Page 151 of Saltwater Cowboy

He exhaled, brushing his nose along my jaw before pressing another soft kiss there, as if he was making sure I felt the words before he spoke them. “It wasn’t just a night for me, Rose.”

I turned fully in his arms, my pulse racing. “It wasn’t for me either.”

A slow, satisfied smile tugged at his lips, and before I could say anything else, he kissed me again.

His lips were slow and searching, like he was memorizing the way I tasted, the way I fit against him. I melted into it, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling the steady drum of his heartbeat beneath my palm.

Wells tilted his head, deepening the kiss, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my hip. “You’re dangerous, Rose Solace,” he murmured against my lips.

I smiled, still breathless. “Why’s that?”

His hand skimmed up my side, slipping beneath the sheet. “Because I don’t think I’ll ever want to let you go.”

A shiver danced down my spine at his words, at the quiet confession laced within them.

“Then don’t,” I whispered.

His expression darkened with something deeper, something almost reverent. “You mean that?”

Instead of answering, I kissed him again, pouring every bit of truth into it. Last night wasn’t just heat and desperation—it was something more. It was trust. It was letting go of the past and stepping into something new.

Wells groaned softly, his grip tightening as he pulled me flush against him. I felt the shift in his body, the way his muscles tensed, the way his breathing changed.

“Fuck, Rose,” he muttered. “You’re gonna ruin me.”

I grinned, running my nails lightly down his chest, watching the way his jaw clenched. “Good.”

In a flash, he rolled us over, pinning me beneath him, his weight pressing me into the mattress. His gaze flickered between my eyes and my lips, like he was trying to decide if he wanted to speak or kiss me senseless.

“Say it again,” he murmured, his fingers threading through mine as he pinned my hands above my head.

I arched beneath him, loving the feel of his body covering mine. “Good,” I repeated, breathy and teasing.

He let out a low curse before capturing my mouth in a kiss that sent fire racing through my veins.

The sheets tangled around us as he pressed me deeper into the mattress, his hands exploring, his lips trailing heat down my neck, my collarbone.

Wells didn’t rush this time. His hands moved over me like he had all the time in the world, like he wanted to savor every inch of my skin. His lips followed, pressing slow, open-mouthed kisses along my throat, down the center of my chest.

I arched into his touch, my breath catching as he trailed lower, his mouth teasing, his hands firm as he held me exactly where he wanted me.

“Wells,” I breathed, my fingers threading through his hair, tugging slightly, silently urging him on.

He hummed against my skin, the vibration sending a shiver down my spine. “Patience, Sunshine,” he murmured, his voice thick with promise. “I plan on taking my time with you.”

Heat pooled in my stomach, anticipation thrumming through my veins. “You’re torturing me,” I whispered.

He smirked, glancing up at me with dark, hungry eyes. “No, darlin’. I’m worshipping you.”

Wells finally let me escape the sheets—barely. Every time I tried to get up, he’d pull me back for one more kiss, one more lingering touch that made me forget what I was supposed to be doing. Eventually, I managed to slip out of bed, grabbing his discarded shirt from the floor and tugging it on.

He propped himself up on one elbow, watching me with a lazy, satisfied grin. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I laughed, running a hand through my messy hair. “Taking care of the farm. That was the deal, remember? I told you I’d handle everything today.”

Wells sat up, stretching, the sheets pooling dangerously low on his hips. “You don’t have to do it alone. I can help.”

I shot him a look. “You do this every day, Wells. You deserve a break. Let me take care of things.”