Page 22 of Until Easton

Carter clears his throat. "Listen, I need to run."

Becca breaks eye contact with me and looks at him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He takes some cash from his wallet and drops it on the table. "It was good catching up with you, Becca." Then Carter looks at me. "Nice to meet you."

"Same," I reply tightly.

A few minutes of silence hang between Becca and me before she walks away, heading for the exit.

"Babe." I fall beside her to open the door, and she steps outside. "Becca," I call out as she continues to walk down the sidewalk.

"I need to get back to work, Easton."

"Hey—hey." I take her by the hand, stopping her.

Becca sighs. "Easton, what is this—what are we doing?"

"I think we're having our first argument." I brush the red hair from her face.

"Easton," Becca says softly. "Don’t you think we're moving a bit too fast?"

"No." Becca tilts her face toward the sky, and the sun filters through her long lashes, casting tiny shadows on her skin when she closes her eyes. "Look at me, babe." I palm her face, running the pad of my thumb across the spattering of red freckles on the apple of her cheek. Becca opens her eyes and stares into mine. "Playing music and traveling the world feeds my soul, but I want more." Becca chews on her lower lip as I continue to open my heart and empty the contents into the palms of her hands. "You're it for me, Red. There is no doubt on my end where I stand." I take her hand, placing her palm against my chest to feel the rapid beating of my heart. "This is what you do to me." And I can tell by the rapid rise and fall of her chest that I have the same effect on her. "I always thought love at first sight, that your entire center of gravity would shift, was a bunch of poetic bullshit." I press my forehead against hers. "The BOOM is real," I whisper, and Becca smiles.

"You've heard of that phenomenon, huh?"

"I'm living it." I kiss her soft lips—slow at first before deepening it, and pour out what’s left of my confession until it leaves us both breathless.

"Um—I should get back to work," Becca says but doesn't attempt to move.

"Ask for the rest of the day off."

She shakes her head. "I can't. We need the money."

I look at her with understanding. "I can help, you know."

"No. I can't let you do that. It's not your cross to bear."

I lift her face to mine. "I want to take care of you."

"I don't want your money, Easton."

"That's not what I meant." I study her face, admiring her strength to do it all on her own. Money is something we can discuss another time, especially since I don't like seeing how hard she works and how much she struggles. Right now, all I want is to be with her. "Spend the rest of the day with me."

Becca pauses a second in thought, then looks over her shoulder at the salon. "I'll go ask." She turns back to me. "You're crazy, you know that?"

I smile like a fool in love because I am. "So you say." Becca's hand slips from mine, and she starts to jog toward the salon, but she suddenly spins on her heels and rushes back in my direction. Leaping, she throws her arms around my neck, and I embrace her back. Becca's mouth crashes on mine. "Don't move." Her skin glows from the sun as she smiles at me.

"I'm not going anywhere."

For the remainder of the afternoon, I spend the day working alongside my girl. True to her nature Becca isn't about to waste hours on herself. Instead, we accomplish a few chores around the ranch, then take a little leisure time afterward, cooling off with a dip in the lake, which leads to sex beneath the very oak tree we made love the night before.

"That's Jax's truck," Becca states as we pull up to the house. "I wonder what he's doing out here?" Beside the truck, I recognize the sports car parked in the driveway the moment we return to the ranch. "Not sure who the car belongs to."

"Miles," I say.

"Who's Miles?" Becca looks at me as I park the truck.

"The band's manager." And I'm positive his arrival brings bad news.