Free Splinters by Thorny Sterling

with his business, and joins in at least enough to laugh and refute tall tales. His eyes are alive and his grin broad. Mia makes him blush and play at hiding his face while telling me about Duke’s barnyard kittens.
    “Everyone else around here leaves the strays be to do their job mousin’.” She giggles when Duke flings a pen at her. “But our sweet Duke got it in his head to gentle a whole passel of kittens, name every one of ’em, and—” She raises her voice like this is the best part.
    “Oh, shut up, girl,” Duke grumbles with a red face.
    “—he bought a little pink brush for ’em!”
    The boys guffaw. Giggling, Mia curls up to fend off the throw pillow Duke wings at her. Elsie shares a wink with me, and I just know I’m dangerously close to falling for this big, gruff cowboy who pampers kittens.
    Is it a danger? Maybe not. Maybe he’s the best thing to ever happen to me.
    Around nine, Toby and Ray say their goodnights and head out to the bunkhouse. Mia does some puttering around in the kitchen before I hear her take to the stairs with a call for us to have a good night. Duke’s off locking up the house, and I actually have to give Elsie some significant looks before she gives in and flounces upstairs, too.
    Duke comes back in, a shy smile almost hiding under his mustache. I approach him and tangle our fingers together.
    “Thank you for letting me—us—stay.”
    “Happy to have you. Stay. Here.” He clears his throat.
    Adorable man. I pitch my voice low to say, “I’m happy to be had.” I kiss his cheek before sauntering upstairs. I’m confident he knows exactly what I mean.

    An hour later, I realize I must not have been clear enough because I’m still waiting . A floorboard in the hallway creaks, and I open my eyes. Is that Duke finally coming up to bed? I stare at my mostly closed door, waiting for him to open it and mosey in.
    I’m tired and a little sore in spots, but mostly I’m growing annoyed. I’d heard Duke downstairs walking around while I changed, but then nothing. And now, thanks to that loose board out there, my body thrums from the ideas my brain’s supplying for why we’ll both be exhausted and aching come morning.
    I want him naked so I can slide my smoothness all over his every furry bit. That has to be first. God, I’m going to lose it completely if he’s untrimmed everywhere. I’m getting hard just remembering that hairy chest blending down into a highway of fuzz to his groin. I want to tangle my fingers in it all, nip and tug, pet and breathe in every scent the kinky little tendrils hold.
    I stare at the door again, willing Duke to look in here.
    Then I hear another creak farther away, the click of a door, and I realize…he’s not coming.
    My hope and desire twist painfully and wither inside me. I press my face into the pillow, shocked and… Well, heartbroken. What had I misunderstood? What had he? Maybe I should’ve been more blatant about my expectations.
    I frown at the damn door. Should I have drawn him a picture?
    Even if he didn’t know exactly what I expected, why wasn’t he up here making his own wants known? Unless… Oh . Unless he didn’t want me after all.
    But why kiss me like that? Why hold me and whisper such wonderful things? Why let me stay?
    Damn . Was he afraid someone might find out? He couldn’t possibly think Elsie would care at all, considering the things she’d said. Mia wouldn’t still live here if she had a problem with Duke bringing a guy home, would she? Not even one he’d found tied up like a gift for him on his own land. And the teasing from Ray and Toby had felt fond, brotherly even, so Duke couldn’t—
    He’s peeking! Or he peeked because it was only for a second before he withdrew. Shit . I should’ve been sitting up, the light on, ass in the air, some thing to let him know he better come inside. Now he’s walking away, boards groaning in the hallway. Damn the man. He is not getting away from me this time.
    I throw off