Page 29 of Trussed In Hope
One of them leaned toward Emberlynn, her smile sharp. “He dances well for a city boy. You sure you can keep up with him, honey?”
Emberlynn stiffened, surprised. I didn’t give her a chance to answer. Sliding my arm around her waist, I pulled her flush against me and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“She doesn’t need to keep up,” I said evenly, meeting the other woman’s gaze until she looked away. “Kitten has her own set of moves that makes me fold every time.”
Emberlynn’s breath hitched. I felt her soften against me, her head tilting into my shoulder as though she couldn’t quite believe what she’d heard.
“Hardison…”
I tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at me. “Dance with me again,” I said, low enough for only her to hear.
Her lips parted. “Bossy.”
I grinned. “You like me bossy.”
Back on the floor, the music slowed. I gathered her in, one hand spread across her lower back, the other holding hers to my chest. We swayed under the lights, the crowd around us fading into nothing.
“This,” she whispered, eyes searching mine. “This feels like home.”
And right then, with her in my arms, I knew there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be. Her words cut deeper than she probably realized.Home.I’d chased that feeling most of my life—through deployments, through chaos, through nightmares that never seemed to end. And here she was, pressed against me, giving me something I never thought I’d get back.
“Good,” I murmured, brushing my thumb over her knuckles as I guided her through another slow step. “Because that’s what you are to me, Queen. Home.”
Her breath caught, and her eyes shimmered like she was seconds from tearing up. I leaned down, kissed her softly, then deepened it just enough to let the whole damn barn know where I stood.
The music picked up again, a quicker song, and I spun her out before pulling her back in, her laugh breaking free. That sound—it cracked open the tightness in my chest. She wasn’t some outsider fumbling her way through. She wasmine. And she was keeping up, better than she gave herself credit for.
Around us, other couples clapped and stomped, but all I saw was her. Emberlynn’s cheeks reddened from the heat and the movement. My Queen—right in the middle of country life, glowing like she’d belonged here all along.
When the song ended, I kept my arm around her and guided her outside, into the cool night air. The stars stretched endlessly over us, the barn lights casting a warm halo behind her. She looked up, breath puffing white in the chill, and smiled.
“You’re staring,” she teased.
“Damn right I am.” I pulled her closer, my voice rough. “You’re the most beautiful thing in this whole town tonight. Don’t care how many women tried looking my way—none of them compare to you.”
Her lips parted, and for a moment she just studied me, as though she couldn’t believe how raw I was being. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never meant anything more.” I cupped her jaw, forcing her to see every bit of truth in my eyes. “I don’t give a fuck about anyone else. You’re it for me. And I’ll make sure everybody here knows it.”
The music shifted inside, louder now, the fiddles and steel guitar blending into something wild and fast. I smirked, grabbed her hand, and tugged her toward the edge of the porch.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Hardison?—”
“Don’t fight me on this.” My grin widened as I spun her right there, in front of the whole damn barn. “You said you wanted to experience country life. Well, Queen, this is it. Dancing under the stars. Boots in the dirt. My hands all over you.”
She laughed again, shaking her head, but she followed my lead. Barely a beat later, we were moving to the rhythm spilling out from the barn, our bodies finding that same magnetic pull that always bound us together.
I bent low, lips brushing her ear. “I can’t wait to be inside you later tonight.”
Her fingers curled into my shirt, anchoring herself to me like she never wanted to let go. “Sounds perfect,” she whispered. “I can’t wait to feel you too, Hardison.”
And standing there, with her body molded to mine and the whole damn town just a blur in the background, I couldn’t think of another damn reason to stay. We’d had our fun with the music, dancing, a drink, and even the drama. It’d been one hellof a night, and now it was time to go home so I could show her some more moves. Ones that the town wasn’t prepared to see.
EMBERLYNN
Over the next few days, we visited various places nearby, doing festive things. Hot cocoa at a cafe, picking out a Christmas tree, ornaments, and decorations for the house. Then there was learning things on the ranch as well. There were more lessons, more care for Diesel, and even the other animals. Hardison bought me proper ranch gear so that I wouldn’t mess up mypretty little clothes.
This trip seemed like we were building much more than memories. Sharing our time and bodies and communicating our likes and dislikes led to talking about our future and what we expected in a relationship. I saw how he handled the animals, balanced control, and even how the more time he spent with the animals, it seemed to nurture his soul.
