“Oh, really?”
“Yep. One involves you and me and a tent.”
I pull away. “I draw a hard line at shitting in the woods.”
He laughs, but I stop him.
“Also, I don’t sleep where there are predators.”
“Oh, come on.” He pulls me back to him. “With the heat you pack, no bear would stand a chance.”
“I shoot bad guys, not furry giants.”
“Fine,” he feigns disappointment and lowers his head to mine. “I guess we’ll just have to focus on that other rule then.”
His lips brush against mine, but I drop my chin, staring him down. “What rule is that?”
“The one about no surprises.”
I pull away. “I will never not loathe surprises. Let’s stick to safe territory here, Hotshot.”
“How do you know you won’t like my surprises? You liked it when I took you to the cabin.”
“It was a damn lucky draw.” I swing my arm over his shoulders, pulling myself up to him.
His thumb runs along the bare skin of my lower back.
“You liked the cookies I sent.”
I glare, but he dodges it, kissing me achingly slow.
Cole Matthews knows what he’s doing.
I pull away, catching my breath and calling him on his game. “What are you doing?”
He grins, those bright blue eyes full of sexy mischief. “Nothing.”
I fall back on my heels. “You suck at lying.”
His grin stretches its limits. “I’m loving you.”
“You know, I’m kind of hard to love.”
His lips brush mine. “I know. I’m not worried. I think I know exactly how to do that.”
This man. The biggest surprise of all. He just strolls through and blasts every single well-established defensive layer all to hell.
Dammit, I love him.
Epilogue
RYDER
Six Months Later
I stare at myself in the mirror and blow out a long, slow breath.
This is nuts.
