Page 17 of Tangled Kisses
“It’s been a rough week,” I admit, my voice low. “Preceded by five rough years.”
Tension flickers across his face, but his voice remains gentle. “Maybe some wine, food, and good company will help. Road grub is terrible.”
“Have you ever eaten a gas station hot dog?”
“No.”
“Don’t. It’ll haunt you for the rest of your days.”
Griffin’s laugh rolls out, deep and warm, dimples flashing. “I appreciate the advice. Now, let me give you some of mine. The chef here, Geraldine, makes the greatest cornbread this side of the Mississippi.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Doesn’t it? But you only get some as part of the tour.” He bites his lip—probably a well-worn move—but something about it reads boyish instead of practiced. Innocent.
And that’s the problem. He’s supposed to be untouchable. But right now, he feels anything but.
“What do you say?” Griffin extends his hand again.
This time I let my fingers slip into his as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Because it feels right. Too right.
Chapter Five
Griffin
Ibelieve in all the romantic trappings of love, with one exception.
I never believed in love at first sight.
Not until Reese stepped out of her car at the ranch.
The moment she turned in my direction, I saw my future unfold. Decades of memories, long before we’d had the time to make them, hit me in a rush.
Out of nowhere stood this breathtaking woman—tiny frame, huge brown eyes, dark hair curling at her jaw, and the most beautiful mouth I’d ever seen.
She carried an almost otherworldly appeal. Innocence tempered by disappointment. Like a vintage Hollywood heroine caught in the wrong century.
I didn’t know who she was or why she was here. There are only so many reasons to show up at the ranch, and she didn’t fit any of them. Not a client. Not a resident. Someone else.
And I was determined to find out.
Even though she was a stranger, I felt like I already knew her. Intimately.
Then she went flying.
One rogue suitcase launched her backward, sent her sprawling on her ass in a cloud of dust. Any other woman would’ve shrieked or played it off with embarrassment, but Reese laughed. A throaty, self-deprecating laugh that hit me harder than it should have.
That was the moment I knew I was done for.
Because who falls on their ass, covered in dirt, and still manages to steal the breath right out of a man’s chest?
The rush of feelings blindsided me—captivation, hesitation, boyish embarrassment I hadn’t felt since my teenage years. And I was positive she saw every one of them race across my face.
But the flood of emotions receded just as fast when I learned who she was.
Not because of anything Reese did.
But because there’s no chance.
