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Rourke nodded.That’s completely unhelpful, but I don’t know why I’m surprised.

Khash continued unexpectedly, forcing him to continue paying attention. “You know, you look like a bull in love, Rourke. And that’s great, we’re happy for you . . . but you want to make sure you’re in love with more than being in love. I understand how it is. You get to be our age and suddenly realize the road doesn’t go on forever. It puts things in perspective. But you want to make sure you’re not just in love with the notion of not being alone.”

The orc’s words made him swallow, for it was an echo of the way he’d grappled with himself in the beginning.No. We’re past that. You want her, only her.

“You have to fall in love with someone real and not the idea you have of what she ought to be. Because if you’re going to fall in love with all the good bits, you gotta find something worth loving in all the bad. She’s not perfect, and neither are you. Some days are gonna be messy. But that’s the part you have to love extra hard. And the same for her because Shanth’a knowsyouain’t perfect.”

He scowled at the dig but nodded, deciding to ignore the Khash dig and take the message to heart. He thought back over Violet’s little self-deprecating remarks that she tried to laugh away.Being anxious and guilty is my birthright. He could love that anxious little kitten and be strong and decisive in her stead. After all, that’s what he was good at. Being the bull in charge.

At the front window, Lurielle’s Yorkie was throwing herself at the glass, barking loud enough to scatter the birds in the tree at the end of the driveway. Khash’s big mastiff, in complete contrast, stared balefully back at his part-time companion, waiting patiently at his master’s side, silent.

“And at our age, it doesn’t take five years to fall in love. It can happen in a weekend, as long as you see the real person and not just what you want her to be. After that, you just gotta fuck her so good she don’t ever want to leave.”

They both laughed, and Khash disappeared into Lurielle’s house with his giant dog, leaving him alone. Rourke nodded decisively to himself. He could do that. He could doallof that.By the end of this weekend, she’ll never want to go home.

He was just about to disappear into his house when the mail carrier came across the yard.Excellent timing. He needed to shower and tidy up the house a bit, even though he was already tidy by nature, but he wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her. An advertisement caught his eye immediately as he shuffled through the junk mail.

Don’t let arthritis slow you down from the activities you love.Pictured on the front of the long card were a Minotaur rollerblading, a sable spotted bull running across an improbably green field with two small children, and a third mid-throw at a bowling alley.Bonevra helps rebuild cartilage for extra joint support as you age. Don’t let arthritis slow you down when you’re living life to the fullest.He squinted, turning the flier over. At the end of the small print outlining the laundry list of side effects associated with the medication, Rourke found what he was looking for.Bonevra is a registered trademark of Pfizzle Pharmaceuticals.

The blood work from the milking farm.Always the product. They hadn’t let the grass grow under their feet, he thought savagely, snapping a photo of the flier and texting it to Madoc before flinging it in the trash. He could be annoyed over the implications of this later. Right now, he had a seduction to plan.

* * *

“No coffee tonight,” he announced as she entered the collection room, hands on his hips. Rourke was right, he’d decided, even though the very admission made his neck itch as if he’d been bitten by something.

There was no sense in hiding who he was. He wanted her to fall in love withhim, and he was bossy and exacting and more than just a little bull-headed. There was no sense in continuing to pretend otherwise and let her think he was something he was not. “We’re getting piñata juggernauts. Limited time only. Everybody likes ice cream; you can’t say no.”

It was the first time he had been back to the farm since they’d started dating. Just being back in this room — the antiseptic smell of the cleaner they used, the dull hum of the milking machines engine, and the sight of her on the lower level, looking so small and far away — was an instant hit of nostalgia, as if the kind they had spent together in these rooms was from another age. Coming to the farm today had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, but now that he was here, he was second-guessing the decision.

Violet came up the staircase to the upper level, her dark eyes crinkled with her smile. His breath caught when she pulled down her face mask, gripping his shirt for leverage as she pulled herself up to her toes to plant a kiss on the wide pink expanse of his bare, ringless nose. “That’s very bossy,” she admonished him, to which he responded with a not-at-all suppressed smile.

“You can pick the flavor. There are chocolate stars inside and rainbow confetti, so I don’t know why this is even a question. And just so you know, I’m an eldest child, so just in case you were keeping score, being bossy ismybirthright.”

He dropped his hands to her waist, holding her in place against him, her palms still resting against his front when her hips shifted slightly. He hissed. His cock was as stiff as it had been at the start of every milking appointment, that day being no exception.

“You know, I thought it would be smart to have an appointment today. I have a hot date tonight, and I thought it might be good to take the edge off.”

Violet bit her lip, eyes sparkling. “That sounds like a good idea. I’m sure the hot date will appreciate it.”

“Well, see, that’s just the thing. I think I changed my mind. I ought to go home now, save the edge for her.”

Her mouth dropped open, shaking her head at his audacity as she laughed, pushing lightly against his chest.

“I like this girl. I like her a lot. We have a great connection, and I feel like I can be myself around her. I hope she knows she can always be herself with me. I can picture her in my life in five years, in ten years. I know that probably seems like it’s premature, but this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been stupid in relationships before, but I know what I want. She checks all my boxes. I think I do for her as well. I hope I do, in any case. Tonight’s a big night; we’ve been taking it slow. I am a gentleman, after all . . .”

Before him, her eyes had gone glassy. Her lips quivered, trapped between her teeth for a moment, before pushing into a tremulous smile, her head nodding. “Like a perfect gentleman,” she murmured, pulling herself up for another kiss.

He cupped her cheek in his palm, smoothing away a crystalline teardrop. She was smiling, and her eyes were clear, with no hint of worry or regret.Maybe you’re actually doing things right for the first time in your life.

“I’m going to go home. Save this all for her. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if we’ll even make it dessert first; we might need to jump right to the post-dessert activities first.”

Violet tilted her head, grinding into his erection again, and he groaned. “That’ll just make the main course all the more satisfying.”

Rourke chuckled, gently releasing her grip and taking a step back, but not before leaning down to capture her lips one final time. “I might even surprise her early. I hope she comes prepared.”

* * *

She had not come prepared. Rourke was forced to accept the fact, as he stood in his hallway wearing nothing but a small bath towel, that perhaps he had been too subtle in his messaging as Violet stood fully dressed before him, her face flushing crimson as she hunched in laughter.

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