She makes a zipper motion across her lips. “Secret’s safe with me, but you gotta tell me why you called me to pick your ass up if the sex was so great.”

I hesitate. “I was embarrassed that we slept together so soon after meeting. I’d never done that before. I knew I couldn’t face him and didn’t reach out because I wasn’t sure what to say.”

“You were living on the edge.” Kenzie snickers.

I throw another pillow, but this time, it catches her off guard and smacks her. I snag the remote and flick on the show. Being preoccupied by Cameron, she kicks off her shoes and lies on the bed. We watch and laugh at the same things. Randomly, I’ll think about Gavin and the way his lips felt on my skin. His strong hands on my body is something I wish I could feel again. Just the way his tongue twisted with mine makes heat rush through me. When the episode ends, I yawn.

“I’m leaving tomorrow to go back to school,” she tells me.

I stick out my lower lip. “I know. I’m gonna be sad.”

“Aw, I already promised Mom I would come back as much as I could.” She hugs me.

“Good,” I say. “Drive safe. Text me when you get to your dorm.” I sound like Mom with the reminder.

“I will! Night. Love you,” Kenzie says with a grin

“Love you too.”

She shuts the door, and I let out a long sigh.

What Gavin and I had was special, but it can never happen again. Sex without some sort of attachment doesn’t exist.

Chapter Four

GAVIN

ONE MONTH LATER

“C’mon, Racer. Don’t gimme a hard time today,” I plead with the colt who’s giving me hell about wearing a bridle. He’s a quarter horse, and they are usually the easiest breed to train, but it’s hot as hell, so we’re both agitated. He’s not as wild as the others, which is why I start my days with him.

Maybe it’s not just the heat that’s annoying me.

It’s been a month since I moved to the ranch, and though I’ve settled in comfortably, Maize’s still trying to convince me she doesn’t remember who I am. When we’re in the same place, she actively dodges me as though I have a contagious disease.

And perhaps it pisses me off more than it should, but I’ve never had a woman who wasn’t eager for my attention. She claims to have no memory of our night together, but I don’t believe her, considering she screamed my name and begged me to fuck her hard. I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since it happened almost two months ago.