Page 55 of Harvest Moon

“Lex, I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you the truth about everything. I just—I came out here ’cause I wanted to see you safe. And you are. And you’ve got your family, and you found somebody. And that’s great! It is, Lex. If you’re happy, that’s all I want. But if it’s okay, I just need a little bit of time to feel sorry for myself about everything. I—I always hoped it’d be me and you.”

I was still staring at the dirt when he finally said something. It wasn’t what a guy wanted to hear, exactly, but it was fair enough.

“You’re so ridiculous.”

Then he stepped in, so close I could see his eyes even though I was still staring straight down. He looked up at me, and with his tentative hands on my hips, he leaned in.

And—anddamn. His lips brushed against mine, soft and sweet as icing sugar.

Every thought in my head scattered. I didn’t think about kissing people willy nilly, but I’d thought about this. My heart jumped up into my throat for a second, a spike of worry that I was going to do this wrong.

Then he sighed. His lips parted, just a little, and he pulled me against him.

The only thing that mattered then was keeping him close.

I cupped his face with both hands. His cheeks were warm and soft in my rough, dirty palms. His lips were full and tasted like honey.

All my life, I’d thought about kissing Alexis Mena—never done it though. Never kissed anybody, because there wasn’t another soul in the whole world for me.

It was just him, and if he wanted my mouth or any other part of me, it was all his.

I was all his.

31

Alexis

Ridge must have seen me with Aspen that afternoon and jumped to the conclusion that we were together.

Damn him!

Him and his ridiculous selflessness. I was halfway between wanting to smack him and wanting to shove him down and have my way with him right there in the field. That probably wasn’t the best plan. He worked at the farm and didn’t need to deal with the embarrassment that would cause.

So I mashed our lips together again the second they parted, this time hard and fast, pushing my tongue into his mouth and taking what I’d spent years pining after, wishing he’d take.

I’d been such an ass.

Ridge wasn’t a taker. He was a giver. A builder. He only accepted what he was given, trying to make the best he could out of it, and it had been ridiculous of me to expect any different.

I did have the urge to go find his pa and give him a good smack. What would have possessed him to sell the farm out from under Ridge? The whole reason he’d gone to college had been to take over the farm.

Damn old man Paterson and damn whoever had bought the farm.

I explored Ridge’s mouth with my tongue, letting my hands fall to grip his hips and pull him tight against me.

The power that surged through me at the feel of his erection was indescribable.

I’d done that.

Me, Alexis Mena. Ridge wantedme. I could have cried in relief, or taken his shoulders in both hands and shaken him.

I pulled away, panting for air, but didn’t let him go. “Never do that to me again, you... you...”

“Ass?” Ridge asked.

I buried my face in his broad chest. “Maybe. Butmyass.”

“Always, Lexis,” he agreed, and finally, his strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me tight against him. “Long as you want me, I am. Always was.”

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