"Do what?" he asked, head still lowered, but eyes peeking up to meet mine.
A gust of wind whipped a strand of my hair across my mouth. I jutted my chin out, rounding my shoulders slightly so we were eye-to-eye. The world shrunk in that moment—the ranch, the paddock, the circling horse fading until there was just us and the dust floating between our faces like suspended time. He needed to see the truth in my eyes when I spoke the words.
"Don't listen to that witch," I said. His lips twitched. She wasn't a witch, and we both knew it. But we could cast her as one, for now. "One man's horse shit is another man's treasure—or however it goes." I huffed a breath. "Point is, I like you just how you are."
He searched my face like he needed to make sure I meant it. Then that grin—the one that made me want to sock him in the nose and kiss him in equal parts—broke free. "So, you like me, huh?"
Gone was the ducked head, the slouched shoulders. My boy scout sure did rebound quick.
I shrugged a shoulder. "I guess."
He took two small steps toward me, enough to bring us chest to chest. I peered up at him, fixing him with a glare I hoped he interpreted as get-the-fuck-outta-my-space-but-don't-actually-because-I-need-your-mouth-on-mine.
He tipped his head down, his breath ghosting over my cheek. "I'm gonna kiss you now, viper."
He always read me a little better than I liked.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
The momentmy lips crashed into hers, somethin' in my soul settled.
Felt like I'd been on edge for hours, my skin too tight, when really it'd been mere minutes since I'd seen her leanin' against this fence, lookin' like someone had kicked her puppy.
When she didn't greet me with her usual bite, my hackles went up. We'd stood in uncomfortable silence for what felt like this side of forever.
Then she cracked.
And when I saw those tears? Hell, I nearly lost it myself.
Now, she kissed me back without hesitation. No teeth. No sass. Just warm mouth and soft breath and fingers fistin' into the front of my shirt like she needed somethin' solid to hold onto.
That alone nearly undid me.
Calvin didn't hold on to things.
She was a tumbleweed, just blowin' in the wind.
I slid my hands to her hips, thumbs brushin' the hem of her shirt, feelin' the heat of her through the thin cotton. For a second—just one—I considered kissin' her harder. Lettin' it turn hungry. Lettin' grief and relief and want blur into somethin' reckless.
But I wasn't gonna be that guy.
So I broke the kiss first.
Her lashes fluttered when I pulled back, lips swollen, breath uneven. For a heartbeat, she looked almost disoriented, like she'd expected me to keep goin'.
I rested my forehead against hers instead.
"C'mere," I muttered. "Walk with me."
A faint crease formed between her brows. Suspicious little thing. But she didn't argue. Didn't jab. Didn't deflect.
That's when my hackles went up all over again.
I laced my fingers through hers and tugged her away from the fence. Her hand fit in mine easy. Like it'd always belonged right there.
We walked the perimeter of the paddock in silence. Gravel crunched under our boots. The stallion snorted behind us, still restless.
When she didn't fill the quiet with some smartass comment, I knew.
