Page 43 of Stay for Me

“It tickles,” she rasped, her foot jerking as I wiped the bottoms of her toes. I tilted my head to the side and swiped the fabric back again. She jerked as another beautiful giggle spilled from her lips. The sound alone was like a melody sent straight down from the heavens above, warming the coldest parts of my heart.

“S-stop that,” she begged, the sound going straight to my groin.

I didn’t want to stop.

I wanted to spend the rest of my life, an eternity, making her laugh, making her feel pleasure.

I wanted to spend the rest of my life taking care of the woman I could never allow myself to have.

Diana Harper was too good for this world, definitely too fucking good for me. I knew that. From the moment I saw her, I knew I’d been spending the rest of my life longing for beauty I couldn’t have. Slowly, I looked back up, studying how the corner of her mouth was lifted slightly, the short breaths coming from her now, and the new glow in her cheeks underneath her tear streaks.

“Apologies,” I muttered before moving to her other foot. Not even a minute later, I was done, and I gently released her leg, letting it fall. I didn’t bother saying anything else as I moved to the passenger side of her car, pulling it open and grabbing her heels from the seat.

“Oh, you don’t—”

“Don’t you dare move,” I commanded. My head snapped up to find her trying to slide off of her hood. My jaw jumped. “Diana, what the hell did I just say?”

Her mouth opened and closed a few times as I rounded the hood. When I reached for her foot to slide her heel on, she whispered, “I can do that myself.”

“I’m aware,” I said, my voice even, putting on her second shoe. “Does this thing have a donut or a spare?”

She blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“The car, Diana,” I clarified, looking out to my horse.

“It should have a full spare—”

My eyes met hers again. “Why were you cryin’?

She flinched but said nothing, fiddling with her earbuds in her hand. I watched her for a moment as she looked everywhere but at me. “Diana,” I called, trying to soften my voice as much as I could.

She shook her head, the last few moments forgotten as her bottom lip began to tremble. “You don’t have to do this, you know? You can just call Denver to come get me.”

“You two got a meeting?” I asked, studying her profile.

Nodding, she wiped the tear that had just escaped with the back of her thumb. “Yeah,” she pushed out, trying to blow past her emotions. “I was in a rush and ran over something on the main road.”

I moved then, going back to the passenger side to grab her bag.

“Mr. Mags, what are you—”

I was back in front of her, towering over her, her knees spread for me. “Stop fucking calling me that,” I clipped, anger coating my voice.

“I—ahh!”

I had her back in my arms again, her fingers digging into my shoulders. The way her body curved in my arms, pressed against my chest, made me feel like I was on top of the world.

“You don’t have to carry me around. I am perfectly capable of walking,” she huffed.

Slowly, I turned my head to look down at her, the shadow of my hat covering us both. “You’re right where you need to be,” I murmured as I approached Midnight.

Sucking in a breath she turned her gaze from to me to Midnight, her skin paling. “I can’t—”

“Takin’ you up to the main house for your meeting, and I’ll get your tire taken care of,” I informed her, getting ready to set her on the saddle. In a flash, her arms were locked around my neck tightly, her body tense and shaking with fear.

My spine stiffened and, instinctively, I backed away from my horse.

Diana’s voice trembled against my shoulder as she rasped, “Please, don’t put me on the horse.”

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