Branded as Trouble (Rough Riders #6)(87)

“Why not?”


Tell him the truth? Or lie?


He didn’t give her time to decide. “What? Are you sick of me?”


“No!”


“Then what?” His gaze roamed over her. “Are you sick?”


“Sort of.”


“Explain.”


She huffed out a nervous stream of air. “Dammit, I got my period after that last time in the shower.”


“That’s why you’ve been scarce?”


“Yes.”


He looked utterly confused. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”


“Because it’s not usually a topic for discussion between men and women when they’re first dating. Plus, I feel gross and I’m not good company. I thought I’d spare you.”


Colt kissed her hard and quick. “I don’t care. I want to be with you no matter what your mood or what your hormones do.”


“Really?”


“Really. We’re way beyond the first dating stage, Indy, and don’t pretend what’s going on between us is only about sex.”


“Oh yeah, Mr. ‘I Disagreed’?”


“Don’t get me wrong. I love getting nekkid with you.” He kissed her. “All.” He kissed her again. “The.” Another kiss.


“Damn.” And another. “Time.” He grinned. “But I’d be just as happy hangin’ with you as bangin’ you.”


“How poetic, McKay.”


“I am tryin’ like the devil to get the shine back on my silver tongue.” He fingered the gold hoop in her eyebrow. “Come over anyway. You can sit on the couch with a heating pad and a bag of Hershey’s Kisses. I’ll even watch chick flicks with you.”


“How’d you know—”


“That you crave Hershey’s Kisses that time of the month?


We’ve been friends for almost three years. I’ve noticed all your little quirks and your hormonal breakdowns.”


“Why didn’t you say something?”


“Because I was too much of a gentleman to mention it. Now that I know you prefer my ungentlemanly ways…” He brushed his mouth across the crown of her head. “Sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself.”


He was so damn sweet that she teared up. “Colt—”


“Hey now, none of that. I’d rather you were throwing wrenches at me instead of crying.”



She kissed his chin. “I’ll be over at seven. But I’m warning you; in my hormonal state, I expect a lot of kisses. And chocolate for dessert.”


“Sugar, I’ll give you as many kisses as you can handle.”


***


After an amazing week with India, didn’t it figure his weekend started out crappy?


Colt’s morning had gone to shit after the engine on his four-wheeler blew up. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’d gone to check cattle and found two dead cows and one dead calf that’d been gnawed on by coyotes. Then he’d sliced open his forearm on a piece of metal sheeting in the barn when his mother called demanding he show up for Sunday night supper. He spilled gas all over the floor in the garage and the fumes gave him an instant headache.


It was enough to drive a man to drink.


By the time he finished his daily chores and returned to the house well after dark, he needed a beer. Or a shot. Anything grain alcohol based.