Page 19 of The Player I Can’t Pick

I pause for a second. “I thought I’d take you horseback riding. What do you think?”

“What? For real?”

“Yeah. What do you think?”

She sounds surprised. “I love riding. What made you think of that?”

“I remembered your dad talking about his daughter once and saying how much she loved horses.”

She giggles. “It’s been eight or nine years since I’ve been on one.”

“That’s okay. I’ll be right beside you.”

She goes quiet for a second, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “I think I’d like that.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, honey.”

“Night, Guy. Have a safe drive home.”

“Night, honey. I’m pulling into my driveway now.”

“Good. I won’t have to worry about you either.”

The call ends, but I sit there for a second, feeling the effect of her words. My family worries about me. I know that. But this feels different, in the best possible way.

CHAPTER 8

NICOLE

When I go downstairs the next morning, Guy is already waiting for me in the lobby. He steps out from behind a column, and his whole face lights up when he sees me. His eyes travel slowly down my body before coming back to my face. His voice is husky. “Good morning.”

I can’t seem to stop smiling. “Morning.”

He starts to hold his hand out to me but quickly lets it fall. Instead, he gestures toward the exit. “Ready?”

I nod and fall into step beside him. When we reach a black truck, he hits a button and opens the passenger door. Before I can say anything, Guy puts his hands on my waist and lifts me onto the seat. My mouth falls open. He makes it look completely effortless. He reaches into the truck and pulls the seatbelt across me. “You good?”

I nod. “I’m good.”

His gaze drops to my mouth like he’s going to kiss me, but he doesn’t. He steps back and closes the door.

I watch as he walks around the truck and gets into the driver’s seat. He picks up a bag from the console and holds it out to me.

“I brought breakfast. There’s coffee too. Cream and sugar are in the bag with the pastries.” Almost instantly, he shakes his head. “And just so you know, I feel guilty as hell for not taking you out for a proper breakfast.”

I reach inside and pull out a strawberry donut. My eyes widen at the gooey goodness. “Are you kidding me? This is a proper breakfast.”

He watches as I take a bite. As soon as I swallow, he leans toward me. “You’ve got a little something…”

He presses his lips to mine, and I moan when his tongue slides across my bottom lip. He kisses me before pulling back with a smile. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. The strawberry donut is definitely my favorite.”

Heat rises to my cheeks. I knew today would be tempting, but I thought I’d have at least a little control over myself. I’ve barely gotten into his truck, and the tug low in my belly is already overwhelming. I clear my throat, trying to pull myself together. “So where are we going?”

He looks at me for another second before starting the truck and pulling out of the parking lot. “My brother’s ranch.”

I take another bite of the donut. “The Brody Ranch?”

He looks at me curiously, and I’m quick to explain. “It was on your hat the first night. I remember thinking you weren’t fooling anyone with it.”