“No. But. He’ll think?—”
“He’ll think what I told him, that we need to spend some time together. That I need to know what you think about the whole dating thing. I mean I know you threw yourself at me, but you didn’t actually say how you felt.”
As I moved closer the bed creaked and the comforter dropped from him. He was wearing his jeans but nothing on top, and the soft sheen of his tanned skin in the morning light that slotted through the shutters, made me glad we had all day.
“I thought by kissing you it was obvious.”
“You kiss me a lot, Brownie. To be fair you fuck me a lot, so it wasn’t really a clue.”
His damn crooked grin got me every time. It was cute and sexy all at the same time and the idea that it was now only for me was…invigorating. Made me want to run around the ranch singing one of Bertie’s favorite songs about it being a beautiful morning—it seemed she’d ventured to Oklahoma as well as Seven Brides. That girl clearly had a thing for Howard Keel.
“I want us to date, too,” I told him in a deep breath. “I want it to be exclusive. I want the sleepovers, the hair holding when I puke, the foot rubs and maybe some long rides into the mountains for a picnic, and definitely some dates.”
Wilder’s eyes were soft as he ran his rough fingertip down the profile of my face. “What about the sex?” he asked. “Do you still want the sex as well?”
“Duh, of course.”
Both of us laughing, Wilder pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in warmth and the smell of bed linen, sleep and safety. His chin rested on my head as he stroked my back, and I didn’t think I’d ever felt more content.
“You know it didn’t even feel this good the day after my wedding.” I surprised myself at the confession. I didn’t even second guess whether it was too much, too soon. I just wanted him to know.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t stiffen. Didn’t pull away. “That’s because deep in your heart you knew it wasn’t right. You knew he wasn’t the man you needed him to be. Whereas I,” he pulled back so that I could see his face, could look into his eyes. “I will make sure everything is right for you. I’ll be the best boyfriend you’ve ever had.”
We’d gone from dating to him being my boyfriend, but who the hell was I to argue. Maybe I was being foolish. Maybe I wasn’t. Deep down I knew he wasn’t Declan. It wasn’t like I was sworn off men because of my ex-husband, I was simply more cautious who I gave my heart to. The problem was I wasn’t sure I had a choice where Wilder Miller was concerned.
The morning had been blissful. A long, lazy one, tangled together talking and napping. Now I was alone, as Wilder had gone back to the house to get achange of clothes. It had given me an opportunity to call my brothers and now I was having a quick call with my mom, which was always interesting.
“And where’s Dad?”
“I told you. He went to the grocery store but ended up paragliding.”
“Yeah, I heard the part about the grocery store, it’s the paragliding I wasn’t sure I heard.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Mom, he’s sixty-eight. He has arthritis.”
“Which is so much better since we moved here. That was why we moved here. I can hear you rolling your eyes, Tallulah.” She was right, I was. “Anyways, how’s your sex life since you ditched the little weasel?”
My family never liked Declan. Maybe because I married him without telling them. Well, that and the fact that he was a horrible piece of shit.
“Mom, please!”
“Well, Liam tells me that there is a free brother on that ranch you’re working on. Why don’t you see if he’s up for a little bow chicka wow wow.”
She actually made the electric guitar noise, and my heart sank. I hated the fact that my parents were no longer in our family home, but them being in Florida certainly had it’s benefits. My mother’s inappropriateness for one.
“Mom, I’m here to work.” It wasn’t a total lie.
“Yeah, but you need to be fulfilled sexually, sweetie. Orgasm’s give you those endorphin things. Look at Liam, who the hell knows when he last got laid.”
“I think it’s more than him not getting laid, Mom.”
My brother was the epitome of a broken man with the Great Wall of China around his heart. I hated that he was so sad, but he wouldn’t talk about it. None ofuswere allowed to talk about it.
“It would help. I know when I?—”
“No, no, no,” I yelled. “Stop. Talking.”
She sighed heavily. “So, you’re not getting laid then?”
Thirty minutes later, I was walking across the yard to the stables. Wilder had messaged me to meet him there. Gunner waved to me as he led a horse toward the indoor pool, Poppy was giving Maverick a brush down and a host of other hands were busy doing their day to day work. It was a hive ofactivity, and the warmth of a good life spread through me, like lying in the Summer sun with a long cocktail while Wilder rubbed sun lotion into my skin. The image was perfect, but it was also distracting. I had the real Wilder to meet.
