AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Though she was now on her feet, our hands were still joined. I looked at her small, dainty hands. They were warm, soft. I wanted to touch more of her. I wanted to sink my nose into that gorgeous hair. I wanted to count her freckles. I wanted to put babies in her. Immediately.
“Where are you from?”
“Here. I was born here but I don’t live here anymore. I’m just visiting.”
“Well, Rikki who’s visiting… this is gonna sound crazy, but… I think we should spend the day together.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. It was fucking adorable.
What I wasn’t saying was, “And the rest of our lives, too.”
She wasn’t a shifter. She needed to be primed for all I had to say, all I planned to do.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Not as of yesterday.”
“A husband?” I pushed.
She shook her head again, smiling shyly. “Not as of ever.”
“Nobody for me to compete with?” I tried, giving her a flirtatious smile.
“Nobody who could possibly be a contender, Riley,” she replied and did it in a way that felt weighty. Like she already knew me, knew this about me.
Strange sensations bloomed in my chest.
“Wanna take a walk with me?” I asked, still holding her hand.
“I’d like that.”
So we walked through the field of wildflowers, holding hands, each of us with a bouquet of the blooms she’d picked in our free hand.
Once we got to the dirt road on the other side, I noticed her feet were bare.
“Where are your shoes?” I asked.
She snickered. “I left them behind.”
“Behind? In there?” I tipped my head toward the field.
She shook her head. “I took a walk last night and left them behind.” She shrugged.
“Fueled by alcohol?”
“Actually,” she said softly, pink tingeing her cheeks. “I’m not much of a shoe person.”
I laughed, then I plucked a little green inchworm out of her hair and she watched me set it on a tree trunk.
“Bye,” she whispered to it, “Thanks for keeping me company.” And then she swung my hand as we continued walking.
My face split into a wide smile.
This girl was different.
“Tell me about yourself, Rikki.”
“How about you go first, Riley?”
I laughed. “Weird but I can’t think of a single thing to say.”
“That is weird. How come?”
“Maybe because all I can think of is how much I wanna kiss you.”
A swallow worked down her slender throat. And there was lust in her eyes. And… yes… arousal between her legs.
“Hold you. Take you home,” I added huskily, “And keep you.”
She didn’t startle. Didn’t look like she wanted to run. Her eyes didn’t show as much as a hint of panic. Instead, she stared at me with wonder as that irresistible fragrance intensified. And it surprised me, but it felt very right.
She got up on her tiptoes, dropping her bouquet and reaching for my jaw. And I didn’t hesitate to move in and touch my mouth to hers, not letting go of my bouquet until she let out a sweet little whimper that went straight to my cock.
When the second bouquet dropped, my fingers dove into her hair as our tongues touched.
Kissing this girl felt right. Righter than any kiss. Like she’s mine.
“You’re gonna think this is crazy, but… I meant every word I just said.”
“It’s not crazy,” she said against my mouth. “It’s… it’s amazing. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
I frowned.
“I mean… it is crazy. But… in the best way. It’s… wow. I’m embarrassed now.” Her cheeks tinted pink. “I’m feeling a little woozy. Do you mind if we sit down for a second?”
She advanced a few paces and plopped down on her bottom under a tree.
“You need water? I’ve got some in my truck. I’ll be… I’ll be right back. Stay here. Yeah?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“Stay here, okay? Don’t go anywhere or I’ll have to hunt you down.”
She nodded, not looking remotely tweaked by my poor but accurate choice of words.
I ran.
I ran fast, feeling elation blended with concern. Elation at finding her but concern at her sitting alone under a tree feeling unwell. I grabbed my lunch pail, which I knew still had supplies leftover from yesterday’s lunch on a job site and looked inside. Water. A couple protein bars, a packaged cupcake, and an apple.
I grabbed it and booked it back to her.
There she was, sitting where I’d left her in her pretty dress, with all those flowers in her hair, her little toes digging into the grass. Watching me. Smiling at me like I was a genie coming out of a bottle to grant her three wishes.
I sat down and opened the lunch pail.
“Always pack a big lunch. Waters aren’t cold but better than nothing.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I uncapped one and passed it to her and then watched her drink a few mouthfuls.
“Better?” I asked a minute later.
She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think so.”
