I won’t admit how fucking feral her calling me hot makes me feel.
“Probably means they aren’t the love of your life if you have to share them.”
Cove nods, falling silent.
“There was this woman I was seeing for a while,” I tell her honestly. “Nothing more than fooling around, mostly from my lack of interest. Sounds fucked to say out loud, but it’s true.”
“You never wanted more?”
“She did. I didn’t. I started shutting down the more attached she got. Pretty sure she understands where I stand now. I’m also pretty sure my heart was never what she wanted.”
A quiet pause transpires before Cove speaks. “I’m surprised by that. Not the stupidity on her end, but the part about you shutting down. You’ve been the opposite with me. Not sure if I should be worried about that or not.” Her bashful laugh causes my stomach to sink.
“I’m gonna be vulnerable for a second. Bear with me, okay? I’m shit out of luck for paper and my sparkle pen, so words will have to do.”
“Yeah. Okay. I’m listening, Stet.”
When she calls me that…God, I want to beat my chest and sing her praises. I feel young again. Alive for the first time in what feels like ages.
I halt our steps and reach for her other hand, putting us directly in front of each other. The sun has since set, and the night sky and city skyline are the only lights around us. Travelers surround us on a rushed course to their next destination. It reminds me a lot of Miami—the same city aura but less coastal.
There’s a level of trust I feel around Cove. I sense the trust she has in me without the need to voice it.
She’s relaxed. Closer to leaning in instead of falling back.
It only makes me more certain this thing between us will work.
It has to.
I let my eyes trace her face full of perfectly placed freckles so I don’t choke. I can say this without getting in my head. “It’s easy to go about life alone. I can work, sleep, and eat without anyone telling me differently. There’s a freedom that comes with being single. It sounds selfish, but it’s a liberty I’ve always clung to. Being a cowboy and my own boss has allowed me to work hard at what’s important tome. That’s always been Coleson Ranch. Even more so since my folks passed. I knew there was a chance that could change when I met the right woman. I’ve prepared for it. It’s why saving my money and building Coleson Ranch to what it is today was so important. I knew once the right woman came along, I’d be all in. Ready to give her my world. Make her my everything. There’d be no chance at doing that if everything else was in shambles.”
Not once has she looked away and paid attention to something other than the words that leave my mouth.She’s laser-focused. “You know what I call someone like you?”
“What’s that?”
Her thumb coasts the web on mine. “A real man. Never perfect, but always honest. Loyal. There’s nothing sexier than a man who’s loyal.”
“I just hope all these years of waiting come to pay off someday. I’d hate for it to all be for nothing.”
“It will. Is that why you’ve been persistent with me, Stetson? Is it because you see something different in me?”
I nod. “I did the moment you told me off that day at the bar. If I recall correctly, you said ‘I mean that as disrespectfully as possible, Mr. Cole.’”
“I did say that, didn’t I?” Cove grins.
“Sure did. I knew then you were special. Not that you’ve made my interest in you easy. Your beauty was just an added bonus.”
The moment Cove’s arms wrap around me in the tightest embrace, I feel the air between us falter. Because there are no longer recurring questions, contemplating whether these feelings are worth exploring. The wall of hesitation has crumbled, leaving nothing but desire and urgency.
She slides her hand up the back of my neck, the drag of her nails lighting a fire inside me. It’s when her lips coast my ear, whispering words I’d die to hear like a lullaby on repeat, that I choose risk.
A savage want.
“Take me to your suite.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
cove
