by Nalini Singh
Laughing and oh-so-charmed by him, she felt her eyes change as she took a seat, her cat surging to the fore. This man… Exhaling hard, she watched as he began to take food from the basket to put onto the blanket. Watched his strong shoulders, his powerful thighs, his muscled arms. But more than that, she watched the lines of his face.
Strong, caring, protective lines.
Tally’s big brother.
Noor’s favorite uncle.
The Larkspur’s eldest son.
The kind of man on whom dynasties were built and families founded.
Exactly the kind of man to appeal to this particular wildcat’s yearning heart.
When he sat down next to her and lifted an enormous bread roll filled with fried egg to her mouth, she took a bite. After swallowing, she said, “Interesting idea of picnic food.” Two of those giant rolls, what looked like breakfast biscuits, a couple of random pieces of fruit, and a slice of pound cake. To wash it down was a thermos filled with what she guessed was coffee.
“Hey, you want tiny food, you got the wrong man,” he said, that smile easy on his lips.
Despite his tall, dark, and gorgeous looks, this was a man who smiled often, and who was rarely moody or angry, she thought. Laugh lines flared out from his eyes, curved his lips. “What do you know about tiny food?”
“I had sisters,” he said. “And back in school, Sam was really into a girl, and he looked up how to make perfect picnic lunches—and he begged me to help him.” Tanner rolled his eyes. “By the time you cut off the crusts and cut the sandwiches into triangles, it’s like a bite. Why even bother?” He fed her another piece of his breakfast roll creation.
Grinning even as she chewed, she listened to the song of a bird, the rustle of the wind. But most of all, she listened to the rumble of Tanner’s voice as he told her stories of growing up on the farm, and of where his family saw it going next.
At some point, she realized he wasn’t mentioning his own plans. “Where are you in all this?" She wanted to know his dreams, wanted to know him. "Aren’t you the logical person to take it into the next generation?”
“That’s just it, Miss Wildcat.” Food finished and basket set aside, he lay back on the blanket. When he patted his chest, it felt natural to fold her arms on the firm muscle of it and half-lie on him, while she looked down at his gorgeous square-jawed face. “I’ll always be a farmer. But this farm? As far as who’s going to take it over—has to be the twins. It’s in their blood. They love how everything’s run, and they’re really good at doing what needs to be done.”
“You don’t?”
“I love it because of my family.” Tanner ran one big hand down her back. “But I want to try new methods, do things on a smaller scale so I can experiment and develop innovative techniques. I could just ask for part of the farm here to run as I see fit, but I don’t want to go around breaking up the Nest.”
Generous heart, she thought, adding that to the list of all the things she liked about him. Loyal, generous heart.
“I’ve got money saved up,” he said, playing with her curls as he spoke. “I’ve spoken to my folks, and they know I’m looking for my own piece of land to farm.” Dark eyes held hers. “Thing is, kitty cat, I now have another qualification for said piece of land.”
Her heart thundered. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” His voice vibrated against her. “It’s gotta be close enough to a city that a woman who does city-type work could commute.”
Zara swallowed. “We just met.”
“Funny,” he murmured. “Feels like I’ve known you my entire lifetime.” When he shifted, she rolled with him, ending up underneath him while he braced himself above her on one forearm, his other hand cupping her hip with possessive familiarity. “You fit something in me.”
Her chest hurt, his words hit so true. “I’m not human,” she whispered, playing with the bottom edge of his T-shirt. “I need to be near my pack—or another pack I consider family.” It was critical to her mental wellbeing.
“So we add that into the mix.” He smiled when she pushed up his tee so she could spread her hands on the ridged surface of his abdomen. “We have time to look. I still gotta court you and convince you to hitch your wagon to mine.”
Zara’s lips twitched. “You’re pulling my leg now with all that country boy talk.” She saw the laughter in his eyes, knew in her bones that this man would make her smile always.
“And we are moving way too fast farm boy. Speed of light has nothing on you.” Words spoken in self-defense, because oh, this man... With his smile and his heart and his way of looking at her, he could smash right through all the walls she'd put up to protect her soft, vulnerable core.
A shrug that rippled the muscles under her touch and drew her attention to the fine trail of hair that led into his jeans. “Just putting my cards on the table so you don’t stop this before it starts.” No laughter now, his expression solemn. “I see the worry, the skittishness in you—and it scares me.”
Her breath caught.
“I’ve been on this planet long enough to know myself, and I’ve never once reacted to a woman like I do to you. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the instant we locked eyes.” No shields on that handsome face, no attempt to play the wrong kind of game. He was putting it all out there.
Generous. Loyal. And brave. So brave that she had no chance against him.
“I’m telling you my plans and I’m moving fast," he said, "because I want you to know that what you see as a major obstacle isn’t one at all. Give us time, Zara—the time to find out if this thing is going to be a slow burn that lasts a lifetime or a short brushfire that scorches us both before it burns out.”
Looking into the open and rawly honest intensity of his expression, her cat on the surface of her skin, Zara knew. She knew. They might spend time playing on the way to getting to their forever, but this precious new flame between them wasn’t going to burn out. It was too bright, too scary in its promise.
The wildcat inside her stretched, batting at him with playful intent.
Yes, both parts of her were quite smitten with Tanner Larkspur.
It was a good thing he looked equally smitten in return. “Be my girl?” he asked, his voice husky.
“You asking me to go steady?” Her voice wanted to tremble.
“Yup.” He stroked her hip, his gaze potent with unhidden emotion as he said, “Just you and me. Dating. Courting. Becoming.”
Zara was already a melted pile of woman, but he wasn’t done.
“For starters,” he said, “I’m wanting to take you to a barn dance tomorrow to introduce you to my friends. And when you’re back in San Fran, this country bumpkin will fly in to see you, walk the streets of your city.”
Her shoulders shook even as her heart sighed. “Country bumpkin, my patootie as my grams would say. You’re a smooth talker Tanner Larkspur.”
His smile deepening, he lifted the hand on her hip to cup her cheek. “Have I talked you into it then, kitty cat with the bright, bright eyes?”
Curling her fingers into his chest, she pricked him with her claws. When he shivered in pleasure, she knew she was sunk. “Yes. Now, kiss me, farm boy.” And he did. And it was the perfect first kiss for the beginning of their story.
Copyright © 2021 by Nalini Singh
Author’s Note: I think that’s a good place to leave Zara and Tanner, don’t you? I’m sure we’ll drop in on them in the future, but for now, let’s leave the city girl and her farm boy to find their way to their perfect forever.
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