His mouth skims along the pulse point on my neck. "My boss hates it when I'm late."
"Well, technically, since it's my family's farm, I'm partially your boss. And I'd be incredibly disappointed if you took this warm...hard body away from me."
His chuckles reverberate through his chest. "I'd hate to be written up for such insolence."
I glance up, biting my lip as I meet his gaze. I fucking love the way he looks at me—the lust and desire and fevered interest that simmers just below the surface, threatening to overflow at any given moment.
“Then I suppose you should stay.”
"I guess so," he murmurs, those fingers of his making their way to the juncture of my thighs. "I need to make sure my girl starts off her day right." His fingers slide inside me while he talks, and I let out a gasp.
"I agree," I manage to force out while his eyes bore into mine, watching every reaction he elicits from me. It's nearly as intense as the physical sensations. His fingers slide slowly in and out, already knowing what turns me on just right.
"Good girl," he says, leaning down to kiss me lightly on the lips. "I can't fucking wait to come home to this body every day for the rest of my life." He curls his fingers inside me and I gasp.
"Oh god, yes." I rock against his ministrations, completely giving myself over to this feeling, this vision for our future. It's like the universe realigned the stars so we'd find each other, fall hard and fast while filling us with this deep knowing that this—this—is it. Our one big chance at happiness.
And as I cling to him, kiss him, and call out his name as my body finds relief in his arms, I know that our happily-ever-after is well within our reach.
HAYES
The following days flow together like a waking dream. If I'm not working, I'm with Kym. If I am working, I'm thinking about when I get to see Kym. It's perfect. It's wonderful. And I constantly wonder how I managed to get through any day before her. It's like I need her in order to breathe.
And it's not all just sex either. There are long walks where we share stories and learn more about each other's likes and dislikes, our hopes and our dreams. I make promises I intend to keep, like doing everything in my power to bring joy to her life and showing her the world outside of Cedarwood Valley. And she makes promises too, like making me apple pies on the regular and never yanking on my balls again—unless it's more of a gentle fondle while we're making love.
We're well on our way to solidifying the 'forever' status of our relationship. And as I sit across from her at the start of my last week here, I know it's time to make a plan about what happens when it's time for me to leave.
"I think we need to talk, trouble." I turn my fork over and over in front of my plate as I wait for her to respond.
Her eyes fly up to mine, and it takes her a few chews to swallow before she responds. "About?"
"This." I wave my hand between us. "About what happens when my work here is done."
"I see." She rolls her lips together and places her fork on her plate, using her napkin to wipe her mouth. "Is this your way of telling me you've changed your mind about staying?"
My brow knits and I quickly reach across the table and take her hand. "This is my way of asking you to come with me. You said you want to experience the world, right?"
"I do. But traveling from sheep farm to sheep farm isn't what I meant. Where would we even stay? How would that work?"
"We could get ourselves a trailer, or one of those vans people live out of. When I'm not working, we could put it in storage and travel the old-fashioned way. It could be an adventure."
She pulls her hand from under mine slowly. "I can't leave the farm, Hayes."
I lean in across the table. "Why?"
"It's home. And I have a family here. This is who I am."
I shake my head and scoop another bite of eggs, shoveling them into my mouth and chewing quickly. This conversation is quickly producing an uncomfortable feeling in my gut. "I thought you wanted this."
"I do, Hayes. I love you. But this farm... It's my life. I can't just abandon Josh to do this all on his own. It wouldn't be fair. I mean, we’re already one sibling down with my oldest brother, Theo, living in Whisper Valley."
My jaw clenches around the mouthful of food, and my frustration building as I chew, grind and swallow, trying to figure out what to do. "I'm a shearer, Kym. How am I supposed to take care of you without my work?"
"You could stay here. Work the farm with me and Josh and—"
"Can the farm afford that? From what I understand, you're barely making ends meet as it is." Sure, I have savings I could live off for a while, but eventually those will run out, and I don’t want to become a burden to them.
Kym scowls and plays with the food on her plate. "Sheep farming isn't a rich man's game, Hayes," she shoots back.
