Cocky: A Cowboy Stepbrother Romance by Kaylee Kazarian Read Free Book Online

wafting underneath the door was what woke me. I could hear the bustle of people in the kitchen through the floorboards, the clatter of cast-iron skillets on the stove and the creaking of the oven door. The clock on the bedside table read 7:05. By farm standards, I had slept in late, even though I’d only slept about four hours altogether.
     
    There was a grogginess in my bones, and I wanted nothing more than to pull that heavy quilt up around my shoulders and go back to sleep. But the last thing I needed for was Caroline to have another reason to pick at me. All I had to do was make it until lunchtime. Then I could beg off and hit the road. Then I could put the farm, Caroline and this whole mess with Jay in the rearview.
     
    I pushed out from under the blanket, letting my bare feet hit wooden floorboards that were already starting to warm beneath the sun that shone through the thin curtains. There was gunk in my eyelashes, and I took a moment to stand in the middle of the room and stretch before I scrubbed at my eyes and cleared my vision. A long stretch that pulled wonderfully along my spine awoke the twinge of sore muscles in my thighs.
     
    Just like that, the thought of Jay’s bruising grip against my skin was swimming to the forefront of my consciousness. Standing in front of the mirror, I lifted up the long t-shirt I’d slept in. Sure enough, right along the backs of my thighs were little black bruises blooming to life.
     
    With a sigh, I went straight to my bag. At this hour, all the hot water in the tank would be used up, and I wasn’t too keen on the idea of taking a cold shower. Plus, I’d showered the night before. I could make it until tonight when I got back to my apartment before I showered again.
     
    I pulled on a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a t-shirt. Gone was the girl with curls in her hair and mascara on her lashes, and back was the tomboy with her hair in a ponytail and sneakers on her feet. It felt like putting on my armor again. I could do this.
     
    The sound of conversation made its way to me before I made it down the stairs. I stood at the top of the stairwell, straining to hear what was being said. I wanted to know the temperature of the room, so to speak, before I waded into it. Was Caroline in a bad mood because the house was trashed after the party? How many people had slept over and were waiting for breakfast?
     
    But to my surprise, all I heard was a few words and then laughter. Jay’s laughter. Butterflies took flight in my chest. I didn’t know how he would react when he saw me. All I could do was hope that he wouldn’t be angry with me. Or at least that if he was angry at me, he wouldn’t make a scene in front of everyone.
     
    I took a deep breath and offered up a prayer as I stepped into the kitchen, summoning up a smile. As much as I didn’t really care for Caroline, I loved her kitchen. It was beautiful and cozy, the cabinets done in rich, dark woods that seemed to soak up the sunlight and glow with warmth. The curtains were white-and-yellow checkerboard and they were blowing gently in the early morning breeze. I could just see the edges of the field outside of the window, riding a gentle swell of a hill up against the skyline.
     
    “Morning.” All I had to do was play it cool. I moved to sit down at an empty stool at the breakfast nook, hands clasped on the pristine white countertop. I didn’t know how Caroline kept it so clean. The tile of the countertop was practically sparkling.
     
    Caroline looked up from where she was pushing bacon around in the cast-iron skillet and gave me a grimace that might pass for a smile if you were farsighted. It was better than a snide remark. I was going to take it, and appreciate it. And absolutely make sure not to push my luck any.
     
    Jay was standing at the far end of the counter, leaning his elbows on it. He was the very picture of nonchalance, tossing a smile my way before he went back to talking to his mother.
     
    Gone were