Be brave.
Can I be brave?
I’ve gotten used to getting along, to existing within a life which feels safe because I’ve molded it that way. It’s small. It’s simple. It’s easy.
But what if this life could be big?
As big as the stars above Sagebrush on a cloudless night.
I grab my keys and am out the door before I can think twice, his letter clutched in my hands along with my purse. I’m on the road in seconds, but it doesn’t feel fast enough. Like my body needs to get there sooner.
Or maybe it’s just a byproduct of my racing heart.
Be brave.
This time, I don’t even glance at Watts Ranch as I tool by, trying not to speed too much while wishing I could fly.
The moment I pull to a stop in front of Ford’s house, he’s out the front door and striding my way. He looks wrecked and it twists something inside of me.
Be brave.
When we’re almost toe to toe, his amber eyes are filled with worry and something like hope. “I’ve been waiting,” his voice cracks slightly. His words aren’t an accusation, they’re something deeper, needy. “My guys finally kicked me off the job for the day. My head wasn’t in it and that’s when shit can go wrong real fast.”
“Ford,” I murmur his name, his letter still clutched to my chest. I basically drove the whole way with it like that. “You wrote me this letter? This beautiful letter? You know who I am, I mean,” I swallow hard, my voice turning raspy, “that I’ve been writing to you?”
His large hands cup my face, his touch soft. So soft. “I know, my Sunflower.” He studies my face and I have to wonder if anyone has ever looked at me so closely. Or with so much awe. “Are you being brave?”
“I’m here,” I push the words past my lips. “It has to count for something.”
My heart is hammering inside my chest so hard and so loudly I’m sure he can hear it. If he can, he doesn’t mention it. The warmth from his hands seeps into my skin and we move closer, closing the distance between our bodies completely.
“It counts for everything,” he whispers, his face moving closer to mine. We’re so close, almost too close when his amber eyes meet mine. “You should know, this is my first kiss.”
What? Everything pauses for a moment, like a skip in a record, and I blurt, “Mine too.”
Ford smiles like he just discovered something precious like treasure.
Me?
I don’t get the chance to analyze it further because then he’s pressing his mouth against mine and I melt into him. His arm snakes around my back, his hold firm. Possessive.
Safe.
We’re both tentative at first, but something happens. A snap. An instinct taking over. I don’t know and I don’t care. I give into it.
When our lips part, our tongues find each other, twining before exploring. It’s a dance that feels natural. Nothing else exists beyond the way kissing him has pleasure washing over my body.
And something hard pressing into my belly. It takes me a moment, but it dawns on me what I’m feeling, and I can’t even begin to explain why I moan into Ford’s mouth when I do. The groan that comes from deep in his chest is sexy.
His hand slides into my hair and he holds me in place, his fingers twining with the hair at the base of my skull. I whimper while trying not to make it too obvious how I’m all but vibrating against him.
I’m a panting mess when his lips leave mine. He’s breathing heavily while his mouth trails along my jaw and down my neck. Goose bumps cover my skin, and I think I moan his name, but I can’t be sure. Not when his mouth on me feels too good.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Sunflower,” the words are growled against my skin, his teeth nipping at my neck. “Ever since that first letter, I’ve been thinking of you just like this. In my arms. I’ve dreamed about what I would do to you; how good I would make you feel.”
He pulls back and stares into my eyes, his hold on me absolute. But it doesn’t make me want to run. It makes me want to stay and to keep writing him letters until we’re old and gray.
“You have no idea how much I want you,” he watches me closely, his words husky. “What do you want, Arden?”
