She comes to a stop on the other side, and Sawyer joins me. "There isn't much right now, but when there's a good rain, the little pond fills up, and the elevation forms a small waterfall. The water slips down through all those boulders"—I pause, pointing up to the oversized rocks—"and it sounds soothing as it flows through."
Sawyer looks over at me. "This is your favorite spot on the ranch?"
"Yes. I know it doesn't look like much now." The water is mostly dried up, the cracked earth the only evidence it existed at all. "But I promise, it's incredible when it rains. And there's more. Let me show you a second reason why." I dismount and lead Hester Prynne to a tree where I tie her reins. Sawyer does the same with Priscilla.
"Alright, I'm ready. Show me the ranch's secrets."
"Come on." I start out and gesture for him to follow. His long stride catches up to me immediately, then he shortens it to stay beside me.
"It's right there," I point at the other side of the small, dry pond.
"Those bushes?" he asks.
"Not just any bushes," I announce, grinning. I reach in, plucking off a ripe fruit and tossing it in my mouth. "Blackberry bushes. The most delicious ones you've ever tasted."
"I'm allergic," he says.
My mouth opens. "What? Seriously?”
He grins, and I playfully smack his arm. "Asshole."
He laughs and pulls a berry off the bush. He pops it in his mouth and chews. "Delicious."
"Told ya," I respond, gathering two more and eating them.
He reaches across me and plucks off a few more. "This is where you can find me from now on."
Warm happiness spreads through my belly. I love that I was able to share this with him, this special place that's just another reason why I love this ranch with my whole heart.
Sawyer chews and swallows, and I can't help but laugh. There's juice on his lower lip. I reach out, using the pad of my thumb to swipe it away. The juice is gone, but the purple color remains. My gaze lifts to meet his, and the smile on my face dies.
His gray eyes are a squall, a monsoon, a churning and violent storm. He swallows so hard his Adam's apple rises and falls.
"I apologize." My hand returns to my side. "I should've asked before touching you like that. I don't know why—"
"Do it again." It's not a whisper or a command, but something in between.
My entire body awakens, the tiny hairs covering my flesh standing at attention. My legs are somehow strong enough to keep me upright, though I'm certain they're made of vapor right now.
I follow his instruction, raising my hand, my eyes locked on his. My thumb grazes his lower lip, exerting more pressure than last time, allowing my touch to push at the fullness. His eyes close and I drag my finger across his mouth. A low groan slips from him, vibrating my thumb.
His eyes open, hunger burning through them. He reaches for me tentatively. What must it be like in his head right now? The desire propelling him forward, the guilt binding him to his past. It must be hell. He reaches for my hip, his hand curling around me. I draw in a shaky breath. He drags two knuckles up my side, traveling up my throat. He imitates my touch, dragging those two knuckles over my parted lips. "Your lips are purple, too."
My tongue darts out instinctively, as though a swipe of moisture will somehow remove the stain. Sawyer watches the motion. He takes a deep breath and leans forward. Inches separate our chests, but still I feel the racing beats of his heart.
"Sawyer," I whisper, and he pauses, his breath warm on my lips. "Are you ready for this?"
He's on the precipice. Does he shift into reverse? Or does he let off the brake and keep going?
"I'm ready for everything to change, Jessie."
I can tell he means it. His voice holds so much conviction, it would be impossible not to believe him.
He lowers his mouth to mine, and for a moment it stays there, frozen, as if he cannot believe it's happening. Then he thaws, and suddenly I'm wondering how it’s possible this is our first kiss. He presses his lips against mine expertly, like we've done this a hundred times. My mouth opens and his tongue sweeps inside, and now I’m acutely aware this man set my whole world on fire the first time I saw him. There is no other explanation for this heat, this intensity.
His arms wrap around me, bringing me flush against him. My hands run up his neck and thread through his hair, my nails lightly scratching his scalp.
We eventually need to breathe, but he doesn't pull away. He drags his mouth sideways, the same way I started all this by dragging my thumb across his lip, and places a peck on the corner of my mouth. "That was… phenomenal." He pants the words, his chest expanding into mine as he breathes.
