Page 19 of Beautiful Envy

Darcie

The feeling of a body next to me had me bolting upright, my heart racing as I panicked. Where was I? Who was I with?

I searched for something familiar in the dark room but came up empty. My breathing became choppy as I tried to recall what had happened last night.

I glanced at the bare chest next to me and suddenly remembered.

Cowboy. I found my Shy Cowboy last night.

Placing my hand on my heart, I took deep breaths as I tried to regain some sense of calm. I vaguely remembered talking late into the night and snuggling down, confident I wouldn’t fall asleep in here.

The fact I had was more shocking than anything.

Since Maddox, I hadn’t slept next to anyone, let alone another man. Waking up to someone new was strange and not an activity I was used to. Did I get up before he did and pretend I wasn’t here? Did I wake him up to let him know I was leaving? Would the others see me? What would that mean?

“Wake up call,” a voice shouted, followed by banging on the door. “Your turn to make breakfast.”

Brooks moved next to me, his eyes opening slowly as he woke. When he spotted me, his hand reached out, cupping my face.

“I thought I’d dreamed you, but here you are, more beautiful than I could’ve imagined.”

His words melted me on the spot, and I leaned down, my eyes searching his. It was strange to know this man intimately in a way but not in others. The touch of his hand against my face was new. The way his green eyes shifted back and forth and the few freckles I could spot on his nose were too.

I was discovering who he was all over again.

“Good morning,” I whispered, smiling at him. “I hope I didn’t do anything embarrassing in my sleep.”

He smiled, shaking his head, his chestnut waves moving against the pillow. “I don’t think that’s possible. What are you doing today?” he asked, sitting up and stretching.

My eyes trailed over his torso, matching the visions of his abs cemented in my head. My pulse raced for a different reason this time.

“I was going to help out at Tattooed Hearts.”

He nodded, throwing the covers off and standing. As he stretched, I could watch him a little more, taking in all the dips and curves as I placed them on his tall frame.

My brain was still struggling with knowing parts of his body and realigning them with reality.

“Do you mind if I grab a shower first? It’s my turn to make breakfast.”

“No, go ahead. I need to head back to my room and get my stuff. Just knock on my door when you’re done.”

Brooks smiled, walking over and taking my hand. “I really want to kiss you. Hell, my body really wants to do more. You’re a walking aphrodisiac to my cock.” His face turned red, but he continued. “I want all those things and so much more, so I will wait and earn them the right way. I just wanted you to know that.”

Warmth spread through me, his acknowledgment of his feelings and what he wanted from me, taking me by surprise.

“I want that too.”

“Plus, I need to share something with you before any of that happens. Can we talk again tonight?”

“Yeah. You can come to my room this time,” I teased, giving him a wink.

“It’s a date.”

Going up on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek and headed to the door. I stopped, glancing back into the room when I got to the door, spotting him with his eyes closed, a hand to the spot I’d just kissed. It was enough to make my heart burst as I continued toward my room.

I thought coming here would be a temporary stopping ground, a place to reset and organize my next move. It had already turned out to be so much more than that, and I’d only been here two days.

Sorting through my clothing items, I picked out a dress that would work with my cowboy boots and grabbed some clean underwear. A few minutes later, Brooks knocked on my door to let me know the shower was free as he headed to the kitchen.

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