Sharp Shootin' Cowboy (Hot Cowboy Nights, #3)(67)

“Jalape?o peppers in pie?” He grimaced.

“Yup. Don’t knock it ’til you try it. But it’s best eaten with lots of ice cream.”

She finished her soup while he cut two slices of pie. She suddenly realized just how comfortable she’d become sitting here with him. They’d been going on the last few minutes as if they were longtime friends. It struck her even harder that they hadn’t even disagreed about anything besides her mother, but she’d even argued with her grandparents and Yolanda over that.

“You’re joining me this time?” she remarked.

“Yup.” He flashed a guilty grin. “Though I already had two pieces of it earlier.”

“You’re not afraid of getting fat?”

“Nope. I seem to burn it off.” He looked almost boyish as he dug his fork into the pie.

Another flare of desire came out of nowhere. She could think of lots of ways to help him work off those calories. They ate stealing occasional glances at one another. The silence seemed companionable on the surface, but held an undercurrent of growing sexual tension.

When they finished, she watched him clear the table. He moved around the kitchen the same way he did everything—with confident ease. Fatigue once more overtaking her, Haley yawned and stretched.

“You wanna go back to bed?” he asked.

“Maybe. What time is it?”

“Probably getting close to sunup by now.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope. You slept a long time.”

“So you’ve been up all night watching me?”

“It’s the norm for me. Told you I don’t sleep. Not much anyway. My body’s conditioned to do without it.”

“That’s not normal, Reid. Not healthy.”

“It’s the way it is.” He shrugged. “I crash for short periods when I need it.”

“Come to bed with me.”

He shook his head. “Told you, it’s not gonna happen.”

“No, Reid. I don’t mean it like that. I just feel guilty about keeping you up all night. Just come and lie down with me. We’ll stay dressed. I’ll sleep better if you do.” Haley climbed into the bed but stayed on top of the covers. She patted the space beside her. “Please, Reid.”

He hesitated, then kicked off his boots. A moment later, the mattress sank beside her. Gravity alone rolled her up against him, not that she minded or tried to fight it.

“C’mere, Runt.” He pulled her up close to his side.

“Runt?” she snorted. “I suppose that’s better than some of the other names I’ve been called.”

“You got picked on for your size?”

“Yup. And for the geeky glasses I wore until I was old enough for contacts.”

“But now you’re back to the geeky glasses.”

“Now they serve a higher purpose,” she argued.

“Do people really treat you differently because you wear them? Or it is because of the attitude you adopt when you wear them?”

“Attitude? What do you mean by that?”

“You know, that snotty Ivy-League elitism.”

She pulled back with a frown. “You really think I act like that?”

“Intellectually superior? Sometimes you do, but it seems to be lessening. Then again,” he teased, “maybe I’m just getting used to it.”

“Yolanda says the same thing,” she grudgingly confessed. “You’re not perfect either, you know.”

“Never said I was. But is there a particular imperfection that eats you?”

“Yes. There is. Why are you so damned unflappable? Doesn’t anything ever get you worked up?”

“Besides you?” He flashed a crooked grin that made her heart flutter.

“I’m serious, Reid.”

“So am I. I find you damned irritating, but I’ve learned to pick my battles. I’ve also learned that there just aren’t that many things worth getting truly riled up about.”

“What kind of things?” she asked. “What really and truly pisses you off?”

“You really want to know?”

“Yeah, I really do.”

“Dishonesty, mainly. Liars, cheaters, and manipulators. People who take advantage of others’ vulnerabilities and misfortunes. I’ve got no use for ’em.”

“There are a lot of people like that in the world,” Haley remarked.

“You got that right. And they better not ever mess with me or mine.”

She chuckled. “You sound just like John Wayne when you talk like that. I can picture you in the saloon, in the corner, eyeing the bad guy with your six-shooter.”

He shrugged. “I mean what I say, Haley.” He pulled her closer. “I protect what’s mine.”

She lay snuggled under his arm with her head resting on his chest, listening to the low and rhythmic beat of his heart. She murmured softly. “Times may change, but I guess cowboys don’t.”

*

The sun was blazing through the windows when Reid woke up. “What the hell?” He snatched up his phone from the bedside nightstand. “Eight o’clock?” Had he really slept for four hours straight? That was the first time in years. He flung his legs over the bed and scrubbed the sleep from his eyes.