“Amazing how the lightning made it easier to see. The sky was just lit up. Wow.” Ruka folds his hands behind his head and stares up at the sky. “That was awesome.”
The beat of hooves hitting the ground has me turning my head, seeing a cowboy come up to us on a very large horse.
“Uh oh. We’re in trouble.” Millie pushes her glasses up her nose, and Jessica takes her hand, kissing her wife’s cheek.
The man comes closer, riding up on a beautiful horse that has brown and white scattered all over. A loud neigh sounds when he stops a safe distance away.
I hold my breath, my heart slamming against my chest, when the cowboy and I lock eyes. He’s wearing a black cowboy hat and a long coat to match. Even in the dark cover of the sky, his blue eyes are bright and impossible to miss.
His nostrils flare when he sees me. “May I ask why you’re on my property?” he asks, swinging his leg over to jump onto the ground.
He towers over me in height. His broad shoulders are square underneath that coat, and all I want to do is trace my finger across his chest to see if he is as firm as he appears to be.
Ruka pushes me forward, and I stumble on the wet grass. The cowboy catches me before I can hit the ground. I inhale a sharp breath, my lips wet from the rain, and my hand finds rest in the middle of his strong chest.
Rain pours from the bill of his hat, his eyes searing into me. I swear, they turn red, but in the next moment, I’m staring into eyes so light, they remind me of how clear the sky becomes after a storm.
“You okay, ma’am?” His deep voice rumbles louder than any roll of thunder ever could.
Ma’am.
I scoff internally.
“Nariko,” I correct him, still dipped over his thigh. “Nariko Ohtani.”
“Nariko.” My name drapes over his tongue in a way that makes me wish I could taste it for myself.
Even though one storm ended, this one is just beginning, and it’s building inside my chest.
I know myself.
I’ll chase this feeling to the very end.
No matter the outcome.
She paints a prettier picture than hope ever could.
The soft, feminine angles of her face, her high cheekbones, plump pink lips, and brown eyes with hues of gold ringed in thick, dark lashes enamor me.
I’m caught.
I’m frozen.
And I’m terrified.
My hands tighten around her waist, and I don’t miss how perfectly she fits in my grasp. Time seems to stand still as I become locked in her confused gaze. Her hair is in a messy bun placed on top of her head, and by the loose, night-colored strays framing the delicate edges of her face, the strands are very long.
I want to tug on her hairband and watch the length tumble down her back while my fingers take their time running through the silken tendrils. I want to sit in a room and watch her move.I know Nariko would captivate me with every gentle, angelic motion. She’d be my television, the show I could never miss an episode of. My own personal art.
The wind blows, tickling my senses with her scent. A low growl rumbles in my throat when the scent of rain mixed with a new spring of blooming flowers infiltrates my blood.
Someone from her group clears their throat, and it pulls me out of my trance. Much to my dismay, I straighten, lift her onto her feet, and take a step away.
I take off my hat since I’m in the presence of a few ladies, especially Nariko.
“Sorry to intrude on your property,” she speaks, her voice as gentle as a breeze drifting over a delicate rose petal. “We didn’t mean to upset you. We were following a storm, and I get so excited, you know? When it comes to the chase.” She toes the ground, glancing down, a smile toying on her lips as if she isn’t sorry at all for what she’s done.
Nariko’s delicate fingers twirl a piece of hair, and I watch with hunger, wishing it were me she wrapped herself around.
