And on that note, we separated and mounted our horses, riding out, closer than ever.
24
KESS
I openedthe door with a broad grin. Rowdy was standing in front of me, holding a bouquet of flowers and his guitar.
“I found these on my porch this evening,” he said with a smirk. “Along with a request for me to bring my guitar over.”
“Imagine that.”
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him inside, kicking the door shut as I brought him in for a kiss. Rowdy’s hands were full, so all he could do was let me.
“Fuck, you are so beautiful,” I said, whispering in his ear as I ran my hands up and down his arms.
“You’re not half bad yourself,” he said, tipping his chin up for another kiss. I couldn’t help but give him what he asked for.
Finally, we pulled away from each other, and he looked as dazed as I felt.
“Let me get you a vase,” I said as I took the flowers and his hand, leading him into the kitchen.
“If you’ve got one.”
I checked under my kitchen sink and brought out a vase to suit his flowers, which were a combination of Gerbera daisies, eucalyptus, and wild roses. He came up behind me asI was arranging them and set his phone on the counter before wrapping his arms around me.
I looked at the screen. “Test results?”
“They’re a couple years old, but I haven’t been with anyone in a really long time.”
I turned back for a quick kiss. “This works for me.”
He flushed, then gestured to the stove. “Whatever you’re cooking smells divine.”
“I made your favorite,” I said, tweaking one of the vine-y roses.
“My favorite is beef stroganoff.”
“I know,” I said, pulling him into my arms again because I couldn’t go thirty seconds without holding him.
He rested his forehead on my chest. “So, this is what it’s like to be wooed by you?”
“Yep,” I said, cupping the back of his head as I placed kisses in his hair.
“Why are you doing this?” His voice was muffled by my chest, so I pulled back and made him look up at me. “You don’t need to do all this, Kess. I already lo-like you.”
Busted.
“Because,” I said, tucking a hank of hair behind his ear, “aside from being the most beautiful, sweet, caring man I’ve ever met in real life, you’re the only one I know who gives as good as you get. You deserve some good old-fashioned wooing.”
“So, what I’m hearing you say is that you like both my ass and my sass.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Rowdy wrapped his arm around mine as we walked over to the stove, where he removed the lid from the pan.
“Fucking hell,” he said, taking a deep whiff of what I’d prepared. “This smells so good it turns me on.”
“Does it now?” I asked, directing him away from the stove so that I could press him up against the counter.
