Oh no, had I read everything wrong? “Do what?” I asked, doubt creeping in. Maybe I shouldn’t have done the hat thing?Maybe I should’ve just come out and said what I wanted without trying to be cute and coy?
He leaned forward, bracing his hands on either side of the door. His massive body towered over me in a way that had heat pooling in my core. “You know damned well what,” he bit out. “That hat on your head means you’re mine, Josie. There are no takebacks, not as far as I’m concerned. So, don’t do that to me and then take it away. Don’t fucking tease me, baby. I can’t take it.”
Well, fuck.
If I wasn’t already so far gone for Lincoln Carter… That declaration would’ve sealed the deal. This man had never wavered—not even when I’d tried like hell to push him away so I wouldn’t get hurt again. I’d been burned so many times by my past mistakes that when Lincoln showed up, it felt too good to be true. I hated how I’d spent so much time doubting his intentions, but I was so glad he was as stubborn as he was.
A lesser man would’ve run for the hills by now, and they damn sure wouldn’t have shown up at my ranch a year later to fight like hell to make me see reason.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep the shake from my voice. “Okay, I’m not good at these things. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised. You’d think that a girl who’d spent most of her life yearning for love would have something prepared for this kind of situation,” I rambled, earning a laugh from Lincoln that I took as a good sign to keep going.
“I have spent years letting others dictate my worth. Every time a relationship failed, I blamed it on myself—that I loved too hard, wanted too much, or wasn’t worth staying for. When I met you, I was coming out of a bad relationship and thought you’d be the same. I mean, how the hell could we fall in love in five days, you know? So, that’s why I left. I was scared shitless, and at least this time,Iwas the one walking away. I thought there’d be power inthat, but it felt horrible. I almost turned around fifteen times before I even made it out of Tennessee.
“Some nights, I’d lay in bed and cry, knowing, in my heart, I’d done the wrong thing. I wanted to call you, but there didn’t seem to be an explanation good enough. As the months flew by, I tried to convince myself we’d both moved on and were happy.”
“I never got over you, Josie,” he whispered, voice breaking. “Fucking never. How could I?”
“I know,” I said, choking out a laugh. My vision blurred as the tears I’d felt building began to fall. “You’re too damn stubborn for that, staying when I’ve given you every reason to go. I’ve never had anyone fight for me the way you have. Somewhere along the way, you’ve shown me my worth, and I’m done running.”
Lincoln let out a shuddering breath, surging forward and tangling his fingers in my hair. We staggered backward, falling back into the dirt as he brought his lips down harshly on my own. This kiss was branding my soul in a way that could never be undone. He was right; there’d be no going back after this.
From that moment on, I was his. Irrevocably and wholly his.
He pulled back, peppering kisses all along my face. “Josie?—”
“Sometimes, you’re a pain in my ass, but I love you, Lincoln Carter. I love you in a way that is terrifying because I know you could destroy me if you wanted to, but oh god, I wouldn’t have it another way.”
“Shit, darlin’. There ain’t a damn thing you could do to get rid of me at this point. You’re a part of me and have been since you ordered that double whiskey. How could I possibly let you go after that? My only mistake is not going after you earlier. I shouldn’t have ever let you think I’d moved on.”
“I think it needed to happen like this, though. I needed more than words to know that come hell or high water, you’d still be here. You’ve seen me at my worst and still loved me through it.”
“You don’t have to be perfect, Josie. You don’t have to be adamn thing you don’t want to be. Hell, you can turn into a fucking worm tomorrow, and I’ll still love you. You’re—fuck—you’re it for me, baby.”
“A worm?” I asked, choking on laughter. “Are there stipulations on these animals? Like, would you still love me if I turned intoanyanimal?”
Lincoln smiled, resting his thumb along my pulse point. “Hm, I don’t know… Those naked mole rats are pretty weird. Have you seen them? They look like someone stuck teeth on a ballsack.”
“Okay, that’s a fair deal breaker.”
“FINALLY!” Lincoln and I turned toward the house to see my dad and sister standing in the kitchen window, cheering and clapping like they’d just won the lottery.
I groaned, letting my head fall against his shoulder. “Well, that’s embarrassing.”
“I don’t know, it’s kinda cute. And at least I’ve already got your dad’s approval,” he said, lifting his arm to wave. “But maybe we should find somewhere a little more private, huh? I don’t think your family wants to see the things I want to do to you.”
lincoln
. . .
I tossedJosie over my shoulder and strode toward the tack room. Going somewhere a little more private would’ve been better, more romantic, but I couldn’t hold off that long. We were both out of our minds, deliriously happy, and running on adrenaline. My cock was leaking at the thought of having her.
“What’re you doing, you caveman?” Josie squealed, pounding her fists against my back in perfect rhythm with my heart. “Where’re you taking me?”
I thought Josie and I were done when I left Doug's house. I was mentally preparing myself to be around her for the next six fucking weeks and act like we were strangers. There was no way I could’ve gone on the way we were, and it was too soon to pretend we were just friends.
My palm landed on the globes of her ass, massaging the spandex-clad flesh to soothe the hurt, turning her laughter into moans. If my dick wasn’t already painfully hard, it would’ve been after whatever pornographic sound just left her mouth. “I’m not wasting another fucking second without being buried inside you.”
I opened the door, setting Josie down on the nearest tablebefore kissing her. My hands landed on her waist, shoving up her shirt until her bra peeked out. “Fuck, baby…”
