Page 99 of The Love Lie
But she doesn’t want to.
All she wants is to stay right here in the safety of Cooper’s embrace for a few more minutes, before the soft golden light sifting through the curtains turns to the harsh light of day and reality comes crashing in.
Because this can’t last.
It’s a fairy tale.
A dream.
They’re from two different worlds. Ten million people think he’s engaged to her sister. Emily’s entire career hangs in the balance—a career Sam already destroyed once before. Not to mention, she has plans of her own, which don’t include running off to Nebraska to live on some ranch in the middle of nowhere,even if said ranch belongs to the sexiest cowboy she’s ever seen, with a body cut from marble, a touch savvy enough to unravel her every seam, and a gaze so coveting it snatches the very breath from her lungs.
Try telling that to her heart, which thunders like a Kentucky Derby hopeful on the final stretch of the track as the man in question stirs and pulls her farther into his chest.
“Morning,” comes Cooper’s deep, raspy voice.
She wants to trap the sound in a little jar so any time she’s sad or depressed she can open it back up and listen, because it’s impossible to do anything but beam when she hears it. That’s how she feels, like a glow stick that’s been cracked alight by deft hands, no way to stop the chemical reaction or turn it off or go back to the way things were before.
It’s too much to face before caffeine.
“What are you still doing here?” She turns over so they’re nose to nose. “Don’t you have a cow to rope or something?”
“I do.” Cooper grins. “And so do you.”
“What?”
“You heard me, Cuj.” He smacks her playfully on the ass as he rolls off the bed. “It’s time for you to earn your keep.”
“I’m pretty sure I already did. Three times last night.”
“That was just for fun.”
“Cooper.” She whines and pulls the blankets up over her head.
“The ranch waits for no one.”
“Well, the ranch can kiss my New York City ass.”
He yanks the covers off in one fell swoop and leans over to bite one round cheek.
“Hey!” she squeals. “I saidkiss!”
“I know.”
An hour later, Sam finds herself ankle deep in what she really hopes is mud. Based on the smell, there’s a hefty dose of cow shitmixed in as well, but she’s trying not to focus on that as Cooper leads her through the muck. They’re surrounded by fences and cows and cowboys doing Lord only knows what. She’s sure it’s important, but it also happens to be completely beyond her understanding. Cooper, though, is unperturbed.
“Wait here for a minute,” he says as he hops a fence. “I’ll get a horse saddled up for you.”
“A what now?”
He lands with asplaton the other side, ignoring her as he calls something out to one of the other guys. She leans a hip against the fence and crosses her arms. The sky is blue overhead. A crisp breeze fluffs her hair. Aside from the obnoxious smell and the loud din of mooing, itissort of peaceful in a way. Still, if someone had told her three months ago that she’d be standing in cowboy boots going eye to eye with a heifer, she would’ve laughed in their face.
What do you want?
She narrows her eyes at the beast as it twitches its tail.
That’s what I thought.
Said tail lifts and a huge wad of fresh dung plops out.
