2. Amos

TWO

AMOS

Jesus fucking Christ, I can’t get my heart to stop trying to jump out of my chest. I was already on my way up to the house after seeing Genevieve pull down the drive and sit in her vehicle for longer than I thought possible. But instead of going straight to her, I gave her space. It wasn’t until I noticed she had her hands full that I abandoned tinkering with shit I didn’t even need to work on. Anything to keep me busy and keep my hands to myself. The last time I had her in my sights, it took everything in me to walk away.

As I helped her down to the truck and trailer, I steadied her the entire way with my hand on the small of her back, doing my best not to take us into the house, strip her bare, and let her see exactly what she’s doing to me. Fuck, my cock is going to have a permanent impression of the zipper with the way the day is starting off. Genevieve slips off to the barn, requesting to use the restroom before she gets in the truck. I stow her luggage in the back seat, then watch as she heads into the barn while leaning against the truck, an ear out in case she gets lost or loses her footing again. Which reminds me—I’m going to have to look at fixing the walkway from the house to the barn. If Genevieve can fall walking, who’s to say nobody else can? And the way the women around here are getting pregnant, coming and going as they please with their girls’ nights out, they could land anywhere. My place included. Sienna sometimes offers up our place, says there are fewer people in and out to disturb their chattering, plus it’s not like I’m dating, working like I do. My sister’s words, verbatim. The brat. She’s lucky I love her.

“Were you waiting on me?” The redheaded beauty walks out of the dimly lit doorway. I’ve shut most everything down at the ranch, keeping it easy for Trey and Sienna to maintain. Horses, cows, and bison are the only animals they’ll have to take care of, unless my sister decides to pick up a stray and drop it off here. Though, she’s been doing a lot of that since moving in with Trey. A good thing, too, because when she’s over here, it’s to pester the shit out of me and asking when I’m going to settle down. Then dropping subtle hints, which weren’t needed in the first place, and now we’re here.

“Still got a couple of things to do. Just taking a break.” Truth be told, I got so invested in watching Genevieve walk away, here I stood, and here I’m still standing. The soft sway of her hips, her heart-shaped ass, thick thighs, and hair pulled up in some kind of crazy bun half of the damn population wears. Except I never did pay a lick of attention until Genny. Every time she’s near, I have to avert my eyes and tell my dick to keep it in his pants. Who the fuck am I kidding? My cock has been rubbed raw recently with how hard I’ve been jacking my junk.

“Oh, okay. I won’t keep you.” She takes another step toward me, and I shift myself away from the truck. Any excuse I can come up with for me to touch her I’m going to use to my full advantage.

“You’re not keeping me, honey.” I lose her pretty blue eyes when she looks down at the ground. Well, fuck, the last thing I want is for her to retreat into herself.

“Amos.” My name coming from her lips hits me square in the gut and makes me think perverted thoughts all in one go.

“Come on, let’s get you in the truck.” I push away from where I’ve been leaning, watching as she drags the toe of her shoe through the gravel. The last thing I want is another situation where she’s falling. The next time she lands in my lap, I’d prefer it with little to no clothes on and somewhere we won’t be interrupted for hours.

“I can do that.” I’m already two steps ahead of her, opening the passenger door and sliding my finger along the strap of her bag to lift it off her shoulder. Luckily, Genevieve goes with the flow, ducking her head when I pull the goliath bag away from her. I swear every woman I’ve been around, mainly Sienna, Mrs. Johnson, and her brood of daughters-in-laws, they all have a common theme: big-ass purses or none at all.

“I’m already here. May as well help.” I place her bag on the floorboard, hand going out to hers once that’s done. Genevieve is hesitant at first, almost like my skin is searing hers.

“Thank you,” she says quietly. My hand not encompassed with hers grabs her hip, giving it a light squeeze as her foot meets the running board. Sienna tried to start a joke about the bigger the truck, the smaller the manhood, but one look from Trey made her change her mind and firmly keep her mouth shut, and I had to try not to gag at the thought of my baby sister and best friend together. Needless to say, the size of my truck wasn’t brought up again. And yeah, it’s probably a bit overkill, but when you go on long hauls, luxury becomes a necessity. The stone-gray F-250 Limited took a whack of cash even with my last trade-in, but it was worth it. Seeing Genny sitting in the plush leather interior with heated and cooled seats makes it all the more so.

“You’re welcome.” I drag my hand down her body as she takes her seat. “You good?” I’ve still got a few more things to do, being more cautious than I would be if I were taking this haul by myself. I’ve already packed a cooler with drinks and snacks. I had to call Sienna to see what Genny likes and doesn’t like. Iced coffee, Dr. Pepper, and flavored waters are her preferences when it comes to beverages. The woman probably has caffeine running through her veins instead of blood; might make more sense with her seeming so jittery. Though, I think there’s more to it. I’ll wait till she feels comfortable enough to tell me. No way would I bring the subject up to her or my sister. Nope, not looking to get my nuts or teeth knocked in.

The snacks consist of chips, and not just any chips either. The list went in order from first to last: crunchy Cheetos, cool ranch Doritos, and jalape?o Kettle chips. There’s currently a bag containing all of the above, as well as the licorice, peppermints, and peanut butter cups. I went fucking ham, only tossing in waters, sunflower seeds, and beef jerky in the mix for myself.

“I… I’m good. I feel like I should be helping in some capacity.” She wets her lips, her tongue tracing the seam, and now I’ve got more thoughts rolling through my brain about what I’m eventually going to do to her mouth.

“All I’m doing is closing the gate for the trailer, checking the plugs, and then getting this show on the road.” Instead of waiting for a response, I back away from her, going against every cell of my being. Once her door is shut, I’m heading to the back of the trailer. The bison I’m picking up for the herd this week will be a heavy load, and the last thing I want is something breaking down. As it is, I’m sure a tire will blow at some point. Shit is inevitable. I go through the paces—plugs are connected, the gooseneck is all set up, and there are a couple of spares in the back of my truck as well as a first aid kit, the animal kind.

I take one last walk around the truck and trailer, not seeing anything that sticks out like a sore thumb, and then head for the driver’s side. A quick pull on the handle, my fingers wrap around the wheel, and I’m settled in the seat. The truck has been idling, keeping the cab warm enough for Genevieve with the crisp fall air that hit this week. It was unseasonably warm, and then Mother Nature kicked in. It was about damn time.

Genny is quiet as a mouse. I look over, and she’s got her head down, a sketch pad on her lap with a pencil in her hand. Long smooth strokes glide along the paper. Another piece of information unfolding about the woman who’s got me wrapped around her finger. Instead of interrupting what she’s doing, I put my seatbelt on; she’s already got hers locked into place. I guess I’ll tell her the game plan once we’re on the road.

“Sorry,” she says once I’ve got the truck in gear, and we slowly pull away from the barn.

“No need to apologize. While I’ve got your attention, figure since it’s already noon, we’ll get a hotel for the night.” I take my eyes off the dirt road for a minute to look at her. Heat is blazing a path across her cheeks. “We won’t be able to stay overnight with the herd loaded up. I don’t want to take a chance on someone screwing with them while I’m asleep.”

I return my gaze to the road, resituating myself, more aptly my fucking dick, and wait for her response.

“That makes sense. I can pay for my half.” Fuck me. She ain’t paying for a damn thing when she’s with me. But I can’t bark out an answer. I’ve got to be firm yet gentle, because the last thing I want is her to shy away from me again.

“I’ve got it covered.” Genny goes to respond, but I change the subject. “I knew you painted. Had no idea you could draw.”

“Yeah. Well, paint in a moving vehicle isn’t a great idea.” She lets out a soft laugh.

“I’d suppose not.” Genevieve puts her pencils in the cupholders and turns the dial up on the volume, which I take as my cue that she’s done with conversation for the time being. I’ll give her this play, for now.