“Yes, at the manor house. Where I am a lord.”
“If I rolled my eyes as hard as I wanted to right now, they would get stuck back there,” he retorts, using a napkin to delicately wipe away a spot of green bean. “And you don’t live in the manor. You live on an island in the Caribbean.”
“True. But I also have a chef on my island.”
“Show off.”
Grinning at each other, we get into the business of eating, both of us going quiet as we enjoy the lovely meal. When Oliver brings out the spotted dick, Gael claps his hands.
“Oh, this is like a fancied upcapirotada.”
“What’s a capirotada?”
“It’s a Mexican bread pudding.”
We share the dessert, and while he insists that it’s mid, we both agree it tastes better than the name would imply. After I pay the cheque, we walk back to the truck, hand in hand, stopping at the bumper to look into each other’s eyes.
“I enjoyed our date,” Gael says, looking up at me, expectant.
Despite the fact that it’s Christmas, and there’s pretty lights everywhere, it’s not even cool enough for a sweater. Ozone and truck exhaust mix with the smell of the sweet grass that grows everywhere. Another look into Gael’s eyes and I wonder if the unseasonably warm weather is global warming or just the man in front of me.
Drawn in like a magnet, I bend down for a kiss, and my hands find his narrow hips. It should be awkward with our height difference, but all I feel is…finally. At first, it’s just a nervous brush of lips, but then he goes up on his tiptoes and places his skilled hands on my shoulders. His passion is there where our lips meet. He’s vibrating with it—the grip of his hands, the insistent draw of his body.
Oh, I am in so much trouble.
We linger, kissing again, then once again for good measure. He moans, and his hands drift to my hips, then to my ass. I need to get him on a bed so I can draw more of those happy moans from him.
Not wanting to cause a scene, I pull away and immediately miss the soft, insistent caress of his lips.
“We should get back,” I say, quietly, hoping he can’t see how aroused I am.
I’m thrilled to know that we have chemistry, of course, but I need to move slowly with him. Respect his boundaries.
He hums his acquiescence, pulling me down for a final kiss before climbing into the truck. Scrunching his nose, he gestures at the console between us.
“Why is this thing so massive?”
“This truck is trying to keep us apart,” I answer, pouting. “That’s it, I’m taking it back and getting one with a bench seat.”
He rolls his eyes. “Silly man. Keep the truck. It’ll keep us chaste for a while longer.”
Message received.Keep it in your pants, Tolly.
I nod, then reach out my hand, grateful when he weaves his fingers in mine. I manage to wind our way out of the car park in this beast of a vehicle without causing an incident, and our drive to the ranch is peaceful. Once we’re off the highway, the road narrows, and the dark sky with its many stars takes over the scenery.
Right before the road curves toward the entrance of my ranch, Gael squeezes my hand, pulling it up to his lips. “Invite me in for a nightcap, Tolly,” he says as he kisses my knuckles.
I slow the truck and set the blinker. “Are you sure? My place isn’t one hundred percent ready for guests.”
“I’m positive. And I don’t care.”
Swallowing, I turn into my drive.
4
GAEL
Tolly’s driveway isn’t yet completed, so we bump along the rough caliche road until we round the bend into a stand of trees. The sounds of the two-lane disappear entirely, and it’s as though I’ve been transported to a magical forest.
