Page 42 of Rescued Hearts

“You’re gorgeous, but you’re even more beautiful like this.” He ran a finger between her breasts.

Her skin broke out in goose bumps. Tenderness washed through him.

She buried her face against his chest, and he held her. Long seconds passed with no desire to get up, to get back to work on those emails waiting for him.

The house was silent. Everyone was probably outside performing ranch chores at this time of day or involved in security business. They all pitched in to make the place run smoothly.

After a few peaceful minutes, Honor raised her head. “I should probably get back to my sister’s. She’ll be waiting for me.”

He didn’t want to let her go just yet, and that was damn unusual for him. But he released her and swung his legs off the bed, searching for their discarded clothes.

Honor dressed with a quick ease like she did everything else. The woman was a wonder to someone like him—taking everything that came her way with a natural calm that he ached to harness.

When he picked up his jeans, the bracelet he made slipped onto the floor.

He scooped it up and enfolded it in his hand as he continued to dress.

From the foot of his bed, she threw him a shy look.

He sauntered up. His gaze traveled over her. “You have just-had-sex hair.”

“No biggie. I’ll just tell my sister I had the van window down.”

He loved how she rolled through life without a care. His mouth twitched into a smile.

Feeling the need to continue this connection, he held out his hand, palm up, the bracelet in the center.

Honor stared down at it.

“I want you to have it.”

She tipped her head, a soft expression in her eyes. If the ice block of a heart the former Navy pilot who’d seen traumatic shit could melt, Honor’s look would make it happen.

She took the bracelet and slipped it over her hand, positioning it next to the others she wore. “Gray…this is so sweet of you.”

He slid his fingers through her hair, holding her in place. “I’d like this to be a regular thing.”

She blinked. “The sex?”

He chuckled. “That would be nice too, but I meant the art therapy for the guys.”

She beamed. “I love that idea. Both of them, actually.” She bit down on her lip to fight back her wide smile.

His lips tipped in a crooked smile, and their stares connected for a throbbing beat.

When she tore her gaze away, she threw a glance at his laptop. “I’ve interrupted you enough.”

He cut his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with all the sharing and emotional stuff.”

“Gray. Everyone has baggage. Yours is just a little bigger than most.”

He shuffled his feet, uncomfortable with the focus being on him. “What about you? What’s your baggage?”

She shrugged, sending her sexy hair into motion. “I guess you could say my recent breakup.” Suddenly, her eyes widened. “But I need you to know you’re not a rebound. I wasn’t lying when I told Willow that my ex and I had been growing apart a long time.”

Her words brought the moment at the post office to mind. He had questions about this ex of hers. Like why he might be in town.

And why that made her afraid. Something wasn’t right. That familiar prickle at the base of his neck was never wrong.

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