Page 21 of All of Us

DUSTY

Good night, sexy.

It was easy to get up the next morning because I knew I would be seeing Gentry. I was still sore, but the ointment Gentry brought helped. There was no sense in denying that there was a spark between us. He was honestly the first man that I felt something more than lust for. As my thoughts started to travel down a naughty path, I got a text notification.

GENTRY

Hey. Can you be ready by 11:00 a.m.?

It was 8:00 a.m., and I needed to get a few hours of image editing done. Honestly, I would be ready for Gentry any time he asked me.

JOE

Of course.

GENTRY

Excellent. Can’t wait to see you.

At 10:45 a.m., I spun around and looked at my ass a few more times in the mirror. Dusty told me these made my butt look biteable, so I was banking on that. The cowboy boots gave me a little lift as well, and they did wonders for the look. I pulled on a T-shirt and finished with an open flannel, knowing I looked like I was trying too hard. Whatever I wanted Gentry to notice me.

The sound of gravel crunching under tires was my cue that Gentry was here. I took a deep breath. Once he was out of the truck, his eyes traveled over me from head to toe and back again. We met on the way to the passenger side, his hand landed low on my back, and he guided me to the door.

After I was in, he smiled at me. “You look great. Those jeans make your ass look amazing.”

I did an internal cheer. When he ran around to the driver’s side, the smile he gave me when he climbed in made my stomach flutter. He had a great smile. Gentry’s entire presence was comforting, and I was excited for our day together.

On the drive to my brother’s house, Gentry kept glancing my way. “What?”

He blushed. “You’re cute.”

I was surprised by his comment, but I liked it a lot.

“When we get there, we will do some work in the arena like we did the other day. Then I will take you on a short trail ride.”

“That sounds good.” I already knew how sore I would be, but I needed to know how to ride, and spending time with Gentry was icing on the cake.

“I’d like to run back to the bunkhouse and shower before our date if that’s okay. Then I’ll come back to your cottage.” He looked over at me.

“Shower with me.” I blushed. “Shower me.” Shit. Why couldn’t I speak properly? “You can shower at my place.”

“Can we review the first two options? They sound pretty good to me.”

It was my turn to blush, but he smiled, and it made me comfortable. It was going to be a really good day.

Chapter eight

GENTRY

Being around Joe made me all kinds of happy. There was an energy about him that I wanted to surround myself with like a blanket. Whatever it was, every time I was near him, I could feel my mood lift, which was completely new to me. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was smoking hot—a body I wanted to get to know better, bright, happy eyes, and a warmth that radiated from his soul.

I guess Martin Wilson knew how to match people, because he was certainly on point this time. I already felt all kinds of things for him. When we pulled into the Wilsons yard, I parked near the barn, and we both climbed out and met behind the horse trailer. Unable to stop myself, I reached out and rubbed his arm.

“This might be weird,” I hung my head a little, knowing that I sounded like a child. “I’ve wondered if I could kiss you again because if I don’t get it out of my system soon, I might combust.”

Joe let out a huge sigh. “Thank god. I’m glad it’s not just me.” He stepped into my space, and our lips met. Surprisingly, he made it tongue-heavy, and I happily reciprocated. He tasted of mint and coffee, a mixture I wouldn’t forget any time soon.

The kiss was passionate but not dirty; we took our time enjoying the moment. There was only ever one person that I had kissed where there were feelings involved, and Joe made the second.