A man can only take so much.
I had no choice but to kiss her.
I lean my head back against the chair.
And when she told me what she wanted, what she needed, I had to taste her. Just once.
I close my eyes and replay the entire night. Every kiss. Every touch. The feel of her, wet and warm for me. The sound of my name on her lips as she came. The way she felt in my arms as she drifted to sleep.
And damn if I didn’t get the best sleep of my life.
I’ve never been good at sharing a bed. I like my space and prefer to spread out. I always sleep better alone.
Yet, somehow, I slept more deeply last night than I had in years, with Jovie curled against my side, my brain shut off.
Bliss.
Until Cabe knocked on the door.
My jaw tightens.
The look of pure panic on Jovie’s face. She was mortified by the idea of being caught in my bed and frantic for an escape.
And when I opened the door, my brother was standing there, worried sick. Looking for her.
The guilt comes rushing back immediately. I stare out across the ranch, feeling like crap all over again.
Cabe deserves better. He’s my brother. He’s always had my back, and somehow, I’ve managed to betray him without even meaning to.
The screen door creaks behind me.
I don’t bother looking up as Grandma Evelyn settles into the chair beside mine.
We sit in comfortable silence for a minute. The breeze stirs the silver strands of her hair.
“You were awfully quiet at supper.”
I grunt, “Just tired.”
“Mmm.”
That single sound tells me she doesn’t believe me for one second.
I glance sideways.
She’s gazing across the yard.
Evelyn Storm has always been the most observant person in the family. She notices everything. Charli is very much like her.
“You look like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders,” she says.
I snort. “You know me, Grandma. I don’t carry anything on my shoulders.”
A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “That’s what you’d have everyone think.” Her eyes slide toward me. “You canfool the others with that devil-may-care attitude, but not your grandmother.”
Damn.
“You aren’t going to start using your wise-old-lady voodoo on me, are you?”
