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“That would have been weird,” she teased. “This was... amazing.”
His fingers slid through her long wavy hair.
She realized he’d pulled the tie out of her messy bun. “When did that happen?”
“Sorry. But I’ve wanted to get my hands on all this forever.”
“Oh. Well.” She grinned at the greedy look in his eyes. “Have at it.”
He pulled two fistfuls over her shoulder, let the strands slide through his fingers and land on her chest. “Stunning.”
She spread her hands over his rock hard pecs. “So was that kiss.”
He brushed his thumb down the side of her face. “Why did that guy think the song was a message to him?”
She pressed her lips tight. “You know it was for you. Right?”
“Yes. So he’s the reason you called me this morning about how I got your cell number?”
She fell back flat onto her feet, her hands sliding down his rock-hard abs. “What’s your take on him?”
He took a chunk of her hair again and let it slide through his hand. “He’s delusional. You say one thing, he insists another.”
“You caught that, too. He’s moved into one of the cabins on the ranch. He spent the whole night at the bar watching me until I closed the kitchen. He didn’t look at any other women, his focus solely on me.” She eyed him. “Kind of like you do when you come in.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Am I that obvious?”
“Not really. Sometimes. Mostly, maybe, I wanted it to be true.”
He slid his hands over her shoulders and to the back of her neck, his fingers buried in her hair. “It is true. You’re the only woman I see and want.”
“Then, we’re on the same page now, even if we’ll try to keep it just between us.”
He touched his finger to her chin to make her look at him. “Just for now. Not forever.” It sounded like a vow.
She loved hearing that he was thinking long-term, not just in the moment as long as it lasted.
The intensity returned. “I don’t like that guy. You need to stay away from him.”
“As you can see, it doesn’t seem to matter what I do, he just shows up. And thinks I wanted him here.”
His brow furrowed. “That’s not right.”
“But is he just awkward, or what?” She really wanted his opinion, because to her it felt all kinds of wrong.
“Don’t make excuses for him. Don’t ignore your gut feeling or the fact he dismisses everything you say.”
“He wants a song. Maybe if I sit down with him and write one, he’ll take it and go home.”
He gathered her hair at the back of her head. “You know it won’t be enough.”
She stepped away from him, her hair sliding through his fingers again. She stared into the fire.
He came up behind her and brushed his hand down her hair in a gesture meant to comfort. “I don’t want to scare you. I want to keep you safe.”
She leaned back into him. “I know. I’ll handle it.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. They were strong and warm and steadying. “With someone like him, it’s not enough to stand your ground. You need to cut him off.”
