by Alicia Rae
“Not many people share our kind of love, Paige. It’s powerful and consuming, sometimes so much that it steals the breath from my starved lungs and stops my heart. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My heart wouldn’t beat without you.”
Yearning to taste her lips more than I needed to breathe, I sealed my mouth over hers. Emotions pumped in my veins too heavily to kiss her delicately. Instead, I took her mouth with a fierce passion, driven with need to claim what was mine, what owned me.
By the time we broke apart, we were both gasping for air. She looked so damn beautiful in this moment, especially with her swollen pink lips from my kiss, that I was seconds away from taking her right here.
As much as I wanted to make love to her, I wanted to enjoy this time with her here more, so I could see her smile and laugh and live. I’d devote my entire life just to hearing the sound of her laughter.
Feeling the heat of the sun against my back, I found just the distraction I needed. I gently hauled Paige up from the ground, and she squealed as I tossed her over my shoulder.
“Colton, what are you doing?”
Her legs flailed behind me as I sauntered toward the left side of the pond. “I want a skivvy repeat.”
“What?” she cried, filling the air with my most favorite sound. “You’ve lost your mind if you think I’m swimming in that murky water!”
“We’ve swam in this pond a dozen times, if not more,” I retorted.
“That was when we were kids and oblivious to its dirtiness.”
I lowered Paige to her feet on a flat rock and stood in front of her. “You’re not getting off that easy.”
Paige narrowed her eyes at me, and I matched her expression. She must have sensed I was serious because her eyes began to dart around for an escape route.
I added, “You know that I’ll catch you, so you might as well surrender now.”
She shook her head and stepped backward. Defiance glistened in her stare. “Never,” she stated with certainty ringing loud and clear in her voice.
“Oh, sweet girl, I love a good challenge,” I drawled.
Pulling my shirt over my head, I tossed it on the ground as I advanced on her. My jeans were gone next while I kept my heated gaze locked on hers. There was nowhere for her to run. I continued forward, eating up the distance between us.
“You’re impossible,” she huffed in exasperation, attempting to hide her underlying excitement.
I cocked a wicked brow her way. “You’d better start stripping, or you’re going in over my shoulder, jeans and all.”
She shifted slightly to the left and then to the right, and I saw the moment when she apprehended her chances of escape weren’t in her favor.
“Going somewhere?” I teased.
Paige seemed to eye Foster before looking back at me. “Yes.” She chuckled.
“Foster can’t help you.”
She shifted on her feet and glanced at the gelding one more time. I used her distraction to my advantage and dived for her, banding my arms around her center, before swooping her off her feet to cradle her in my arms.
“Colton, my clothes!” She chortled as I made my way back over to the sandy area.
I put her on her feet, stripped her from her clothing, and had her back in my arms before she could process what was happening. Then, I carried her back to the rocks and climbed to the top where we used to dive into the water as kids. It was only three or four feet above the surface, so the landing would be easy.
I gazed down at her. “Are you ready to take the plunge?”
She tightened her arms around my nape and cried, “No!” But there was no conviction in her voice.
It was too late. We were already free-falling into the pond. The initial contact with the water was a tad cold, but I quickly adjusted to the temperature as I kicked my legs to the surface. Paige came up a second later and gasped for air as we both treaded water.
I swam toward her and tried to pull her into my arms.
“You’re evil!” she sputtered, splashing water at my face.
I unveiled my most innocent smile and hauled her sideways against my chest. “You love me.”
“Not right now!”
“You’re still a terrible liar, Paige.”
She rounded on me, set her hands on my shoulders, and pushed me under the water. Her hasty actions had her sinking with me. We both resurfaced, laughing together.
Time seemed to pause around us as she came willingly into my arms, and I focused all my attention on her. The smile on her face reached her eyes, and in this moment, I knew that I’d give or do anything to keep her this way, happy and carefree.
I’d never let anything take her away from me.
COLTON AND I WERE ALMOST FINISHED WITH WORK for the evening, and we’d made a great team today. He’d finished chores around the ranch, prepping for the arrival of the building materials tomorrow, while I had done basic training with a few of the colts and fillies.
I faced Colton as he dug the pitchfork into the hay and spun his body to dump it on the ground in an effort to soak up some of the mud from last night’s heavy rainfall.
“I’m going to head inside to start dinner,” I said, catching his attention. “Anything in particular you’d like me to make? We have chicken and beef thawing in the fridge.”
He came to stand in front of me and leaned forward on his pitchfork, towering over me with his height. He was damp with sweat, and a few streaks of mud beaded beneath his bandana that was wrapped around his forehead. He might be dirty, but he was my dirty cowboy.
“You’ve been cooking nonstop lately.” He paused, releasing a handsome grin that spread his scrumptiously full lips. “It’s my turn to take you out on a date.” He grinned.
My expression mirrored his excitement. “A date?” I asked.
Colton leaned in to place a chaste kiss on my lips and smiled tenderly as he withdrew, leaving me longing for another taste. “Yes. I want a date and an evening with you all to myself.”
Who am I to say no?
It was nearly six, and Colton had to be starving, so I offered, “Okay. I’ll change and freshen up quickly, so we can go.”
His palm came to the small of my back, and he pulled me flush against his body. “No can do. I want my future wife to take her time and put on a fancy dress and those heels,” he drawled in a husky tone, letting his accent roll off his tongue.
Confused, I asked, “You mean the ones I wore to the bar?”
“Yes,” he answered gruffly. “I fucking love those on you. They make your legs go on for miles and miles.”
A night on the town sounded lovely after a tiring week of chores. “Thank you.”
I reached up on my toes and gave him a soft kiss, allowing my mouth to linger along his. He deepened our embrace as my hands skimmed down to his broad shoulders and then his chest.
All too soon, he lifted his head while his hand smacked my ass, making me yelp. “Now, go get ready before I change my mind.” He shook his head. “I already have images of you pressing them damn shoes against my chest as I’m fucking you.”
A heavenly tremor of anticipation ignited between my thighs at his bluntness. Colton never was shy with words. I gave it my best effort to rein in my lust as I replied, “Or I could ride you in them.”
“Christ, Paige.” He exhaled in a rush as he hastily spun me around to face the door. His palm went to the center of my shoulder blades, and he gently pushed me in the direction of the house. He continued in a conflicted tone, “Don’t say stuff like that to me or the only date I’ll be taking you on is to our bed.”
Colton had me to the patio in no time.
I giggled, unable to resist. “Let me know if you change your mind, cowboy.”
He opened the back door while saying my name in warning, “Paige.”
“Colton.”
I was hustled inside, and I found myself staring at the living room as he roughly murmured, “In you get.”
Perceiving he was on the verge of
caving in to my demands but wanting to take his girl out on a romantic date, I stopped teasing him. Plus, I had been feeling quite cooped up these past few weeks. Fresh air and dinner with my handsome man would do me good.
He could fuck me later.
When we pulled into Eddie Merlot’s, my mind reeled at the gorgeous building. I had only been here a few times over the years, and its elegance and beauty always took me by surprise with each visit.
Colton neared the front of the loop and braked in front of the valet parking. The line was nearly fifteen cars long with only one attendant working, which was odd. They must have been short-staffed tonight.
I glanced over at Colton. “It’s okay. You can park, and we’ll walk together. Otherwise, we’ll be here all night.”
He appeared as though he was going to protest before he thought better of it and veered to the right side of the stone building. “All right, but only because we have reservations.”
We lucked out and found a vacant space halfway down the parking lot. Colton pulled in and slipped the truck into park.
Retrieving the keys and exiting the truck, he came around to the passenger door and held out a hand for me with a breathtaking smile on his face. I had to remind myself to breathe at the sight of him dressed sharply in a black suit as I stepped down to the pavement.
His eyes traveled up and down the length of me, shining brightly with admiration. “You look stunning, Mrs. Kingston.”
I inhaled sharply at the way his endearment sounded coming from his lips. It was the fourth time he had told me how beautiful I was since we left the house, but there was an important key word that had just gotten lost in the shuffle.
“What happened to future Mrs. Kingston? We aren’t married yet.”
“Uh, it’s a mouthful.” His smile changed to more of a sexy smirk. “And we will be soon, very soon.”
He wasn’t getting off that easy.
I pinned him with my stare. “It’s one extra word.”
“Fine then. It’s a tongue twister.”
I shook my head in exasperation. “There is nothing in future Mrs. Kingston that tangles my tongue.”
He brought his hands to my hips, setting my skin beneath my dress on fire. He leaned in to kiss my neck, causing my pulse to accelerate.
He breathed, “I’ll give you something to tangle your tongue with, baby.”
I shivered at smelling his hot minty breath against my skin, contrasting the cool evening air.
Soon, repeated in my mind as I panted for air. “And when do you want to get married?”
Colton drew back, still holding my hips. “Today,” he stated without delay.
I was pretty sure I was going to have a heart attack at this rate. “That’s impossible.”
“I’m sorry.” He chuckled softly. “I meant, yesterday.”
“I think us becoming engaged has made you completely lose your mind.”
Colton cupped my chin and gently pulled my face to his until our lips were nearly brushing against one another. “No, I’m finally thinking clearly. Nothing will keep me from you, Paige. You’ve always been mine, but now, I want a paper that officially says so.” He gradually released me and held out his arm for me to take. “Now, are you ready to go inside and eat?”
“Yes.” I nodded rapidly, looping my arm through his.
Together, we entered Eddie Merlot’s where my eyes immediately began to wander. Two wide marble columns at either side of the front desk began at the floor and ended a foot from the ceiling with a glowing glass bowl on top. The big tile squares on the floor glistened in the light.
“Two for Kingston,” Colton said to the woman who was standing behind the counter in a black dress.
She gazed down at her computer before smiling up at us. “Right this way, Mr. Kingston,” she answered, guiding us to the threshold of the carpet where the tables came into view.
A tall gentleman with sandy-blond hair awaited us with two menus in his hands. He nodded at us. “Please follow me.”
As the man led us through the main room into a second smaller one, I realized the few times I’d been here with Colton were all special occasions. He’d already proposed to me, so I felt anxious, like I was missing something else.
We approached a round table near a fireplace.
The gentleman said, “Please take your seats. Your waitress will be with you shortly.”
I sat down while trying to calm my nerves as he handed us our menus. It didn’t help as Colton met my gaze over two tea lights burning from the center of the table.
As I scanned through the menu, the fact that this place was over-the-top fancy and expensive bothered me. It made me uneasy to know he was about to spend a small fortune when he had so many expenses from the fire.
I sensed Colton was about to question me when the waitress appeared and placed glasses of water in front of Colton and me before taking our orders.
“Why are you so nervous?” he asked after the waitress let us be.
“Well, maybe it’s because of your certain endearments and saying we’ll marry soon.”
“That’s not why,” he replied confidently.
“No, it’s not.” I held his gaze for a moment before I continued, “You make me feel like I’m forgetting something important today. Am I?” I watched his lip twitch in amusement, and it made me find my sense of humor at the ever-changing emotions he had been inflicting on me today. I gasped. “Is this where you tell me you’re pregnant or you kissed some bimbo?”
Colton threw his head back and laughed softly before returning his attention to me. “I’m pretty sure if we were pregnant, you’d be enlightening me.” His brow arched inquisitively. “Do you have something to tell me?”
“No! It was a joke!” I screeched on a loud whisper, going a thousand shades of red and bypassing pink altogether.
“Good,” he stated simply.
My expression slipped into a frown. He and I hadn’t discussed children much over the years, other than saying we both wanted them, but that was a long time ago.
Has he changed his mind?
I swallowed in an attempt to loosen my constricted airway. “Do you not want to have children anymore?”
“No,” he drawled. He ran his hand back and forth across his jaw.
As tension palpitated between us, I held my breath until he grinned devilishly.
“I do, but in the right way. I don’t want to skip out on baby-makin’ sex.”
“Good,” I sassily tossed back at him. “Me either.”
A moment passed between us as we continued to eye one another. Colton was the first to move as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his forearms on the table.
“Now, onto your second question.” He reached for my hand, and the atmosphere charged between us. “I’ve only kissed one girl in my entire life. She was my first, and she’ll be my last.”
Colton was the only person who could render me speechless, and he did it quite frequently with his ability to string together words straight from his heart. He touched a part of my soul no other human being would.
“And her answer had better be the same as mine,” he added playfully at my silence.
Oh, this could be fun.
“You want me to say I’ve kissed a girl?”
Colton glared at me. “You know what I meant.”
“You’re right. I haven’t.” I chuckled.
“And men?”
I pretended to pout. “I’m sorry, Colton. I just can’t agree to that. In fact, I had some good lip-smackin’ this morning.”
His expression darkened with apparent lust. “You’re going to get a good ass-smackin’ if you don’t start talking.”
“Hmm…” I stalled by trailing my finger along the length of my jaw, just like he had done to me earlier.
“Paige,” he said in warning.
“Oh, fine.” I laughed. “It was Foster. He gave me great big smooches this morning after our workout in the pen.” I pointed to my cheek. “Right her
e.”
“Funny,” he snorted.
I shrugged flippantly. “Hey, I tried to tell him to stop, but he didn’t seem to care.”
“He’ll care when I forget his grain tomorrow.”
I gawked at Colton even though his eyes danced with genuine mirth. “Now, that’s just mean.”
“So is kissing my girl.” He winked as our food arrived.
Colton and I fell into a comfortable silence as we began to eat. The food was divine and literally melted in my mouth. I felt the heat of the fireplace warming my left side. Others quietly talked and laughed around us.
Colton raised his gaze to mine. “Have you enjoyed working with the horses this week?”
I inwardly ran through my day. “Yes. I think I have them down to a pretty good schedule, focusing on those who need it.”
“I saw you spending extra time with Foster at the end of each day this week,” he noted.
“Yes, you already saw me teaching him how to bow.” I smiled, thinking of my time with the gelding. “Now, I’d like to make sure he can do it without an incentive and with my simple cue of gently tapping his hoof.”
Colton swallowed his food and tilted his head at me. “So then, you can jump on him bareback out on the trails when you don’t have carrots in your pocket?” he teased.
“Exactly.” I chuckled. “He’s taller than Missy was, and I could barely jump up onto her back without sliding down her belly or elbowing her in her withers.” I pushed my plate away, finished with my meal, as I admitted, “I just don’t see how I’ll ever make it up another three inches.”
He gestured to my shoes under the table as the side of his mouth lifted. Those baby-blue eyes of his sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach as he said, “You could wear heels more often and build those calves. I bet that would help solve your problem.”
“Where shall I wear them? While I’m lunging horses in the dirt pen and covered in sweat?” I joked.
“You won’t hear any complaints from me.”
“I’m sure.” I snickered. “But then, somehow, I have a feeling neither of us would get many tasks done around the ranch.”
Colton lifted his napkin, wiped his lips, and lowered it before releasing a wicked grin. “We wouldn’t, and it would be well worth the sacrifice.”