Page 10 of Buck Me

He takes it gently, like he’s afraid to crease the page. “This is incredible,” he says, eyes scanning every line. Then he looks up. “Youare incredible.”

My heart does a full somersault. “We should head to the farmers market,” I say quickly, needing to anchor the flutter. “Find all the native plants we can. If we start planting the top right corner first, we can take a photo for the grant. That way, they won’t have to imagine anything. We’ll show them exactly what we want.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

Danner nods, still staring at the drawing, but something shifts in his expression. His walls are lower now. His shoulders are looser. There’s something raw in the way he looks at me. I reach out, my fingers brushing up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the remainder of a tattoo that I saw peeking out of the bottom.

“What does this mean?” I ask, letting my finger linger over the script etched there.

He glances down, almost sheepish. “It means ‘I am enough.’” There’s a pause, then he adds, “Cheesy, right?”

“No.” I shake my head slowly. I trace the dark ink curling just beneath his skin. “I’m just wondering why you need the reminder.” I meet his gaze, and I don’t blink. “Because from where I sit, you’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met.”

His eyes darken just slightly, the air between us thickening. The way he stares at me makes my skin hum. I can feel the unspoken words sitting between us like gravity, like they’ve been waiting for the right moment to fall. So I lean in.

And this time, when he hesitates… I don’t.

I close my eyes and press my mouth to his. The moment our lips make contact, electricity whips through my body. His hands wrap around my arms, anchoring me to him. Our kiss is soft atfirst, testing. But when he doesn’t pull away, I deepen the kiss just enough to show I mean it.

My tongue parts his lips, and it ignites him. Danner takes control. His manhood grows firm and presses into me. His hands roam my curves and tangle in the back of my hair. His hungry touch takes my breath away.

CHAPTER 7

DANNER

I spentthe night tossing and turning. I’m fighting with myself over the kiss that could change everything. Becca looks at me like I’m the man Iwantto be. Not the man I’ve been. Not the man I’ve failed to outrun. She makes me want to be better. Makes me believe Icouldbe.

Honestly, it scares the hell out of me. Because she’s too good to be true. She’s too young to be sure. And yet, when I close my eyes, all I see is her.

This morning, I’m up with the sun. I pull my boots on and my hat low. I take my wheatgrass shot and fill my thermos with black coffee. Then I make my way across the ranch toward the future home of the garden, still fighting that same quiet war in my chest.

It’s early. But when I arrive, there’s movement in the distance, and it catches my eye.

“Thrusty, you stupid goat, I know it’s you.” I squint at the silhouette in the rising sun.

The rambunctious farm animal has been on the run for a week after chewing through a weak spot in the fencing around his pen. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of being personally assaulted by the horned menace. But from what I’ve heard, it’sa rite of passage around here. Maybe today’s the day I earn my cowboy street cred.

I pick up my pace, still squinting into the morning haze. But when I reach the edge of the field, it’s not Thrusty rustling through the brush?—

It’s Becca.

She’s kneeling in the red clay. The sleeves on her oversized button-down shirt are rolled up. She’s got headphones on and is lost in her own world, tugging weeds like she’s been at it for hours. Her hair’s pulled into a messy braid.

When I get closer, I note the dirt smudged across her cheek like war paint. She yanks hard with both hands, pulling a stubborn root loose from the earth. “I need a mental picture, and this is in my way,” she mutters, mostly to herself. Then she stands and smooths her shirt, breathless.

I step closer. “Don’t stop on my account.”

She looks over her shoulder and jumps. “Danner, you freaking scared me. You have to warn people. I’m a hot mess.”

“I see you,” I say quietly. “Hot is right, and Ilikethe mess.”

She goes still. The energy between us is charged like lightning in the air before a storm. I step into her space and catch her chin in my hand. Then tilt her face up to mine. Without a word, our lips meet. There’s no hesitation and no second-guessing. It’s just heat and need. The whole world pulls into focus around us.

Her mouth parts for me, and our tongues meet, slow and sweet, and then something else entirely. Becca is intoxicating. I kiss her like I’ve waited a lifetime for it because I have. All the wrong paths and all the heartache have led me to this moment.

My hands settle around the curve of her ass and her breath catches. Roaming her back and pulling her close, I am desperate for more friction. I lift her easily, and her thick thighs wraparound my waist. Her laughter muffles against my neck as I carry her toward the greenhouse.

I lean on the old door, and it creaks open behind us. Dust floats in the air like flecks of gold. Once we are inside, the air is thick with the smell of rich earth. I set Becca on the wooden countertop. It’s worn smooth and warm from the sunlight streaming in through the old windows. Her fingers grip the front of my shirt like she's never letting go.

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