“They’re forest green,” I whisper, squinting up at him,“but… you have some golden specks in there too.” I hiccup and laugh at myself.
“What?” he asks, smiling.
“Your eyes,” I say softly.“I like your eyes.”
His lips curve, that half-smile deepening.“I like your eyes too.” His voice drops an octave, rougher now, and his body feels so warm against mine that I almost forget to breathe.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I should pull away. I should remember all the reasons why this is a bad idea. But those reasons dissolve every time he looks at me like that, like I’m something worth staying for.
“Let me help you up,” he says gently, guiding me inside.
The house is dim, the air filled with the faint scent of cinnamon and home. I peek into Mia’s room as we pass, she’s curled up in a fortress of teddy bears, her hair spread across the pillow. My heart squeezes.
“I have the cutest kid in the world,” I whisper.
“You absolutely do,” Ethan says softly, and it makes something ache inside me that someone like him could say it and mean it.
He takes my hand again, steadying me up the stairs. In my room, I drop onto the bed with a graceless thud, the world tilting around me. Ethan sets a bottle of water and some aspirin on the nightstand like it’s second nature, then crouches to help me with my boots.
“Uh…” he hesitates, glancing at my dress.“Can you manage to change in the bathroom?”
I shake my head, too tired to move.
“Okay,” he sighs, the word half a laugh.“I guess you can sleep in that dress.”
He’s about to step back, but the scratch of his stubble catches the light and I can’t help myself. I reach out, brushing my fingers over his jaw, then over his lips. His skin is warm beneath my fingertips, and the roughness sends a shiver through me.
“Summer…” His voice is rough now, darker, raw.
“You scare me, Ethan,” I whisper.“Why do you scare me so much?”
He smiles softly, eyes searching mine.“I don’t know, Summer. But I’m working on it.”
His face is close, too close, and I can’t stop staring at his mouth. The urge to kiss him feels alive, humming beneath my skin. I lean in, breath mingling with his…
But he moves first, stepping back.“Fuck,” he mutters, raking a hand through his hair.
Shame hits me like a cold wave. What am I doing? This man, this incredible, grounded man, would never want to kiss me, not really.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, pulling back beneath the covers, yanking the blanket to my chin like armor.
Ethan’s eyes follow my movements, softening. Then he kneels beside my bed, face inches from mine.
“Summer,” he says quietly, fierce now.“I don’t know if you’ll remember this tomorrow, but I didn’t pull back because I didn’t want to kiss you. I’ve been dreaming about tasting those lips ever since you walked into Midnight Rodeo, looking like a dream. But I want you to be one hundred percent sober when I kiss you for the first time, so you’ll never forget it. Even when we’re old, watching our grandkids play while we sit on the porch.”
His hand cups my cheek, thumb brushing along my lips like he’s memorizing them.“Do you understand?”
I nod, eyelids heavy, heart thundering.“Grandkids?” I murmur, sleep tugging me under.
“Yeah, babe,” he whispers, voice a ghost against the quiet.“I want it all with you.”
I close my eyes, letting the warmth of him anchor me.
CHAPTER 13
Summer
I wake up with a pounding headache and a sour taste in my mouth.
