Page 48 of Savage Secrets

“Yup.” The last thing he wanted was to cause her worry about things thatcouldhappen, especially when she’d agreed to let Rainie out of her sight.

He reached out to take the child’s frog-shaped backpack from Opal and placed it on the backseat while she fastened Rainie into her booster. The little girl was so excited that she chattered the entire drive to the McMasters’ house.

When they pulled into the driveway, several cars were parked there. More than one adult milled around the yard, and little kids were playing a game of tag.

She heaved a sigh of relief that things looked so normal and wholesome. They spent the next five minutes getting Rainie situated and meeting Jasper, a fluffy gray kitten that looked harassed as hell from all the attention he was getting from so many kids.

But Zach could see the stars in Rainie’s eyes as she stretched out her hand and stroked the kitten for the first time.

It was odd, a ranch without any barn cats. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but now he wondered why the Vales didn’thave any cats to keep the mice at bay. Rainie sure would enjoy them.

Once they were back at the ranch, he and Opal stood facing each other in the driveway. He captured her stare. “Feeling okay about Rainie staying?”

“Yes.” Her tone was a bit throaty. “I was thinking…would you mind if I do the chores with you?”

He studied her expression. “No need for both of us to get dirty.”

She laughed. “I don’t mind it. Besides, I spend a lot of time getting dirty in my line of work. And as a mom.”

“Oh, I bet.”

“It would be good for me to see what is going on around the Springvale. How to keep it going myself if I ever need to.”

Her words sent a sharp pang through his chest, but he quickly buried the reaction. He was used to people not counting on him.

He looked down at her feet. “Better put on your muck boots.”

Her eyes twinkled with excitement. “I’ll meet you in the barn!”

The next hour that they worked together cleaning horse stalls and the chicken coop flew by. Pretty soon, the sun began to sink behind the mountain.

Opal swiped her wrist over her forehead, pressing back some stray hair. “Do you want to come inside for dinner?”

His eyelids drooped at the thought of being alone with Opal. Last time, she wanted to make the most of the house being empty.

When he searched her eyes, he saw that same softness he’d noted when she looked at him in the car. Gaze dropping to hermouth, he experienced a stirring in his groin. His cock started to harden.

“Come in. We can wash up and eat.”

They were each awkward around one another at times like this when they didn’t know what rules to follow. Then on other occasions, they threw it all out the window and gave in to their urges.

It was clear Opal didn’t know how to treat him. And he was miles away from thinking of himself as relationship material.

They spent another pleasant hour fixing a simple dinner of hamburgers and potato salad she had left over from the night before. Sitting at the kitchen table across from the most stunning and amazing woman he’d ever known made his nerves kick in.

He didn’t belong here. He should be out in the bunkhouse.

But soon her stories of working outdoors as a ranger put him at ease. They had so much in common when it came to their love of nature and how it soothed them. She talked about Rainie a lot…and even mentioned Mr. Vale a couple times.

With dinner finished, they cleared away the dishes and he helped her load them into the dishwasher.

“Thank you, Zach.” She turned to him.

He faced her. A pink flush rose in her cheeks. Unable to stop himself, he lifted a hand to stroke the crest of one cheekbone.

Leaning into his touch, she pushed onto her tiptoes as he lowered his head. He claimed her lips—or did she claim his? Their mouths met in a soft kiss filled with so many unspoken words, ones he longed to say to her.

Catching her plump bottom lip between his teeth, he gave it a slight tug. She issued a moan that worked itself deep into his gut and made his cock pound with need.

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