Chapter 13
Alex
My phone vibrates insistently on the nightstand. I grab it, sighing when I see it's the 'Cowboy Stallions ????' WhatsApp group of the guys.
Chris: Hey cowboy, how's your princess after the midnight swim? ????
Diego: I bet you kept her "warm" all night, huh? ????
Fran: Guys, don't make him blush! Our tough Alex has a soft heart after all!
Me: Go to hell, idiots. Nothing happened.
Chris: Sure, and I'm the king of England. We saw you, champ. Diego: Speaking of longing looks... Fran, tell us about how you were drooling over Aurora last night.
Fran: Fuck off, Diego. Don't talk bullshit.
Chris: Hey, that's my sister you're talking about. Watch where you put your eyes, Fran.
Fran: Relax, Chris. I didn't do anything wrong.
Me: You're a bunch of teenagers. Get back to work, idiots.
Diego: Yes, boss. Can't wait to see how you "work" with the princess today ??
I toss the phone on the bed, running a hand through my hair. The guys can be real assholes sometimes, but they're right about one thing: I can't get Rosie out of my head.
I get up and move to the window, looking out at the ranch fields. The sun is just rising, painting the sky pink and gold. Usually, this view fills me with peace, but today I feel restless.
Rosie.
Her name evokes a storm of conflicting emotions within me. That night swim, the dance under the stars... I can't stop thinking about it. The way her body fit perfectly against mine, her scent, her smile...
What you were about to do...
But then I stop myself. What am I doing?
I barely know her. I don't even know if she's single, for heaven's sake!
And even if she were, what would change? She belongs to a completely different world from mine.
I realize that, despite the time we've spent together, I know practically nothing about her. About her life in Los Angeles, her dreams, her fears.
Is she really happy there? Sometimes she seems so tense, so out of place here at the ranch. But then there are moments when I see her relax, when I see a glimmer in her eyes that makes me think that...
I have to stop this, damn it!
I don't even know what kind of life she leads in Los Angeles.
Is she one of those city girls who spend their time in expensive restaurants and exclusive clubs?
And then there's the most important issue: she'll go back to Los Angeles. This isn't her life, it's not her world.
And me? I'm tied to this ranch, to this land. It's all I've ever known, all I've ever wanted.
I sigh, resting my forehead against the cold window glass. Why am I tormenting myself like this? Rosie is just a temporary complication in my life. Soon she'll be gone, and everything will go back to normal.
Yet, as I prepare to face another day at the ranch, I can't help but feel a twinge of... something. Regret? Desire? I don't know.
What I do know is that I need to focus on my work, on my duties. I can't afford distractions, especially not in the form of a city princess with eyes that seem to hide a thousand secrets.
As I leave my room, I vow to keep my distance. To treat her like I would any other guest at the ranch.
It's better this way, I tell myself. For both of us.
But as I head towards the stables, I can't help but glance towards the window of her room. And for a moment, just for a moment, I think I see her big brown eyes looking back at me.
I shake my head, trying to free myself of thoughts about Rosie and focus on work. But it's easier said than done.
After finishing the first work shift, I enter the kitchen to grab a coffee. And there I see her. Rosie is sitting at the table with her father and Maria.
She looks... uneasy. And that makes me uneasy too. I don't like seeing her like this.
"Hey, princess. Ready for another day of hard work?" I ask, trying to maintain my usual teasing tone.
She looks up when I enter, and for a moment, I expect to see... what? A smile? A glimmer in her eyes? Instead, her gaze is almost... guarded.
I see her start slightly, then quickly compose herself. She raises an eyebrow and responds, "Always ready, cowboy. Don't underestimate me."
Her tone is defiant, but there's something in her eyes... a kind of distance that wasn't there last night. Did what happened at the bonfire mean something to her? And should I care?
"Don't always feel attacked, princess," I reply with a smile, but inside I feel a strange unease.
I see her stand up, passing by me. "Well," she says. "I'd better get to work then."
As she walks away, I can't help but catch her scent, notice how her body moves with grace even in this rustic environment. This brief exchange has reignited in me the desire to provoke her, to push her beyond that composed facade she seems to have rebuilt. But at the same time, I realize how little I really know her. I don't know what she thinks about what happened between us, I don't know if she's happy here or if she can't wait to get back to her life in Los Angeles.
And suddenly, I find myself wanting to know. To truly know her, beyond this stupid rivalry we've built.
But instead of asking questions, of trying to understand, I find myself staring at the door she left through, torn between the desire to follow her and the desire to keep my distance.
Why do I care so much? And what am I supposed to do with these feelings I can't control?