Page 103 of Live for Me

Nodding, I replied. “Thank you for saying hi.”

A slow, panty-melting smile stretched across his face as he backed up and rounded Denver’s tailgate. He paused and looked over his shoulder. “Thanks for bringing the trouble, by the way. Things were starting to get boring around here.”

Behind me, Beau muttered something about a cattle prod, and I whirled back around. “You want to do what with a cattle prod?” I breathed.

Shaking his head, he muttered something else while grabbing his cowboy hat. “Shut your door, Abbie,” he commanded, opening his.

“I thought I was needed in this cowboy meeting,” I deadpanned.

His blue eyes snapped to mine. “Shut your fucking door so I can open it for you and stop being difficult.”

Before I could respond, he was out of the truck, putting on his hat as he came around the hood. I hadn’t shut the door. He didn’t like that. After giving me a heated glare, he shut the door, leaving it for a moment as I stared at him like he’d grown two heads. When he opened the door again, he held out his hand, and my eyes dropped to it.

“Do you realize how much time and energy you wasted?” I asked, grabbing his hand. “I mean, I can—oh!”

With a short, deep growl, he yanked me out of the truck, shut the door, and backed me into it. He planted his free hand beside my head and angled his body to get eye-level with me. “Probably the same amount of time and fucking energy you wasted arguing with me over stupid shit.”

“I—I don’t argue about stupid shit,” I retorted, ignoring the heat crawling up my face.

“Wildflower, arguing with your man over him opening the truck door for you is the definition of stupid shit,” he deadpanned. My mouth opened of its own accord, but it closedjust as quickly when he threatened, “Keep opening that mouth, Abbie, and you’ll find out just how difficult it is to argue with my cock down your throat.”

I shuttered as desire curled low in my belly, dropping straight down to my clit. His eyes scanned my face, pausing at my lips when they parted and rasped his name. I put my hands to his chest and closed my eyes. “You can’t—you can’t say things like that before we go into a meeting like this.”

His lips brushed against mine then, kissing me softly. “You have no idea how much I missed you.”

My eyes fluttered open as he pushed off the truck, nabbing my hand again.

“Let’s go rile up some cowboys, shall we?”

Denver, CO. Abbie’s house.

The man stared down at the gift he’d left his woman almost a week and half ago.

Anger boiled in his gut, hating himself for not getting her something better. Abbie deserved the world, and he fully intended on giving it to her.

A soft beep came from the security panel in the foyer, and the man knew his time was almost up. He’d done all he could to buy himself some time in here, but there were people trying to keep them apart.

He’d been patient with her.

He’d given her enough space to find herself and grow in her career. When she moved from her old place to this house, he’d been scared, fearful he’d lost her forever. Back then, he’d been cautious, so much so, it could’ve been labeled as downright foolish.

He nearly let her slip through his fingers.

This time would’ve been different. It was supposed to have been different. He’d visited her almost daily, watching her work until the late hours of the night from the bushes outside, and when his beautiful woman would go upstairs to take a shower, he’d let himself inside. During this time, he’d check on the house before heading back into her art studio. That was the one place he hadn’t been. His Abbie always kept it locked.

Someday, he’d hoped when they were together, she’d show him.

That day never came.

His plans, his efforts, everything had gone to shit.

He reached down, his hand covered in black latex and plucked the pieces of hair from the box. This was supposed to be the final push. She was supposed to let him in.

Yes, she would be scared at first, and the man understood that.

For years, he’d tried not to scare her.

All he wanted to do was love her.

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