Page 16 of Sara’s Dom (The Doms of Madison County)

He finished his own and stuck the plates back in the basket except for the crackers, cheese, and brownies. He lay down on his side facing her, with his head in his hand and his elbow braced against the ground.

Her eyes traveled over him, and she could feel herself blush when she caught the bulge in his jeans. It looked large to her, and she didn’t think he was hard, so it worried her.

“Tell me about yourself,” he asked.

She pulled her eyes away from his pants and looked at him, ignoring the smirk on his face.

“Oh, um, I was born in Dallas. My husband and I met in college, and we moved here after we got married because of a job opportunity he had. My parents are gone, and I have a brother and sister with families still living in Texas.”

“Do you miss the State or them?”

“I miss them, but we see each other a few times a year and FaceTime, so that helps. As far as the State of Texas, I don’t miss it. The hustle and bustle and the heat in the summers about wiped me out. I’d much rather have cold weather than hot.”

“You have two sons?” he asked.

“Yes, Dillion and Corey. They both graduated from college and are working in Jackson. They’re only a few hours away, and they come and visit often. What about you?” she asked.

“I grew up here. My parents are also gone, but I still have two brothers that live around here. They both have busy families, but we make sure we see each other for the holidays,” he said.

“You never married or had children?”

“I was married.”

That shocked her, but then she reminded herself they hadn’t known each other for a long time. “Are you sad she’s gone, and you didn’t have children?”

“No, I’m not sad she’s gone, and I was glad I didn’t have kids with her. It would have complicated our divorce. She still comes around to bug me, but I’ve learned to ignore her.”

“That’s tough, though. You shouldn’t have to deal with being harassed,” she said.

Grant shrugged.

She wanted to ask why they divorced, but she could see the residual anger in his eyes when he mentioned his ex-wife.

“You know it’s not too late for you to have children. You could find a younger woman.” She hated the thought but wanted to put it out there for his consideration.

His eyes narrowed. “I don’t want another woman, and I’m fine without kids of my own.”

She swallowed, nodded, and looked off toward the pond. The day had been wonderful, but she was afraid she had messed it up.

Chapter Nine

She felt his hand wrapped around her arm and gently pulling her over to lay next to him. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt the heat from his big body surrounding her.

He braced himself on his elbow, leaned over her, and cupped the back of her head. “Listen carefully, Sweetheart. I don’t want anyone but you.”

She swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

His eyes darkened. “If you want to wait some more before letting me have you, tell me now.”

She raised her hand and cupped his cheek. “I don’t want to wait.”

A smoldering spark lit his eyes, and a flush of desire darkened his cheeks.

“If you give yourself to me right now, that’s it.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

He ran his thumb over her lip. “It means you’re mine and only mine.”

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