She nods, dropping her eyes before licking her pink lips. My cock hardens and I mentally berate myself for pulling her in my lap, but feeling her against me, all soft and sweet, I don’t regret my decision.
I move my hand to her knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I have an idea. Let’s go for a horseback ride tomorrow.”
She sniffles. “I would love that. It’s been ages since I’ve been on a horse. Not since my mother was alive.” A small smile tugs at her wet lips and it gives me immense satisfaction that I’m the one who gave her that. I want to kiss her so fucking bad, to claim those sweet lips, taste not only her happiness but her pain, devour it and take it on as my own.
“You’re beautiful when you smile like that,” I tell her, looking deep into her brown eyes.
Her eyes shift away as she shakes her head. She has no idea what she does to me. No idea the impact she’s not only having on my body but also my emotions.
I gently grip her chin, bringing her eyes back to mine. She gives me another heart-stopping smile.
I lean in, unable to hold back any longer, and place a kiss on her forehead. I have every intention of claiming this woman but I want to be careful, to take it slow. Then, when the time is right, I’ll make her mine.
But in my heart I know she is already.
Justin is unlike any man I’ve ever met. He’s patient, kind, and the way he looks at me makes me feel wanted, beautiful.
Butterflies dance in my belly as I get ready for our ride this morning. I’m so nervous. It isn’t until I put on a pair of jeans and a tank top that I realize I don’t have any boots.
Shoot.
Looking over my meager shoe collection, I pick out a pair of shoes I got from the Good Stuff yesterday.
That’ll just have to do.
I hurry downstairs and start cooking breakfast, turning on the pot of coffee. I’m just about to spoon the cooked eggs into a bowl when Justin finally emerges, walking into the kitchen. The air in my lungs freeze and my skin tingles with awareness.
He’s dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and square-toed boots with a red and blue plaid button-down and a baseball cap.
Goodness.
Licking my dry lips, I beam. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Making his way to the coffee maker, he pours himself a cup. I noted yesterday that he likes his coffee black.
Bringing the steaming cup to his lips, he watches me over the rim. “You ready?”
Holding out my arms, I look down. “Yep, except I don’t have any boots.”
“I see. I think I have a solution.”
He leaves the kitchen and returns with a worn pair of women’s boots. “Hopefully they fit. They belong to my mother. She keeps them here for when she visits.”
Sitting at the table, I toe off my tennis shoe and slip one on. “Fits perfect.”
“I thought they would.”
Pop comes through the back door, another man following close behind him. “Morning y’all,” Pop greets, grabbing a plate from the cabinet. “Dino, this is Selena, the one I was telling you about.”
“Hola,” he greets, eyeing me suspiciously. A shiver runs down my spine from his piercing glare.
“Hola.”
“Dino lives on the property and helps us out here on the ranch but I think Pop just pays him to listen to him gripe all day.”
We eat breakfast, Justin and Pop chatting about some of the horses, but I don’t miss Dino’s constant assessment. It’s as if he knows me, though, if Pop told him who my father was, no doubt he does know who I am.
After breakfast, Pop and Dino head to town and Justin takes a call while I clean up the kitchen, I am nearly done wiping down the counters when he walks back in from outside. His face is hard, concerned, but then it softens when he sets his eyes on me.
