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His tone sent shivers down my spine as the words “at the moment” echoed in my brain as if sung by a choir.
“I’m sorry, Sir.”
“You are a beautiful, caring woman, not a mess. You have no idea how much I want you back in my life. I’m sure things have changed but I can’t wait to discover how. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Sir.”
He studied me and I hoped he couldn’t see the doubts that still bubbled under my skin.
“Good. I think starting over is a wonderful idea. It will give me a chance to win you over again but this time I’ll do better.”
His voice had dropped into a dark deep tone that made memories of all the naughty things he’d done to me while we were dating flicker through my mind. I had to squeeze my thighs tightly to ease the ache in my core.
“You don’t have to do anything special.”
His eyes softened and I wanted to climb in his lap like I used to. The dichotomy of our relationship that spanned effortlessly from the nice to the dirty was one of the things I missed the most.
“It’s not about what I have to do. I want to show you that not only are you everything I desire, but that I can be everything you need. I plan on getting very creative to be sure you understand.”
His words were completely innocent but we both knew they meant so much more. As tempting as it was to throw myself at his feet, I knew I should take a little time to get my head on right. If he was going to be pulling out all the stops, I wanted to do the same.
Our lunch was over and if I was going to set a boundary for our new beginning, it needed to be then. “I’ll see you in your room at five? I can do the evening chores before dinner.”
“Did you want to go into town and show me your favorite restaurant or would you prefer to eat here?”
“Uh, I don’t want to go to town.” I was too embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t left the Ranch since the day I’d arrived. While I’d heard others talk of places in town, I’d never had the urge to visit them. Going out seemed like too much. “Could we stay here, Sir?”
His eyes studied me with an intensity that said he was reading so much more into what I was saying. I just hoped he wasn’t getting the wrong impression.
“Whatever you like, River. I noticed they have an Italian restaurant on-site, and I seem to recall a very naughty night with a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.”
The memory of him stripping me down naked after I’d gotten a drop of sauce on my blouse was as vivid as a movie in my mind. He’d hand-fed me while I knelt naked at his feet, shivering while he licked every splash of sauce off my skin. My face heated.
He chuckled and I loved the sound of his joy. My laughter joined his and he gripped my fingers as we remembered the good times. He lifted my hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back.
“I will see you later. Try to stay out of trouble.”
His wink did something magical to my insides. It was tempting to call him back as he strode away, but there was a lot I wanted to do before we got together again. If we were really starting over, that meant I needed to be ready for absolutely anything.
Chapter 8
Cade
A fresh slate. The concept was appealing but what did it really mean? I walked outside to get some fresh air and try to come up with a plan.
“Cade!” Andy’s call interrupted my tumbling thoughts. The smile on his face as he jogged over said that he was planning on giving me shit. “Want to go for a walk or are you going to blow me off again?”
I raised an eyebrow. My friend had balls and a very skewed perception of events. After everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure if I was angry or needed to buy him a good bottle of scotch.
“A walk sounds good, and then maybe you can explain how you knew River was here and why you didn’t tell me.”
He chuckled and gestured toward the path that led to the lake. We walked at a leisurely pace neither speaking for several minutes. Rawhide Ranch was an oasis designed to relax you and allow a person to let go of everyday stresses. The serenity and beauty of the place called to my soul and let me forget the stress of being tied to my phone and job. Don’t get me wrong, I likedthe faster pace of the city but could admit that sometimes we all needed to step away and re-discover our center.
Eventually my silence must have been too much for Andy because he sighed and spoke.
“I found out a few days before I made the suggestion to come here for your time off.”
I glared at him. “That was over a month ago. Why didn’t you just tell me she was here? I almost didn’t come.”
