“We should probably get up,” he says, his voice still low and gravelly. “I need to get back to the house before Caleb wonders where I’m at. Or before the whole ranch starts talking.”
My heart sinks.
Is he embarrassed?
The thought twists in my chest, and I start to pull away, but his hand shoots out, catching my face and gently forcing me tolook at him. His thumb brushes over my cheek, and his gaze locks onto mine.
“Hey,” he says, his tone soft but firm. “I don’t care if the entire ranch or the whole damn town knows about us. That’s not what this is about.”
I blink up at him, my breath hitching as I try to process his words. “Then what is it about?” I ask.
Damn, why do I sound so weak?
“It’s about you,” he says simply. “I want to make sure this is what you want. That you’re okay with everyone knowing. Caleb might be fifteen, but he’s still my son. I don’t want to introduce him to the idea of us before you’re ready for it. He’s not met any woman I’ve dated…this is different.”
I inhale sharply, surprised by what he’s saying. It’s the kind of thing that knocks the air out of you because you weren’t expecting it, and you didn’t realize how much you needed to hear it until it was said.
“You mean that?” I ask, my voice trembling slightly.
He gives me a look, and a small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Of course I mean it. I’m not here to play games, Sutton. I’m here because I care about you. And because I want this—us—to work. But only if you’re ready for it.”
I swallow hard, my throat tight with emotion. “I… I don’t know if I’m ready,” I admit, my voice barely more than a whisper. “But I want to be.”
He smiles then, a slow, genuine smile that makes my heart skip a beat. “That’s all I needed to hear,” he says, his thumb brushing over my cheek again. “We’ll take it one step at a time, okay? No rush. No pressure. Just us.”
“Okay,” I whisper, my chest feeling a little lighter.
He leans down, pressing another kiss to my forehead, and I close my eyes, letting myself sink into the moment.
How does this work, Sutton? How does this work when you’re employed and have a home in Montana?
What are you doing?
I brush away the thoughts. I can figure all of that out later. Right now, I just want to be present in this moment.
He pulls me on top of him in one smooth motion, his hands sliding to my waist as his lips find mine. The kiss is hungry and demanding, and I lose myself in it, my fingers tangling in his hair. Whatever thoughts I was having are completely gone. But just as quickly, he shifts me back down beside him and climbs out of the bed.
I melt a little inside, realizing he’s practically reading my mind. I nod slowly and whisper, “I’m okay with it.”
“I need you to know,” he says, standing at the edge of the bed and looking down at me, “that I don’t want to leave right now. But if I don’t, we’ll never leave this room.”
I giggle and kneel on the bed, grinning up at him. “Fair enough.”
His eyes soften as he takes me in, and he reaches out, his hand cupping my face gently. “You’re the most beautiful sight I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he says, his voice low and full of emotion.
I automatically put out my bottom lip in a pout.
Damn it, whyyyyyy does he have to say stuff like that?
My heart stutters in my chest, and I can’t do anything but smile at him as he lets his hand fall away and starts to get dressed. I watch him as I kneel on the bed, while he pulls on his jeans and shirt. When he’s fully dressed, he leans down and presses one last kiss on my forehead before heading to the door.
“See you in a bit,” he says with a wink, and then he’s gone.
I’m practically floating as I climb out of bed and head to the shower. The water is warm and soothing, but my mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. By the time I’ve finishedand made myself coffee and breakfast, I know one thing for sure: I’m really going to need to get my head in the game today.
My phone rings, and all the floatiness comes crashing down as I look down and see Ronnie’s name flash across the screen.
“Hey, Ronnie,” I say.
