Page 76 of Wilde Ride

After what felt like an eternity, we slowly drew back. I leaned my forehead against hers and drew in a deep breath.

“You’re not too young, Em. And Caden isn’t a problem. And I wasn’t wanting a relationship…but then you came back into my life and everything changed.”

She moved her head back. “What do you mean?”

I smiled as I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “My marriage with Caroline wasn’t a happy one. We had happy times, and I’m grateful for my kids, but something was always missing, and I could never put my finger on it. Maybe it was because we were forced into marriage so young, I don’t know. Together, we were like wind and fire. She was always angry, discontent, and no matter how hard I tried to make her happy, I just fanned those flames instead. It was a dangerous combination. We didn’t match.

“I wish Caroline all the best, but she wasn’t the person who caught my soul on fire. Since I’ve been home, spending time with you has made it crystal clear that you’re that person, Em. Every time I’m near you, something inside me comes to life. I’ve been trying to ignore it, because a part of me keeps saying I need time for myself and for Rhett. But he’s thriving here beyond all my expectations…and I’m tired of fighting whatever this is between us.”

She swallowed hard. “Levi, I have to be honest with you about something.”

“Please do,” I begged.

Her eyes closed, and she seemed to be debating before she snapped her eyes open again, and she just let it all out.

“I feel something so profound that I can’t explain it, and I don’t want to hide it anymore. My mother told me that I needed to tell you how I felt, and so did Caden, but I didn’t want to lose our friendship. But then I think about Ensley and Grady, and I don’t want to go the rest of my life regretting that I wasn’t honest with you about how I feel.”

“How do you feel, Em?”

Her eyes fell to the ground.

I placed my finger under her chin and lifted so her eyes met mine once again. “How do you feel, Emeline?”

Pressing her lips together, her eyes filled with tears.

“Please,” I whispered.

“I’m in love with you, Levi. I know you don’t feel the same way about me, and that’s okay. I don’t want it to come between us, or for you to feel awkward around me.” Her eyes closed. “Oh God, I should have kept my mouth shut.”

I drew her to me and held her tight as she buried her face against my chest. “I’m glad you told me, Em. I can’t say I’m in love with you—”

She tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let her go.

“But I can say what I feel for you is so much more than friendship. Truth be told, Em, I’ve always been drawn to you. Even when we were younger, there was something about you that made me want to spend time with you.”

She lifted her head slightly and peeked at me. It was so fucking adorable, I wanted to kiss her again.

“I’ve got a crazy idea,” I said with a wink.

“What’s that?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.

“What would you say to going out on a date with me?”

A smile erupted across her beautiful face. “I’d say I like that idea.” Then she glanced over my shoulder. “Look at the sky.”

When I turned, I was captivated by a reddish-pink sky. It somehow felt like the most perfect place on Earth for us to express how we felt about one another.

“We should get going before we lose daylight,” she said.

When I looked back at Emeline, she was gazing out over the valley. It was clear she loved this place with her whole heart.

I took her hand in mine and brought it to my lips. Kissing the back of her hand, I smiled at her.

“We could count this as our first date,” she said softly, her eyes drifting to my mouth as she spoke.

Nodding, I quickly pulled her to me, causing her to laugh. “In that case, I think we should probably kiss once or twice more, don’t you think?”

Wrapping her arms around my neck, she nodded, lifting up to her toes. Her mouth met mine in another explosive kiss.