Page 9 of The Rancher

His thumbs brush gently across my cheeks as he smiles. "You hesitated. Got it. I'll take you to your bed."

"It's not that." I take a slow breath. "It's just… I've never…" My eyebrow quirks up. “Been tucked in before as an adult, if you get my drift."

Stone's eyes fly wide open. "Oh! Gotcha. Understood." He hugs me close against his chest. "Well, you can pick either bed. If you choose mine, I could cuddle you like this all night." Rocking back and forth, I get the sense that Stone must be a good dancer. What an interesting trait for a ranch guy.

"I'm not exactly begging, as such," he adds. "I just think we’d both like it."

My head tilts back as I look up at him, unable to stifle a giggle. "Go ahead. Beg."

His bottom lip juts out in a comical pout as he gives me puppydog eyes. "Please come to my bed, Remy. I can't stand the thought of you being cold. Or alone. Or jumping out of bed in the middle of the night to put in who knows how many hours of work instead of sleeping."

I smack his shoulder lightly. "It's almost like you know me." Tossing my hair, I head for the guest room. “Fine – I’ll meet you in your room in a minute.”

I brush my teeth in my bathroom, then brush my hair and tie it up in a messy topknot. I always sleep in a tank top and baggy cut off sweatpants, so that's what I’m wearing when I walk and see Stone standing by his bed.

Holy everloving shit.

I can see almost every inch of his tanned, gorgeous physique, since he's wearing nothing but navy boxer briefs when he snaps on the bedside lamp.

He really is a mountain man. Head to toe muscle, firm and sculpted. Yet not in that tightly cut way like a bodybuilder. Stone's sturdy frame was created through real-world work. Rugged mountain ranch strength. The man could probably lifts boulders over his head for fun.

He turns when he hears me gasp, then chuckles at my open mouth. He turns off the overhead light, slipping an arm around my waist. "I approve of those pants. Comfy clothes are better for sleeping."

The man already knows exactly what to say to put me at ease. He scoops me into his arms to walk the five steps to his bed. His room is even bigger than mine. There's so much space out here, it's mind-boggling.

He places me at the edge of the bed, then arranges all the blankets around me. He fluffs my pillow, fetches me a glass of water, then fluffs my pillow again. Then he tucks the blankets all around my feet, legs and arms until I can barely move.

All the while, I'm giggling. Stone finally gets into bed next to me, on top of the blankets. He lounges propped up on his elbow, tracing a finger lazily around my shoulder.

"You know, I actually think I’m overtucked," I laugh. “Didn’t you say something about snuggling?"

"Well…" he drawls. "First I'm reading your expression to make sure you're nice and comfortable."

"Very comfortable. Thank you."

There's something in the way he smiles and runs his fingers to the side of my hair that makes me melt. "I really do like having you here, Remy. You're not just an excuse to break out the good coffee."

"I like it here too." I wriggle on my side of the bed, struggling to pull my arms out, while Stone laughs. As soon as my hands are free, I loosen all the blankets so he can slip underneath.

In a flash, there’s no “my side” and “his side” anymore. Stone pulls me against him in the center of the bed, his hot, naked chest against my breasts.

We fall into a soft, slow kiss as his hand sneaks under my shirt to caress my waist and ribs. Even as lust overwhelms us, making me draw my knee over his hip, this kiss isn't just physical arousal. The way we breathe together, incrementally moving closer, his lips soft and warm against mine and his tongue exploring gently, testing every step before he proceeds…

It’s romantic. There is much, much more beneath the surface of…whatever this is.

It’s crazy to think that the first man I ever truly kiss would be the one I end up with forever. But from the way he holds me so close, I swear it feels like he never wants to let me go.

And I don't want him to.

It’s wild: I'm usually the type to analyze everything. To make plans and research things to death. But here I am thinking about happily ever after with a sexy mountain man I barely know. It's probably this mind-scrambling kiss taking over.

His bottom arm slides underneath me, wrapping around and gently caressing my ass as he pulls us closer. I moan when I feel his thick erection pressed against me. Instantly my hips start to shift, rocking against him restlessly.

He growls, then rolls me a few inches away. "Hey now. Don't let me lose track of my mission." His voice is lower. Smokier.

"Mission?"

"Yes. To make sure you’re properly cared for during your break."