“Not until you tell me what you told Baker about Lady.” I had to force my butt cheeks to stay on the floor. It was hard. But as much as I wanted to go eat steak with Aiden, I wanted to know what the two of them discussed even more.
“He asked me what I thought about the dog. I told him so far I had seen no signs of aggressive behavior to anyone, and if she did go to the ranch to recuperate while we gave the searchesonline their due course, I would recommend a soft muzzle to start, coupled with a long check cord leash, like the ones Bill and Penny use when introducing their pups to cattle. This way, you can see if she is prone to going after the livestock safely. If she is, behavior modification can begin. Dogs can be taught not to go after livestock. It just takes patience, time, and a knowledgeable trainer.”
“So she can come to the ranch tomorrow. Tomorrow is day five.” I needed to be sure of what was being said here because…well, I just had to be sure.
“Yes, she can foster at Bastian Acres Ranch until either someone claims her or you all decide to adopt her.”
What happened next was pure adrenaline mixed with joy. I pushed to my knees with a hoot and kissed Aiden right on the mouth. Both hands cupping his stubbly face, I put my mouth on his. Truly, it was just supposed to be a happy smacker, as my stepdad called those loud, silly smooches, but as soon as our lips touched, it became clear this was no goofy kiss. This was something that made the world feel like it was sliding off-kilter.
When the kiss broke, I sat back down with afwumpas Aiden licked his lips as if he were cleaning them of something sweet.
“That was a pleasant surprise,” he gruffly said while I stared and nodded like a clump of sod. “Would you like to do it again or eat dinner?”
“Again, please,” I whispered, my lips tingling. We both leaned in for another taste when Lady, who seemed to know the worddinner, jumped to her feet with a shrill bark. It was enough to break whatever spell we were wound in, for Aiden blew out a shaky breath then hit me with that killer smile. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton floss, and my dick was stiffer than a number two pencil. The dog gave me a fast, sloppy lick on the cheek as I sat there staring at Aiden’s beautiful face. “Maybe dinner instead?”
“Sadly, yes, the lady has expressed her wishes.” He gave Lady’s ears a playful ruffle before pushing to his feet and offering me his hand. “Let’s get some food into all of us and see what the night brings?”
That offer held all kinds of promise. I slapped my hand into his, allowing him to help hoist me to my scuffed boots. A moment passed as we stood among the piles of old notes, my hand in his, which felt incredibly important.
“Are you offering me dessert after dinner?” I asked and got a wicked half smile that I couldn’t quite read. A naughty part of me was poking me to add something like “dessert being sex” but the words clumped up behind my teeth.
“When you say dessert, do you mean dessert or do you meandessert?” he asked before lifting my rough fingers to his lips to kiss my knuckles. “Are you down for sex?”
“Yes,” I blurted out. “Yes. Being naked with you would be better than chocolate cake.”
A strange sort of expression ran over him before it disappeared with the arrival of his naughty grin.
“I sense a but coming.”
“Getting naked. It’s kind of…I really like cake.”
For all the fucks, what was I saying?! Why did stupid shit fall out of me instead of suave cool shit?!
“What if we get nakedandhave cake?” His words were hot puffs of air dancing over my hand.
“That sounds messy.”
“Yeah, it does. You okay to get messy?” I found myself stumbling over a reply, my nerves and awkwardness appearing out of the blue when I least wanted them to show their dumb faces. “Or we can just eat dinner, have cake, and sit around.”
“Naked?”
Aiden smiled. “Naked or clothed, whichever you prefer.”
“Okay, let’s see what we feel like after we eat.”
Maybe we’d just want to sit around with coffee and cake while we got to know each other better. That would probably be the wisest thing to do…
***
The steaks were grilled perfectly, just a touch of pink, and served with some asparagus and a fancy Dijon mustard sauce. He tossed a salad then warmed some crusty bread on the grill. It was so delicious I nearly forgot about cake. Probably because of his witty banter, good looks, and the way he made me feel important.
Dessert came after the dishes and kitchen had been cleaned up and the dog was fed. Lady seemed very happy to stay in the house, lying down on a rug in front of the fireplace Aiden had lit with a long match. Music streamed out of his phone resting in a dock atop the mantle. The air was thick with the scent of rich chocolate coffee, pine logs, and frozen chocolate-dipped key lime pie.
“This may be the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted,” I said around a mouthful of pie.
“All the credit goes to the bakery in Arizona that I order them from.” He took a bite of his pie, sighed dreamily, and then swallowed. “I did my studies at the University of Arizona, and there was this little bakery about three blocks from campus. The prices were astronomical but worth every penny I made scrubbing exercise equipment and floors at a local gym.”
“I’d scrub barn floors with my toothbrush for another slice of this pie,” I tossed out. Aiden laughed out loud, which made me feel really special.
