“Let’s make a run for it!” I shout, reaching out to her.
Tugging her hand, I urge her past our vehicles and toward the ranch. The way it’s raining, we’ll only succeed in getting our seats wet if we try to drive over to the house. It’s just as well we jog the distance. The rain is cold, but her touch is hot, nearly scorching my flesh as I tighten my grip. I’m trying my best to be a gentleman, but her white shirt is soaked through, revealing every curve. And her wet jeans cling to her thighs.
“Wait!” she shouts just before we reach the porch.
Joy leans against me as she pulls her boot off and tips it upside-down, doing her best to shake something out of it. She loses her balance a bit and steps her sock-clad foot into the muddy driveway.
“I thought I felt something in my shoe,” she explains.
“Well, now there will be about ten pounds of mud as soon as you put that boot back on.”
She’s struggling to keep her balance in her haste to replace her boot, and I can’t hold in my laugh. She’s fucking adorable. Finally, she gets her foot back in and moves to continue our run for the house. I reach out and stop her before she can get too far or lose her shoe again. We’re both soaking wet from the rain, and all I can think about is getting my mouth on hers.
“Might as well slow down, you’re already soaked.”
Chapter 10
Joy
Therainiscoldas it falls over us, but I’m frozen in place looking up at the man towering over me. My hair is down, and I swipe at it, attempting to shove the wet curls out of my face, but it’s no use. I must look a mess, but there’s nothing but adoration in Tate’s eyes as he continues to hold my gaze. He tucks a stray curl behind my ear before tenderly stroking my cheek with his thumb, causing my breathing to stop.
We’ve touched before, but this isn’t the same. My skin tingles beneath his thumb and I close my eyes, leaning into the warmth of his touch. We’re inches apart, but it isn’t close enough. I want him to touch me.
“Can I kiss you,” he asks as if hearing my thoughts.
I nod my head, afraid to speak. I don’t want to break the spell we’re under. Gravel crunches beneath his boots as he steps closer, and I feel the heat from his body moments before his lips crash to mine. There’s no stopping the whimper that escapes my lips. The rain fades into the background as he uses the opportunity to deepen the kiss, swiping his tongue along mine as he pulls my body flush against his. The taste of the spring rain combines with the taste ofhim, and I’m sure I’ll never get enough.
Desperate for more, I slide my hands up his arms and over his shoulders, tangling my fingers in the hair along the nape of his neck. His soft groan reverberates through me before he pulls back just enough to break the kiss.
“You’re shivering,” he says in a voice barely loud enough to be heard over the rain. “Let’s get you inside and into some dry clothes.”
Once again, I nod, accepting his offered hand as he leads me to the house. When I was in his arms, as his mouth worked over mine, I wasn’t even aware of the cold. Now, I’m not sure if I’m shivering from the temperature, or from the way he makes me feel.
“The bathroom is to the left,” he says, pointing to one of the closed doors. “I’ll put some dry clothes in front of the door, and you can trade them for your wet ones so I can at least toss them in the dryer for you.”
The flannel shirt he gave me to wear comes down to my knees, so I don’t even bother with the way-too-big sweatpants. He also left me a towel so I could dry off after removing my wet clothing, and I hold it around myself with one hand as I emerge from the bathroom.
“Are you still cold?” he asks as soon as I step out. “I can turn on the heat.”
“I’m much better now that I’m out of those wet clothes, thanks. The sweats were way too big, so I folded them and left them by the sink.”
I swallow hard when I finally take a good look at him. He, too, is in dry clothing. Relaxed jeans, a black Henly, and bare feet. He looks so completely different from the other times I’ve seen him that I take a moment to look him up and down. His jaw is set as his gaze travels the length of my body, from my bare legs up to my wild curls.
“Your clothes should be dry in an hour or so. They were dripping wet. Would you like coffee or tea? Something stronger?”
“I’m easy. I’ll have whatever you’re having,” I say, following him into the kitchen.
He opens the refrigerator and pulls out two bottles of beer. It isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I don’t complain. Honestly, it doesn’t matter; I’ll take whatever liquid courage he wants to offer me.
“You hungry? I have chili on the stove.”
I’ve been so thrown off by the unexpected rain, and the fact that I’m in Tate’s house and not wearing pants, that I didn’t even notice the smell of food cooking. I follow him over to the stove and try to sneak a peek as he opens the pot. Of course, I’m too short to see anything from behind him, but it smells delicious. My stomach growls, reminding me that all I’ve had to eat all day is the small lunch I packed for work.
“I’m starving,” I admit. “And that smells amazing.”
He removes two bowls from the cabinet, filling them both before passing one to me. “If you’re warm enough, we can sit outside and listen to the rain. The patio out back is covered, and there’s a fireplace. Plus, I keep blankets out there.”
He leads me outside where there is an outdoor loveseat and two chairs. I sit on one end of the loveseat, assuming he didn’t plan for us to sit on opposite ends of the patio and shout at each other as we eat. After setting his bowl on the end table, he makes his way over to the fireplace and gets it going before joining me.
