Page 30 of Wild Lies

I grin, my cheeks aching from the size of it. “Never even crossed my mind to consider that it did.”

Spending time with Kade might just become my new favorite thing to do. And while I’m here in Coldwater, I might as well make the most of it.

17

KADE

There’s an excited energy racing through me as I bound up the front porch steps of Chloe’s cabin. It’s a little after ten in the morning, I’ve got the day off, and I can’t think of anyone better to spend it with. I rap my knuckles on the door, turning to look out at the view as I wait for her to answer.

Maybe I should have called first.

I ignore the niggling doubt, rocking back on my heels. If she wants me gone, I’ll go. But today I want to show her the ranch and everything that I love about it.

It feels like an eternity before I hear the door being unlocked behind me. I turn to face Chloe, a wide grin on my face. The only time she’s looked better than she does now was when she was in the midst of her orgasm. Her hair’s sticking up from where she hasn’t had a chance to brush it yet, and sleep still lingers on her features, making her look soft and like home.

I drag my eyes away from the expanse of her bare, toned legs, barely concealed by the oversized white T-shirt and say, “Mornin’, buttercup.”

“Kade?” She rubs her eye with the hand not holding the door open. “What are you doing here?”

Sheepishly, I look down at the floor before looking up at her from under my lashes. “I thought I’d see if you wanna come out and play.”

She huffs out a laugh, the sound sinking into me like the early-morning sun as she leans against the end of the door and half hides behind it. “Is that the adult version or the PG version of ‘playing’?”

“Urgh,” I groan. “For my sins, this is the PG version, and as much as I wanna say ‘whichever you want,’ I do in fact want us to leave your cabin today.”

Stepping back to open the door wider, Chloe replies, “Well, I’m not going anywhere looking like this. You better come in while I get ready.”

I don’t move right away. Instead, I wait for her to meet my gaze before saying, “If you have plans, I can get lost. I know we’ve spent a lot of time together since you arrived and I don’t want you to feel like you have to oblige me.”

She tilts her head, twisting her mouth. “I don’t have any plans, and I like spending time with you.” Her eyes grow heavy and she darts her tongue out to wet her bottom lip before adding, “Besides, I want to know what your PG version of ‘playing’ is now that I’m very well acquainted with your adult version.”

Satisfied that she’s not just entertaining me, I remove my Stetson and cross the threshold, making sure to stuff my free hand into my pocket as I pass her. As much as I want to reach out and touch her, I don’t know that I could stop if I did and I really do want to show her the ranch today.

Chloe closes the door behind me before moving through the living room—avoiding my path—and rushing up the stairs. “I just need five minutes,” she calls.

“Take all the time you need.”

I hear her moving around before it falls quiet, and then from the top of the stairs she calls, “Do I have time for a shower?”

Grinning up at her, I reply, “Yeah, I’m in no rush.”

Her shoulders relax before she dashes out of sight, and the sound of the water running fills the cabin. I drop onto the couch, resting my head back and closing my eyes as her scent mixed with the cedar of the cabin walls wraps around me. There’s a familiarity to it that gives me comfort.

As I listen to the sounds of Chloe moving around above me, I can’t help but wonder if how I’m feeling now—this deep connection to her, like I knew her in a past life—is how my parents felt. They always used to tell me about how from the day they first met, they were inseparable. I brushed it off because I’d never met anybody who made me feel that way. Hell, in my thirty years of existence, I’ve only had around four serious relationships, they always ended when someone wanted something the other didn’t, but something about Chloe makes me want to give her whatever it is she demands of me.

It doesn’t take her long to get ready, and within an hour, we’re in my truck heading back to Heartlands. A soft ballad plays on the stereo from whatever station she tuned it to when we climbed in. She taps her fingers against her bare thigh, humming along as she watches the land pass by.

“I know you touched on it at dinner, but what exactly does your family do?”

I glance at her before turning my attention back to the road. “A lot of different things. We’ve got ties with ranches in Texas, where we essentially rent their land to keep our cattle. We have workers there who are on our payroll but live in their accommodation. There’s the agricultural side, which Wyatt is responsible for now. Rodeo sponsorships, which means our name and brand are on everything at every event. Like I said at dinner, we’ve got breeding contracts, land leases, the list goes on. I think you’ll find it pretty boring.”

“It actually sounds interesting and busy.”

I chuckle, reaching across to rest my hand on her warm thigh. “It is busy, but most of our work is done in the early hours of the morning, so it’s not so bad. I still have plenty of time to live a life.”

The rest of the drive is made in a comfortable quiet, and when we arrive at the ranch, I hop out, rounding the truck just in time to open Chloe’s door for her.

“Always such a gentleman,” she teases, slipping her hand into mine.