Then he's gone.
The door slams open and the storm swallows him whole.
Rain rushes in, cold and sharp, breaking the spell even as my body still hums with it. I stand there shaking, breath uneven, chest bare, jeans unbuttoned, lips burning like a brand.
I fumble for my bra with trembling hands. Pull it on. Button my jeans. Pull my shirt on. Try to breathe.
My body is screaming. Frustrated. Aching. Empty.
I can still feel the ghost of his hand between my thighs. The pressure. The promise of more.
I press my forehead against the colt's neck and swallow the sound that wants to break free.
We were thirty seconds away from—
I don't let myself finish the thought.
Nothing is resolved.
Everything is exposed.
I know, with absolute certainty, that we've crossed a line we can't uncross—and that whatever comes next is going to demand more than either of us is ready to give.
Chapter twenty-five
Eli
Ididn't sleep.
Couldn't.
Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in that shed. Her back against the hay. Her jeans unbuttoned. My hand on her skin. The sound she made when I touched her.
The way Chace's voice cut through everything.
Thirty more seconds and I would've buried myself in her.
Fuck.
I drain the cup of coffee I'm drinking, black and bitter, boots already on, and head out into the cold.
The ranch is quiet. Too quiet. The kind of stillness that presses in from all sides and makes every thought louderthan it should be. Storm damage litters the yard—broken branches, a loose tarp flapping against the equipment shed, mud everywhere. Work that needs doing.
Good.
I grab a rake and start clearing debris, movements sharp and automatic. Muscle memory takes over. Lift. Toss. Repeat. My shoulders burn after the first hour. I don't stop.
Work is the only thing that helps. The only thing that keeps my hands from shaking.
By the time the sun breaks the horizon, I've cleared half the yard. Sweat cools against my back despite the chill. My hands ache. It's not enough.
Nothing is.
Boots crunch on gravel behind me.
I don't turn. I already know who it is.
"Good morning," Hazel says.
