Chapter Thirteen #3
Because, somewhere between her bravery, her love of flirting, and the fun she got out of the little things he took for granted, he’d figured out what his problem was, and why he had such a hard time reading her signals.
He wanted more than she was free to give.
*
Malika
Riding behind Jayce on a four-wheeler, with her clasped hands warmed by his midriff, was a wonderful experience. More fun, even, than driving the tractor. In Malika’s eyes, the entire day had been perfect. She loved everything about the Ride No More Ranch.
While Burning Scrub, despite its many small inconveniences and lack of modern amenities, had its charm, too, the town was immersive, intended to give a realistic experience of what the Wild West was like.
The ranch, on the other hand, was a wildlife park and high-end resort rolled into one.
As far as she was concerned, this was a far better adventure than the one Adeel had arranged.
She could spend the entire day outdoors in the sun, then afterwards, relax in comfort with a movie or a long soak in a tub.
She couldn’t imagine Jayce having difficulty finding a woman who wouldn’t be happy with this. Therefore, the problem was him. She had no trouble imagining that.
He’d had plenty of opportunities to kiss her again and had acted on none.
While she might not be as beautiful or perfect as Belle, she was hardly second best. She had her own appeal.
If her kisses hadn’t yet measured up, well, perhaps she needed more practice.
Whose fault would that be if she didn’t get it?
The sun had fallen behind the mountains, and long shadows now stretched across the fields by the time Jayce pulled up next to a barbwire fence, braked the four-wheeler, and turned off the engine.
He helped her dismount. “Don’t touch the top wire. The fence is electric.”
“What if you touch the top wire and I touch you?” she suggested, giving flirting with him yet another attempt, because she remained eternally optimistic that he’d eventually catch on.
He grinned, and her heart jumped. He was so very beautiful.
“That’s not a good idea,” he said, sounding more amused than flirtatious. “The electricity passes through the first person. I’d get a bit of a jolt, but you’d get the bigger shock. Still want to try it?”
She remembered what had happened when he touched the bear fence.
“No, thank you.”
He held the wires apart so she could pass through the fencing that surrounded the field. Binoculars swung from his neck, and he carried a flashlight in one jacket pocket. Full darkness was a few hours away, but the light was gradually fading. The air smelled of wildflowers and grass.
“It’s durum,” Jayce said when she asked what the fluffy-headed stalks were. He pointed ahead. “There. See the burrows?”
She did. Small, shadowy mounds of earth, barren of grass, poked out of the field.
Jayce crouched in the wheat. “Close enough. Now, we watch and wait.”
Malika sat cross-legged beside him. She poked her hands into the sleeves of the sweatshirt he’d insisted she wear, even though the evening was warm. They waited almost a half hour before he touched her arm and spoke softly.
“Don’t make any sudden movements. Do you see it?”
She craned her neck. A long, narrow body darted out of one of the burrow’s many holes, where it froze, its head in the air, as if it knew they were watching. It looked like a weasel and belonged to the same family. Three more heads emerged, these ones, much smaller.
“Kits. At least three.” Jayce sounded pleased.
“Babies?” How wonderful.
Cautiously, she got to her knees. He handed the binoculars to her, then showed her how to adjust them until she had a clear image. She zoomed in, entranced.
They were adorable. The little ones danced with joy while the biggest ferret watched over them. She and Jayce passed the binoculars back and forth for a while, until finally, the adult herded the little ones back to the burrow.
Then, the adult darted off into the grass.
Malika blinked. How irresponsible of it. It must not have much experience with babies.
“What if something happens while the mother isn’t there to protect them?” she asked. “Shouldn’t we get closer and watch them for her?”
“No.” Jayce caught her arm to stop her from standing. “That’s the last thing we should do. They’ll have to figure out how to survive on their own. They’re safe enough where they are. Besides, black-footed ferrets are solitary. The mother will move them into their own burrows before very long.”
Malika would have to trust that he knew what he was talking about, although this wasn’t the same as the bear spray. She sighed. This was about babies—and women had protective instincts about babies that men couldn’t possibly understand.
His hand remained on her arm. Their thighs touched. The earth underneath them was warm from the sun. They’d created a small, intimate nest for themselves in the wheat, canopied by the night, which had fallen. She wanted more of what they’d begun by the river.
She wriggled closer. And still, he did nothing.
The man couldn’t grasp the nuances of flirting, let alone outright invitation. A more direct approach was required.
“Do I not kiss as well as Belle does?” she asked.