Page 111 of Brim Over Boot
He bites his lip before nodding.
“And whether or not that means going out in public, I don’t care. But I’m not going to lie about us if anyone asks. And I don’t wanna hide.” I pause before asking, “Is that all right? ’Cause I can give you more time, but it can’t be a forever thing.”
He nods again, slower. “No, that’s all right.”
My surprise must show on my face because Colton puffs out a breath.
“Christ, Noah. It’s not that I care what other people think. I just… It’s fucking throwing me, okay? You and me. It doesn’t make sense to me, so how is it gonna make sense to anyone else?” He scrubs his face before adding, “But it doesn’t need to, does it?Fuck. How did this even happen? How’d we end up here?”
“Well,” I say slowly, rubbing Colton’s thighs. “Pretty sure after spending half our lives hating and avoiding one another, kissing and fucking was simply bound to happen.”
He stills before snorting a laugh. “Is that right?”
“Mhm. Laws of nature, you know.”
“That’s fucked up. You’re welcome for not coming on your shirt, by the way.Someof us have some decency.”
Colton is already standing by the time he finishes talking, but I tug on the backs of his knees, and he comes toppling back down, his face landing inches above mine.
“Jesus.”
“What are we doing tomorrow?” I ask him, slipping my hands up into his hair so he can’t get away.
He attempts a scowl. “I already spent my Saturday doing manual labor for you, and now you want my Sunday, too?”
“Yes.”
He scoffs, but he doesn’t fight it when I turn his head to the side, mouthing his neck.
“Horses?” he says. “We can…go trail riding?”
I still before nipping his skin, enjoying his responding squirm. “Two horses this time?”
“Yes, two fucking horses,” he says, sounding indignant. “You can have five horses if you want. We have plenty.”
I hum. “I accept.”
“You accept?”
“Your trail riding idea. It’s a date.”
“Oh my fucking God,” he groans, sounding so absolutely disgusted by the word that I laugh.
“What time should I be at the Darling Ranch?”
He huffs another breath. “Eleven? And don’t fucking call it the D-word in front of my family. We’re not sixteen.”
“I should hope not,” I say, smoothing my hand down over his ass. “Otherwise, your parents would be horrified by the things I wanna do to you, little Colt.”
He whips his head up in alarm. “You’re not gonnatellthem.”
I snort, and his face relaxes.
“Not funny, King,” he says, grabbing my arms and standing, pulling me with him. “None of my family needs to hearanyof those details. And call me ‘little Colt’ while we’re there, and you’ll find out how it feels to have your nuts retreat up into your body. I’m not even kidding. The jewels willnotbe safe from me.”
There’s a grin on my face as Colton tugs me out of the barn, rambling all the while about how if his family starts razzing him, I’m not allowed to pitch in.Butif the jokes are aimed toward any of his brothers, it’s fair game. We finish cleaning up the area around the flower beds well before the sun has started retreating in the sky. And when Colton heads home for the night, he does so after allowing me to kiss him so thoroughly we’re both starved for air by the time we part.
I’m floating on a cloud all evening and into the morning. So much so that by the time I arrive at the Darling Ranch at precisely eleven and make my way toward the horse barn, there’s not even a pinch of worry as I catch sight of the hayloft door shut tight at the top of the structure. I trudge right through the open doorway, intent on finding Colton and leaving the past in the past.
