“True. But I found the sheep. So…”
“OK. OK. You found me.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I fuckin’ did. And I’m keeping you too.”
“Finders keepers, losers weepers.”
“You are my dream woman, Regina,” I say, emotion and honesty making my voice hoarse. “I will do anything it takes to make you happy, and I can sure as hell promise that I will never,everdo a damn thing to intentionally hurt you. You and me, we’re forever. And if I ever get my hands on that asshole ex, he’ll not only rue the day he walked away from the best thing that ever happened to him, he’ll also leave walkin’ funny because I’m gonna have to beat his ass for making you cry.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Josh,” she forces out, her cheeks flushing pink before she buries her face in my chest, her lips grazing against my bare skin. “You’re too good to be true.”
“Um… have you met you?” I ask, jerking my head back slightly. “You’re quite the catch.”
She huffs a burst of amused air from her nose. “I think every guest at my failed wedding would beg to differ with you there.”
“Hey,” I say, lifting her by the chin and looking deep into her emerald gaze. “That guy didn’t deserve you. No man with even a shred of decency would leave his woman at the altar like that. I know I never would. And I won’t. Standing in front of everyone we know while declarin’ my love for you sounds like a dream come true.”
“What if I told you that I don’t know if I could ever go through it again,” she whispers, the old hurt swimming in the backs of her eyes, fear surfacing.
“Gettin’ married?”
She frowns and nods. “Does that change how you feel about me?”
I shake my head. “No. Because right now, you’re too close to the hurt and embarrassment that asshole made you feel. But you mark my words, Regina Malone, I’m gonna love on you so hard that when the time comes for us to finally walk down that aisle, you won’t even remember that guy’s name. You’ll be so secure in our relationship and my love for you, that you won’t doubt my showing up for a second.”
“You sound very sure about yourself there, farm boy.”
“That’s because I am. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I always know what I want. I don’t waver.”
“And, if I’m hearing you correctly, what you want is me?”
“What I want is you,” I repeat, bringing my mouth to hers and kissing her until she sighs longingly in my mouth. “I’ll never stop wanting you, flick.”
“Oh, Josh,” she sighs, a tiny whimper escaping her mouth as I hook her leg over mine and slip myself inside her, the slow, deep grind of our connection, combined with our continued kissing seems to melt all her doubts and worries away. All that remains is our connection, our love and the promises we’re making to each other with every stroke and sigh.
We move in harmony, fanning the other’s flames until neither of us can take the heat anymore, peaking and coming apart in each other’s arms.
After we’ve both come down, I pull her close and kiss her forehead. “I’m so glad I caught you pleasuring yourself,” I whisper into her tangled hair.
She laughs and runs her fingers through my hair before pressing her forehead against mine. “Me too,” she whispers. “Me too.”
REGINA
When I pull up to the farmhouse for the first time a few days later, I’m a bucket full of nerves. The house is huge and beautiful, with whitewashed shutters and a wraparound porch. It’s picture perfect with potted plants adding a splash of color and a swing near the door. I imagine sitting with Josh at night and admiring the stars, maybe doing a little more reading before heading inside to act out what we’ve read. But none of that is why I’m nervous.
I’m here to meet his sister, Kymberly. And while I’ve learned over the years not to care what others’ opinions of me are, I really want her to like me.
With a bouquet of flowers and an apricot pie in hand, I step up onto the porch and knock on the front door. There’s a stomping of feet on the other side before the door swings open and an out of breath blonde with wildly curly hair stands tall and strong in front of me. I have to crane my neck to meet her eyes, but when I do, I feel instantly at ease. She has the same sky-blue gaze as her brother. One that’s filled with mirth and kindness.
“You must be Reggie,” she says, reaching out and practically dragging me into the house. I’m swept along the entry hall and into the kitchen while she talks a mile a minute. “Josh is justat the store grabbin’ a few things we seem to be missin’. But I think that works out great because it gives us girls the chance to chat without him puttin’ his two cents in every five seconds. Do you like lamb? Seems it’s all we really eat around here, but that means I’m real good at cookin’ it. Is that pie for dessert?”
It takes me a moment to catch up, but when I do, I thrust the pie forward, thankfully not tossing it in the air. “Yes. And the flowers are yours too.”
Her face lights up. “Really? Gosh. I don’t think anyone’s bought be flowers before. This is a real treat. Do you drink sweet tea?”
“Ah, yes. Yes, I do.”
“I just can’t get enough of the stuff. Momma always said I’d end up with a mouth full of cavities on account of having such a sweet tooth, but boy was she wrong.” She flashes her perfectly white, straight teeth and clacks them together. “Not even one filling in all my thirty years on this earth.”
