Page 132 of Stay for Me

“That’s awesome,” Grayson murmured, pride in his voice.

My mouth kept moving, spilling out words I never planned to say. “Yale isn’t a forever thing, just an opportunity. I don’t plan on teaching forever either. It was just something that popped into my mind on a Wine Wednesday with Valerie.”

“Wine Wednesday?” Carried parroted.

I nodded. “Every Wednesday, the girls and I get to together for a glass of wine.”

“I may have to adopt that with my girls in Astoria,” she muttered.

Mags, like usual, had been silent, but his hand still maintained a firm grip on my hip, as if he was afraid I would lose me. I looked over my shoulder at him, finding his eyes already on me.

It hit me then, like an F-5 tornado, ripping up all my plans for my career I planted ages ago.

There was no way in hell, after everything, that I could leave Colorado.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mags

“But—”

“Baby,” I cut her off, pulling her into my shower, the water raining down on both of us now. She put her hands to my chest, gazing up at me.

“I just think we need to talk about it,” she argued.

“We do, but not now.”

“Mags—”

“—you’re leaving,” I clipped, my hands dropping to her waist, yanking her against me, my cock hard. “You’re fuckin’ leaving in about two hours. and I haven’t had you to myself all damn day.”

Her mouth closed, knowing I was right.

Last night, Grayson and Carrie left close to midnight, and after making love, we both fell asleep, only to be woken up by the entire population of this damn ranch banging on my front door at eight this morning with breakfast.

They were checking on her—on us. The girls, as always, were being nosy, Abbie the worst of the three. She was an investigative journalist, after all. It was in her damn nature to be nosy. Valerie was nosy because Diana was her closest friend, and Harmony? She was just observant, she and I sharing a connection of deeply rooted trauma. She was just looking out for Diana and me.

As for the idiot cowboys, they just wanted to give me shit, and if it wasn’t for Jigs ordering everyone to head back home at three in the afternoon, the twins might’ve been dead on my front porch.

Of course, all this took place after Grayson and Carrie showed back up. They’d spent the night in town and were heading back to Astoria soon. We talked, we ate, we laughed, and Diana, being the amazing woman she was, soaked it all in, savoring every second. She’d hit it off with Carrie like I knew she would.

“Mags, I’ll be back soon,” my firefly whispered, pressing a kissed to my chest. “If I wasn’t already on the schedule, if students weren’t signed up, I would cancel the semester.”

“No. Hell no,” I growled, backing her into the shower wall. “You do not, under any fuckin’ circumstance, change your career for me. You love teaching that class.”

“Yeah, but I’ve also loved you for over ten years, and I finally have you,” she countered, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Love that, beautiful. Love you, but no. You will not be canceling anything on my account,” I told her, dropping my hands to her delicious ass and lifting her. She gasped, instantly wrapping her legs around my waist, the tip of my cock, my piercing rubbing against her clit. “I’m a cowboy, Diana. I’ll always be a cowboy. I’m not leaving Hallow Ranch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to watch you take on the world.”

A moan left her, her hips moving now, her pussy desperate.

“Look at me,” I commanded. “Give me those eyes.”

My world was filled with hazel then, and I reached down between us, lining up my cock with her heaven.

“You.” I pushed in an inch.

“Will.” Another inch.

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