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“What do you think?” He nudges a finger against the bottle beside us, then pours us a glass.

“The Darlin’, huh? You sure about that, cowboy?” Cole lifts the glass to my lips, and I take a sip. It’s so smooth, just like the man in front of me.

“Surest thing I’ve ever done.” Then he gently grips the back of my neck and stares into my eyes. “Are you, Delilah?” His voice is an unraveling thread of doubt.

Countless emotions pass over his face. I hear what he’s asking. I see it war in him. His dark side, his grief. That’s what that night ripped open. Old wounds. Anger. Fear.

But I will never let it take him under again.

No one’s ever fought for me like this man. I would do the same for him.

He studies my reaction, worried about my silence.

I take his hand, running a finger over that scar on his palm. “I’m here, Cole. I’m not going anywhere.” Part of being with Cole means being beside him. Being strong for him no matter what comes our way.

His eyes briefly close, as if he can’t—or won’t—believe my words. “It’s a lot, Delilah, this life.”

“I want it all. I want it with you.”

He leans down, wrapping his arms around my waist to rest his dark head on my breast. “You don’t understand, darlin’.” The hitch in his voice claws at me.

“I do. I couldn’t survive without you either.” I press myself tightly toward him, hooking my hands around his neck. “I love you, you know.”

“Goddamn, baby.” I feel him tremble. Emotion chokes his words. “I was so scared. So fucking scared. The thought of a life without you. The thought that I put you in danger—”

“Cole, no.”

“I can’t lose you. I won’t.”

That’s what he’s worried about, me being in the crosshairs again one day.

But I know what I want, what I’m getting myself into. I’m his harmony. He’s my darkness. He’ll never quit being that ruthless cowboy, but I’ll never quit him either. He’ll put down anyone who threatens me, and I’ll let him. In turn, I’ll protect him.

Loving Cole Weston is as easy and as smooth as the whiskey he makes.

“It’s a risk we take. But we take it together.” I kiss his hair, then pull back to look into the brilliant blue depths of his eyes.

“You have a good heart. The best heart.” His calloused hands frame my face. “And I won’t let anyone change that. Not even me.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Cole, or of what you’ve done. I’m afraid of being without you.”

“Then marry me.” A ragged breath erupts from his broad chest. His hand cups my cheek as he straightens up. “It won’t be an easy life, but I swear, darlin’, I’ll give you everything.”

My heart sprouts wings at his words. “Babies?” I breathe.

Fire and longing burn in his eyes. “Marriage. Babies. Family. You name it, you have it.”

“Yes.” I nod, sliding my hands around the back of his neck to pull him down to my lips. Tears form in my eyes. “Yes, you have me, Cole. I’m yours.”

His rugged face creases in happiness. Gaze darkening, he crushes his mouth to mine, clutching at my hips and wrenching me toward him. The space between us detonates, and I let that fire incinerate us, let this brutal, beautiful cowboy of mine ride me off into the sunset of our dreams.

53 Cole

The distillery is abuzz with the noise of people, of family, of Tempest locals. The smell of hot dogs and hamburgers wafts toward me, coming from a food truck parked in the gravel lot.

I hitch my fingers through my belt loops and scan the festivities. Unable to help it, a chuckle rolls out of my chest. We goddamn did it.

The limited-edition launch party has gone off without a hitch.