Page 82 of Wylder Ranch
My eyes flare and my stomach drops as soon as I realize my mistake. The label I’ve given him, even though we’re sleeping together and we have a baby together, it’sbig. A declaration I’m not sure I’m ready for.
Except through the turmoil swirling in my brain, I know that if he isn’t quiteminemine, he’s Everly’s and I would fight anyone that said otherwise.
Alex silences my thoughts with a kiss. “I am, you know.”
“You are what?”
“Yours.” He smacks his lips to mine. “And you’re mine.”Kiss.“And Everly is ours.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “Okay.”
But Alex shakes his head, slowly. “Say it.”
He’s so self-assured. I remember this about him last year, how sexy it was. How disarming. Whereas I second-guess everything, Alex justknows. He knows what he wants and goes for it. And he wantsme.
And that feeling in and of itself is powerful to the point of terrifying.Goodterrifying.
“I’m yours. You’re mine. And Everly is ours.”
“Damn right.”
“Then,” I begin with a giggle. “Man of mine, would you mind telling me what you would like for breakfast?”
He peers over my shoulder at the bowl of eggs I’ve whisked. “Whatever that’s going to turn into.”
“Good choice, and while I make these how ’bout you rustle up some more coffee?”
“Coming right up,” he replies, throwing out a wink as he darts into the laundry room for a sweater. Just like every day.
“Why do you always put your sweaters on down here? Why not upstairs when you get out of bed?”
“Because.” His head pokes out of the neck hole, and he runs a hand through his deep brown curls. “How’re you going to check me out if I’m fully dressed every time you see me?”
The grin he shoots me is so smug, and I know right then, at that moment, I never stood a chance. That Alex had a plan from the beginning, and it was only a matter of time before I resisted. I’d call myself weak, but I don’t think a Category 5 hurricane would stand a chance against him.
Alex shoos away Blackberry, and we sit and eat, Everly on the table between us, beaming a gummy smile at Alex whenever he spins the colored blocks for her.
Out of the window, the sun begins its morning creep over the horizon, hitting through the bare branches of the trees. The sunrise in Aspen this time of year would be a stunning blaze of white, which I wouldn’t get to enjoy because I’d be rushing off somewhere. Heading down to my store. Helping out in the bakery.
There’s no snow here, but the clouds are parting and I can tell it’s going to be a beautiful day. And while I don’t have a store to go to, I’m tempted to go and check out the tree stand in Valentine Nook. For research purposes.
Alex takes our dishes to the sink and comes back with fresh coffee. Sitting down, he leans forward and scoopsmy legs up, laying my feet in his lap. I marvel at how domestic we’ve become, how normal, howeasy.
“I have a couple of things I need to sort out at the office. I’ll only be a couple of hours. Is that okay?” he asks, his thumb rubbing along the sole of my foot.
“Of course, it is. And maybe while you’re gone, I’ll walk into the village and check out the Christmas decorations.” My sentence tails out with a wince—because I don’t know how far I can go with the decorating—which he catches.
“Haven, you can buy all the decorations you want. After yesterday, I feel like I can do anything.” He shakes out my foot he’s been rubbing. “But, on the other hand, when Everly has her morning nap, if you feel like I might need moral support during this very trying time, we can discuss it in the shower.”
“You need moral support in the shower?”
“Yes. I think I do,” he replies, his face solemn.
“Sex as a bartering tool? That’s mighty devious.” I pin him with the sternest look I can muster, but it’s useless.
“Hey, I never said I played fair.”
“Oh buddy, I think we covered that with the downstairs sweaters.”
