Ville’s only response was a somewhat feral grin. My breath tried to catch in my lungs. I'd seen a similar smile before though in a totally different context.
“Besides, Fernie,” Gemma piped up as she placed a pot of something on the island. “Don’t you think your guests at the event barn would love to know the security is solid? It could only be a selling point.”
“We can’t have people wandering around,” Mal added, cheeks darkening. He sat up a little straighter. “It’s too dangerous. For the animals and for strangers.”
Fern deflated. “I know you’re right.”
“We will all cooperate with you, Ville. Whatever you need.” Mom’s tone held a note of finality. Her word was law around here, and if she said we would cooperate, then we would. She shot Dad a look, and he smiled.
“Exactly right. Let us know when your assessment is complete and we’ll decide what measures we put into place,” Dad said.
“We should get dogs,” Payton muttered, not looking up from where he was swirling his carrot in ranch dressing. It had to have the perfect amount before he would eat it.
Mom stilled. “What’s that, honey pie?”
Payton finally looked up and graced Mom with his bright smile. “Guard dogs, Mimi. But the nice kind.”
“What do you mean, ‘the nice kind,’ lovey?” Mom asked.
Payton rolled his eyes, probably because to him, what he meant was obvious. He had a habit of thinking he made totalsense when he didn’t always. But the gesture had his father clearing his throat. Payton instantly looked contrite.
“Sorry, Daddy. I just mean, the kind that like us and the horses and the cats and the cows and the corvids and Juanpablo. But they scare the other people away because they’re not supposed to be here.”
“That was one of my thoughts, little man.” Ville held out a fist and Payton had to climb halfway onto the table to bump it with his own. The little boy looked inordinately pleased with himself. “As well as a gate for the main entrance. But I’ll have a better idea once I have a couple of days to do a full assessment.”
“All right. Then we’ll reconvene when you’re done and make a plan,” Mom said. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Everybody go wash up.”
There was a mad scramble to hit the bathrooms on the first floor, either the full bath or the powder room. I touched Ville’s shoulder and gestured with my head toward the stairs.
“Come on, I’ll show you the one upstairs.”
He silently followed behind me and since someone had already claimed the second-floor bathroom, I continued up to the third floor. It was blessedly quiet up here, no sound penetrating this far. I glanced behind me for good measure, just to make sure the coast was clear, then gave Ville a light shove into the bathroom. I followed him in, shut the door, then leaned up against it.
His gaze darkened immediately and my blood started to sing.
I peeked up at him through my lashes. “Hey, sugar.”
Chapter 3
Ville
I’d heard the donkey even over the family around me. While I’d known it was Emery coming home from work as he was the last person to arrive, it was as if my attention was divided in two as soon as the door opened.
Now that he was in front of me, the quiet of the bathroom almost deafening after all that noise, I drank in his features.
He was a stunning man. Blue eyes and brown, curly hair, with a lean, compact body that was six inches shorter than my 6’2". The differences between us made me feel bigger and awakened the protectiveness.
He also looked at me like he wanted me still. The way his pupils got bigger when using a pet name was telling. I had no choice, I stepped closer to him, crowding him against the door he’d closed behind us. His Adam’s apple bobbed when I leanedin, towering over him a little bit just with how he was slouching. To make himself smaller?Interesting.
I smirked. I could go so fucking cheesy with this. But I didn’t want to, and we didn’t have time.
Lifting my hand, I hovered it along his jaw and cheek. The way his head moved toward my touch was everything.
“You’re just as responsive as you were last time,” I murmured.
He began to say something, but my control snapped and I cupped his jaw and kissed him, the surprised gasp leaving his mouth open to plunder.
Emery made a helpless little sound as he melted into me, and only the loud laughter suddenly carrying upstairs made me pull back before I could sink into the bubble we’d instantly created.
