Page 59 of Wild and Unruly
She looks to me in surprise, either by my hand placement or sharing her work with my mom, I’m unsure. “Well, that’s nice to hear. That family was really great. I hear they’re doing well now, slowly working back to getting to where they were.”
“That’s so wonderful. I’m glad to hear it.” My aunt Sandra calls my mom’s name, and she says goodbye, giving Bonnie another hug and whispering something in her ear that makes Bonnie’s eyes soften. She smiles and nods. “Me too.”
The sun has dipped low, setting a golden hue over everything, and Juniper sets up with her guitar over on the porch, pulling people in. I grab Bonnie’s hand, pulling her to a patch of grass that’s far enough away from everyone that they won’t bother us but close enough to hear the gentle lull of Juniper’s voice.
I note my brother Mitch leaning against the wall, watching Juniper sing. I’m shocked he’s still here. Hanging around everyone isn’t really his thing.
Holding Bonnie close, I can feel her heartbeat against my chest, smell her perfume wafting from her hair, and the soft feel of her hand against mine has me wishing we were somewhere private.
“Having a good day so far?” I ask against her ear, feeling her shiver stretch down her spine.
“Yes.” I feel her cheek twitch. “It’s been a nice day.”
“How long are you here for?” I ask, hoping that this isn’t going to start an argument. But I wouldn’t let it.
I don’t want to fight with her. I know she has to leave—it’s her job—I just need to know she’s going to come back.
“I’m not sure, Stetson.” She sounds sad, and I lean back, taking in her expression. It was sad and slightly resigned, but I silently thanked God that she was feeling the loss of our time together just like I was.
“Another week?”
She nods immediately. “Definitely.”
My eyes search hers, my mouth desperate to ask her questions I’m not sure I have the right to ask. I want to know how much this means to her. I want to know if she’s planning on coming back, and if she thinks of me in the future like I’m thinking of her.
Our gazes stay locked, her mouth opens. “Do you want to come back to my place?”
Her question, while catching me off guard, requires little to no thought. “Yes.”
We were in her truck before we knew it. I didn’t want to take separate cars, unwilling to break the contact between the two of us. Her hand was in mine, with her other on the steering wheel. She offered to let me drive, but I didn’t feel the need, knowing that it was her truck and her right to drive it. Though, with thespeed she was going, I was wishing that I had taken her up on it.
Thankfully, The Lodge isn’t far from the ranch, and it takes us about fifteen minutes to get there. Bonnie strides confidently through the lobby, smiling and waving at Amelia with her other hand in mine. I smirk and give a nod to her. “Evening.”
She laughs as we walk down the hallway to Bonnie’s room, and I flash back to just a few weeks ago when I carried her luggage down here. I can’t believe it’s only been a few weeks since I met this woman, this someone who was quickly becoming someone I could see myself with long-term.
Fuck, my feelings were going haywire.
Bonnie quickly opens the door, allowing me a moment to take a breath before I grab at her wrist, my other arm reaching back to quickly throw the lock on the door. But that contact, the contact between her skin and my own, is something that I’m unwilling to let go of.
I was craving her touch, her skin, the smell of her hair, and the way she smiled at me like she knew every thought that was running through my head.
She keeps her gaze on me, stepping back into the room and gently tugging me along. The woman could be leading me to shark-infested waters, and I would happily dive in after her.
I take off my hat, resting it gently on its top before turning back to her. I pull her in until we’re touching, and my hand reaches up to cup her jaw, my thumb tracing her cheekbone. Leaning in, I press my lips to hers in a gentle but firm kiss, using my hands to pull her closer to me as she wraps her arms around my shoulders and holds on tight.
I feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest, reverberating all the way into my throat. My emotions and feelings are all overthe place. I want to shout from the rooftops that this woman has me wrapped around her little finger, that I am fully and completely in love with her.
The problem was, I didn’t know if she reciprocated that feeling and scaring her off, pushing her away when I just got her, wasn’t an option.
“Stets,” she whispers against my lips, stepping back and ridding herself of her shirt. Her belt comes off next, followed by her boots and jeans.
Instead of doing the same for myself, I stand there breathing her in, watching as she disposes of her clothes and leaves herself standing in the sexiest black lace bra and matching panties I’ve ever seen. Did she buy that for me, or was that something she wore on rotation? I never took much stock of what she wore until right now, and I was dying to find out if this was special.
But I keep my mouth shut. Striding toward her with sure steps and latching onto her hips, I pull her into me, lifting until she wraps her strong thighs around my waist, and I carry her to the bed, delicately lying her down.
Her hair sprawls around her on the bed, framing her gorgeous face, and I have to take a moment to just breathe her in, to watch how she looks at me. There is something there, something in her expression that tells me she is feeling something similar to me, if not on the same exact sentence on the same page.
I kiss her, pouring all that emotion into it. Reaching over, I grab her wrists and lift her arms above her head, holding her down and working my kisses down over her jaw, onto her neck, and licking, taking a taste for myself before finding her chest and kissing the swells of her breasts.
