Page 80 of Stubborn Heart

Rhea’s body had been tense, but the moment our lips touched, she melted into me. One of her hands gripped the material of my shirt at my waist while the fingers on her other hand curled around the back of my neck.

We stayed just like that for a long time, both of us caught up in our first kiss.

Our first kiss.

As a twenty-eight-year-old man, I’d experienced my fair share of first kisses, but none of them held a candle to this. They didn’t even come close.

When Rhea let out a soft moan and tore her mouth from mine, I allowed my eyes to roam over her gorgeous face. Then I declared, “If I have my way, that’s going to be the last first kiss I ever have.”

She blinked her eyes in surprise.

I smiled at her.

And because I couldn’t resist, I leaned down once more, pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, and pulled back. The smile was still on my face, matching the way I felt inside. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Rhea nodded her head slowly.

“Goodnight, Rhea.”

She pressed her lips together and swallowed. “Goodnight, Wyatt.”

Hearing her voice like that, breathy and hoarse, felt like a huge victory.

Finally.

After all this time, things were finally heading to a place I hoped that even Rhea was excited to go.

On that thought, after giving her one final squeeze, I released her and moved to walk down the stairs and off her porch. When I made it to my car and got behind the wheel, I saw Rhea hadn’t moved from the spot I left her.

And though the thought had popped into my head a few times since I met her, it was clear to me now. I didn’t give a crap about getting any of her family’s land. If Westwood’s had to redesign the whole project to expand the theme park, that was precisely what we’d have to do.

Because in the end, if things went the way I planned, Westwood’s would become hers, too.

19

RHEA

“Did you know I had just recently ended a two-and-a-half-year legal battle with the town of Landing not long before I received the letter from Westwood’s?”

At my question, Wyatt came to a halt beside me, forcing me to do the same.

It was Sunday morning, and I had decided it was time to explain to Wyatt why I was so adamant about not selling my family’s land from the start.

After he’d been with me the way he had been, I thought Wyatt deserved to know the truth.

And it was a miracle I could even focus on what needed to be shared, considering how little sleep I’d gotten last night.

No matter how hard I’d tried, nor the fact that I’d had a fun and exhausting evening, I couldn’t seem to get myself to settle down and sleep.

Over and over, my night with Wyatt replayed in my head. And while the fun of the evening—dancing, eating, laughing, and meeting everyone—was part of what ran through my mind, the one part that I had the most difficult time forgetting was everything that happened after we left the party.

Mostly, it was some of the words Wyatt had said mixed with the way he kissed me before he left that had kept me awake.

There had been a few things he’d said which sent my heart racing, but it was recalling him telling me he wanted our first kiss to be his last first kiss that did me in. If that was about the way that kiss felt, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand the sentiment.

It was the most perfect first kiss I’d ever had. Technically, it was the best kiss of my life.

So, if that was what I could expect to have with Wyatt, I wouldn’t complain if I managed to have it forever.

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