My husband’s softened eyes turned heated, starting to turn me into melting candle wax. I knew the look on his face. How he was staring at me. As if he was starved for me. Even in my—his—flannel, a plain white t-shirt, jeans, boots, and hat, it seemed as if he had never seen me in such clothes before. The other day I had worn a bodysuit, the back low and scooped, with a pair of tight jeans, and he had ripped both off me.
He would gaze at me, as he was doing in that moment, and when the connection seemed to make us both pliable and lost only to each other, he would say “Fuck” and come after me.
I was a willing sacrifice to his needs.
I shared them.
Two men standing in the doorway of the barn caught my attention. One of Mariano’s men from Italy and another from the ranch. The solider from Italy waited until Mariano acknowledged him to speak. The ranch hand said nothing.
“The vet says the horse is ready,” the solider said in Italian.
Mariano sighed, then nodded. He came over to me and wrapped his arm around my neck, pulling me in, kissing me on the temple. I wrapped my arm around his back and stuck my other hand in my back pocket.
“Should I be jealous?” I asked with a smile on my face.
“Nah.” He grinned. “She’ll kick anything, or anyone, that comes close to her. Understandably.” He pulled me in, almost off my feet, and kissed my temple again. He was wearing a beanie, and I wanted him to keep it on while he slammed into me.
A heat moved between us that never abated—it only flared when we were together, body against body.
I took a deep breath, and he looked at me from the side of his eye. I met his stare before I moved my gaze forward. One of the mares was giving birth. The doctor preferred the way Mariano put all the horses at ease. It seemed as if the mamma horse was calling for Mariano as well.
He directed me toward the main house with his arm around my neck.ZiaBianca and Hannah had invited us over for dinner.
At the steps of the main house, he pulled me in again, and this time he kissed me on the lips. We parted for a second, so I could catch my breath, but he was on me again before another breath could be taken, kissing me as if it was the first time, the last time. When I could not catch my breath, I pulled away again, but then I started kissing him. Our backs kept hitting the front of the house.
Only whenZiaBianca came to the door and cleared her throat did I realize how ramped up we were getting. My cheeks flamed, and Mariano grinned when I practically jumped in frontof him to hide the bulge in his jeans. He pulled me against him, laughing low and raspy in my ear.
I took the kitchen towel fromZiaBianca before she could go back inside. When Mariano went to walk off, I flung it at his head.
“Tease,” I said, still breathless.
“A sample of later.” He winked at me.
“You did that on purpose!”
“Of course I fucking did. A reminder. You’ll remember, even when I’m not around.”
I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it anyway. “Remember what?” My heart sped up, anticipating his reply.
“You’remine.” He hit his heart.
Each time he said those two words to me, they felt as if they were being tattooed on my soul.
He took the steps down easily, as if he built them and they belonged to him, and started for the barn with the horses. I ran to the steps and leaned over the railing, calling for him.
“Marito mio.”
He stopped, turning around, meeting my eyes.
“I would want you next to me too,” I whispered, then forced myself into the house.
If not, I was going to go with him, and once there, the horses were going to unnerve me, and Mariano would spend his time close to me. I knew the doctor liked having him near. Mariano dealt with horses in Italy, as well, and was experienced with them.
“Where is my towel?”ZiaBianca raised one eyebrow at me as I entered the kitchen.
She read the apologetic look on my face.
“It was for a good cause!” I raised my hands in surrender and laughed when she came at me with another, attempting to swat myculowith it.
