Page 216 of Forbidden Heroes

For the first time in a long while, a grin peels his lips back and my heart soars.

He raises a large hand in defense, and a warmth comes over him like he has a secret and it’s burning his lips not to spill it. I raise a brow. If I didn’t know any better, I would say the faint smirk the smile fades into says he is up to something.

“You’ll see after the party. Promise.”

Unease settles in my limbs. Me going off to college has been a big discussion since I graduated this past spring. Especially from Boone. My heart thuds. Please don’t let the surprise be my luggage at the door and a plane ticket in his hand.

“What’s that supposed to mean. C’mon! Don’t tease me and make me wait!”

Boone’s jaw twitches in time with the second hand on the clock hanging over his head. And for some odd reason it feels like my time here, with him, all of them, is limited.

“Pleeease,” I draw out, batting my lashes playfully.

Normally Boone is an easygoing guy, but right now every muscle in his body is engaged. “It just means bigger presents,” he teases coolly. “You’ll have that to chew on for the rest of the day.”

He straightens and pulls me in for a quick hug. His delicious warmth hotter than the Texas summer heat, the intoxicating smell of his cologne—everything about him—cocoons me in a bubble I never want to leave. A hint of sweet hay, fresh air, pine...all of it is Boone and I draw in a heavy lungful.

I smile and look up into his eyes; his trailing over my face to finally land on my lips. Just like that, I swear I see something fierce flash in his eyes. It lasts for all of a second before his eyes fade to their usual black. "Happy birthday, baby girl." He runs the backside of his knuckles across my cheek. A gentle stroke that carries the weight of my world in it.

He towers over me and it takes a lot not to lean fully into him, wrap my arms completely around his neck instead of resting on his chest, and take those perfect lips. Just put myself out there in a kiss, ramifications be damned. Instead, I smile. “Thank you, Boone.”

With a nod, he reaches behind me and snags his hat off the wall. “Gonna head to town for a few errands. Be good, sweetheart.”

He steps away from me, and I reluctantly let my arms fall to my sides.

“Will we see you at the party?” I ask, turning to watch him head for the back door.

Briefly, so briefly, a hint of a smile lifts his lips. “Wouldn’t miss our birthday dance for the world.”

Another reason I fell in love with him a little more each year. The same year my naughty wet dreams started was the year he also took me out on the dance floor for the first time. Never missed a year since.

I watch as he tops off his mug and then turns for the door without a backward glance. Damn him. My heart sinks. I’ve grown tired of the same cold shoulder for the last six months. Barely a word to me. I enter a room and he dodges out the nearest door. Forget working with him and the horses we used to train together. He no longer needs my help apparently. I can’t help but wonder why he's grown more distant the older I get, but the one thing I know for damn sure is that my heart can't take it anymore.

“Don't mind him, baby girl, he's got a lot on his mind lately is all with it being foaling season.” Austin wraps me in his arms for a quick hug.

I am slowly dying for a man who prefers I didn't exist. Why do I even bother? My heart screams for me to go after him and hound him until he breaks and fesses up to the emotions in his eyes... the longing I see behind those dark lashes. But common sense and knowledge of the opposite sex tells me I'd be a fool to push a man as stubborn as Boone Urban.

Then again, no one ever got what they wanted by twiddling their thumbs and wishing on flowers.

Good thing I’m a girl of action and not the wishing type or my heart would be in a million jagged pieces on the floor.

Two

Boone

Walking out of the house and leaving Harper staring at my retreating back hours ago was the hardest damn thing I’ve had to do in a long time. Seeing her big, beautiful blue eyes filled with so much damn... hell, I don’t know what I saw but it has my insides tied around themselves. Could have been lust? I sure as hell am not going to call it love. Infatuation maybe. Either way, the fire in her eyes put an equal burn in my veins.

Not dipping my head and claiming her sweet, innocent lips this morning, on her birthday no less, fucking tore my heart out. My eyes follow her across our back yard to where she joins a group of friends. I groan. The frilly white number she’s wearing doesn’t allow for a bra. Trust me when I say I can spot her pretty hard nipples from all the way over here despite anything she might be using to cover them.

The slight heaviness to them make them sway and have my dick leaking in my pants.

A gentle gust of wind kicks up the edges of her dress and my dick instantly wants to rip through my jeans. Thank God it’s getting dark.

I take it back. Walking away this morning instead of cave-maning the girl over my shoulder and running to the back cabin with my virgin prize wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve done. Watching horny college-bound boys prance around my girl is.

And she is not exactly a girl anymore. Every sensual curve on her body screams the truth. She is a full-fledged woman with juicy tits that will fit perfectly in my mouth. Curves in places that make a grown man hard and weak at the knees all at once.

If I were lesser of a man, that is. No fucking way I’m going to fuck my brother’s goddaughter.

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