Page 77 of Hit the Ground
He took my face in his hands. “I was another person who didn’t see you, and I’ll have to live with that. But I promise you, Alice, that’ll never happen again. You’re in my line of sight, you’re important to me, and I will always see you.”
My eyes fluttered closed as I leaned into his touch, his palms warm against my skin. “You did make me feel invisible once. But I let it happen because I expected it. I don’t anymore.”
“Good,” he rasped. His thumb brushed across my mouth, slow and tender. “Because I couldn’t look away from you now if I tried.”
My mouth curved into a smile, and he traced the shape of it. “That’s a relief. We both know I haven’t been able to look away fromyousince I set my eyes on you.”
That earned me a light scoff, and the furrow in his brow deepened. “I’m still trying to understand that. I’m just a scruffy rancher, and you’re…Alice.”
I touched his trimmed beard. “Not so scruffy anymore.”
“I’m trying to impress my girl.”
My girl…
Sigh.
“You don’t have to try.” I bit my bottom lip and wiggled closer, my arms looping around his neck. “It happened my first night working at Joy’s. You were there with Hannah, and I was a bumbling mess. Hannah gave me her order quick as lightning, and I was so nervous, it went in one ear and out the other. You smiled at me the way you do—”
“The way I do?”
I nodded. “Yes. You have an incredible smile. It takes over your whole face. Your eyes get crinkly in the corners, your cheeks get a little rosy, and your mouth turns into this perfectU. It’s a really good smile.”
A rumble vibrated his chest. “That smile must be reserved for you. No one else has ever told me that.”
If I hadn’t fallen for him ages ago, I would have hit the ground right then and there. Jesse might not have seen his dad’s charm, but it was alive and well and aimed directly at me.
“I wasn’t finished with my story,” I protested.
He gifted me my own personal smile. “By all means, darlin’. I want to hear the rest.”
“It’s not especially exciting, but here goes. You smiled at me and repeated her order nice and slow. Didn’t make a big deal of it, you just did it. Then later, I dropped your drink on the ground, and you laughed it off and said you didn’t want another beer anyway.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember that. Now that I’ve got you in my arms, I wish like hell I did.”
“Now that I’m in your arms, it doesn’t really matter. I’m here.”
“You are.” He rolled his forehead along mine. “Are you going to be able to go inside and relax with me if we leave the dishes until later?”
I huffed. “Not a chance.”
Chapter Thirty
Alice
Oncethekitchenwascleaned up and I could fully relax, Caleb and I settled on his couch to watch a movie. If asked, I wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone what the movie was about, though. Not with Caleb’s arms wrapped around me, and his mouth constantly seeking mine. Every time I thought he might settle in and pay attention to the screen, his lips brushed over mine again.
Slowly, we sank into the cushions, me half on his chest. His broad frame was an addictive mix of steel and comfort beneath me, and I melted further with every kiss. His hand traced lazy paths along my back, up to my shoulder blades, then down to my waist, as if he was drawing his own map of me. Each pass sent a shiver through me.
He sighed into my hair, his breath warm against my crown. Fingers curved around my hip, then spread wide, pulling me up his torso to bring our faces level. He slipped lower, gathering the hem of the flannel I’d stolen from him, making my pulse jump. With his eyes locked on mine, he eased it upward until his knuckles brushed bare skin.
Then he stilled, his forehead tipped to mine, his breathing uneven. “Is this all right?” he murmured, gruff and gentle at once.
“It is.” I pushed up on his chest, despite his grumbling protest at the sudden space between us, and began unbuttoning the front of my flannel. “I want you to touch me. You don’t have to treat me like I’m glass.”
“I’d never do that.” He reached for my shirt, undoing the last button for me and slipping it down my shoulders. One at a time, he freed me from the sleeves and tossed the shirt away. Still too covered in my long-sleeved T-shirt, I tugged it over my head, leaving me in my bra.
Caleb’s brow dropped, and a growl vibrated his throat. “Allie…”
