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He clenches his jaw and presses me up against the back wall of the farmhouse, landing his lips against mine with a growl in his throat.

Damn, he feels good. I close my eyes, savoring every scratch of his beard against my face, every moan in his throat, and the way his big hand cups my cheek.

Please don’t let go. Please don’t stop.

My clit throbs and my heart hammers against my chest as my brain turns foggy. Then all at once, he’s pulling away, his voice low in my ear as he says, “Is that not real?”

Struggling to catch my breath, I stare toward him, my lips parted. I want to scream. I want to tell him it’s the most real thing I’ve ever felt. I want to lose myself in his arms the way I did down at the stream. I want to disappear with him and never return again… but it’s just a fantasy. “It’s a moment in time,” I finally say.

He sighs, the light in his eyes going dark. “Not everyone is gonna treat you like he did.I…won’t treat you like he did. Deep down, I know you know that. I know you know we could have a family. We could have a life, a real life. You, me, this little farmhouse on the side of this mountain.”

“Right.” I nod toward the men at the end of the driveway, angling their long-lensed cameras toward the house. “You, me, and twelve of your best friends. What’s the world gonna say when they find out you’re dating someone like me, Buck?”

“I don’t give a shit what the world says. You’re what I want.”

I drag in a deep breath and roll my eyes. “I’m going inside.” I turn away from the door, but he grips my arm and holds me back against his chest.

“Don’t go, please. We can talk this through, come up with a plan, and make it work for us.”

There used to be this version of me that loved love. A version that read the stories, watched the movies, fantasized about a man just like Buck Dalton. A man that would hold open the door for me, protect me from the world, and put me in my place when I needed it. But now, that girl is so long gone. I don’t even know where to start looking.

I pull away from Buck, a tear falling down my cheek as I close myself inside the quiet little farmhouse that’s been my escape the past twelve months.What’s a happy ending, anyway?

Chapter Six

Buck

I like to think I’m a stable guy. The kind of dude that lets most things roll off my back without much thought, but the fact that Opal has been here alone, struggling with her thoughts all year has me angry as hell that I didn’t come back sooner. So angry, that I’m tempted to find the asshole that hurt her and make him pay. Lord knows what the paparazzi would do with that.

Climbing down out of the truck, I head toward Sawyer’s cabin, trying to dissociate from the myriad of emotions coursing through me. Of course there’s the hatred for Opal’s ex, but there’s also the wrenching ache of knowing I need my hands all over my sweet, little Opal. I need to stop thinking about it, but the thought of sinking inside of her tight, little core has my entire body at a state of desperation.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Sawyer’s cabin is a one bedroom set on the base of the west side of the mountain, just outside of town. If I were buying up here, I’d like a spot just like this one. Not too far from town, but still plenty of privacy and a view of the mountains. I’m thankful he didn’t mind me stopping over. I haven’t gotten close to a lot of people in town, and I could really use a beer and some straight talk.

He answers the door straight away, holding a beer, as though he knows tonight couldn’t have gone well given I’m at his doorstep instead of Opal’s.

“This place is crazy awesome, man. Is that a secret room?” I tug back a sip of an IPA and stare toward a bookshelf in the back of the house that has a seam down the side. I wouldn’t have noticed had I not had one in my house in Tennessee.

He pulls open the bookshelf grinning with pride. “You like that? My buddies and I play poker a few nights a week. If you’re in town much longer, you should stop by. We talk a lot of shit, but we bet low.”

“Wish I was staying. A night of poker and nonsense sounds great.” I hang my head and wonder if I’m looking as emotionally heavy as he is. “After tonight, I think it’s best if I get back on the road where I belong.”

Sawyer closes the bookshelf door and settles in the leather chair opposite me. “What’s wrong, man? Things go bad with Opal today?”

I drag in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The fucking paparazzi got in the way, and she was already struggling to open up. I don’t fucking know. I’m… I suck at figuring emotions out. I want to help her, I want to be with her, but I can’t convince her to trust me.”

“Damn,” he sighs, “that’s heavy shit. What’s the plan?”

“Not sure there is one. She’s convinced herself that love doesn’t exist, that I’ll leave.”

“So, show her you won’t.” He says the words matter of fact as though it’s that easy.

“Yeah? And how do I do that? She’s pretty convinced.”

He leans onto his knees and lifts his stare toward me. “You don’t leave.”

I can’t help but laugh at the simplicity of his advice. “Well, can’t argue with that, can I? With all this good advice, how’d you end up so bummed tonight?”

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