Page 25 of Cozy Cabin for Two
“No doubt,” Knox replied with a grin. “But we take care of our own. It’s the ranch way. Right, Boss?” He clapped a hand on my back and leaned in with a smirk. “What are you waiting for?”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I held my hand outstretched, my throat still too tight to speak.
Her fingers slid into mine without hesitation. I glanced down at where we joined, unable to tell where mine ended and hers began, like we formed one linked and continuous limb.
The slow song wrapped around us. Knox danced with Daisy, and Ivy and Sage wrangled Colt between them with some moves. But the noise of the bar faded into the background as Willow became mine on the dance floor.
Our bodies melded together. Her hands found my back pockets; mine found hers. With her head tilted up at me, her eyes played with me, intense and never straying. Together we swayed under the neon lights.
This wasn’t just about scaring off a drunk cowboy who had no right to approach her. This was me claiming her publicly. Somewhere between the moment she stepped off the bus and now, I’dfallen. I’d complicated my life and made room for her and Ro in it.
There was only one thing left to do to complete my claim in front of everyone here. “I’d like to kiss you, baby,” I drawled into her ear.
“Take what you want, Ash.”
My lips brushed along her jaw until they found hers and fused together with sensual, lingering kisses. I closed my eyes, breathing in her honeysuckle scent. Our tongues twisted with remnants of her pumpkin spice drink there. Denial, complications, and guilt paved the long road from our very first kiss at the lake to this kiss on the dance floor.
Who knew what tomorrow would bring?
All I knew was with her in my arms, this night had busted down my walls, and loosened my very careful restraint I’d maintained since the day she’d arrived. She became more than my past. Perhaps my future? It was about damn time I stopped pretending otherwise.
At past midnightwhen I drove her home, she seemed a little tipsy, giggling a lot—and sitting rightnext to me on the truck seat, her hand caressing my thigh. How right it felt having her so near, driving up my mountain. Going home. More than once I adjusted myself.
Finally parked in front of my cabin, we lingered. Neither of us wanted to say goodnight. Our fingers laced together, eyes locked. Truck turned off, but the radio played low. Her pretty pink lips shone in the moonlight and took me back to high school. I’d have had no problem getting as far as I could with her in my truck back then.
“Poppy texted about an hour ago that Ro was asleep. Of course, because of your brainiac idea to have Poppy stay the night on the couch, it’d be a little awkward to invite you in.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
“I halfway regret it now, but I didn’t want Poppy driving home this late in the dark.”
“I know, and I like that about you, Ash, always taking care of the people around you. Nobody has taken care of me and Ro for some time now. It’s been us against the world.”
My hand reached up, threading through her hair to the back of her neck. “Those days are over. I’m here for you now.” I claimed her lips again, taking control ofthe kiss immediately. My tongue dove deep into her mouth, demanding more from her. She moaned, welcoming my invasion, gathering my shirt in her hands.
The alpha male inside me took over, growling and pulling her onto my lap, her legs outstretched along the seat.
I caressed up her thighs, damn jeans. If she wore one of her cute sundresses, my fingers would be tearing off her panties so fast. Instead, I continued trailing up her body until my hand possessively claimed her throat while pulling away just enough to gaze into those mesmerizing eyes.
“I’ll bet you’d be a very good girl for me, bright eyes,” I whispered gruffly, nipping at her bottom lip, my thumb squeezing lightly at her pulse.
“Mm-hmm. I’d be such a good girl, only for you, Ash.” Her hand stroked my forearm, calmly taking my possessive side, a little taste of how well I treated a woman. She all but admitted before how safe things were with Scott.
With me, she’d get the wild, bad boy she always desired.
Suddenly one of the trucks returned, full of rowdy ranch hands drunk from Sapphire, and I knew full wellI couldn’t take things further here. My truck was too exposed. The night too late. And Ro and Poppy were less than twenty feet away inside, hopefully sleeping. I inhaled deeply, begging my cock to be patient.
“Willow…” I touched my forehead to hers and sighed.
“I know. Not here. Not tonight.”
“Soon?” I’d beg if I needed to if I didn’t get inside of her as soon as possible. So would my cock, angrily twitching in my jeans.
“Oh, yes. Definitely. I’ve been waiting for you forever, Ash.”
So had I been waiting, and didn’t even realize it, wasn’t even aware enough to understand the connection we’d maintained all these years.
We kissed and put ourselves back together. I got out and ran to the other side and helped her down. Hand in hand, we strolled to the front door but took our time. A sweet, chaste kiss capped off the night.
“Will you think of me tonight?” She playfully ran a finger from my stubbled jawline down my chest and torso, stopping at the top button of my jeans.
