Page 72 of Fire in My Heart

Now, he was a family man. Always putting Claire and Owen above everything else, including himself and the farm.

Maybe it was time I learned from my brothers and claimed something for myself.

Wes and Jameson said their goodbyes, leaving us alone in the barn.

“We have to wait for the fire to die out. Wes and Jameson will close the gate on their way out, and Dad should be on his date for a couple more hours.”

Charlotte cocked her head. “What are you saying?”

“I think we should christen the barn. We have the ambiance?—”

Charlotte’s lips twitched.

“And the fire for a while longer. We might as well take advantage of it. Then every time you work the counter, you’ll remember that time I made love to you in front of the hearth.”

Charlotte’s expression softened. “That does sound nice.”

“Let me grab some blankets from my truck.” I always kept them there in case I wanted to watch the stars from the back or go to a drive-in movie theater with Izzy.

I rushed out, checking to ensure that Wes’s and Jameson’s trucks were gone. Dad hadn’t returned from his date either. We had time, but I’d have to hurry. If Dad’s date was a dud, he mightreturn early and wonder why there were still lights on at the barn.

Dad didn’t know that Charlotte and I were a thing, and walking in on us making love wasn’t the way I wanted to let him know.

At the same time, the barn looked amazing, and Charlotte’s skin glowed in the light from the hearth and from her excitement in improving the farm. I was grumpy at first because I was upset about my dad dating again, but I could see that Charlotte wanted our farm to succeed. She truly believed in us and what we were trying to do.

I didn’t trust her at first, but she’d proved me wrong. She wanted the best for the farm and our family. I was ready to take our relationship to the next level, and I wanted to do that here in the barn.

I closed the barn door as tightly as I could and spread the blankets before the stone hearth. “I wish we had better wine or even champagne to celebrate.”

Charlotte kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the blanket in front of me. Her hand rested on my cheek. “This is perfect.”

She preferred things to be aesthetically pleasing whether it was the lighting or the paint, but she was telling me that she preferred me just how I was. She didn’t need any additions. I was enough.

I pressed my cheek into her hand, then kissed her palm.

Her eyes flashed with heat as she stepped into me, and I crushed my lips to hers. I meant to go slow, showing her how I felt instead of telling her. But I couldn’t hold back.

She was real. This barn. The light she brought to my life. My heart was opening wider than it ever had before. I didn’t think I could feel all these emotions for one person.

I didn’t think it was possible, especially after losing my mother. I was afraid to open myself up again. But everything inside me was telling me this was the right step.

Even if I moved home, we’d still be okay. Our relationship would evolve and change, but the base we’d built underneath would always remain. I had to believe that or I’d go crazy.

I lowered her to the floor, taking my time to remove her clothes. This barn would be open to the public soon enough. But tonight, it was ours.

It was cold outside, but here in front of the hearth, it was hot. When we were naked, I slid inside her, desperate to feel her wet heat. I interlaced my fingers with hers on either side of her head and moved in slow short thrusts.

Charlotte’s skin was flush from the heat and her desire. I’d never seen anyone more beautiful. I wanted to tell her how I really felt, but it wasn’t the right time. She wouldn’t believe me in the heat of the moment. So I’d show her what she meant to me.

When I freaked out over my dad dating, she was patient and understanding. When I was grumpy after a long day, she eased my stress. She was everything to me, and I hoped I was a safe place for her too.

I moved inside her, reveling in the feel of her walls clamping down on my cock, her whimpers that I swallowed with my mouth. I wanted this moment to stretch out forever. I wanted our own private barn where we could make love whenever we wanted. I wanted it all.

An image of brown-haired kids with blue eyes and sunny attitudes flitted through my head so fast I couldn’t keep a hold of it. I didn’t get a good look at them. But the feeling of that vision stayed with me as we crested together.

The world shattered in a million pieces around us. I gathered her to me, not caring about the mess or whether someone would walk in. For now, it was just us, and the life we were creating together.

We had plenty of time to worry about what came after theholidays. For now, Charlotte was mine, and I’d hold onto her with every fiber of my being.

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