Page 73 of Fire in My Heart

Charlotte rested on her back, and I propped myself up on one elbow so I could see her face. I’d never get enough of seeing her like this, languid and sated.

“I think I love this barn.” Amusement danced in her eyes.

I think I was in love with her, but was it the right time to say it out loud? My heart thumped harder than it ever had. “What if I said I was in love with you?”

Charlotte sobered, her eyes searching my expression for any hint as to my meaning. “Teddy, are you saying?—”

“I’m saying I’m in love with you. I haven’t said that to anyone before, so I might have flubbed it.”

Her eyes shined with unshed tears. “You didn’t.”

“If you don’t love me, I understand. But I couldn’t let this moment go without telling you how I felt.” The emotion which had been bubbling up in my chest flowed through me, like the aftermath of an orgasm. I felt good.

“Teddy, hush.” Her hand was on my cheek again, and a tingle ran down my spine. “I love you too.”

I think my heart skipped a beat. “You do?”

She nodded. “So much.”

“Aren’t you worried it’s too soon?”

Charlotte smiled. “I’m not surprised you’re worried about it. That’s what you do. You’re used to worrying about worst-case scenarios, but sometimes you have to trust your heart.”

I rested my forehead on hers. “I love you.”

She held me to her, and we stayed like that for a long while. I was overcome with emotion. I hadn’t felt this much since before Mom died. The worst thing that could have happened to me did. And there was no escaping that pain. But I shoved it down as hard as I could, determined never to feel that way again.

And I was successful, mostly. But Charlotte threatened my solitary existence. Maybe that’s why I fought her so hard. Butnow that I’d let her in, I felt that love in my life again. And I wasn’t willing to let it go for anything.

If my family, or anyone else, had a problem with us I didn’t care. All that mattered was how I felt about her now.

“We’re going to be okay,” Charlotte said, but it sounded like she was reassuring herself.

I rolled so that she was on top of me. “Of course we are. It doesn’t matter where we live or what our jobs are. Our relationship is solid.” Or at least I liked to think so.

“Hmm. I like the sound of that.”

“I’m here for you, Charlotte. I want to be the person you come home to at the end of the night. Even if our addresses are vastly different a month from now. Nothing can keep us apart.” I hoped I wasn’t being naive. I didn’t have any experience with relationships, especially an adult one. Was it too soon to tell her I wanted to spend most of my free time with her?

I wasn’t asking her to move in with me. Not yet. I knew it was too soon for that. But I could see that in our future. We’d already dabbled in that lifestyle, and I loved it. But I’d give her the space she needed.

Charlotte was fiercely independent, and I wouldn’t do anything to detract from that. I’d never dim her light.

When we heard the rumble of a truck on the lane, we scrambled to get up, and throw on our clothes. We were so hurried, I put my shirt on backward at first, and Charlotte was tripping trying to pull on her jeans.

I threw the blankets in a ball and hid them behind the counter. I’d get them tomorrow. When the barn door creaked open, I was busy putting out the fire, and Charlotte was fiddling with something at the counter.

“You’re still here?” Dad asked.

“We wanted to get it ready tonight. What do you think?” Charlotte gestured wide with her hands.

Dad looked around. “This is great.”

“We even got the fireplace working. I think your customers are going to love it.”

“They love everything you do, Charlotte. We’re lucky you wanted to work with us.”

“I’m happy too.” Charlotte smiled at me, and I hoped Dad didn’t realize that her hair was mussed from making love on the ground.

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