Page 40 of More Than My Hometown

Ewan nods, smiling. He leans in, tightening his hands on my hips. “If you only knew how close Gus came to missing out on her. Might be the only woman on this planet willing to put up with his grumpy ass.”

“I knew Brenna had taken over as town pharmacist for Mr. Hovland, but I didn’t realize she’d bought the whole business from him. She’s twenty-seven and a business owner! In my mind she’s still that little tween girl who got all moony-eyed whenever Milo came around.”

“She still gets moony-eyed over Milo. Only now he gets moony-eyed in return, and it’s nauseating. I suggest giving them a wide berth.”

“And Sawyer?” I continue to ramble, ignoring Ewan’s quip about his second oldest brother. “Also scary smart. And quick on her feet. I bet she gives Anton a run for his money.”

“That she does. You’ll get to see it in action this afternoon. It’s more than worth the price of admission, I promise.”

“That price being not showing up empty-handed,” I reiterate, the nerves resurfacing. “It’s rude.”

“The price is you, being you.”

Strong fingers dig into my hips, Ewan’s mouth capturing mine in a hot, hard kiss. It’s the kind of kiss that fantasies are made of—all fervor and passion, erasing your mind and making you want more. My limbs move independently from me, toes pushing me up closer to him, while my hands desperately try to hold on to his biceps. The graze of his teeth along my bottom lip sends me reeling, another involuntary moan escaping as I try even harder to close the already imperceptible distance between us.

“Somehow, I don’t think it’s my sisters-in-law that have you all worked up,” he whispers, kissing along my jaw toward my ear. “Or Sunday dinner.”

“No, right now that would be you.”

“Is that so?” he growls, slipping a hand down the backside of my shorts and palming my ass. “Because I’m pretty sure what I’m doing is calming you down.”

I open my mouth to argue. To tell him no, this is absolutely getting me worked up—and wet—and if he’s not careful, this conversation is going to take a turn, but the graze of his teeth on my earlobe stops me. His strong hands knead my flesh, and I am putty in his hands. I’m ready to confess all my sins, including exactly what has me in a tizzy this morning.

Because Ewan’s right. It’s more than simple manners and etiquette for showing up to Sunday dinner.

It’s the shift I felt this week. The unknown thing inside me that woke up one morning and didn’t feel quite as much like the outsider anymore. And that baby step I took to maybe making Hickory Hills home again. To putting my roots back into the ground.

“I-I want this,” I stutter.

Moving his hand from my ass around to my front, Ewan slips it between my legs, running a single finger through my wetness. I shiver, the feel of him there so overwhelming I can barely breathe. And all he did was take a single swipe. Didn’t even get close to my clit.

Holy shit…

“That’s very clear, baby,” he whispers, nipping at my neck.

“No, not this,” I pant, my thoughts trying to catch up. “I mean, yes, this. But, also, the big this. Ketchup pact this.”

Ewan grins—a cheesy, overexcited child on Christmas morning grin—fire flashing in his eyes. His hand moves again, swiping me once more, again avoiding my clit, but still managing to send a rip of pleasure through me. Then, it’s gone.

Hand quickly removed from my shorts, Ewan is holding on to my hips and lifting me up onto the counter in the blink of an eye. I squeak, the movement catching me by surprise. More than that, the new, darker shade of his eyes drives me wild.

“Landon has an opening on his emergency response team, and asked if I’d be interested in filling in for however long I’m in town. I told him yes.”

The words tumble out of me, like dice out of the cup while playing Yahtzee. I keep my answer simple, same as I did with Landon. I’m not ready to say the real words out loud yet, even to Ewan. They’re big and scary and if something changes, I don’t know that either of us can go through that hurt again. But right now, I know what both my head and my heart are telling me.

I’m not leaving here any time soon…

“Good girl,” Ewan growls, his eyes going even darker, his grip tightening on my hips as he yanks me forward.

My body betrays me. Lust rips down my spine, those two words evoking a very different meaning in this moment. Doing exactly what he wanted them to do, making me instantly wet.

“Y-y-you don't seem surprised,” I choke out, as teeth graze along my collarbone, halting my thoughts in place.

Ewan reaches for the hem of my tank, lifting it over my head, the cool air hitting my skin making me shiver. Or maybe that’s him and the way he’s looking at me. Like I’m the last cupcake at the picnic and he hasn’t eaten in a week.

“Landon asked if your credentials were still active in Georgia while we watched you work your magic with Kendall. I told him he needed to talk to you.”

Dipping his head to my breast, he takes my nipple into his mouth, running his tongue along the taut peak.