18. Defiling the Kitchen
Defiling the Kitchen
Enzo
L athering up the sponge with more soap, I focused on the gentle circular motions across Tater Tot’s flank. The horse flicked his tail lazily, enjoying the mini spa treatment like always. The day was unusually warm, and the water felt refreshing against my skin when it splashed.
Quinn worked on the other side, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to mimic my technique.
Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun, with wisps escaping to frame her face.
She was wearing a tank top, revealing tanned arms that were developing more muscle definition after her two weeks at the ranch.
“So you grew up here?” Quinn dunked her sponge into the sudsy bucket.
I nodded, running my hand along Tater’s shoulder to check for any missed spots. “Not on the ranch exactly, but we were here enough helping that we might as well have been. I started spending a lot of time here as a teenager. This place saved me.”
She moved around to my side, grabbing a brush for Tater’s mane. “Is that why you take care of it so much?”
Her observation hit uncomfortably close to home. “Someone has to.”
“And the other guys don’t?”
“They do their part.” I frowned, immediately regretting my tone. “Kellan can charm anyone and get them to do anything. Reid has a gift with the animals. I’m just the guy who fixes stuff and keeps the spreadsheets balanced.”
Quinn’s hand stilled on Tater’s neck. “That’s not true. This place wouldn’t function without you. I’ve seen how the other guys look to you when decisions need to be made.”
The validation from her was unexpected, and heat crept up my neck. I busied myself rinsing suds from Tater’s coat, focusing intently on the water cascading down his side.
“You all met in college, right?”
Grateful for the subject change, I nodded, relief washing through me. Her perceptiveness could be unnerving sometimes, like she was reading parts of me I usually kept locked away.
“Cal Poly. All three of us were in Ag Business.” I smiled at the memory.
“Kellan and I were roommates freshman year, and it was a total disaster at first. His side of the room looked like a Mardi Gras parade had exploded. Reid was down the hall and was this quiet guy who kept to himself until we discovered he could save our butts on group projects. Somehow we clicked.”
She moved closer to work on Tater’s forelock. “And now you’re business partners. That must be an interesting dynamic.”
I chuckled. “Interesting is one word for it.”
Her eyes met mine, something playful dancing behind them. “And what would be another word?”
“Challenging.” I paused. “But they’re family now.”
We fell into comfortable silence, working together to rinse the soap from Tater’s massive body. I couldn’t help noticing how natural Quinn looked here and how quickly she’d adapted to ranch life. The thought brought a different question to mind.
I hesitated, rinsing another patch of Tater’s side before blurting the question I probably shouldn’t ask. “So… how was your night with Kellan… and Reid?”
Her cheeks flushed instantly. “It was...” She bit her lower lip, and there was a pull low in my stomach. “Really nice.”
The image of her with them flashed in my mind, and I swallowed hard.
“I wish you had been there too.” Her eyes met mine with a directness that made my breath catch.
I opened my mouth but couldn’t find words. Her expression shifted, uncertainty replacing the openness that had been there moments before.
Without warning, she flicked her sponge at me, sending a spray of water across my shirt.
“Hey!” I stepped back, surprised.
Her eyes widened innocently. “Oops. My hand slipped.”
I raised an eyebrow, fighting a smile. “Did it now?”
“Absolutely.” Her lips twitched, betraying her lie. “Complete accident.”
“Like this is going to be.” I reached for the hose and, before I could second-guess myself, sent a quick spray in her direction.
She squealed, jumping back. “Lorenzo Gustavo Perez!”
Tater Tot snorted at the commotion, shifting his weight slightly. I patted his flank reassuringly before leveling a challenging look at Quinn. “Who told you my middle name so I can shave their eyebrows off while they sleep?”
She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll never tell.”
In response, I angled the hose again, this time my aim calculated. The stream caught her square in the chest, making her light pink tank top see-through.
“Oh, it’s on!” She lunged for the second bucket, picked it up, and tossed the contents at me.
I ducked, but that didn’t matter. Cold water hit my back; the sensation was shocking and... freeing.
For a brief moment, I stared at her, watching droplets trace their way down her face, her expression a mixture of defiance and glee. Something that had been wound tight for longer than I could remember loosened.
Without overthinking, I set the hose to a gentler spray and aimed again, chasing her around Tater Tot, who seemed remarkably tolerant of our impromptu water fight.
Quinn darted forward, making a grab for the hose. I lifted it out of reach, but she caught my wrist instead, trying to redirect the spray. We tussled playfully, water arcing in chaotic patterns around us as we both got progressively more soaked.
She slipped, and I caught her without thinking, one arm locking around her waist. Her laugh faltered as our eyes met. The hose kept spraying, but the world narrowed to the space between us.
Her hands gripped my forearms, steadying herself. We stood frozen, her body pressed against mine, both of us breathing hard.
I became hyperaware of every detail of this moment: the way her tank top clung to her curves, how her throat worked as she swallowed, the flecks of gold in her eyes as she looked up at me.
A droplet slid from her hairline down her cheek, and I caught it with my thumb. Her breath hitched, and her hand came up, lightly brushing wet hair from my forehead.
I leaned down, hesitating a breath away from her lips, giving her time to pull back. Her eyes fluttered closed in an invitation I couldn’t resist.
My lips found hers, gentle at first, then deepening as she pressed closer. My hands slid from her waist to her back, drawing her against me.
Tater Tot picked the perfect moment to remind us he existed, shaking off with a dramatic spray. We broke apart, laughing and sputtering.
“I think that’s his way of saying bath time is over.” Quinn giggled, pushing damp hair from her face.
I nodded, trying to reorient myself. We were both dripping, our clothes plastered to our skin, standing in a muddy puddle beside an equally wet horse. It should have been uncomfortable, but instead, I felt lighter.
“We should probably finish up.” I picked up the hose and turned off the spray.
After drying off Tater Tot and putting him out to pasture for the rest of the day, we headed toward the main house to change.
I tried not to stare at the way her wet clothes clung to her curves. We’d stopped dripping for the most part, but wet jeans were torture.
“Hold up.” I pointed to our mud-caked boots before she could step onto the porch. “Kellan will have a conniption if we track mud everywhere. He is on mopping and sweeping duty this week.”
She looked down. “Good call.”
We both leaned against the railing to pull off our boots. She balanced on one leg like a flamingo, her tongue caught between her teeth in concentration. I smiled at her determination.
After setting our boots neatly beside the door, we entered through the kitchen. I turned to suggest we make lunch after changing, but the words got stuck as she casually gripped the hem of her tank top and peeled it upward.
“What are you…” My voice cracked embarrassingly.
Her tank top hit the floor as she stood there in a simple white bra that had gone completely see-through from our water fight.
“What?” Her fingers moved to the button of her jeans. “They might drip water everywhere, and we can’t have that.”
My mouth went dry as she shimmied out of her jeans, revealing matching white cotton underwear. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to tear my eyes from her.
“You’re staring, Enzo.” Her smile was all heat.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t say I minded.” She stepped closer, leaving her discarded clothes in a heap on the floor. “We should probably get you out of these wet clothes too.”
The kitchen was suddenly ten degrees hotter as her fingers found the buttons of my shirt, slowly unfastening them one by one. Her knuckles brushed against my skin, sending electricity through my body.
My shirt joined hers on the floor, and her hands came to rest on my chest, her touch light yet scorching. I drew in a shaky breath, fighting to maintain control.
This was going to get messy. Three men. One woman. She worked for us. Lived with us. Would be gone soon.
But what if she didn’t leave?
Something shifted inside me as I watched her fingers trace patterns on my skin.
I’d spent my entire adult life planning, calculating risks, and making sure everything was running smoothly.
But standing here with her, soaking wet and half-naked in the kitchen, I suddenly didn’t give a damn about being careful.
My hand moved to her face, thumb brushing across her lower lip. “I’ve been overthinking everything.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “That’s shocking. You? Overthinking?”
I smiled at her sarcasm. “I know. Hard to believe.”
Her fingers trailed down my stomach, stopping at the waistband of my jeans. “So what are you thinking now?”
“That I’m tired of thinking.” One hand slid into her hair, loosening what remained of her bun. “I want you. Kellan wants you. Reid wants you.”
Quinn’s breath hitched. “And?”
“And maybe we should stop fighting it.” I pressed my forehead against hers. “Maybe we should see where this goes. With all of us.”
Her hands moved to my belt, working it open with surprising dexterity. “I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had.”