Page 77 of Truck Off

But I relentlessly pursued her anyway.

Because I had to have her.

One night with her is nowhere near enough. I want more. I want everything. Family. Kids. Love. The forever kind of love that I can’t live without or else I’ll stop breathing and cease to exist.

That’s what I’ve always wanted. And I want to figure out if she’s the one who will give me all of that and let me give it to her in return.

I let out a slow breath and struggle to calm my pounding heart. Panicking over something that hasn’t happened and may very well never happen is just stupid. Our relationship isn’t even a day old and I’m already freaking out over how I’ll handle it when she leaves me.

Because chances are high she will leave me. I’ve already fucked things up royally, and she doesn’t take too kindly to fuck ups.

I’m not quite as cynical as my brothers when it comes to women. We’ve all watched our moms walk away from Dad, leaving him to become nothing more than a shell of a man. But I know not all women are like that.

Look at Grams. She’s the best woman I know, and she and Grandpops had an amazing marriage and a great life together.

I know that the forever kind of love exists. I’m just not sure I’m good enough to keep Lina and make her happy. But I’m certainly going to do everything in my power to try.

I feel her walking up behind me before I hear her steps.

When I glance over my shoulder, my heart trips over a beat. She looks stunning with the way the sun glimmers off her dark silky hair. It’s a little messy from our night in bed together and hangs over one shoulder in loose waves.

She put her jeans back on, but she’s still wearing my baggy T-shirt. The neckline is so big, it hangs off her shoulder, revealing her bra strap and all those glorious tattoos I traced with my tongue last night. She tied it in a knot at her waist, showing off a hint of her midsection.

When she gets close, I set my guitar to the side and reach for her. She willingly steps into my arms and lets me pull her down on my lap. With one arm around her waist, I cup her neck and pull her in for a kiss.

“Did you sleep okay?” I ask.

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and nods. “What little sleep you let me get.”

I grin and bury my face in her neck. This is quickly becoming my favorite place to be. “I’d apologize, but I am not sorry about anything we did last night. Even the fact that I kept you up most of the night.”

She wraps her arms around me and rubs her hands down my back. It feels so good to have her like this that I tighten my hold.

“You sing to your goats,” she says with a hint of amusement in her tone.

I chuckle. “I do. They like music.”

“It was … cute.” I feel her smile in her words.

“Are you making fun of me?” I poke her in the side, making her squirm. I’d learned last night that she’s ticklish if I get her just right.

“No! Just making an observation.” She laughs, and the sound steals my breath. Lina’s smiles and laughs are hard earned, and the fact that I get to see her like this is monumental.

I stare at her in amazement for so long that she stills in my arms.

Her smile fades, and her laughter dies away. “Everything okay?”

I nod, then brush her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I love seeing you like this. Happy and carefree.”

She gives me a gentle smile before pressing her lips to mine. “I like feeling like this.”

“Good.” I breathe her in and kiss her neck. “You smell like me.”

“Because you spent most of the night marking me with your scent,” she says with a heavy dose of sass, but there’s nothing but humor in her eyes.

“You liked it.”

“Maybe.” She shrugs, looking away to hide her smile. Her eyes narrow as she stares down at her leg. “Are those ladybugs?”

---