A Cowboy for the CEO

Chapter 29: Back in the Saddle [18+]

After he'd put in an order that would feed a small army, Hank excused himself to take a long-overdue shower. He'd just shut off the water when the doorbell rang, so Ali accepted the delivery and placed the bags on the counter. By the time she'd also washed up, Hank was back in the kitchen tugging apart one of the white paper containers.

"What in the world are you doing?" she asked, crossing her arms in disbelief.

Standing in just a towel around his waist and with water still dripping from his hair, he continued to unfold the box. "Making a plate."

She scoffed. "You know you have real plates."

"Why would I get those dirty when this is why the box is made like this? See?" He proudly gestured toward the heap of vegetable lo mein sitting on top of a flattened piece of heavy paper.

Heading to the cabinets, Ali looked for the dishes she'd seen earlier. "Because that's a total urban legend." Finding the right shelf, she took out two plates and handed one to him.

"I'm good." He declined the offer and dug into his noodles.

Ali shook her head. "You are such a guy," she observed, scooping a spoonful of rice out of a box onto her plate before adding a helping of Szechuan chicken.

Hank swallowed the bite and grinned. "After everything in there, you just realized that?" Not waiting for her answer, he offered her a set of fancy chopsticks like the ones he was using.

She held her cast up in response. "I'll stick with a fork, but thanks."

They ate in silence until Hank looked like he was going to fall asleep again right there on the stool. Ali urged him back to bed and offered to tidy up, expecting him to be out cold by the time she joined him. Instead, he was propped up on pillows watching a baseball game.

Climbing in beside him, she snuggled into the crook of his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead as she turned onto her side, placing one leg on top of his while draping her arm across his chest. Amid the monotone play-by-play from the announcers and the sound of Hank's breathing, Ali closed her eyes against the warm sunlight filtering through the blinds.

She woke to the feeling of drool at the corner of her mouth and the room enveloped in darkness. On the other side of the bed, Hank was still asleep so she carefully climbed out from under the covers to avoid disturbing him. Tiptoeing to the bathroom, she shut the door behind her before turning on the light.

A scary mess looked back at her from the large mirror. Her hair was a rat's nest and dark circles framed her eyes. Wrinkling her nose at the sight, Ali sighed. They had somehow slept through the entire afternoon. After splashing a little water on her face and running a brush through her matted locks, she returned to the bedroom with every intention of waking Hank and asking him to drive her back to the lodge.

"Hey there, beautiful." He yawned and pushed himself up on one arm, preempting her.

With his hair all tousled and cheeks covered in day-old stubble, he looked irresistible. Going back to the bed, Ali leaned in for a kiss, but Hank pulled her on top of him.

"I think I still owe you another round," he murmured.

A primal urge stirred within her, and she didn't need any more convincing. Digging her fingers into his hair, she wet her lips before brushing them against his. Kissing him already felt familiar, even though they'd only known each other for two weeks and had dated for less than one. But there was something special about Hank that she'd never encountered in anyone else. As his strong, warm hands gently swept across her skin—caressing her shoulder, moving down her arm, and finally slipping over her butt—Ali knew that it was much more than the physical pleasure he provided.