Spurs 'n Surrender (Operation Cowboy Book 2)(54)
“There used to be a bit of water down by the caves but it’s been dry lately. We’ll be home in another hour if we walk hard.”
Throwing a glance at her big, brawny Marine, she wondered at his stamina. He was like a machine, able to walk and work—and love—nonstop.
She was still a little sore but couldn’t deny how appealing it would be to crawl into bed with him again. When he was around, she couldn’t keep her thoughts from drifting that direction.
With a boost of energy, she picked up the pace. He easily matched it as if he’d been lagging to keep her company. He probably had.
“When do you want to sit down with the plans for our house?”
“As soon as we finish the hamster homes.”
She laughed and shook her head.
“Anya, I want to talk to you about something but I don’t want to offend you.”
She slowed again. “Okaaaay.”
“It’s about building this house together. I want it bad. And I’m eager to get started too. But I want to do it with my own money.”
Her feet stopped as if their batteries had suddenly run out. “What?”
“I know you’re loaded, sweetheart. But I don’t want to use your money to build the house we share.”
That puzzled her. “Wh…why not?”
“I want to earn it. My cut of the vacation homes will give us a start.” His jaw was set—he wasn’t going to budge on this idea of his.
“Look, I get it. You want the pride of doing it yourself. But if my money can make things easier—”
He cut her off. “Anya, please don’t fight me on this.”
She shut her mouth and quickened her pace. She’d had it with arguing with Wydell. And she was sick and tired of people telling her what to do—and not do—with her money.
When he clasped her shoulder and spun her to face him, all the pent-up frustration inside her was finally unleashed. “Do you know what the papers are saying about me helping you here in Los Vista? Do you?”
He blinked, startled by her question. “What’s that have to do with anything?”
“Everything! Do you know what they’re saying?”
He shook his head.
“That I’m gullible. Tricked into coming here and investing in something that is a waste of my grandparents’ hard-earned money. I’m sick and tired of having no say and being told I don’t have enough brains to make smart choices.”
“I never said you don’t have enough brains.”
“No, but you won’t let me help, either. We’ll be starting this journey of our lives—of our relationship—on separate paths. How can it ever work?”
She started walking, and he let her go. After she’d gone a few paces, he flanked her again, a solid wall of man who wasn’t going to back down from this fight. But when he spoke, she was surprised by what she heard.
“You’re right. I’m wrong to want to do this on my own.”
“Damn right you are.”
“I didn’t know people were saying these things about you. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Maybe both of us tend to keep things bottled up until they blow.”
His warm, rough hand enveloped hers, and she automatically swayed closer to him, walking so near that their bodies bumped.
“You’re smart enough to make any decision you want to. I won’t hold you back, Anya.”
Her eyes prickled. “Thank you for saying that.”
“Just speaking the truth.”
“You know any profits I make on the tiny homes is my hard-earned money, right? It’s not my grandparents’.”
His gaze burned into hers. “But your grandparents saw the strength and intelligence in you or they wouldn’t have left their legacy to you.”
A tear escaped her lashes, and she brushed it away. “It’s nice to hear you say that. It means a lot to me.”
They walked in silence for another quarter mile. Finally, he said, “If you think I’m letting you build us a birdhouse to share, though, you’re going to encounter a whole other argument.”
She burst out laughing, imagining a man like Wydell confined to a small place. “No, what I envision for us is a wide front porch and a beautiful view. Open floor plans and enough room for you to sprawl out.”
“Mmm. Sprawl out with you.”
Liquid heat rolled through her lower belly. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to get into that cramped shower with him. They walked on. The last stretch of road felt farther away than ever. By the time she spotted their trucks parked at the trail head, her knees threatened to collapse out of pure relief.
Wydell slung his bag into the back of his vehicle and dug out a canteen of freshly filtered water. He handed it to Anya, and she gulped the water down. When she lowered the canteen, she realized he was staring at her.
She smiled, and he returned it. All seemed settled and at ease between them.
“Don’t you think it’s funny how no matter how many times we argue, we always work it out?” she said.
“That’s because fighting is our foreplay, sweetheart.”
She jerked, understanding settled over her from head to toe. Recounting the battles in her head, she saw flashes of his eyes and the way his big hands had clenched into fists. Damn, he did look hot as hell when he was angry. She wondered if he felt the same about her.