Chapter 15
Sophia
T hat kiss.
Goodness gracious, that kiss had been something she’d never experienced before. It had been sweet and hot all at once, and he’d barely even touched her.
Sophia’s skin practically buzzed as she grabbed the coffee mug that she’d just filled with her favorite brew.
The rest of their date the night before had been perfect.
They’d played a few games, and Cameron had won her a stuffed horse.
He got her a deep-fried Twinkie, and it almost felt like they had been together for years instead of…
well, instead of the two dates they’d been on.
Mateo entered the kitchen and yawned. It was early yet, but Sophia figured Cameron would already be out in the barn making the rounds. She smiled at the thought of seeing him and couldn’t help but wonder what he would plan for their next date.
Maybe she should be the one to pick their outing. Then again, she had a tendency to pick the same old things. She couldn’t help it if she enjoyed dancing and eating junk food. Those were her comforts.
And yet, she had absolutely felt seen when he’d taken her to that pottery studio.
“What’s that grin about?” Mateo asked, his brow arching.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she peered at her brother over the edge of her mug. “What? Nothing.”
“Right,” he drawled. “Please tell me that you’re not messing with Cameron. I know he has a contract and all, but I’d really rather he didn’t get his heart broken.”
She nearly coughed on the inhale of coffee she’d been intent on drinking. “What? Why would you say that?”
Her brother’s pointed look said it all. He knew that she didn’t have any intention of settling down.
She didn’t do second dates, even though he had mentioned that she ought to give a couple of the guys she’d been out with more of a chance.
What would he say if he knew that she was finally open to something more—and with none other than the guy he’d just hired?
Mateo frowned. “Sophia,” he warned.
Giving him her most innocent smile, she batted her lashes. “What?”
“You need to steer clear of the guys who work for me. I don’t want it to get messy.”
She huffed a laugh. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“Technically, I am. And I’m his boss, too. Just do me a favor and keep it clean, okay?”
The temptation to roll her eyes and fight back was a strong one. Mateo had a good point. Cameron hadn’t been working for them long. And it would be complicated if he was forced to stick around if things didn’t work out between the two of them.
“Is that a yes?”
She glanced at her brother briefly. “You know me. I’m not interested in anything serious.
” It wasn’t the answer he was asking for.
And he knew she could flirt up a storm if she wanted to.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice that something had changed between herself and their most recent hire.
Sophia placed her nearly empty mug into the sink. “I’m going to get to work.”
Thankfully, Mateo didn’t question her further. He could read her better than most, and she wasn’t ready to admit that Cameron had been the first guy to get past her defenses since Brent had broken her heart.
The second she saw Cameron, her heart did that fluttering thing she hadn’t experienced in five years. He flashed her a smile, and for the first time in a long time, her returning smile was automatic.
“Hey,” she murmured.
“Hey.” He moved past her to get something off a shelf, and his hand brushed against hers. Sparks flickered up her arm from the contact, and she shivered.
“I’ve got some training exercises I want to do with some of the horses. Will that be a problem?” she asked.
Cameron glanced at her and shook his head. “Nope. As long as it’s not too strenuous.”
“Nothing they can’t handle.” She set to work gathering the lead ropes she’d need for the horses she planned on taking out to the corral. It was impossible to keep track of how many times she felt Cameron’s eyes on her. Each time she did, she’d glance at him and catch him staring.
More than once, she caught herself smiling at the attention, and she shook her head. They were grown adults, and yet it felt like she’d gone back in time to when she’d been a hormonal teenager. She found she wanted any excuse to get close to him, to smell his cologne and to hold his hand.
But they had work to do. Both of them.
The beautiful golden-brown horse trotted around the perimeter of the corral, tossing her head as she let out a happy whinny. Her muscles bunched and flexed perfectly. If she wasn’t a working horse, she would have been perfect for dressage.
Sophia clicked her tongue and flicked her whip to the ground with a crack to get the horse moving a little faster. This creature was the perfect specimen for breeding, and they were going to get beautiful offspring if all went well.
Her eyes lifted at the sound of boots crushing against the gravel. One of the wranglers that Mateo had hired darted up to the corral, colliding with it. He was out of breath and his eyes were wide with concern. “Where’s Mateo?”
Sophia frowned. The last she’d seen him, he’d left in his truck to run a few errands. “I don’t know, but I can call him for you.”
He nodded. “It’s urgent.”
Sophia moved to unlatch the lead rope from the horse she was working with and pulled out her phone. “What’s going on? Is someone hurt?” Her brothers had been out working on bringing the cattle back from the farthest pasture they owned. “Are Roman and Marcus?—”
“They’re fine,” he barked. “But you need to call Mateo so he can come out to the northern pasture.”
She nodded, her hands shaking slightly as she dialed her brother’s number.
“Yeah,” he muttered the second he answered.
Sophia’s eyes shifted to the cowboy, and she sucked in a deep breath before exhaling. “Something’s wrong in the northern pasture.”
“What’s the matter?” The alarm in his voice carried through the speaker loud enough to prompt the cowboy in front of her to offer more of an explanation. “Wolf attack.”
She exhaled sharply. “Wolf attack,” she repeated.
Her brother swore under his breath. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Sophia nodded, her eyes darting to the cowboy. “He’ll be here as soon as he can.” The cowboy spun around and headed back the way he’d come. Mateo’s voice drew her back.
“They’re getting closer.”
“The wolves?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “The sheriff said that they’ve been attacking the livestock on the outskirts of town. I thought we were close enough that they wouldn’t come to our property, but I guess?—”
“This wasn’t the first one, though.”
“Yeah,” Mateo said, “I know. We might have to send out patrols at night.” He sighed again. “Look, we’re not going to panic until there is an official sighting. They might still stay on the outskirts of the property. We’re just going to have to keep an eye on it—keep our herds safe.”
“So, you don’t want me to tell anyone else? I’m sure the guys?—”
“I’ll talk to them myself when I get there. What pasture were they at?”
Sophia glanced at the cowboy’s retreating form again. “They said the northern pasture.”
Mateo grunted. There were other voices in the background, and it sounded like he might be at a coffee shop or some other small business. “I’ll see you when I get back. We’ll have a family meeting about this and decide what’s going to be best.”
“I’ll make sure Daniel knows he’s included, then.”
“Thanks, Sophia.”
She hung up the phone with a distinct level of trepidation.
The wolves had been a nuisance over the last couple of years, but they had been easy to scare off according to some of the other ranchers.
But the pack was getting braver. Not only had a neighboring pasture had an attack, now one of Mateo’s animals had been attacked.
If something wasn’t done, this would only get worse.
Her phone rang and she paused, seeing Mateo’s number on the screen.
“Yes?” she asked, placing the phone to her ear.
“I hate to ask this of you on short notice, but with the wolf issue and some other things I have to take care of, I can’t watch Paxton while Nikki is out tonight.”
Sophia frowned. She’d planned on spending time with Cameron. They didn’t have an official plan in mind besides that, but she’d been excited to make up for lost time. She could almost guarantee that he had something fun up his sleeve because that was just who he was.
“Sophia?”
“Yeah, okay. I can do it.”
“Thanks.” His breath of relief did nothing to ease the disappointment she felt in having to tell Cameron they’d be postponing any shenanigans. He’d understand. That was the kind of guy Cameron was.
“You owe me, though,” Sophia said just as the phone disconnected.
Arms came around her and she gasped as she spun to face the intrusion. Cameron’s eyes clashed with hers, desire laced within them. “I was thinking. We should go dancing tonight.”
She opened her mouth to explain why that wasn’t going to happen when he cut her off with a finger to her lips.
“I know I haven’t had the best track record at that club you like going to so much, but I thought that seeing as I will be the one to escort you there, we won’t have any trouble with strangers pulling you close in order to steal your attention from me and vice versa.”
His proposition sounded so nice. She loved going dancing, and knowing that Cameron would be there as her date sent her heart into all sorts of acrobatics. Her eyes must have given her away, and he released her as he stepped back. “What’s wrong.”
The lack of his touch practically burned her. “I can’t.”
Her disappointment was mirrored in his gaze, but there was something else hovering just beneath the surface. He was upset with her—no, not just upset. Was he actually angry? “Don’t tell me that you’re running from me, Red. Not again.”
“What?” she demanded. “I’m not running.”
“What do you expect me to believe? We kiss and suddenly?—”
Understanding flooded her being. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”
His mouth snapped shut, and the look of confusion was enough to make her laugh.
“Wow, I must have done a number on you.” She moved toward him, and to her relief he didn’t back away. She draped her arms around his neck. “I would love nothing more than to go dancing with you. My favorite place to be is in your arms, Cameron. Don’t ever forget that.”
His hands found her waist, and he pulled her closer. A deep red color crawled up his neck and settled in his ears as he gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry,” he said with a grimace. “I don’t know what got into me.”
She placed a hand to his cheek. “It’s fine. I’d practically agreed to do something with you this morning and I was just about to come find you to tell you I’m needed here.”
His brows pulled together. “Here?”
Sophia nodded. “There’s been a wolf attack in our herd. Mateo has to deal with that and do some other stuff, so he can’t watch his son while his wife is out. He wanted me to keep an eye on my nephew.”
She didn’t think it was possible, but Cameron’s face turned a deeper shade of red. He dragged a hand down his face. “I’m such a jerk.”
Laughter spilled from her lips. “You just overreacted a little. It’s okay. Rain check?”
He nodded. “Rain check.”