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My sister twists toward me. “Look, I don’t know this guy you’re talking to, but I know you’re the most responsible person on the planet. So, if you trust him, he can’t be that bad. Maybe you take today to do something for yourself.” She reaches for my hand. “I won’t say anything to Mom and Dad, but text me the address to where you’re going so I don’t have to feel like a shit sister if your judgment is off and this guy is moreDeaththan Ranger.”
I glance down at my phone. It’s nine fifty. If I leave now, I’ll be there right on time and the thought of seeing Romeo again has my heart pounding and my stomach fluttering with excitement.
“Are you sure?”
My sister pushes me up from the bench. “Yes! Go.”
I latch onto her shoulders, hugging her quickly before making my way down the side yard toward my car. “I owe you big time,” I holler back as I walk, a little afraid of what I’ve gotten myself into.
Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was moving on from this man. Now, I’m rushing off to see him like I’m on fire and he’s the only human on Earth who can put me out.
Chapter Four
Romeo
A shallow creek trickles through the meandering stone path. I park inside the tree line, keeping my truck from view of any passersby. I could’ve ridden my bike. It would’ve been easier to hide, but the rain we’ve been getting lately doesn’t make for a great ride.
Life would be even easier if we didn’t have this territory treaty. No Death Rangers here, and no Rugged Mountain MC in the Springs. If any member disobeys this agreement, they will be dealt with accordingly.
I should care more about this, but the only thing on my mind is Piper. Her thick hips, her pretty chestnut hair, the way she laughs and crinkles her nose.
Closing my eyes, I draw in a ragged breath of the alpine air. If she doesn’t come today, I’m not sure what my next move is. I know patience is my best bet, but the long periods of time without her are agony.
I step over a downed tree and sit on the edge of its trunk, watching a fallen leaf float and disappear behind a blackberry bush. We haven’t talked in six weeks and I’m not sure where she’s at emotionally. Hell, I’m not even sure she’ll show up today.
I huff out a laugh and snap a stick off a nearby tree, fiddling with the wood as I try to reconcile what the fuck has happened to me. Before Piper, I didn’t give a fuck about anyone’s emotions. With Piper, all that’s different.She’s different.Iwantto know her every thought. Iwantto hold her up when she’s falling down. Iwantto be the one she runs to when the world doesn’t make sense.
“Hey,” a soft voice echoes behind me, stopping my heart.
I stand and turn back, staring at the girl I’m most definitely in love with. She’s wearing a black sundress with long turquoise earrings and a pair of Ariat boots with stitching along the outside. Her hair hangs down over her shoulders in low curls and her gaze is bright and wet, as though she’s been crying.
There are a million things I want to say to her, but my throat tightens, and I press toward her as though there’s no other need on Earth as strong as our lips pressing together.
One hand lands on her waist, the other on her face. I lean in and kiss her lips. The bottom first, then the top. The motion is rushed, but the kiss is slow and meaningful. I never want it to end. There’s a firestorm in my blood and I’m desperate to burn.
Her hands link into mine, soft and smooth, and the floral scent of her skin lingers in the air around us. Fuck, I’ve missed her. I miss her more than I’ve ever missed anything in my life.
She moans into my mouth, muttering something before she pushes me away, breathless. “We should stop.”
This isn’t what I want to hear. “Why? You didn’t miss me?”
She looks away. Her voice is raw and low as she says, “You know I miss you. I miss you every single day.” A tear falls.
I lean in and kiss it away. “Then why do you want to stop?”
Her breath is quick as she speaks. “Because I have all these feelings for you.” Her lip trembles. “What do I do with them? They’re all pointless. I can’t meet up with you every six weeks and pretend like…” She sighs. “I don’t know.”
If I could look away from her, I would… but I’m fixated. My thumb runs over her bottom lip, tracing the gentle curve.
She closes her eyes and stands there. “I don’t know what to do with all these feelings, Romeo. Every cell in my body wants you. That’s why I’m here. But…”
I take her face in my hand and touch my forehead to hers. “When I was a kid, I’d go out and help my grandparents on their ranch. They’d set me right in the middle of all of it and give me no direction at all, except‘work.’My cousins would come out too, but they’d all fuck around and ignore the tasks.” I brush back a strand of her hair.
“At first, I hated the work, and I wanted to fuck off, too. It was hot, exhausting, and half the time I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. But I didn’t quit like everyone else did. I worked harder, and as I got older, I realized how much hard work highlights a person’s character.” I kiss her forehead. “This is worth working for, Piper. I won’t give up on us.”
She gasps and presses her lips to mine with a groan, and for now, everything around us disappears. The fear, the hesitation, the worries about right and wrong. This moment is for us, and only us.
I hold her against my frame as tight as I can, my hand wandering over her hip and onto her ass.
