Boone looked me over before mumbling, “But Chris didn’t care.”
“No, he was impulsive. I don’t know if he ever loved me, but I never loved him. I’m sure that makes me sound cold. We were married and had two kids, but I only used him to get away from my stepfamily.”
“Did they treat you badly?”
“They saw me as flawed. Everyone did. Even my grandparents thought Dan and I were tainted by our father’s blood. That’s why Dan left and didn’t come back. He needed to break free of their judgment. But I wasn’t brave enough to join the military or move away. So, I married the first guy willing to put a ring on my finger.”
Boone watched me before replying softly, “You made the best out of a bad situation. That’s all anyone can do.”
“I have choices now,” I said as my gaze feasted on Boone’s broad chest and shoulders. “I don’t have to date you. I can tell you no.”
Boone’s expression never changed. He was still wearing a slight frown.
“Are you telling me no?” he finally asked.
“I’m telling you that I want to see your bedroom. Is that something you can do? Elle said you don’t bring women to your place. Am I crossing a line by asking to go upstairs?”
Boone looked around as if answering his own questions rather than asking me.
“It’s true that I don’t bring hookups to my place. I’ve never dated in a real way, meaning I don’t have rules for a girlfriend. Even if I did, I would break them for you.”
Boone walked to me and planted a soft kiss on my forehead before moving to my lips. I gripped his shirt and leaned against his strong body.
When our lips separated, Boone’s dark eyes watched me intently. “We’ll walk upstairs and see what you want.”
“It’ll be the same thing I want now.”
“Earlier, you wanted dinner and to watch a movie.”
“I still want that,” I said and pressed my hands against his hard chest. “I just want to feel you inside me before we do that other stuff.”
Boone’s gaze flashed up to his loft bedroom. When he looked at me, I felt like he might say no. Elle warned me that Boone was raised to be overly gentle with women. His mom and Duffy reacted badly to roughness. I assumed he’d wanted to protect me from myself.
“I like pumpkin patches,” Boone announced, taking my hand and guiding me to the stairs. “Have you taken your girls out for pumpkins yet?”
“No,” I said breathlessly as each step brought me closer to pleasure.
“Well, we have our next date planned, then, don’t we?”
As we reached the loft bedroom, Boone leaned down and tugged his laces loose. Kicking off his boots, he turned to me and smiled.
My mouth went dry at the sight of his shirt coming off. Flustered with lust, I blurted out, “I’ve worried about what you’d think of my body since I’ve had two babies. I figured I’d be shy, but I’m far more interested in your body than mine.”
Boone grinned. “Well, I’ll focus on your body while you do the same with mine.”
I couldn’t hide my admiration of his bare chest. Boone’s good looks were raw and masculine. His skin was tanned. His arms were decorated with ink. His muscular chest was covered in thick, dark hair.
Boone cupped my jaw and lifted my chin. The kiss erased everything in my head. Nothing existed outside this condo. My lust cleansed my past.
Boone’s kisses were a perfect mix of tender and commanding. I pressed my hands against his chest and moaned at how his tongue slid against mine. Every nerve in my body demanded attention.
Boone didn’t rush. His fingers skimmed my shoulders and grazed the sides of my breasts, but he didn’t remove my shirt.
Sensing he worried I’d change my mind, I pried my lips free from his and removed my shirt. Boone’s lips quickly returned to mine as his hands explored my breasts and hips.
My thumbs teased his nipples, wanting him to stop playing and move us to the bed. Boone adjusted his hips away from me once I reached for his belt.
“Are you stopping?”
