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“Breathing’s overrated,” I rasp, trying like hell for casual.

He leans in, lips at my ear, voice low and hot. “I know what you mean.”

My knees almost go. I grip the saddle horn so hard I fear I might snap it off. I don’t even care. Because for one dizzy second, he’s so close I can feel the shape of his body, the thick, muscled wall of his chest practically pressed to my back.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to take much more of this before I jump his freaking bones.

After Silas declares an end to the day, I trudge back to the house, feeling every scrape and bruise. I step into the cool darkness of the living room to find Hank, unmoved, stretched to the max on his plaid blanket.

He glances up, one eye open, eyebrow arched in total judgment. The blanket, I notice, is perfectly arranged, every edge tucked snug. Silas must have done it, because I haven’t had two seconds to straighten anything.

Hank doesn’t say it, but the look is clear: Why do you do this to yourself?

I have no idea.

Actually, a scary thought occurs to me. I’m having the time of my life.

CHAPTER FIVE

SILAS

I tuck Hank and his blanket into the oversized chair across from my desk and crack my laptop open, thumbing the trackpad until the damn face-recognition stops pretending not to know me. The screen goes bright. Within seconds, the video call populates with my siblings.

Tanner’s propped back in a chair with his feet on the desk like the King of Silver Spoon Falls. Cole’s on the high plains in Montana, with a backdrop of snow and the kind of calm you only get from being three states away from this shitshow. Hudson is suited up, his hair too perfect, his face set in that bored corporate mask. He looks like he doesn’t have time to deal with our shit.

“Look at this asshole,” Tanner crows. “Did you actually brush your hair today? Must be trying to impress the Hollywood starlet.”

Cole snorts, muffled by what looks like a travel mug big enough to water a horse.

I lean in and roll my eyes. “Don’t you have anything better to do than give me shit?”

“Don’t get testy, Silas,” comes Hudson, voice flat but lazy with the edge of a grin. “We’re just curious. You haven’t been by the main house for dinner in a while. And there’s a rumor circulating through town that you have some chick living with you. You aren’t going to be able to keep your secret training mission a secret for long.” Fuck me. I should’ve realized how hard it would be to keep this out of the Silver Spoon Falls grapevine.

“Whole town’s buzzing,” Tanner chimes in, stretching like a damn barn cat.

Hudson cuts in. “When do we get to meet her, anyway? Seems to me, if you’re gonna upend your whole schedule, we should get a proper introduction.”

They rattle on, voices overlapping, each trying to one-up the last, and I just fold my arms and resist the urge to chuck my mug through the screen.

Then Maggie’s face blinks into the corner of the screen. “Hey, twinny-poo.” Her silly nickname for me gets a laugh from our brothers.

“When do I get to meet your new girl?” Maggie’s voice is sweet, but the word “girl” is a blade that she twists just so. “She’s been here for two weeks, and you haven’t let any of us meet her?”

The rest of them lose their goddamn minds. Tanner hoots so loud the sound blares through my laptop speakers. Cole nearly spits out his coffee onto his screen. Hudson just rocks back, silent but grinning like he’s watching a live execution. Then Hank chooses that moment to rip a huge fart.

“Damn. What are you eating?” Tanner fake-gags.

“That wasn’t me,” I automatically defend myself. Grabbing the laptop, I angle the camera so that my siblings can see the spoiled-ass Frenchie snoring loudly on my chair. “Hank had one too many doggie treats this morning.”

Hudson blinks several times before muttering, “What the fuck is that?”

“That’s my emotional distress animal.” I shrug like it’s no big deal that I have a dog lounging in my office.

“Distress sounds about like it.” Hudson shakes his head.

“Holy shit. Now I know I’ve woken up in the Twilight Zone.” Cole snorts.

Tanner’s laughing so hard he’s red in the face. “New girl, new dog. Who are you, and what did you do with our real brother?”