by Dover, L. P.
“Oh, she is,” I laughed. “I wish you could meet her, too. You both have something in common. For the past two years, she’s talked about being an actress when she grows up.”
He chuckled. “My kind of girl.” Thoughts of them meeting ran through my mind, but it was never going to happen. A part of me wondered if I’d ever see him again once he left town. Justin scrolled through more pictures and then handed me back my phone. “What would you say if we put off working tomorrow and did something fun?”
“What do you have in mind?” I asked. “We can’t exactly go out in public.”
His grin widened, and he turned to me, pulling out a handful of grass from the ground. “Oh, I know. I was thinking we could go hiking. My land connects to some of the trails in the Grand Teton National Forest, and I thought maybe you’d like to come with me.”
Excitement bubbled in my veins. “I’d love to. I’ll be at your house first thing in the morning. I have a map of your ranch that the previous owners gave me, showing how to get to all the different trails. Hidden Falls is my absolute favorite.”
Justin nodded. “We’ll do that one then. And since you’re coming over to my place in the morning, I’ll fix you breakfast.” Thunder rumbled in the distance.
“Deal. But it better not be pre-packaged.” I was curious to see what he’d cook up.
“Deal,” he agreed with a wink. The thunder sounded closer this time, and I felt it vibrate the ground. Justin glanced around and nodded toward the barn just as a flood of rain poured down from the skies. We jumped up and raced for the shelter of the barn, completely drenched.
We both burst out laughing. Raindrops trickled down my face, and I wiped them off, shivering as my shirt stuck to my body. The temperature had cooled off drastically. “That was fast.”
Justin had taken off his plaid shirt earlier and set it in the barn. He brought it over to me and turned his back so I could take off my drenched one. “That should help.” I slipped out of my wet shirt and put his on. It smelled just like him.
“Thanks. You can turn around now.” When he did, I tried not to notice the way his gaze roamed down my body. He’d done that a lot, and each time, it made things inside of me tighten. I wanted him to look at me like that, but I was afraid of getting invested in a relationship when it was obvious nothing could happen between us.
Justin closed the distance and looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. The rain fell down even harder, only adding to the raging tension inside me. “I had fun today, Meghan. Being around you is definitely different from what I’m used to.”
“How so?” I murmured, sounding breathless. “Is it because I’m not falling all over you all the time?”
He smirked and moved closer. “Maybe. It does make me question if I’m doing things wrong.”
My breath hitched, and I froze. “What do you mean?”
His body brushed up against mine, his gaze on my lips. “All I’ve wanted to do since I met you was kiss you, but I know I have no right to. We’re friends, and I respect that.” Closing his eyes, he blew out a frustrated breath. “I know I’m the last person you’d want to get involved with.”
“You are,” I whispered, “and you’re definitely not doing anything wrong. Unfortunately, you’re doing it all right.” It was like my body moved on its own accord without a single thought from my brain. His eyes snapped open as I slid my hands up his arms. My breath quickened, and my heart felt like it was going to pump out of my chest.
Justin lowered his head, and I lifted up on my toes. The second our lips touched, it was like fire coursing through my body. I couldn’t think of anything but the connection between us. I felt vulnerable, but in complete control. There was no right or wrong in our kiss. It was electric, and it felt amazing.
A moan escaped my lips, and Justin held me tighter, pulling me into his body. His tongue caressed mine, and I opened up further. He pushed me back toward the hay bales and covered me with his body. So many emotions ran through me, but I’d never felt so alive in my life. I wanted to embrace it, hold onto it for as long as I could.
Breathing hard, Justin broke from the kiss and rested his forehead to mine. “Fuck, that was intense.”
It took all I had to catch my breath. “Tell me about it.”
His eyes bored into mine, and he sighed. “As much as I want to keep kissing you, it’s probably best we stop. I don’t want to get carried away and do something rash.”
I could feel the hardness between his legs. “Is it bad that reckless sounds really good right now?”
He chuckled. “Not at all. It’s what I want, too. I’ve always been a live-in-the-now kind of guy, but you can’t think like that. Not with your daughter and keeping your life here safe from the media.”
The concern on his face only made it harder to think straight. I wanted to live in the now, to throw all reason out the window. I’d never taken a chance on anything. Everything I’d done had always been safe. Clutching his face, I pulled him down to my lips and kissed him gently. “We’ll just keep it between us. When you go back home, I’ll be here, and you’ll go back to your life. This doesn’t have to be complicated.” The words left my lips, but deep down, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be as easy as that. But I could worry about that later.
Justin carefully slid off of me and helped me up. “You make it sound so simple.”
I shrugged. “Is it not?”
A torn expression passed across his face, and it caught me by surprise. He brushed a finger down my cheek, his lips tilting slightly. “I wish it was, Meghan. You have no idea how bad I wish it was.”
My phone beeped, and I pulled it out my pocket. It was almost time for my video call with Ellie. Justin nodded toward and smiled. “It’s almost time for your date. I should probably go.”
I ran a hand down my wet hair. “Probably. Can’t have her seeing us both drenched in the barn. What would I tell my parents?”
“Oh, I know,” he teased, lightening the mood. “I’m not parent material.” The rain had died down, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me over to the barn entrance. “You know, I don’t think I’ve met anyone’s parents other than Miranda’s.”
I squeezed his hand sympathetically. “If you were a normal guy,” I said, “I’d be happy to introduce you to my parents. You’re nothing to be ashamed of.”
His smile made everything inside of me flutter. “Thanks. Coming from you, at least, I know I’m worthy.” He kissed me chastely on the lips. “See you in the morning.” Turning on his heel, he strode across the yard. I was about to run to my door when he glanced back at me and waved.
I waved back and leaned against the barn wall. Why was it that the first man to make me feel something was the one guy I couldn’t have? I’d spent so many years thinking I was incapable of being attracted to another man. At least I knew I could feel again.
But now I wanted more.
Chapter Ten
Justin
All night, I’d thought about that kiss, and came up with one thing … I wanted her so fucking bad. I’d known it since the day I’d met her, but I’d kept my distance. Unfortunately, my willpower around her was zilch. She wanted me too, which made it even harder. I had to figure out a way to keep her in my life after I left. The only problem was that I came up with nothing.
My phone beeped, drawing me out of my inner turmoil.
Meghan: You awake?
Even just a simple text from her made me feel things I’d never felt before. Grinning wide, I texted her back.
Me: Yup. Just waiting on you. Breakfast is in the oven.
Meghan: Nice. I’ll be right there. Just packed up some snacks and waters for us.
I was about to text her back when my phone rang. Corey’s name popped up on the screen. “Hey,” I said quickly.
“Just checking up on you. How you doing out there?”
“Pretty damn good, actually. Any luck with the investigator?”
Corey sighed. “Not yet. We’ll get you out of thi
s mess—don’t worry. He’ll find something. That’s why I was calling. Callie told me she talked to you yesterday and filled you in.”
I finished loading my backpack up with enough drinks and snacks for a full day of hiking. “She did. All I know is that when I get back home, it’ll be war. I’m not letting that cunt Miranda get away with what she’s done.”
“Maybe you should come home and deal with it now. The longer you stay gone, the more shit gets started, and you’re not here to defend yourself.”
“I’m not leaving, Corey.” If I left and came back, I’d run the risk of someone recognizing me. If they did, and then saw me with Meghan, it’d ruin everything. The timer went off on the oven so I turned it off and pulled out breakfast.
“What’s keeping you there, brother?”
The doorbell rang, and I smiled. “More like someone,” I replied.
He sighed. “I had a feeling. Callie told me about Meghan. Hopefully, she knows what she’s getting into. She’ll be in the middle of this fire when you get back.”
That was the last thing I wanted. I’d do anything to keep her away from it. “It’s not like that. We’re keeping everything a secret.”
“You don’t sound happy about it.”
A part of me wasn’t. When the time was right, I wanted to be able to be seen with Meghan in public, but that wasn’t what she wanted. “Doesn’t matter. It’s what she wants,” I answered. “We’re spending the day hiking.”
Corey chuckled. “Have fun with that. I’ll call you if anything changes around here.”
“Sounds good, bro. Talk soon.” We hung up, and I hurried to the door. Meghan waved when I opened the door, greeting me with that sweet smile of hers. She had a backpack strapped to her back, dressed in a long-sleeved, green button-down shirt and denim shorts, and hiking boots. I’d never seen anyone look so sexy in hiking clothes.
“Good morning.”
I opened the door, and she walked in, closing her eyes as she breathed in. “I smell sausage.”
She followed me into my kitchen, and I showed her the muffin tray, resting on the black marble counter. “They’re called Stuffin’ Egg Muffins. Basically, it’s eggs, cheese, onions, and sausage. My mom used to make them for me all the time.”
Picking one out of the pan, she blew off the steam and bit into it, moaning underneath her breath. I loved the sound. “These are so good. We’ll have to take some with us.”
Chuckling, I grabbed up a muffin and ate it in one bite. “Sounds good to me.” I nodded toward her backpack. “Looks like you came prepared.”
She pointed over at mine. “Same to you. What all did you pack?”
Grinning slyly, I shrugged. “Drinks and snacks.” I didn’t want to tell her everything I had in there.
She pulled out the map of my land, and the different trailheads that connected us. “This is where we have to go,” she said, pointing at the Hidden Falls trail. “From the original trailhead at Jenny Lake, it’d be about a ten-mile hike, but from here, it adds on two extra miles.”
I shrugged. “You okay with that?”
Rolling her eyes, she scooped up the map. “Please. You’re the one I’m worried about. And speaking of which, you’ll need your hat and sunglasses. When we get to the main trail, we’ll most definitely be running into other people.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
I’d thought about that and already had it covered. We finished up breakfast, and it was time to go. She followed me through the house to the back door, her eyes lit with wonderment as she took everything in. “How did you get all the furniture and groceries here without people seeing you?”
I opened the back door and locked it behind us. “Simple. The groceries I had delivered and left on my doorstep, and the furniture was brought in two weeks ago. I paid a team of designers to come in and decorate the place.” Now that we were on our way, I slipped on my hat and sunglasses.
“Nice,” she said. “If you knew me at that time, I would’ve done it for you. Interior design was one of my favorite classes in school. Not that I would’ve done as good of a job as what you have, but it would’ve been fun to try.”
We walked side by side through the field toward the forest. “I hate I didn’t know.”
Chuckling, Meghan opened up the map. “It’s a good thing you didn’t. I love horses, so that’s probably the theme you’d have.” She looked over at me and winked. “And apples. I love my country apple kitchen.”
That made me laugh. She did have a ton of apple decorations in her kitchen. “I like your kitchen. It suits you.”
I followed her into the forest to what appeared to be a semi-maintained path. It wasn’t exactly clear which way we were supposed to go, but that somehow made it more exciting. “Were there any good hiking spots in Minnesota?” she asked.
“Some, but not like this. I used to hike all the time in South Dakota with my brothers. Nothing compares to this, though.”
A smile lit up her face. “This is heaven for me.” I had to agree with her. I’d never felt so at peace in a place before. The stream that connected to my lake bubbled up ahead. I could hear the roaring water as it cascaded down the various rocks. We stopped at the small bridge, and I pulled out my phone. I took a picture of her as she stared at the water.
Her head jerked my way, and she glanced down at my phone. “You better not share that on your social media. I’ll deny ever knowing you.”
I laughed. “Would you really?”
She winked. “Oh yeah. That’s the real reason why I want this to be a secret.” Her lips pulled back slyly. “I’m embarrassed of you. Who in their right mind would want to be seen with a celebrity?” Pulling out her phone, she took pictures of the stream, and then turned to me, grinning wide as she snapped ones of me. “When you’re gone, I’ll need something to remember you by.”
The words stung, and even as she said it, I could tell it bothered her too. Even though we’d only spent a few days together, I couldn’t imagine never seeing her again. She turned to walk away, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
“What if I didn’t have all the baggage looming over me? What if I was just a normal guy, would you want to be with someone like me?” I had to believe there was someone out there who could see past all my flaws, and that I wasn’t just an arrogant celebrity who only cared about the conquest. It was rare to find genuine people like that in my world.
Meghan looked right in my eyes and sighed. “But your life isn’t normal, Justin.”
I pulled her into me, holding her close. Her body melted into mine, and it was the answer I needed. “What if it was?” I murmured. “I know I’m not the only one who feels something here.”
Lifting a hand, she placed it on my cheek. I wanted to kiss her again like I did the night before. Hell, I wanted much more than that. “You’re a good guy, and I see it in your eyes. The things I feel are so foreign to me right now. I haven’t had these kinds of feelings in a long time.”
I placed my hand over hers and kissed her palm. “Is that good or bad?” Her breath hitched, and I made my move.
I lowered my lips to hers, and she moaned. She tasted like sweet strawberries. “Definitely good.” She rested her head against my chest and snickered. It was obvious she could feel a certain appendage that was happy to rub against her. “You’re killing me, Justin. I can’t think straight when you do things like that.”
Chuckling, I let her go, and we continued through the woods. “Can’t help it. I’ve been thinking about that kiss since last night. Not to mention, you’re sexy as hell. It’s hard for me not to get excited.” I reached out and held her hand.
It took all the willpower I had not to take her in the barn the night before. Everything felt right, but intellectually I knew it wasn’t the right time or place. If we ever did take that step, it needed to be special. Meghan deserved it to be.
“Tell me about your horse,” I called out. I needed something to deter my mind away from kisses in the barn.
&n
bsp; Brows furrowed, she glanced over at me. “The one I had to sell?” I nodded, and a sad smile spread across her face. “His name was Firefly. He was chocolate-colored with a white main and tail.” She closed her eyes as if she could see him in her mind. “He also had white markings on his body. When he wasn’t wearing a saddle, it looked like a huge heart.”
“Who did you sell him to?” I wondered.
She sighed. “To Danny Wilford, the principal of my school. He knew I needed the money, so he bought him from me. I go out there from time to time to see him. Danny boards and takes care of horses as a side job.”
That was good to know. For the next couple of hours, we made it through my land to the main trailhead. We spent some of it talking, but the rest was in silence. Just being around her was enough for me.
So far, we hadn’t run into anyone, but I heard a few voices further up the trail. Meghan did too and turned to me, slowly letting my hand go. “If anyone tries to talk to us, let me handle it. We don’t want anyone recognizing you.”
My lips pulled back. “I’ve trained to be an actor all my life, sweetheart. You wouldn’t believe how many voices I can do.”
That piqued her interest. Crossing her arms over chest, she leaned against a tree. “Go ahead, then. Enlighten me.”
I’d studied all sorts of accents for years. I could do an amazing Australian one. In fact, it was my favorite. Clearing my throat, I sidled up to her and pressed my body against hers. “How about this one? You could pretend I’m your lover from Australia who’s here for a visit.” Her eyes widened, and I moved back. “Or I can be your cousin. It’s whatever you prefer.”
Grabbing her chest, she stared at me as if she’d never seen me before. “Oh my God, you sound just like Chris Hemsworth. You even kind of look like him, too, with the blond hair.” She glanced around quickly. “Do me a favor and do a Southern accent from North Carolina if someone talks to you. Can’t have you drawing more attention to yourself.”