Page 48 of Chris

“Pardon?”

“Flirt with me.”

Chris shrugged one shoulder, almost uncaringly even though he looked damn good doing it. “When you say you don’t want me to, then I won’t. See, telling me I shouldn’t do something isn’t the same as telling me not to do it because you don’t like it, Val.”

Goddamn him for being right.

Valeria, out of an instinctual need to be safe and nothing more, peeked back to the ranch, and stables. Here, all she ever did was look over her shoulder to see who was spying, and might report back to Jorge about her behavior. She hadn’t realized how often she did it until Chris was nearby.

Sad thing, that.

“No worries, no one is watching,” Chris said, amusement coloring his tone.

Valeria was quick to snap around to glare at him, then. “Don’t treat this like a joke. I might like your attention, but that doesn’t mean I can always accept it.”

His playful smile never faltered.

God.

Why did he have to be so cocky?

So damn confident?

Arrogant men were not Valeria’s first choice, that was for sure, and yet she found it was a good look on Chris. She was not used to the heat traveling lower between her thighs, making an ache settle deep in her bones.

Jesus.

And that want?

Clawing at her chest?

It was too much.

“Don’t you have questions for me?” he asked.

She did.

Too many.

And yet, all she could say was, “You will get me killed.”

“Quite the opposite, Valeria.”

What?

Again with that suggestion. Like he was here for her—he said it as though that’s what he meant, but she couldn’t be sure that’s what it was.

She didn’t even trust herself.

“Would you let me do it again?”

Valeria sucked in a shaky breath, a flush traveling down her throat. She could feel the heat crawling over her skin though she did her best to ignore it. She asked, although she was sure she knew his answer, “Do what?”

“Kiss you.”

“Valeria!”

The shout of Abril coming from the stables had her rearing the horse back, already turning to head for the stables and leaving Chris behind.