She shoots me a quick, disapproving look, but it doesn’t last long as her face falls. “With how horrible I’ve been to you, one could argue I don’t deserve this at all.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “No way. That was all foreplay. If anything, the only thing you being ‘mean’ did was turn me on.Did I ever tell you how sexy you looked whenever you ripped into me?”
“Only you could ever see that as foreplay” she giggles, giving in as she laughs along with me. “Seriously, though. This is truly amazing, even if I’m still convinced I don’t actually deserve any of this.”
I reach for her hand and gently tug her closer. “You deserve not only this,” I say, nodding toward our setup, “but so much more. And for the record, I never would’ve cared to do something like this for anyone else, which just goes to show how truly special you are.”
Her expression softens, the guarded look she seems to wear like a badge of honor cracking as her eyes search mine. “Either way,” she says, placing a hand on my chest, giving me a playful push until my back hits the open tailgate. “I appreciate you not giving up, and maybe because of that...” Her eyes dip toward my mouth as she bites down on her bottom lip. “Maybe it’s you who deserves this.”
Rising on her toes, and with her hands still pressed into my chest, she kisses me.
One hand lands on her waist as the other cradles her cheek with my palm. As much as I want to wrap her up tight and lose myself completely, I force myself to hold back. The kiss remains sweet, slow, and steady as I savor every second. I know from experience how quickly her mind can change, and I’m not ready to let that happen anytime soon, not when we’ve come so far.
When I finally pull back, I don’t go far, resting my forehead against hers as our shallow breaths mingle.
“As much as I appreciate the thank you,” I murmur, my thumb tracing slow, easy circles along her cheek. “You know that’s not why I did any of this, right? Just you being here is more than enough for me.”
“I know, and that’s exactly why I want to do it,” she says, and without warning, she reaches up and plucks the cowboy hat off my head and slides it onto her own with a smug grin.
My eyebrows shoot up. “Are you sure you want to do that?” I ask, a slow grin tugging at my mouth. “You do know what taking the hat off a cowboy means, right?”
“Wear the hat, ride the cowboy?” she asks, and I nod.
“I grew up in Texas. Of course I know what that means. Why do you think I did it?”
My last bit of restraint snaps. I lean in, capturing her mouth with mine. There’s nothing tentative this time as I give into the heat and the want as my lips move hungrily against hers. The kiss deepens, and I lose myself completely until she’s all I can taste—all I can feel.
Her response is just as instant, her fingers curling into the hair at the nape of my neck as her other hand grips the fabric of my shirt and pulls me closer. It’s clear neither of us want this moment to end, but somehow, despite how badly I want this—how badly I want her—I manage to pull my lips away yet again.
She blinks up at me, breathless and confused. With her lips parted, she tilts her head to the side, as if asking a silent question.
“Sorry. I want to kiss you, and I will, but I also don’t want to be the one responsible for making you miss out on all of this,” I explain, nodding toward the now nearly setting sun. “My plan tonight was to show you a good time, and while I know I can do it that way,” I add with a knowing smirk, “I also don’t want you thinking this was all I wanted from you tonight.”
She exhales loudly, seeming to collect herself as she nods. “I suppose I can respect that, even if my body isn’t exactly thrilled with all this back and forth.”
My body isn’t happy with me either, but I want to believe I’m capable of proving that what we have between us runs deeperthan the physical. So I do the only thing I can, looping a finger through her belt loop and spinning her around until she’s facing the horizon as the sun slowly sinks into the hills.
She melts into me, her back against my chest as I wrap my arms around her waist and lower my chin to rest in the soft curve of her shoulder. She lays her hands lightly on mine, and something inside me settles, a quiet place just for us that I never even knew existed.
I’ve traveled across the country for baseball, especially during my college and minor league days, and I thought I’d seen it all. Big cities, oceans, and stadiums filled to the brim with cheering fans, but this is entirely different. Standing here with Hollis, bathed in the final glow of the setting sun, I realize that nothing has, and nothing ever will come close to this moment. This, and the woman beside me, is without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I’m transfixed, and despite trying to control my burning desire, I can no longer hold back. I nudge her braid aside with my nose and press a few soft kisses to the side of her neck.
She doesn’t seem to mind, and tilts her head, giving my lips the full access I crave.
“So…” I mumble against her skin, creating a trail up her neck and toward the shell of her ear. “I think it’s time you finally admit it—you like me,” I whisper into her ear before giving it a soft nip.
“I never disliked you,” she admits, her voice dreamy and light. “I just don’t think we’re what the other needs, and I stand behind that.”
“And I stand behind the fact that I know you’re wrong. You’re exactly what I need, Hollis Clemmins, and I also happen to think I may just be what you need, too.”
She lets out a frustrated huff, and spins around, her hands landing on my chest.
“I need you to hear what I’m saying, Fletch,” she pleads, her eyes deadly serious as they lock onto mine. “I like you. I like you a lot, actually, but that doesn’t mean we’re allowed to be anything. So, if we cross this line and take things any further, I need you to understand exactly what this is, or more importantly, what this isn’t.”
Back in the day, and with anyone else, those words would have been music to my ears. No strings attached and absolutely no pressure? Hell fucking, yeah! But this is different. Everything with Hollis is different because for the first time I don’t just want her for her body or for a good time. I wanther.Every single part, flaws and all.
Unfortunately, as much as I want to tell her this, I’m also aware it’s the very thing that will send her packing.
