Page 60 of Piece Of Me

When he looked at Scarlett her mouth went dry, his need and desire clear. “I should go,” he said slowly, voice thick and rough.

She led the way back downstairs and didn’t stop until she was on the porch, the air cool against her heated skin. Taz was at her side, staring out into the night, his truck a few feet away with his slumbering children. Several hundred feet away, she spied Dallas in the paddock, speaking low to a large stallion.

It was still. Quiet. There was no room to hide, and that was okay, because Scarlett needed to say some things.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this.” She glanced away, a knot forming in her throat. “Like everything is in place. Like I deserve to be happy. I want to thank you for today.”

Taz gave her some room and when she was able to continue her voice was soft.

“I used to barrel race. I loved it. Mom would watch and give me pointers and we had the best time. It was our time. And when she died a lot of things changed. I was young. Not even ten and I went from being the life of the party to hiding in the corner. Vivian was the one who acted out. She was at the heart of every storm our family had. She dealt with it all so differently. I didn’t understand it then and I’m not sure that I do now. But I found that if I made myself small, I could disappear and then I didn’t have to talk about it. Or think about it. Mom dying. Dad and his drinking. It’s partly why I moved to New York. I needed to be somewhere else in order to be half of who I was.”

“And now?” he prompted.

She looked at him. With the light fading and the shadows that crept over his face he looked mysterious. Handsome. Dangerous.

“Now I feel like I’m living again.”

Something shifted in his eyes, and she found herself lost in them. It was a telling moment. A door was either going to open fully, or swing shut.

“What is this, Taz? What are we doing?” she asked softly, almost afraid to hear his answer. Would it be what she wanted to hear?

He dropped a kiss to her mouth, and lingered, his tongue diving in for a taste. As the kiss deepened, she leaned into him, needing his warmth, and feeling his need.

He tore away with a groan and kissed the top of her head, as he pulled her against him. “You make me lose my mind.”

“Sorry,” she said with a small smile.

“Don’t be.” Gently he lifted her chin and the expression in his eyes set her blood on fire. “In answer to your question. We’re together.” His thumb touched the corner of her mouth and his voice deepened. “Exclusively.”

She liked that answer but cocked her head playfully. “So, if your buddy Mason asked me out on a date I should?—”

“I don’t share.”

She liked his answer. “And if Angel Simms wanted you?” Okay, that came from out of nowhere and Scarlett was glad it was dark—he couldn’t see her heated cheeks.

“Not that Angel is interested, but if she were, I’m not.” He slid his hand up the side of her neck and bent toward her. “You’re the only woman I want.”

Scarlet moved so that she could see his face and reached up for one last goodbye kiss—a kiss that made her toes curl. She was breathless when she finally moved out of his arms. “Okay,” she managed to say. “Let’s try this couple thing.”

CHAPTER 19

Mid-August in Montana was a beautiful place to be, with warm breezes and sun, next to no humidity and cooler air in the evenings. Every single day was damn near perfect, and Taz had spent most of them with Scarlett. She was something he never saw coming, and up until a few months ago he thought his life was full. Thought he had all he needed with his mom close by, the girls, and this ranch.

Man, he’d been wrong.

On this particular Saturday things were a little different. He and Scarlett were making a move to the next level. Taz was taking the twins to a family barbecue at the Triple B, one that included all of Scarlett’s siblings, her father, some of their ranch hands, and his mother was along for the ride.

None of this had been on his bingo card so to speak, but he was taking it.

It was just after twelve and Taz was headed from the barn to the corral when he spied a vehicle making its way down the lane. An older Chevy, red and rusted, pulled up beside his own truck in a cloud of dust. He glanced back at the girls, who were busy feeding the chickens, then waited for Angel Simms to join him.

Her dark hair was in a loose bun on top of her head, and her clothes were rumpled as if she’d been driving for hours. Not surprising since she’d been in Wyoming the day before checking out a horse rescue operation they were considering partnering with.

“Hey,” she said with an easy smile. She came to a stop and leaned against the fence.

“Hey yourself. How’d it go?”

Angel rolled her shoulders and cranked her neck, then nodded. “They’re good. Legit. The horses are all well cared for and they have a network that’s deep. They’ve successfully rehomed over one hundred horses, and I think they’ll be a good fit for us.”

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