If that was all, then he liked what she was saying. He smiled and kissed her nose. “Why didn’t you start with that, darlin’?”
She huffed. “Because I’m new to this. Isn’t that what you told Felix—we’re all learning here? I’m learning how to share what’s in my heart and it’s scary and hard, and why are you looking at me that way?”
He kissed her fast and then pulled back. “Because you’re adorable when you’re flustered.”
She huffed again. “Stop it.”
“I won’t.” He kissed her again. “I’m going to kiss you and call you adorable and beautiful and gorgeous and amazing and funny and resourceful.”
“Oh, that’s romantic.Resourceful.”
“For a wrangler it is.” He grinned, and she kissed him. “I like it when you do that,” he told her.
She shook her head. “You’re–”
“Falling in love with you,” he jumped to add. “I know it’s happening fast, and that I’m probably scaring you with-–.”
“You’re not. Scaring me.” She pulled off her glove and traced his bottom lip. “Because I feel the same way.” Her eyes lifted from his mouth to meet his gaze. “Is that strange?”
“That you love me?” He could fly them home on the wings sprouting in his heart. “Nah–happens to ladies all the time.” He kissed the finger that she’d left on his bottom lip while smoldering at her.
“It’d better not!”
Laughing, he pulled her to him and rolled so she was lying on the snow and he could lean down and claim her lips as his own. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved,” he promised as he worked his way across her jaw.
This. This feeling of being whole and so much more than he could ever be alone was why his brothers had turned into bubbling idiots for their women; why they built them a home and hurried in from the fields at the end of the day.
This. This was a slice of heaven.
And he’d found it in the middle of Nowhere, USA.
He prayed he’d be able to hold on to it when real life crashed around them. Because he didn’t want to be home without Clove.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Clove woke up at 3 a.m. and groaned. The wind whipped the tent side to side with a slap-slap sound. She hurt all over. Drake did most of the driving yesterday, but she’d insisted on taking a shift and managing the sleigh was a whole body experience.
They’d decided to sleep for a few hours at night and then push on. Then sleep again when it was light out. She wouldn’t have any trouble falling asleep in the middle of the day because all she wanted to do right now was pretend her alarm didn’t buzz.
“Drake,” she nudged him. He was warm, and she’d curled into him most of the night—subconsciously, of course. “Wake up.”
“Don’t wanna,” he complained.
She giggled. “Is my big, tough wrangler sleepy?”
His eyes flew open as if he just realized she was there. With lightning reflexes he snagged her into his arms and rolled to pin her under his sleeping bag and all. She laughed easily. It was amazing how quick her spirits lifted with him around. Yes, her body was sore, but everything else about her was happy.
He kissed her jaw and then her cheek and then her lips. She sighed into him.
“I like being yours,” he whispered.
She shivered in the best way possible. “I like it too.”
Hmmm, his lips vibrated against her skin and she melted.
“Why are we traveling at night?” she asked. “Let’s just stay here for a day or two.” She kissed just below his ear to encourage him to agree with her.
He moaned, and she thrilled, knowing she had this effect on him.
