Page 133 of Choosing Forever
Silence.
“Darren . . .” I start cautiously.
“We deserve a redo. The last time you were on a horse, we were young and too obnoxious to actually try. I want another chance.”
“You can’t be serious. This isn’t a date idea— it’s a sure way to piss me off!”
He reaches for my hand, taking it despite my stiffness. Bringing it to his lips, he kisses each one of my knuckles, as if I’m so weak-willed to let him have his way with a few kisses.
“Please, Elle? Don’t you want to do something out of the box with me? Live a little to make up for the time we lost?”
My pulse skips at the intensity in his eyes. I groan, scowling at him. “You’re such an ass.”
“Me? Are you sure?”
“There better be something incredible in it for me after this, or I’m going to be one very, very grumpy girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” he teases, almost purring at the term.
My scowl grows deeper before I exit the car and close the doorverypointedly.
“You’re not escaping me that easily,” he calls, his door closing.
I stand in front of the hood and cross my arms, waiting for him to join me. “Is girlfriend not the correct word for what I am to you?”
“Do you think that’s good enough?” He closes in on me and runs his fingers up the length of my arm. “It doesn’t feel like it to me. You’ve been my girlfriend once, and I lost you.”
“And you think that it will be different this time because we won’t label me as that?”
He cracks a smile, cranking my temper. “Not exactly. I just consider girlfriend the term couples use when they’re still on the fence about long-term commitment.”
“And you’re . . . not on the fence?”
“No, baby. I’m long term or no term with you.”
Heat rushes through me from my toes to the tips of my ears. “So, no girlfriend, then.”
“No girlfriend. You’re just mine. My Elle,” he declares, voice low and rasped like it was when he was between my legs last weekend.
The reminder of those hours together sparks the dormant lust that’s been driving me crazy for days. I’m not doing well with the lack of time we’ve been able to spend together this week, but with both of us fully devoted to our careers, things were always going to be different from what they were when we were teenagers. Days are long and nights are short. There are so many hours available to see one another, and unfortunately, we haven’t been able to fit each other in much besides sporadic texts and calls.
Today is exactly what I needed, even if we’re at the ranch instead of snuggled on the couch again. It’s the best way to end a long day of teaching high-intensity children.
“I can live with that,” I tell him.
His smile is bashful while I wrap a hand behind his neck and pull him down to kiss me. I sigh against his lips, too happy to hide it.
Darren palms my waist and jerks me toward him. I laugh at the sharp movement, and he does it again, as if he just wanted to hear me laugh again.
“Well, I can’t say that this isn’t a bit startlin’.”
Brody’s voice interrupts the moment, but I linger, unable to back away just yet. I steal one more kiss from my not-boyfriend before trailing my hand down his body and linking our fingers.
“You’ve got amazing timing,” Darren grumbles at his friend.
“It’s good to see you, Delaney. Too bad you’re here with this grumpy guy.”
I grin, soaking in the banter. “Oh, he’s not always grumpy.”
