Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders #6)(59)

He whisked her to a show—sure, the movie theater in Wheatland wasn’t a Broadway play. He’d taken her bowling. And to a rodeo.


He’d toed the line of just kissing her.


Mostly. The hot incident in the truck notwithstanding.


His showing off at the basketball game hadn’t turned out so well, yet…it’d given him a glimpse of India’s caring side. A side she showed to her sister, Kade, her nieces, and to Domini, but rarely to him.


Wrong. She showed it to you after she shot you in the ass with the nail gun.


Well, she should have.


What about all those times over the last few years when she arrived on your doorstep with chicken noodle soup, tissues and Vicks VapoRub? Or with movies? Or with “a little something” for your house? Or when she’s dropped everything to help you, even when you didn’t ask? Or how she just always knows when you need her around?


India showed him her thoughtfulness every time they were together. The fact she showed him her bitchy, violent side, made him feel…special, because she trusted him enough not to hide it.


Enough stewing. Enough supposing. Buck up and act like a man. In other words…grovel.


He dug out his cell phone and called her.


She answered on the first ring. “I was just about to—”


“Let me say my piece first and then you’ll get your chance.”


Silence.


And then Colt couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. Dammit.


He used to be considered charming. What’d happened to his silver tongue? Or had he been delusional and the booze was responsible for his sweet-talking ability?


“Colt? I’m waiting.”


“Sorry I acted like a jerk.”


“Go on.”


“You deserve better from me.”


“Keep going.”


“I was an *, especially in front of Blake.”


“Yes, you were.”


“I saw your hands on him and I…”


“What?”


“All I could think about was I wanted your hands on me like that. I wanted to make it crystal f*ckin’ clear to him that you’d never ever put your hands on him like that in private. Never.


Because that privilege was all mine.”


“I tattoo people for a living, Colt. I’m going to have my hands on a lot of men. On some interesting places on men.”


“I don’t think it would’ve bothered me if it’d been anyone besides him.”


India sighed. “Well, your message to your cousin couldn’t have been clearer. I half expected you to whip out your dick and pee on me as you snarled at him and marked your territory.”


“Jesus.” Colt winced. “I’m sorry. Really sorry, India. You have to believe me.”


“I know you are. And as long as we’re apologizing, I’m sorry I threw the wrench at you.”


“I’m glad Eliza didn’t get her rock throwing abilities from you, as I would’ve had another head injury to deal with.”


“How is your head?”


“Evidently I’m a lot more hard-headed than I realized.”


“And yet, you sound so surprised by that statement, McKay.”


A slight pause. “How’s your ass?”