I look around at the landscape, as if this will be the last time I see it, and reply, “Yeah.”
It doesn’t take us long to pack up, and then we’re on the horses, riding back to the house. It seems that riding a horse is like riding a bike; you never really forget how to do it.
We come to a stop outside the barn, and Gray helps me down, his hands firmly on my waist. The heat of his palms through my cotton T-shirt is nearly enough to set me on fire. When he sets me down, we’re close, the closest we’ve been since our near kiss this morning. Everything narrows to just the two of us, his masculine scent wrapping around and drowning me.
“Today was…” I pause, searching for the right words to describe it.
“Perfect,” he finishes for me.
I nod, swallowing down the nerves. Grayson leans in, slow enough to give me an out. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, another moment of hesitation, but there isn’t a chance in hell that I would ever refuse his kiss. His lips brush over mine, the soft touch nearly taking my feet out from under me.
I hold my breath, waiting for more. Another tentative pass, and another before he consumes me. The connection of our mouths is all that I can focus on. It’s like shooting into space and being greeted by the stars.
Too soon we part, and he rests his forehead on mine. I search his gaze and see the restraint. He wants more, just as much as I do.
“Fuck, Ave. Don’t look at me like that,” he groans.
“Like what?” I rasp, my focus on his mouth.
Grayson steps back, the loss of his touch leaving me oddly bereft. “Like you want more, like you’d let me get on my knees and devour every inch of you.”
I blow out a breath, dragging my eyes away before returning them to his. “Would that be so bad?”
His body twitches, like he’s about to move close before he stops himself. Grayson runs a hand through his hair, laughing, and I can’t hold back my own grin. “No, it wouldn’t be bad at all, but the next time I have you, it’s going to be in a bed.”
I pout and rock back on my heels. “Spoilsport.”
“Go home, Ave,” he admonishes. “Can I see you tomorrow?”
“You can count on it, cowboy.”
As I walk to my car, I feel his eyes on me and the trace of his kiss on my mouth. Whatever is happening between us, the feelings I had for Grayson Wilde all those years ago haven’t gone away. I doubt they ever will.
23
GRAYSON
The familiar sound of an ATV engine breaks through the quiet, but I don’t let it deter me from my task. After spending my morning in the office getting more and more frustrated with the negotiations for a piece of the Evergreen land, I packed up for the day and came out here. I’m working on a fence line, one that keeps getting damaged, and I suspect not by the wildlife.
I’ll get someone to go into town and grab an outdoor camera setup to see if we can’t catch whoever is behind the damage. I suspect it’s tourists veering off the natural trails and not having the sense to put two and two together when they come to a barrier. It wouldn’t be the first time.
The ATV pulls to a stop next to mine. They kill the engine, and I expect whoever it is to come over. I wait, continuing to hammer in the post, my body covered in sweat and my muscles aching from the work.
When I’m satisfied that the post is in place, I lift off my hat and wipe my brow with the back of my hand as I admire my work.
It’s cooler today, but that doesn’t make the manual labor any easier. Turning toward the vehicles, I’m ready to call out Wyatt or Kade for sitting on their ass and watching me work, but instead, I look like a fool, my mouth going slack at the sight before me.
Avery’s sitting in the vehicle, a Stetson on her head, dressed in a white T-shirt and denim shorts that make her long legs look endless, with one cowboy-boot-clad foot resting on the dashboard. She’s watching me, her gaze intent, a fluttering of desire barely hidden in the depths. I’m suddenly aware of my bare chest and just how badly I need to shower.
Clearing my throat, I drop my gaze to the ground before lifting it and meeting hers. “I, uh, didn’t know you were coming out today.”
Her lips twitch with something close to a smile before she presses them together. It’s been a week since our date, and we’ve found ourselves spending time together every day since, so it’s not unexpected that she would be here. I just thought I’d have the chance to look a little more presentable.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she replies, pulling the ends of her hair through her fingers. “I hope that’s okay?”
My chest tightens. Nobody’s ever looked at me the way she’s staring at me now, like she’d cross half the country just to see me. The thought that she’d do that, given everything that’s happened in our past, fills me with elation, but it’s quickly followed by a sense of caution. I need to remember that what we have is only temporary, no matter how much I wish that wasn’t the case. Inhaling slowly, I will my hands to stay by my sides, but it’s no use.
Dropping the post driver on the ground, I walk over to her, watching as she climbs from the vehicle. She reaches for me at the same time that I reach for her, my hands cupping her face and tilting it back until her head is angled perfectly.
