Noah opened his mouth to insist that he was cool with them taking their relationship as slow as they needed to, but Jane stopped him with a kiss.
Her lips crashed down against his, consuming him from the inside out. Her hands pushed into his hair, and his arms wrapped around the small of her back. They’d shared multiple kisses since that first one beneath the mistletoe, and each time, it felt new. Excitement built along with the passion between them.
Jane was the first to break off their kiss, a moan on her lips as she touched her forehead to his. Her lashes fluttered closed, and her breathing had ticked up.
He brushed her hair behind her ear, holding his breath as he waited for her to speak.
“Noah,” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
Her eyes shone with light when she opened them to meet his gaze. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
His heart leaped in his chest. This was it. The turning point.
“Noah… say something,” she murmured, her voice tinged with anxiety.
He tugged her hand to his lips again, kissing her palm, then her wrist. “I’m not falling in love with you, Jane.”
She sucked in a breath and tugged at her hand, but he managed to keep ahold of it and kiss the tender spot on the inside of her elbow. A strangled gasp tore from her throat.
“Because,” he continued, kissing her again, “I’ve already fallen for you.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers. “I love you, Jane.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“This is nice,”Jane murmured, turning her face to the sky. “I can’t believe places like this exist. I mean, it was great where we grew up, and I know that I could have gone on hikes and stuff, but here? It just hits different, you know?” She turned her face to Noah, not surprised in the least that he was watching her.
She’d gotten used to seeing that look that could only be described as adoration. He laid it on thick most days, and she was beginning to see that it was just the way he was. He really did love her.
The sounds of nature surrounded them, cutting them off from the feeling that there was anyone else in existence. Out here, surrounded by miles of farmland and landscaping, she could pretend it was just the two of them.
Noah had practically dragged her from the barn after her chores. He’d wanted her to relax with all the stress of the upcoming gala making her feel more tired and irritated than usual.
And she couldn’t say he hadn’t been right to do so.
This place was breathtakingly beautiful, and it was simply fields of greens meeting an endless blue sky. Every so often, they’d see splashes of color when wildflowers filled their view. It didn’t matter that she’d turned her attention from Noah, she could still feel his eyes on her.
Turning her attention to him again, she laughed. “What?”
He shrugged. “Can’t I admire my surroundings? You are.”
She snorted. “That’s not the same, and you know it.”
“Do I?” His warm chuckle did things to her insides that she would never confess to. The way he made her feel was something else. Never in her wildest dreams would she have believed that she’d find her way to this moment. To have a job she loved, the adoration of the man at her side, and to be surrounded by so much beauty… it was heaven.
“We should go on these rides more often. I’m sure the horses could use the exercise.”
Noah chuckled again, earning a look from her. He shook his head. “Lately, Bo has been making sure they all get plenty of exercise. We’re working them more. Training, herding… you know, the usual stuff.” At her pout, Noah laughed. “But you’re right about one thing. We should do this more often. Nothing beats that view.”
She turned to look behind her where he might be staring, only to realize he was just being cheeky again. “Ha, ha. Very funny. But I can assure you the view you’re referring to isn’t as great as you’re claiming.”
Noah grew serious and even stopped his horse, forcing her to turn hers around to return to him. When she pulled back to hisside, he leaned forward. “I don’t know how you managed to get it in your head that you’re not beautiful. If someone told you that, tell me who they are, and I’ll take care of them.”
She might have laughed. In fact, she wanted to. The tension between them had risen to unexpected levels. He was serious. “You can’t…” she sputtered. “You can’t just go tell someone that they were wrong…” Jane blushed, hating how the words sounded. She couldn’t express what she was trying to say.
“So someone did say it?” His brows shot up, and the set of his jaw tightened. “Jane, did someone tell you that you weren’t beautiful?”
This time she did laugh. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear for good measure, only for the breeze to tug it free once more. “No. Not really.” At his hard stare, she clarified. “No. There hasn’t been anyone who has said I wasn’t beautiful. Maybe when we were kids, and I was acne riddled and?—”
