Taming Clint Westmoreland - Brenda Jackson [36]
Without giving her a chance to say anything he turned and she watched him walk away.
“Hey, boss, are you okay?” one of Clint’s men inquired some hours later as he was saddling one of the horses.
Clint glanced up at Walter Pockets, frowned and said gruffly, “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
The man, who had only been working for him a couple of years, hesitated. “Well, because you’re putting the saddle on backward,” he said.
“Damn,” Clint said and quickly removed the saddle. He placed it on the horse’s back correctly, grateful that only Pockets had seen him make such a blunder. “My mind was elsewhere,” he said. He knew that was a lame excuse. He would be the first to get on his men if they were to let their minds wander while performing even a menial task. Working on a ranch required focus. And yet, he was not focused at all today.
“I can ride out and check on things if you want me to,” Pockets said.
Clint thought about the man’s offer. It was almost lunchtime already. He had pretty much decided to stay out on the range and eat with his men, but now he was thinking differently. Kissing Alyssa had not gotten her out of his system. Instead it seemed that each time their lips connected she was getting even more embedded under his skin. Yet he could no more seize an opportunity to kiss her than he could stop breathing.
“Thanks, Pockets,” he finally heard himself say. “I’d appreciate it if you would. I’ve got a matter up at the house I need to take care of.” That was saying it as honestly as he could.
Less than thirty minutes later he was walking into the kitchen. Chester glanced up from stirring a pot with a surprised look on his face. “I didn’t expect you back until late tonight.”
Clint shrugged. “I finished early. Where’s Alyssa? Is she in my office?”
“No, she asked if she could borrow the truck to go into town. She said she was going to take a shower, so I guess she’s in her bedroom getting dressed.”
The thought of a naked Alyssa standing under a spray of water got him even more unfocused and aroused and he was grateful to be standing behind the kitchen table. Wondering why Alyssa needed to go into town, Clint headed toward his office.
“Maybe you ought to think about going with her,” he heard Chester say. Clint drew up short and turned around.
“Why should I think about doing something like that?”
Chester smiled. “Because you could help her with all those bags and boxes she plans to bring back.”
Clint frowned. “What bags and boxes?”
“From shopping. I figure she’s going into town to do some shopping,” Chester said.
Clint folded his arms over his chest. “Why in the hell would I want to accompany any woman shopping?”
Chester chuckled. “That would give you a chance to spend time with her under the pretense of being helpful. And don’t insult my intelligence by asking why I think you’d want to spend time with her, Clint. I saw her lips at breakfast.”
Clint’s frowned deepened. “And?”
“And I think you need to go easy on them,” the older man said with a sly chuckle.
Clint honestly didn’t think he could. Instead of telling that to Chester he turned and walked out of the kitchen.
“Where are the keys to the truck, Chester?” Alyssa asked, glancing around. She could have sworn when Chester had given them to her earlier she had placed them on the top of the breakfast bar.
“Clint has them,” Chester said.
She whirled around with a surprised look on her face. “Clint?”
“Yep,” Chester answered without looking up from stirring the pot on the stove.
“Oh. I thought he was going to be gone all day,” Alyssa said.
The older man did manage to smile. “Yeah, I thought so, too, but I guess he had a change in plans.”
“Does that mean he needs to use the truck?”
“No,” Chester said, chuckling. “I think it means that he’s