Jonas steers us around and we walk in to get cinnamon twists and drinks. Then we walk to the main square and sit on a bench to eat.
“It’s weird isn’t it?” I ask between bites. “Us together.”
“No,” he says after takin a moment to consider. “But to be honest, it makes my heart a little afraid. I don’t trust easily. Being brought back to the Home twice taught me not to believe good things would last.”
I gesture between us. “Are you saying you’re afraid to hope that we’ll last?”
He nods.
“I understand,” I say. “But you can ask Raven. When I love someone, I love forever.” What I said hits me. Love? Shit. He asks me out for our first date and I’m talking about love. I pick up my drink and clamp my lips around the straw while keeping my head bent.
Jonas takes my chin in his hand turning my face toward him. “Do you love me?”
Chapter 9
Jonas
Melody’s lips part. “I didn’t mean to. And please don’t feel uncomfortable. I’m not the type who puts demands on others. My emotions are my responsibility.”
“I only feel uncomfortable because I wish I would have said it first.”
Her eyes widen. “You love me?”
“More than I love my ranch or my truck. If I lost those, I’d start all over. But if I lost you, there wouldn’t be enough pieces of my heart left to rebuild me.”
She’s still staring wide eyed.
“Was that too much for me to share?” I ask.
She shakes her head before bowing it and saying softly, “It was perfect. But I feel like such an idiot. All these years of secretly wanting the kind of life Raven has and you were right here the whole time.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head. Her hair is silky smooth and smells like that sweet shampoo she uses. “What I’ve been through years ago chewed me up on the inside. I never wanted to even try to be with anyone. I didn’t want to risk my heart but to be with you? I’d risk everything.”
She lifts her head, her gaze unwavering. “There’s no risk anymore. You gave me your heart and I’m not giving it back.”
“I want to take you to my ranch,” I tell her, my meaning clear.
She grins impishly. “Eh. You’ve seen one ranch, you’ve seen them all.”
“Not this time. I have something to show you.” I trace the outside of her ear.
“What could you have at your ranch that’s different from all the others?”
“I’ll show you a cock in his natural habitat.”
She laughs.
“C’mon, beautiful. Let’s go home.”
We walk hand in hand back to the truck. The drive to my ranch seems to take hours. I’m in a hurry to be with her, to show her what she means to me. I grieve the years we’ve lost that we could’ve been together. I can’t do anything about that now but moving forward, I’ll make the most of every second with her. I reach over and place my hand on her thigh.
“What are you thinking?” she asks in a teasing tone as I massage her muscle.
“I’m thinking how I’m going to please you over and over.”
“You think you’re that good?”
“You’ll be a believer after you’ve had me.”
