Ace nodded. “Makes sense. That’s Rebel. When he decides something’s his, he doesn’t hesitate. Figures he’d be the same when he finally found his woman.”
Hearing one of Ronan’s club brothers call me his packed more of a punch than I expected. “Do you really think so?”
“Hearing his road name, some people get the wrong idea.” Ace rubbed the back of his neck. “Rebel’s not reckless. Never has been. He earned that name because he walked away from a life most guys would’ve killed to keep. Good money. High-profile private security gigs. But the company started taking jobs that crossed lines he wasn’t willing to go over. So he walked. Most men would’ve stayed quiet and took the cash. Rebel didn’t. He told them to fuck off and never looked back.”
I swallowed. “That’s why they call him Rebel.”
Ace nodded. “Yeah, because he won’t give his loyalty to anything that doesn’t deserve it.”
His words eased a lot of my worries, but a big one remained. “He’s been here so much, but I’m worried he’ll get bored. I’ve always pictured building a house here and taking over when Mom and Dad step back. My siblings will help, but I’ll be the one running point. It’s my dream. But what if it’s not his?”
Ace’s voice softened. “Talk to him. From what I’ve seen, he’s not here because he’s passing time. Rebel doesn’t do half-measures.”
Poppy squeezed my hand. “He’s not going to resent you for loving this place. He’s going to love it because you do.”
I blinked back sudden heat in my eyes. “Thanks. Both of you.”
Ace gestured toward the front of the store. “Now go enjoy your festival. I have a tractor to hunt down before Blaze talks your dad into letting him drive it before me.”
I laughed and headed back to the counter.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of fun that held a new depth because I got to see Cadell enjoy it for the first time. I couldn’t help but picture my own children doing the same—the ones I wanted to have with Ronan.
Poppy and I stole moments to catch up, and I loved that she’d never been happier. But I also wanted that for myself. The ring, the property patch, and the pregnancy. It gave me new clarity into the depth of my feelings for Ronan.
Once whatever was going down with the club that had pulled him away from the orchard today was handled, we needed to talk about what we wanted for the future. Hopefully, it was the same thing. But I had a feeling that for him, I’d be willing to consider something different from what I’d dreamed of my whole life.
11
REBEL
Clara’s apartment had its charms, including the feminine details I’d grown damn attached to over the past week. But that fucking double bed was a nightly test of my patience and my ability to keep us both from rolling off the edge during the hottest moments. A man my size just wasn’t built for a mattress that small. Even if Clara’s lush curves were pressed flush against me all night, I’d reached the point where I was craving enough space to spread her thighs wide, pin her to the mattress, and fuck her exactly how we both wanted.
Late afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows of the store and caught the copper highlights in Clara’s chestnut hair. It was pulled back into a messy ponytail, a few stubborn strands escaping to curl gently around her cheeks. My gaze tracked her every move as she bent over to straighten the stack of orchard flyers scattered across the counter, lingering shamelessly on the swell of her full tits beneath a faded blue T-shirt and drifting lower to admire how her denim shorts hugged the generous curve of her ass.
She was so fucking gorgeous. My cock stirred to life just from the sight, and I didn’t even bother hiding my hungry stare as she glanced up and caught me watching.
“Almost done, baby?” I asked, my voice edged with an undercurrent of desire I wasn’t trying to disguise.
Clara’s cheeks flushed instantly under my heated scrutiny, but she lifted her chin and shot me a playful glare that did absolutely nothing to hide the way she shivered slightly beneath my intense gaze. “You’re not impatient to get away from me, are you?”
I prowled toward her slowly, backing her down an aisle until we were in a corner, mostly out of sight. Her eyes were dark, and I knew she could feel every inch of the possessiveness rolling off me as I closed the distance, stopping only when I had her pressed against the wall and caged by my body. “Baby, the only impatience I’m feeling right now is to get you into bed tonight. Except this time, I’m taking you back to my place, where we can stretch out in a bed that actually fits. But first, I’m gonna take you to dinner.”
“You know, you don’t have to keep working so hard to impress me. You’ve already gotten me in bed.” Her amber orbs flashed with amusement, but there was something else behind it. A sliver of uncertainty.
I had a feeling she still wasn’t fully confident in us as a couple. She was trying to keep those doubts hidden beneath sass and teasing, but I caught glimpses of them.
My hands found her hips, gripping her firmly and letting her feel my fingers flex possessively against the curves I’d been dreaming about since the moment we’d first met. I leaned in close, my breath stirring the sensitive spot below her ear. “I’m not the kind of man who stops wanting you just because I’ve had you. You’re mine now, and I’m gonna spend every fucking dayshowing you exactly how much I still want you. In bed, out of bed, any damn place I can get you.”
“Oh,” she gasped.
“We’re going on a date. Gonna show off my woman and make it damn clear to the whole fucking town who you belong to.” A lascivious smile curved my lips. “And I’m gonna feed you so you have plenty of strength for what I have planned later.”
“You sound pretty sure of yourself,” she sassed, even though the soft blush that crept down her neck betrayed how much she wanted me to make good on my intentions.
I raised a brow and pulled her into me so the hard bulge in my jeans pressed against her center. “Am I wrong?”
She sucked in a shaky breath, her pulse hammering beneath my fingertips, but she met my gaze again, her eyes wide with heat. Then she placed her palm lightly against my chest, the warmth of her skin sending a fresh surge of need through me. “No. I mean, I would. But my family needs me at the orchard right now. I can’t just take off?—”
