculous. It’s done. I’d eat a meal off this floor.” I lean against the dresser with my arms crossed. “Walk with me down to the Buck and Whinny Stables. Callum’s over there, and he says Patty June left us a whole basket of fresh bread. She usually drops it at the farm stand, but the market isn’t?—”
She shakes her head emphatically. “No, thanks. I need to?—”
But that isn’t going to work for me. I close the space between us. “To what?” I rest my hands on her shoulders and turn her toward the door. “Vacuum again? Give me a break. This isn’t the first or last time we’ve had VIPs in these suites. You’re walking with me.”
“No, I’m not.” She folds her arms tight across her chest, digging in.
But she isn’t in charge here. So I do the only thing left to do.
With zero hesitation, I scoop Priya up and throw her over my shoulder. She protests, kicking, squirming and even letting out a few choice words. But I don’t take it personally and I sure as hell don’t stop.
I stride right out of the suite, down the hall, and straight for the trail out back. My hand settles on the back of her thigh as she gives up her fight. I hardly notice because I’m in a fight of my own. It’s me against the very real, very dangerous urge to sink my teeth into that sweet ass pressing way too close to my mouth.
We make it halfway up the trail before I finally set her down, her boots hitting the gravel with a satisfying crunch. Priya straightens, staring up at me in stony silence. Her expression is half disbelief, half something I can’t quite place. Amusement, maybe? At least, that’s what I’d like to think—except for the way she folds her arms across her chest like she’s holding herself together. That doesn’t exactly scream amused .
I take a few steps ahead, relieved when I hear her footsteps following. When she finally speaks, her voice is quiet and controlled. Too controlled. Dangerously controlled.
“That,” she says evenly, “is called kidnapping. People go to jail for kidnapping in the real world. Just so you know.”
I chuckle. “You can thank me when you try Patty June’s bread. Have you met her? She’s like the ranch’s mom. She knows everyone and everything for that matter. But you’re gonna love her and the bread too.” I glance at her, taking in the rigid line of her shoulders. “But why don’t you start by telling me what’s got you so wound up?” I gesture to her folded arms and her locked jaw.
Priya exhales, and for the first time, her perfectly straight posture softens. Just barely, but it happens and I count it as a win.
“I know one of the players staying here this weekend,” she says, her fingers twitching slightly before she smooths a hand over her hair. “He’s… an ex.”
Ah. There it is.
I force a chuckle, ignoring the way my jaw tightens. “So, you had some wild night with a football bro from the practice team?” The joke feels wrong even as I say it. The truth is, I don’t like the idea of Priya hooking up with anyone who isn’t me. “It’s nice to know you're human.”
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “It isn’t like that.” She hesitates, then lifts her gaze to mine. “You know Gunner Thompson, the quarterback?”
My stomach sinks.
“He’s my ex-fiancé.”