“What are you doing here?” My question comes out more weary than angry.
“Taking you home.”
I shake my head but don’t put up a fight when he tosses several bills onto the bar and carefully grabs my arm to help me from the stool. I gasp from his touch as I feel it travel all the way through me. His simple touch is the thing I’ve missed most by avoiding him. I didn’t realize until right now just how much I needed it.
“How did you even know I was here?”
“Rayna called me. She said you texted her something unintelligible and asked if I knew where you might have gone with River. This was my first stop.”
“Well,” I say with a huff. “I’m fine, and I’m not leaving River alone. So, you can go now.”
I have to look away from his lopsided grin. And when I do, it’s just in time to see Grayson walking over. River gives me a wide-eyed look before returning her attention to the younger cowboy as he joins us.
“Let’s get you home,” Tate says in a low rasp.
My resolve is gone, so I accept his hand and follow him out the door. I don’t object when he reaches over me and buckles my seatbelt. I even lean into him when he presses a kiss to my forehead. Closing my eyes, I soak in his scent as it surrounds me and allow my mind to wander as he pulls out of the parking lot. When not enough time has passed before he places the truck back in park, I give him a quizzical look.
“I said I was taking you home,” he says simply. “And don’t look at me like that. You’re drunk and we need to talk before anything else happens between us.”
I blink in surprise, trying my best to ignore the way his words travel straight to my core. The way he showed up looking like a freshly showered knight in shining armor, and then the sweet forehead kiss, have my thoughts completely scattered. I want him. And I’ve missed him. But he’s right; we do need to talk first.
“Fine,” I acquiesce. “But don’t take the couch. I don’t like being alone in your bed.”
Swallowing hard, he nods in agreement before speaking in a raw voice. “I didn’t bring you here so we could both be alone.”
I watch as he steps out of his truck and quickly rounds the front to open my door. I figured he would have been done with me by now. I haven’t talked to him since I slipped out of his bed while he was still sleeping. I ignored his calls and didn’t answer his texts. When I set out to get trashed with River, this is the last place I expected to end up.
He opens the door, and when I accept his hand before stepping out, I feel the same jolt I felt the first time we touched. The walk inside is short and quiet. He says nothing as he leads the way to his bedroom. Silence stretches over us as he begins stripping off his clothes. I allow my gaze to drag over his bare chest before I finally follow and begin removing mine.
He tosses me a shirt from his drawer before he climbs into bed and waits. His bed smells familiar, and I feel better the second the soft sheets touch my skin. I don’t hesitate to crawl into his open arms, laying my cheek against his chest.
Tate lets out a low groan and presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I’m glad you drunk texted Rayna.”
Lifting my head from his chest, I look at him. “Why? Looks like you were either headed to bed or on your way out. Either way, plans ruined.”
He lets out a low laugh. “Neither. I had just showered after evening chores. I wasn’t headed to bed just yet.”
I glance at the clock. It’s late. Very late. “At this hour?”
“Yeah. Running two ranches makes for a long day.”
I study his face. His eyes look tired, and his beard isn’t as neat as it usually is. He still looks good enough to take my breath away, but it looks like the long hours are taking their toll. Reaching up, I stroke his cheek, savoring the feel of his beard against my palm.
“You look tired. Are you going to hire help since you have two places to run?”
He takes a slow breath and absently runs a hand over my hair, running his fingers through the strands when he gets to the ends. “Yeah, I have Hayden giving me a hand here, and I’ll get Boulder Ranch figured out soon. But I’ll be fine for now.”
“Tate, you’re exhausted.”
He heaves an annoyed sigh. “Yeah. I know. I’m exhausted because I’ve barely slept since you left that morning.”
I swallow hard as I’m hit by a wave of guilt. I shouldn’t have left that way, and I shouldn’t have ignored him afterward. But I couldn’t see a way to make it work, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I’m still not sure it can work but being in his arms like this gives me hope.
“Tate…”
“We’ll talk tomorrow.” He places another kiss on the top of my head. “Right now, I just want to get some sleep now that I finally have you in my arms.”
Chapter 27
