Page 55 of Broken Boundaries

“She’s the best,” I agree with him. Dawson is the perfect guy for her. Not me. I could never be with Aspen the way he could. With our age difference and Zach? It would never work between us. But that doesn’t stop me from hoping. “Alright, I’d better get home before my food gets cold. You two have a good night.”

“Thanks, Mr. Calloway.”

Aspen doesn’t say anything as I nod quickly and walk away. I have no doubt she’s wondering what the hell I’m doing. I’ve given her no reason to think I have feelings for her, and honestly, I didn’t want to admit to myself that I did. But now that I’ve acknowledged it, I can’t get her out of my head.

I leave Melvin’s feeling stupid and deflated. What was I hoping would happen? That she’d leave her date and come home with me? If anything, I’ve just made everything worse. Now she knows I’m into her, and I can’t do anything about it.

After I eat my cold burger, I change into sweatpants and decide to sit on my front porch. I genuinely enjoy being outside, but tonight I’m specifically waiting for Aspen. I want to make sure she makes it home ok. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

Maybe I just like to torture myself. I’m starting to think that’s a real possibility.

Her car eventually pulls up the gravel drive. It’s not late at all, which tells me that the date didn’t go very far.

She turns the car off, tosses her purse by the door, and stomps over in my direction.

“What the hell was that, Brooks?” she asks. Fuck, she’s cute when she’s mad.

“How was your date?” I respond calmly.

“It was great,” she spits out. “We had dinner. Then ice cream while we walked around town. Now answer my question.”

“Do you like him?” I ask.

“He’s a very nice guy. Now again, why were you at Melvin’s?”

“I told you I was hungry.”

“I’ve seen you cook. You make enough food to have leftovers for weeks, and in the couple months I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen you go to Melvin’s for takeout.” It seems she might know me a little too well. Better than I thought, anyway. Honestly, it gives me hope that maybe she feels the same about me as I do for her.

I shrug one shoulder. “Felt like Melvin’s tonight.”

“On the one night you knew I was going to be there on a date?”

“Coincidence.”

Her shoulders slump. “Brooks, I’m going to ask you one more time. Why were you at Melvin’s tonight?”

She’s mad and has every right to be, but for some reason, I can’t get myself to admit why I was there. I mean, what am I supposed to say, “Sorry I came to crash your date because I just realized I might have feelings for you and I got jealous.” Yeah, no. I can’t see that going over well.

We stare at each other. She’s breathing heavy after all that yelling, and even though I know she’s pissed at me, she still looks so beautiful.

She got dressed up for him. Of course she did. Because she wants to date him. He’s a better option for her than I am.

After I don’t say anything, she huffs and turns around, stomping back to her house, all the while mumbling something about how unbelievable I am.

Watching her walk away from me triggers something in my brain, and I’m up and following her in seconds.

I catch up to her as she gets to the front door. I grab her arm and spin her toward me, pushing her back up against the door.

I don’t say anything. I don’t need to. Because the second she looks up at me with her big blue eyes, I’m a goner. I bring my free hand to the nape of her neck and lean down to kiss her.

I don’t bother going slow. This woman has been consuming my every thought since she walked onto my ranch. No, this kiss is not slow. It’s everything. All the frustration, all the jealousy come out in this kiss. She doesn’t try to resist me. She molds herself to me, opening her mouth and letting me in.

She whimpers as my tongue slides around hers. After her initial shock wears off, her hands wrap around me, tugging at the back of my shirt like she needs to be closer. I rock my hips against her, and she moans.

I kiss her until it feels like I need more. I need everything. I pull back to tell her to open the door and let me in, but when I see her swollen lips and hooded eyes, the realization of what I’ve just done comes hurtling back at me.

I kissed my son’s ex-girlfriend. The same girl he’s still in love with. I kissed my much younger employee.