He reaches for me, but I’m quick to evade him. I can’t think straight when he touches me. “For one, I don’t like you. Second, do you really think we can pretend to be in a relationship? To fool everyone around us into thinking that we suddenly fell in love after just a week of living together. You do remember how things played out, right?”
My irritation only seems to amuse him, and that frustrates me even more. Why does he never take anything seriously? “I mean, why not? I think it’s possible. You’re growing on me, Bishop. Falling in love with you doesn’t seem like an impossible feat.”
His words nearly stump me, but I know that’s his intention. “You’re crazy, Jameson King, and I regret ever falling into bed with you.”
He chuckles, a low, rumbling sound I feel between my legs. “Regret is such a strong word, Moonshine. I seem to recall your rather enthusiastic participation.”
“It was the alcohol,” I answer, retreating until my back hits a wall.
In three long strides he reaches me, his hands perched on the wall on either side of my head as he leans into me. “No, I don’t believe you, Monroe Bishop,” he says coyly, as his gaze falls to my heaving chest. “I can’t wait to prove you wrong the next time you fall back into bed with me.”
I swallow back my indignation, and meet him with an equally teasing smirk. Jase has forgotten who I am, and apparently, so have I. I am a confident, stubborn woman. One who won’t be easily won by a pretty face who thinks sweet talking is the way into my pants. Even if he has the hardware to go along with it. “Only in your dreams, King.”
That was the wrong thing to say, because his easy-going nature has all but disappeared, and in its place is a look of pure seduction and temptation. Blue eyes dark with desire burn into mine, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth like he’s forcing himself to hold back.
“Only if you beg, Bishop.”
The sky grew darker, a beautiful backdrop of blue, purple and orange in the distance, accompanied by the echo of crickets chirping in the fields, and the rustling of trees in the wind. The King Ranch is an incredible piece of land, unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and now, it’s supposed to feel like home.
Staring out the full-length window of the dining room, I take in the beautiful scenery before me as a gust of wind blows open the kitchen window. It startles me, and I quickly turn to shut it before getting back to the task at hand. Chicken and dumpling soup.
I’m finally over the morning sickness phase, but I’m fighting a cold, and since any medication is prohibited, this is sure tobring me back to life. I inhale the delicious aroma of onions and garlic sautéing in the stock pot as I chop up some celery and carrots. I toss them in and give it a little stir. My stomach growls when I add in some cream, oregano, dill, salt and pepper, followed by two cups of chicken broth before bringing it to a boil.
I’m shredding up some leftover chicken when I feel Jase come up behind me. I thought he’d left shortly after our conversation this morning.
“I can get used to this,” he jokes, hovering over my shoulder to look at the soup that’s boiling.
I toss the chicken in and give it another stir before opening the container of biscuits. I prefer homemade, but it’s nearly eight in the evening, and I don't have the time or energy to bake my own. These will have to do.
“I wasn’t expecting you home so soon,” I say, ignoring his ridiculous comment but nearly spilling all the biscuits when they pop out of the can.
He chuckles, ignoring me as he steps closer. “I never left,” he whispers against my neck as he shifts my hair over my shoulder to one side. “You know, I never expected us to be in this position, but being here with you, admiring the view of my property, and not driving myself crazy working and coming home late, I can’t imagine things being any different.”
So he didn’t go to the bar like I’d assumed. Not that I’d know since I spent the day in bed.
“Yeah, well, I’m feeling the exact opposite. I haven’t been able to focus on work for weeks. It’s been over two weeks since I stepped foot in my office.” Not to mention, I haven’t had the urge to work on designing anything since we finished the remodel of my brother’s ranch.
I roll the biscuits into a circular shape and slowly drop them into the boiling soup before closing the lid and allowing it to simmer for the next twenty minutes.
“I can build you a space to work here, Monroe. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that.”
I turn to look at him over my shoulder, staring at him like he’s lost his mind. “No, it’ll be nice to head back to my brother’s house and work from there. I’m getting a bit of cabin fever from not leaving the house often.”
Suddenly, his expression shifts, and I notice he’s acting hesitant. “Why haven’t you?” he asks. “Not that I mind coming home to you every day, especially cooking dinner.”
His hand slides over my lower back until it’s creeping between the kitchen counter and my waist. Warm, smooth fingers linger on my stomach, rubbing gentle circles around like he’s trying to communicate with his touch something he can’t quite find the words to say.
With my knife hovering over the cutting board, my heart suddenly pounds in my ears as I feel the heat from his chest against my back. This is the closest we’ve been since our kiss, and I’m completely immobile, unable to push him away. Not when I really want to pull him in closer.
“This is a bad idea,” I mutter under my breath, tilting my head back slowly. My voice is thick with desire, and I know he can feel the way I’ve loosened up in his embrace.
“You keep saying that, Moonshine, yet I don't see how.” His hot breath tickles my neck and a warm and wet mouth presses softly against me, his tongue licking and teeth nipping my sensitive skin.
He’s right. I keep saying these things and doing the complete opposite, but he disarms me in a way no one else ever has. I’m unable to think straight when I have him so close to me.
I’ve had three boyfriends in my entire life. The first hardly counts. Just some guy I sort of dated my senior year and lost my virginity to right before I left for college, and I didn’t want to leave a virgin. The second was a friend of a friend with whom Iwent on a couple of dates. We had a class together, and he was a design major like me. I’d gone over to his place to study, and one thing led to another. We kept it that way until the end of the semester, and then I never called him again.
The third was the most serious of the three. I’d dated my ex-boyfriend Josh, on and off, for about three years. No one but Billie and Bailey knew about him. He also went to UNC, a music major and an aspiring rockstar. He was fine with keeping things casual and seeing each other only at school. He was busy on the weekends touring with his band, and taking on any gig that came their way. Eventually, I graduated, and he dropped out to pursue his music career full time.
