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She closed her eyes and allowed herself to dive into this moment. The breeze brought with it the smells of the ranch that she’d grown accustomed to. Their comforting presence, combined with the delicate hold Mason had on her, made this moment more perfect than if it had been written in one of Mason’s books.
Her knees buckled, but her grip around his neck tightened. She leaned into him, offering herself to him—her whole self. The movement must have caught him off guard because he stiffened and stepped back so suddenly that she nearly collapsed on the floor.
It was then that she noticed her own shallow breathing and the heat in her face. She glanced over to Mason, her eyes clouded from the passion that had enveloped them. Had she done something wrong? There was now a good two feet between them.
Harley shivered, unwilling to ask him why he’d broken their kiss. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her middle and turned to the side so she could look out at the place she’d started to accept as her home. “That was…”
She could hear his footsteps, the heavy boots across the wooden planks as he came to stand beside her. His shoulder brushed up against hers as he leaned down and rested his forearms on the porch railing. “Yeah,” Mason’s voice cracked.
The heat that burned just beneath the surface intensified. While that had certainly not been her first kiss, and it hadn’t been the deepest one, it ranked at the very top for passion. They’d barely gotten anywhere, and all she could think about was how much she wanted more.
Harley rubbed her chin against her shoulder as she glanced over at him. “What now?”
Mason didn’t turn toward her. In fact, he didn’t seem to move even a muscle. “What do you mean?”
Her heart stumbled. While she’d thought the kiss was everything, she’d completely forgotten the fact that he’d pulled away first. Knots replaced the pleasant, warm butterflies in her stomach. “I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I just did that—”
Mason straightened and pried one of her hands free. When she looked over toward him, he slowly lifted her hand to his lips before brushing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m not great with words,” he muttered. “It’s one of the reasons I like reading so much. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret later. I hope that makes sense.”
“It sounds like you don’t want this to happen again.” She hated how much the disappointment seeped through.
“What?”
Harley attempted to pull her hand free, but this time, Mason showed off just how strong he could be. His grasp on her was immovable. She forced a sad sounding laugh and looked away to prevent him from seeing the emotion on her face. “It’s fine. I promise. I’ve had my share of flings.”
“I haven’t.” He turned her to meet his gaze once again. “Whatever this is or might become doesn’t matter. We don’t have to put a label on it. That being said, I want you to know that I’m going to be sticking around.”
She snorted, the ache still deep inside her. “You don’t exactly have a choice. Neither one of us does now.”
“Even if that weren’t true…” He waited until she glanced toward him. “Right here, right now, all I care about is seeing where this might lead. I hope that’s okay with you.”
“Are you asking my permission?” she demanded, voice full of disdain. Though secretly, she allowed herself to get swept up in the moment. “Because if you are, you’re gonna have to do a great deal more than just give me a kiss.”
“Oh, I plan on it.”
“Yeah? What does that entail?” Harley couldn’t bite back the smile any longer. The excitement had burst every bubble she had. Mason was a catch. But more than that, he was smart and handsome. He could have played a starring role on television if he’d ever been discovered, not that he would have wanted to with his humble demeanor.
He kissed her hand once more. “How about a real date?”
“I like the sound of that. Let me guess. You’re going to take me dancing.”
Mason wrinkled his nose.
“No? Okay, a picnic and a horse ride. That’s what people do around here, right?”
This time, he shook his head. “Try again.”
“I don’t have any more ideas. You have to give me a clue.”
Once again, he shook his head. “I guess you’re going to have to wait and find out.” He released her hand and moved toward the front door. Stopping, he glanced over his shoulder. “As much as I’d like to show you off to the folks around here, I think we should keep this thing quiet until we know what it is ourselves.”
“I think you’re right,” Harley said as she nodded. “I’d rather not involve the town in my love life. You mention one date and everyone becomes a glorified matchmaker.”
He chuckled, his hand on the knob. “You’re pretty smart for a city girl.”
She gasped exaggeratedly. “You can’t say that.”
“I just did.”
