“Yes,” I whisper, afraid my vocal cords might have gotten a little too involved.
“You want to grab a bite across the street?” His thick brows furrow, tenting those glassy jade eyes, and I want to take a bite all right.
I would rather go to your place.
The Golden Oaks Horse Ranchis acre after acre of sprawling green lawns. Multiple corrals dot the vicinity as schoolgirls take the horses out for a walk. In the distance I see a black beautiful beast traversing hurdles, training for what I think is dressage. Kaya rides. Horses have always been her thing, so I’ve been exposed by proxy. I’m more of a feed them an apple and pet their velvet noses type of girl.
“You realize when your brothers discover I brought you here, I’ll be a dead man.” Blake raises his brows as he steps out of his bedroom with his hair still beaded with water from the shower. We hit a drive-through and picked up a few burgers that we ate on the way over. Blake said he needed a quick shower because he was grimy. I tried to tell him that I didn’t mind, and, God did I ever not mind. Blake is gorgeous with or without a hard day’s work staining his body. He strides into the living room nice and slow. His T-shirt clings to his body annunciating each hard line of his perfect pecs, those well-defined abs.
You have nothing to fear. I flash the phone at him then take it back.I was serious about the motorcycle. I don’t want you to deny yourself something you enjoyed for so long. I don’t think your brother would either.
His chest expands with his next breath. “You’re right.” He holds his hand out and nods at my phone. I let it slip into his hand as he types something out. I like it like this with Blake, sharing my phone, sharing our kisses. But I can’t help but wonder if everything about me moves too slowly for him.Benji would probably give me an ass kicking for being such a wimp. But then he doesn’t have to deal with the fallout of his death. I do.
“Fallout?” I mouth.
He shakes his head as he takes me by the hand. “Trust me, its more drama than it’s worth.”
I get that it’s hard for him. But I do appreciate it when he opens up to me.
Whenever you want to talk about him—I’m here for you.
“Thank you.” Blake lands a soft kiss on my temple.
The truth is I want to talk about everything under the sun with Blake. It’s nice to hear a guy’s perspective on things like with Tristan, or some of the other boys I’ve gotten to know throughout the years, but with Blake everything takes on a new dimension. With Blake it’s deep waters where as before it was shallow ground. I’m fascinated by him in far too many ways.
My hand drifts down to his stomach, and I inch my fingers up his shirt. I’m ready for whatever else Blake Daniels is ready to give me. I untie the sling from the back of my neck and take it off.
“You need that.” He tries to replace it, but I push his hand down from the sling to the bottom of my sweater.
I don’t need this either.
Blake latches onto my eyes, and we have a brief standoff that speaks louder than any words—louder than the silence that engulfs my world.
“Annie,” he says it with an inherent sadness. His eyes tell me how grievous it is for him to take this next step with me, and I can’t help but wonder why.
What’s the matter?My emotions are rolling like the tide, and I can feel them looking to crash right here in his brother’s carriage house.
He carefully takes my phone.I just don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you.
A moment bleats by without words or notes or whispers. A horrible ache grips me. What if this is the end? The part when he very gently tells me we could never work. A ripe anger percolates through me without warning. The last thing I wanted when I came to see Blake was to get mad at him. Ironically, I came to profess my feelings. I sort of hoped he would do the same.
If I were some other girl, you wouldn’t be saying that to me.I let my dark, non-enthused expression say everything else.
He squints out a heartfelt smile. “You’re right.”
I take a breath and glance at the door. I can text Marley or Tristan, and they’ll be here in a half hour. But my heart breaks because not one part of me wants to leave.
So I’m just Disability Girl to you? I’m deaf, so you’re playing along and being nice to me?Tears warble, blurring my vision.
“No,” he says it so loud his voice vibrates over my chest. He shouted as if demanding I hear. The vibrations, the distended cords in his neck, give it away. Blake pulls me in by the waist, his hands riding up over my back in a comforting manner. “I swear we’re good.” He takes my phone and types into it.You’re mine, Annie. I wouldn’t want it any other way. If I wanted to be just friends with you, then we would be. You and I are together. This—he taps his chest and mine—is real. I’m in this for the long haul. You are the only girl for me.
A lone tear rolls down my cheek, and Blake kisses it away before it has a chance to fall.
I bite hard over my lip to keep from bawling as I tap into my keyboard.Then why in the world would you not want me?
“Want you?” His head tips back a moment. “God, I want you.” He looks right at me, holding me by the shoulders as he speaks slow and clear. “All of you, Annie. I want your heart, your body—and, yes, I want both of those in my bed. You own me, Annie. I’m all yours. I’m not going anywhere or looking anywhere else.”
A swell of relief covers me, it submerges me in its beautiful waters and I want to drown in this joy, a very happy girl.
