Page 91 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

“To watch one of my favorite things.” I couldn’t hide the wobble in my step, and William was right there to hold me up. When he realized our destination, he slowed.

“Are we going outside?”

“Just to the front porch.”

He stopped.

“Don’t worry, I always watch the lightning from there.”

William swallowed. His eyes darted to the window as another flash lit the curtains, and he flinched when the thunder seemed to crack the very air around us. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Positive.” I gave his hand a squeeze and tugged him out the door.

The warm morning air had been replaced by a frigid, rainy blast. The scent of water and dirt hung in the air.

I’d been right about the hail. It bounced off the ground like jumping beans. The roar of it hitting the roof drowned out anything I could say, so I simply led William to the railing so we could get the best view.

My house was on a little rise that overlooked the entire ranch. Lightning flashed, illuminating the horse barn and my dad’s place. I could see Christopher’s truck near the edge of the barley field, and I figured he and the others were inside.

Three men and three dogs in the cab of a truck. I was suddenly very happy to be here with William.

The crack of thunder felt like a giant whip overhead. A few hail stones, now pea-sized, rolled by our feet.

William let go of my hand and put his arm around me. Then he leaned down and yelled, “This is terrifying!”

I grinned up at him. “It’s exhilarating!”

He shook his head, and his grip on me tightened. I knew a frightened person when I saw one, so I once again wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close.

The storm whipped into a frenzy as the hail got bigger and the noise got louder.

Flash.

Crash.

William pushed me away then turned me so my back was to him. I barely noticed the next duo of almost synchronized lightning and thunder because William slid his arms around my waist and slipped his hands into my hoodie pocket. His chest was warm against my back. I could feel him breathing hard.

How many times had I imagined a man holding me like this?

How many times had I convinced myself that it would never happen?

But here we were, and it was happening.

My hands found their way to his in my hoodie pocket, and our fingers intertwined. William leaned down, and I felt his breath on my cheek.

My heart stopped beating again, and then almost exploded when William’s warm, soft lips caressed the skin right below my ear. “Is this okay?” he whispered.

The lightning in the sky was nothing to the electricity that raced from where he’d kissed me to my stomach. I think I nodded.

He moved an inch and then kissed me again.

Flash.

Crash.

I hadn’t pegged William as the romantic type. Nothing he’d done before today had led me to believe that his very touch could so thoroughly rip down my barriers and leave me eager for more. I almost let out a gasp as William continued the journey down my neck and to the collar of my hoodie.

No man had ever been this tender with me. I wasn’t a tender kind of a gal, but somehow William had discovered how to turn my legs into spaghetti and my insides into a raging fire.

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