“God, I missed you,” I murmured against his lips.
“You have no idea,” he replied, pressing his forehead to mine. “These past two weeks have been torture.”
I ran my thumb along his cheekbone, studying his face like I was trying to memorize it. “You look good. Nelson life seems to agree with you.”
“It’s better than home ever was,” he admitted. “But it’s still not...” He trailed off, his eyes dropping to my lips.
“Not what?” I prompted.
“It’s not enough,” he whispered. “Not without seeing you.”
The confession wrapped around my heart, squeezing it tight. I kissed him again, deeper this time, trying to convey everything I couldn’t say with words. His body pressed against mine, warm and solid and real. After two weeks of stolen glances and secret notes, having him in my arms felt like coming home.
“We’ve got all day,” I reminded him when we finally broke apart. “Let’s not rush.”
Ryder nodded, his pupils already dilated with desire. “Evelyn packed us breakfast too. Said we’d need our strength.”
I laughed, releasing him reluctantly. “Smart woman. She knows us too well.”
We carried the picnic basket and Ryder’s backpack to the cabin. Inside was simple but comfortable. There was a small living area with a couch and woodstove, a kitchenette with thepromised mini fridge, and through an open door, I glimpsed a bedroom with a queen-sized bed covered in a patchwork quilt.
“Cole and Jesse use it as a getaway,” Ryder explained, setting the basket on a small dining table. “When the main house gets too busy with ranch hands and visitors.”
“It’s perfect,” I said, meaning it. The cabin was a dream come true and more homey than anything I’d seen in years, maybe in my entire life. “It’s a palace.”
“I don’t know about that…”
“I do,” I nodded, looking around. “I lived on the streets since I was fourteen years old. Believe me, this place is amazing.”
Ryder cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t know that…”
“There’s a lot of things about me you don’t know,” I said, my grin fading a little. “And something I’m not sure I want you to know.”
Ryder reached out and took my hand, his touch gentle yet grounding. “I want to know everything about you, Connor. The good and the bad.”
I looked away, uncomfortable with his earnestness. Seven years in prison had taught me that vulnerability was a weakness others could exploit. But this was Ryder. He’d already shown me more of himself than I had any right to see. I figured I owed him the same trust.
“My parents lost the apartment when I was fourteen,” I said, the words feeling rusty in my mouth. “They were both pretty heavily into drugs and spent more time high than they did working to pay the bills. The landlord had us evicted, turned out onto the street with nothing but the clothes on our backs.”
“Jesus,” Ryder whispered, his grip on my hand tightening.
“Lived in shelters when I could, under bridges when I couldn’t. I’m not sure where my parents went. They forgot about me the moment the cravings kicked in and I was on my own.” I shrugged like it was nothing, though we both knew it wasn’t.“Started running drugs and turning tricks to survive. Got caught. Spent time in juvie. Got out. Repeated the cycle. Eventually I got out of it and started performing with a troupe. Then I met the asshole that set me up. You know how that went.”
Ryder stepped closer, his green eyes searching mine. “How did you make it through all that?”
“Same way anyone survives,” I said. “One day at a time I guess.”
He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my neck. I stiffened for a moment before letting myself hold him back, my hands splaying across his warm back.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” he murmured against my skin.
“Don’t be,” I replied, resting my chin on his head. “It made me who I am.”
We stood like that for a long moment, the quiet of the cabin wrapping around us. The weight of his body against mine felt right in a way I couldn’t explain. For someone who’d spent most of his life alone, this connection should have terrified me. Instead, I was beginning toneedit more than the air in my lungs.
“Come on,” I said finally, pulling back slightly. “Let’s see what Evelyn packed for breakfast.”
Ryder smiled, a soft, genuine expression that made something twist in my chest. “She outdid herself this time. I watched her pack half the kitchen.”
