Page 34 of Owned By the Rancher

Rayne

I’ve never liked crowds, but standing next to Billie, watching her work, I can’t seem to tear myself away. She’s got this energyabout her—full of life, full of fire—and it pulls me in every time. I’ve spent years watching her from a distance, keeping my feelings under wraps, but now that we’re together? I’m done holding back.

Billie hands a customer a cupcake, her smile bright and wide, and for a moment, I just watch her. She’s beautiful, all curves and sass, with her hair tied back in that neat ponytail she always wears when she’s baking. Her apron’s dusted with flour, and she smells like cinnamon and sugar. Every time I catch a whiff of her, it drives me wild.

“You okay over there?” she asks, glancing at me with a grin.

I grunt, not bothering to hide the way I’m staring. “Just watching you.”

She raises an eyebrow, that playful look I love so much dancing in her eyes. “You always this intense?”

“Only with you.”

Her cheeks flush—not with embarrassment, but with something else, something that makes my cock twitch in my jeans. I can tell she’s feeling it too, the tension between us simmering just under the surface.

Before she can reply, one of our friends walks by, grinning like a fool. “Well, well. Look at you two! Finally stopped dancing around each other, huh?”

I grunt in response, not really in the mood for small talk. But Billie just laughs, waving him off. “Took us long enough, didn’t it?”

Our friend nods, giving me a knowing look before heading off, and I can’t help but smirk. I don’t care who knows. Hell, I want people to know. I want everyone to see that Billie’s mine.

We spend the rest of the day at the booth, handing out baked goods, chatting with customers, and enjoying the festival. But all the while, I’m thinking about how I’m gonna get her alone again. How I’m gonna make her feel everything I’ve been holding back.

—-

Billie

By the time the sun starts to set, the festival is winding down. The crowd’s thinning out, the air’s growing cooler, and there’s this golden glow in the sky that makes everything feel a little more magical.

Rayne’s standing next to me, his arm brushing against mine, and I can feel the heat radiating off him. I’m tired, sure, but there’s this buzz in the air—between us—that I can’t ignore.

“You ready to get out of here?” he mutters, his voice low and rough.

I glance up at him, my heart skipping a beat. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

We pack up the booth quickly, and before I know it, we’re heading back to his truck. The drive to his place is quiet, but it’s that comfortable kind of quiet—the kind where words aren’t necessary. We’ve been around each other enough by now to know what’s coming.

When we pull up to his cabin, the stars are just starting to twinkle in the sky, and there’s a crisp chill in the air that makesme shiver. Rayne notices, and without a word, he reaches out, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

“Cold?” he asks, his voice a low rumble.

I lean into him, savoring the warmth of his body. “A little.”

He doesn’t say anything, just presses a kiss to my temple before leading me inside.

The second we’re through the door, I feel the tension between us spike. It’s been building all day—hell, all week—and now that we’re alone? There’s no holding back.

Rayne shuts the door behind us, his dark eyes locking onto mine, and I can feel the heat radiating off him in waves.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” he mutters, his voice rough and low, like he’s barely holding it together.

I grin, my heart racing. “Me too.”

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