He breaks the kiss, both of our chests heaving, and sets his forehead against mine. “Sugar?”
“Yeah,” I breathe.
“As much as I want to rip off your clothes and fuck you senseless right now, I refuse to do it in the stable like teenagers.”
The growl in his tone, telling me just how much restraint he is using as he describes what he wants to do to me, makes my core throb and sends more arousal to my panties. Cupping the back of his neck with my palm, my eyes volley between his and I say what I came down here to say.
“I’m sorry I pushed you away. Please forgive me?”
His hand tightens on my thigh as he barely shakes his head, making his forehead roll against mine a little. “Nothing toforgive, you asked for space. I can give you space, just don’t ask me to let you go.”
“I don’t want you to let me go.”
An ornery smile, the first I’ve seen from him, lights his face. It’s beautiful. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into.”
Moving my hand to his jaw, I smile back. “You need to smile more, I like it.”
“I can do that. I’ll do anything for you, sugar.”
27
TUCKER
“YOU BRINGINGyour girl with you?” Callum asks. I called him to tell him I’ll need two airline tickets to Tennessee next week.
“Yeah, I’m keeping her close for now.” I turn in my spot on the porch that overlooks Marley’s stables and look at Nora through the big window over the breakfast nook. She’s in the kitchen with Sloane, and she’s laughing at something. She’s so fucking beautiful it hurts.
I’ve already decided to take the job, but I want Nora to go with me next week so that when I ask her to move to Tennessee with me, she’ll know what she’s getting into.
If she says no, I don’t know what I’ll do. For the first time in my life, I’ve made plans around a woman, wanting to keep her in my life. After this morning, when she told me she doesn’t want me to let her go, I’m banking on her feelings being stronger than something casual.
I know it’s a gamble to get her tickets and drop all of this on her, especially with all she’s dealing with right now, but I’ve never done this before. I’ve never felt this way about any woman before. After our night last night, I stared at the ceiling into the early hours because the thought of losing her, after I just found her, felt like an anvil sitting on my chest.
Not to mention that I don’t want to leave her here with that asshole in town. If he approaches her, he approaches me.
“Alright, I’ll send your flight info and tickets to you later today. Have you heard from the ex?”
“Not yet, we’re getting my brother-in-law involved; he should be here any minute.” I lift my wrist and look at my watch.
“The FBI agent?”
“Yeah, maybe pulling the FBI in can separate her from it.”
“I have an attorney friend looking over the documents Spits was able to pull from the ex’s system.”
“Appreciate it, man.”
“No problem, I’ll see you next week.”
The sound of gravel under tires pulls my attention to the front drive as I slide my phone into my pocket. Rhys’s black SUV is approaching the house. Hoping to get a few words with him without Nora, I walk around the wrap-around porch to the front to meet them.
A cool breeze blows across the porch, pushing dead leaves that swirl around my feet and everything else in the front yard.
Waiting patiently, I watch my sister roll out of the front seat, Rhys’s hands firm on her to make sure she doesn’t lose her balance. Apparently, that’s a thing with pregnant women. He keeps a protective arm around her and holds her hand as she walks up the steps.
I’ve never seen her look so damn tired.
His eyes meet mine when they get to the top, and I kiss the top of my sister’s head as she lets go of him and steps up to me to give me a side hug. She keeps walking when I give Rhys a head tip, indicating I want him to stay outside with me for a minute.
