I smash my mouth to hers.
Fine fingers fist the back of my hair, and I can’t get close enough. Her back meets the wardrobe, and she moans.
I steal the sound, gripping her waist and hauling her onto my hips.
Hands press against my shoulders. “No, put me down. Your knee.”
“Not a fucking chance,” I growl.
The knee takes its time to stabilize as I press her into the wardrobe and devour her. Exploring every inch of her. Tasting like it’s the first time. Fuck, the way my body responds to her... It may as well be. I’m rock-hard and hardening further with every inch I take in of her. The cap falls from her head as I send my free hand through her dark locks and grip her chin, tilting it up.
Green eyes, darkening to the color of the forest she adores, study my face as her chest heaves. “I have till Friday, then I have to leave for the next event,” she breathes.
Three days.
I’ll fucking take it.
“Sunshine, any amount of time with you is a gift.”
She swallows. Some of that expression I saw over the video call passes over her face. Indecision? Worry?
I let her down, and she drops her gaze to the floor. I hitch a finger under her chin, lifting her eyes back up to me. “What was that?”
“I—you...” Her eyes fall closed. “I wanted to—no, I needed to take this slow, like glacial. But...” Her eyes open. Now they are brimmed with a tangle of something warring and intense. “It’s like this thing between us has a life of its own. I’m barely hanging onto this runaway freight train, Hadley. It scares the hell out of me because I’m not sure what happens after this year.”
“Me either, but we can spend the time together while we have it. You think?”
“I do.”
Two little words I shouldn’t even be thinking about... but they sink their claws in deep, fucking my insides up.
She leans into my chest, her hand sliding over my jaw as she pushes up on her toes and kisses my mouth.
As she drops back to her feet, I dust a kiss onto her forehead. “Right, these jeans are gonna chafe if I don’t lose them soon. You want to see some of the ranch?”
“I would love to.” That bottom lip disappears between her teeth again.
“Help yourself to anything you need here. What’s mine is yours. Grab me a snack while you’re out there, hey?”
Rolling her eyes, she wanders from my bedroom and down the hallway. I tug the wet jeans from my body and towel off before sliding on a clean pair of Wranglers and a button-down work shirt. I pull on socks and do up the buttons on the shirt before padding back down the hall and into the kitchen to find Maggie making sandwiches.
She looks good in my kitchen.
I’m running a hand through my hair at the slightly disturbing thought. For many reasons. But hell, what I wouldn’t do to keep this woman in my life.
I know she has plans.
I know they didn’t include me before.
Maybe things changed?
“Hungr—” She looks up from slicing a tomato, the word going unfinished when she sees me in my work clothes. Lettuce, ham, and cheese are out beside the cutting board.
I drop onto a stool at the counter, taking the cutting board from her hands. The knife, too.
“Hey! I was doing that.”
“Exactly. You’re my guest. I’m doing it.”
