Omega’s Refuge (Rambling Cow Dude Ranch #1)

Chapter Seven

I stared at the door like the boogieman was on the other side. But there was no point in cowering inside my cabin. I wasn’t afraid of Rex or anything that dramatic. I was simply nervous about talking to him.

I slowly approached and opened the door. Rex stood there on the stoop with his hands in his pockets. His face was flushed, his hat slightly askew, and the scent of whiskey mingled with his crisp cologne. While he looked emotional, he didn’t look as angry as I’d expected. There was a vulnerability in his eyes that softened me.

“You wanna come in?” I asked softly.

He looked thrown by my offer. “Oh.” He blinked at me and then he pulled his hat off. “Uh… I guess.”

I stepped aside as he moved into the cabin, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. I closed the door and leaned against it, facing him. He swayed slightly, and not wanting him to fall and hurt himself, I gestured to the leather chair nearby. “Sit.”

He looked like he was going to argue, but then he thought better of it. He lowered himself into the chair, still clutching his hat. He dropped his gaze, looking confused. “Sorry it’s so late,” he said quietly.

“It’s okay. I just got back from the main house. I was at the bar with Joe and the others.” I wasn’t sure why I was bothering to explain all of that. I doubted he cared. I guess I was just nervous because Rex was sitting in my cabin only inches from me, and even though I should have been furious with him, I wasn’t. For whatever reason, Rex brought out my more nurturing omega instincts. I wanted to comfort him, so he’d stop looking so stressed.

Don’t be a weak, idiot .

I needed to grow a spine. He’d played me. Led me on. He didn’t deserve my compassion. He’d flirted with me and asked me to stay longer at the ranch, and the entire time he’d had an omega in town. He was a player, and I needed to remember that.

I cleared my throat and decided to take the bull by the horns. “I heard you had a date tonight.” I hated that my voice wobbled. I wanted to sound forceful, but I ended up just sounding unsure.

He wrinkled his brow. “Who said that?”

“Ronny.” I lifted my chin. “He said you had a date with Vance.”

He scowled. “Ronny should mind his own damn business.”

He didn’t deny it .

I hesitated. “He said you and Vance have been off and on for years, and that you’re probably back on again.”

“Pfft.”

None of his responses were what I’d expected, and it threw me. I’d assumed he’d look sheepish because he’d been caught out. Instead, he seemed irritable and almost self-righteous.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had an omega?” I demanded. “Why didn’t you introduce me to Vance properly the other day? You acted like you two were just friends.”

He screwed up his face. “What in the world are you talking about?”

I frowned. “You should have told me Vance was your omega. You… you shouldn’t have flirted with me so much if you had an omega.”

Rubbing his jaw, he rumbled, “Tanner, Vance isn’t my omega.”

Was he flat out lying to my face, or had Ronny got it wrong? My legs felt shaky from all the adrenalin pumping through my body. “Ronny implied he was.”

“Well, Ronny doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about.”

“He… he seems like he does.”

He huffed. “I think I’d know whether I had an omega or not.”

Confused, I sat on the edge of the bed. “But, weren’t you just on a date with Vance? ”

A glimmer of guilt fluttered through his eyes. “Yes.”

My gut churned. “So you were lying to me just now.”

He once more scowled. “No, I don’t have an omega, but yes, I went out with Vance for drinks.”

I held his glittery gaze, feeling muddled. “Did I misread you, Rex?”

“In what way?”

My cheeks warmed, but I felt the need to be honest. “You flirted with me and seemed like you wanted me to stay longer. Did I read all of that wrong?”

His chest rose and fell as he let out a long, tired exhale. “No, you didn’t misread anything.”

I grimaced. “Do you just flirt with all the single guests or something?”

“No.”

I said breathlessly, “I realize flirting doesn’t really mean anything, and that you owe me nothing. But, you know my situation. You know what I’m going through right now. I… I don’t understand why you’d try to get me to stay here longer, when you have an omega in town.”

“I don’t have an omega in town.” He sounded exasperated.

I gave him a skeptical look. “Was it all just a game to you, Rex?”

He let out an impatient breath. “No. Of course not. ”

We stared at each other in silence, then I said quietly, “I’m really confused right now.”

He hesitated. “I’m confused too.”

“Why are you confused?”

“Well…” He dragged his fingers through his blond hair. “That’s what I came here to talk about.”

“Okay.”

He cleared his throat, looking nervous. “You’re acting like I’m the only one who flirted or showed any interest.”

“No, I’m not. I… I know I flirted too.”

“Yeah, you did. And you also led me on, so don’t act all innocent.”

I squinted at him. “How did I lead you on?”

His gaze was accusing. “Saying all that stuff about how you’d never forget this place and… and me .”

“I meant that.”

He gave me a disgusted look. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that?” His voice slurred slightly. “I’ll tell you—too many. I’m sick to death of being lied to.”

I shook my head, feeling frustrated. “I wasn’t lying to you.”

“Bullshit.” He scowled. “Just admit it, the minute you leave this ranch, you’ll never think of me again. Why can’t you city folk just admit that? ”

“Look, I don’t know about the others who’ve said things to you, but I meant what I said.” I met his uneasy gaze. “You’re not someone I’ll forget, Rex. You can call me a liar if you want, but I felt really close to you—until you started completely ignoring me today. Now I feel stupid for thinking we had any sort of bond.”

At first, he still looked angry. His cheeks were flushed and his blue eyes glittered with resentment. But then he hung his head. “It’s hard always being left behind, Tanner. I’m sick of it.”

My heart ached at the raw vulnerability in his voice. The rational, prideful side of me wanted to act cool and keep my emotional distance, but that was impossible with him being so open. I was able to see that he hadn’t been trying to trick me after all. He’d been trying not to get hurt.

Without giving myself time to second guess things, I moved to him and knelt in front of him. He kept his eyes down, but his breathing picked up. “Is that why you were so aloof today?” I asked softly. “Were you trying to protect yourself, Rex?”

“It would be nice to be picked for a change.” He lifted his gaze, uncertainty shimmering there. “Or at the very least it would be nice to be remembered .”

“I wasn’t lying when I said that I wouldn’t forget you,” I whispered.

He winced, rubbing his chest. “I mean, I’m not a damn scarecrow. I… I have feelings. ”

“Of course you do.” I placed my hands on his thighs, my heart racing. His muscles tensed beneath my palms, and his gaze darkened. “We both do. If I left here today, you’d be on my mind. That’s just a fact.”

He swallowed hard. “Yeah?”

“Definitely. I’ve been thinking about you a lot today. I was frustrated as hell you started ignoring me, Rex.”

“Were you?” He rubbed his jaw, appearing muddled. “I was worried about how much I wanted you to stay. Seemed like I was fixating on you too much. I felt like I needed some distance from you, Tanner.”

“What if I don’t want distance from you?” I asked, inching my fingers higher up his legs.

“Careful, Tanner,” he rumbled.

“Why do I need to be careful?” I asked, leaning closer. Excitement shivered through me at the feel of his muscular thighs beneath my hands. It was exhilarating to finally be this close to him. I’d tried hard to ignore my attraction when Steve was still in the picture, but now that Steve was gone, I wasn’t sure why I would bother.

“You should be careful because were alone in your cabin, and I may not want to behave if you tempt me.” His eyes glittered with arousal.

“Maybe I don’t want you to behave,” I said, relishing how his breathing picked up every time our eyes met. I loved that he was so responsive to my touch. It was exhilarating to realize how much I affected him just by being close.

“Tanner,” his voice held a warning. “I’m not kidding.”

“Stop trying to scare me off, Rex,” I said softly. “This is what I’ve wanted all day with you—closeness. Intimacy. Your attention .”

He said in a strangled voice, “Well, you definitely have that.”

“Good. Because I didn’t appreciate being ignored all day. And then to top it off, you went on a date too.” My voice sharpened on the word “date.”

His body was wound tight as a spring, and there was perspiration on his upper lip. “I needed my ego stroked, and I knew Vance wouldn’t hesitate to do that for me.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, really?”

“Yep.”

It suddenly hit me that he might have slept with Vance earlier tonight. The thought was repugnant and stopped me in my tracks. Why hadn’t that occurred to me sooner? I pulled my hands from his legs and stood, ready to move away. But before I could put any distance between us, he grabbed my wrist.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

I said tersely, “You’ve probably had all the stroking you need for one night.” My desire to comfort him had disappeared as the visual of him and Vance fucking washed over me like a bucket of ice water.

Some tension seemed to leave him. He gave a small smile as he slowly tugged me forward until I was off balance, and forced to sit on his lap. One hand settled on my hip. “Are you jealous, Tanner?”

I hated that he could tell I was seething, but didn’t have it in me to hide it either. “If I was into sharing, I’d still be with Steve.”

His mouth thinned. “Steve is a piece of shit.”

“I agree.” The heat of his body was seeping into me, and because I was seated on his lap, I could feel his arousal growing beneath my ass. “But maybe you are too.”

He narrowed his eyes. “If you really thought that, you wouldn’t miss me when you go home.”

I lifted one shoulder. “I guess you’ll never know if that was the truth or not. Maybe I just said that to make you feel better.”

He gave a gruff laugh. “How come you’re so sassy all of a sudden? You were being nice, but now you’re mad. Is it because of what I said about Vance stroking my ego?”

I tried to free my wrist from his grip. “I don’t care what he stroked . It’s none of my business.”

He studied me, a line between his brows. “I didn’t sleep with Vance, if that’s what’s bothering you. ”

While I was relieved to hear that, my pride wouldn’t let me immediately show that to him. I’d already shown way more interest in him than I was comfortable with. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Stop it, Tanner.” His voice was gentle. “Stop fighting me.”

I met his gaze, my cheeks warm. “I don’t know how,” I admitted quietly.

“I guess I don’t blame you for being guarded, after what you’ve been through.” He studied me, his blue eyes warm. “I’m sorry I was standoffish today.” He slid his big hand up my leg, and lust fluttered through me. “I missed spending time with you today. I… I was confused and I just didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling toward you.”

My pulse sped up. “You feel something toward me?”

“You know I do.” He sighed. “I showed up drunk on your doorstep. That ought to tell you a little something about what I feel.”

“You promise you didn’t sleep with Vance?” I asked suspiciously.

He grimaced. “Nah. I couldn’t do it. You see, I had this cute blond city boy stuck in my head all night.”

I gave a grudging smile. “Is that right?”

“Yep. ”

It was impossible not to feel happier now that I knew he hadn’t slept with Vance. That changed everything. “Was Vance mad at you?”

His cheek twitched. “Well, he wasn’t happy.”

I laughed, but quickly squashed my smile. “Good.”

Amusement shimmered in his eyes. “You’re glad I turned him down?”

I gave a little shrug. “When I heard you went on a date, I was going to leave tomorrow morning.”

He sighed and his hands tightened on me. “Don’t go, Tanner. Please .”

It was a heady experience to have such a gorgeous alpha begging me to stay. Feeling giddy, I slipped my arms around his neck. If he wanted me as much as I wanted him, why play hard to get? “Is it really worth staying?” I taunted. “I only have two days left anyway. That’s not much time to get to know each other.”

“I know,” he said softly. “We should get started ASAP. We’ve wasted enough time talking.”

“Oh, really? What did you have in mind?”

He surprised me when he stood suddenly, lifting me with him. He staggered to the bed, and dumped me unceremoniously on the mattress. I let out a startled yelp as I landed, bouncing a few times on the soft bed. I sat up, staring at him wide eyed as he began to unbutton his shirt .

“What are you doing?” I rasped.

“Making sure we don’t waste any more time.” He pulled his shirt off, smirking. But when I didn’t move or speak, he frowned. “Tell me what you want, Tanner. I know you aren’t staying forever, but I’d like at least one night with you. If that’s what you want too.”

My dick was hard, and there was no doubt I wanted him. But I hadn’t slept with anyone since Steve and I had become lovers. I was actually a little nervous—excited, but also anxious. What if I slept with Rex and it just made me miss Steve more? But as I held his lusty gaze, slick pulsed from my hole, and my raw hunger for Rex throbbed through me. Something told me thoughts of Steve weren’t going to be a problem.

Without speaking, I reached down and undid my jeans. I held his salacious gaze as I pushed them down my legs, and toed off my shoes. Once my pants were off, my arousal was obvious to him. He stared at the thick outline of my cock through my underwear, and he swallowed hard.

With a little growl, he finished undressing. Within seconds he was naked and on the bed. He helped me get my briefs and shirt off, and our mouths met hungrily. He tasted so fucking good, I groaned as his tongue plunged between my lips. I felt like a man dying of thirst, finally getting his first drink of cool water after a week in the scorching desert. I’d longed to taste Rex, and it was finally happening. I felt as if I had to be dreaming. The moment was almost too perfect.

“Tanner,” he whispered against my mouth.

I tasted whiskey on his tongue, and I moaned as his calloused hands slid over my skin. I laid back, lust burning through me as I instinctively spread my thighs for him. He followed me, lowering his weight onto me. I’d been worried for nothing. All thoughts of Steve were MIA as I feasted greedily on Rex’s mouth.

Rex’s woodsy alpha scent filled my nose, and it all felt so right. I had the strangest sense that this moment with Rex had always been inevitable. My racing heart slowly calmed with the certainty that Rex was a good alpha, and that I’d be okay in his care. In that moment, I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

He nuzzled my nipples, licking and nipping moans from me. He stroked and teased me with his rough hands, lowering his head to kiss a trail down my chest and stomach. He stopped when he came to the small, star shaped birthmark on my hip.

Feeling impatient that he’d paused, I tugged at him. “What are you doing? I thought we were going to have sex.”

“We are.” He glanced up at me and then back down at my birthmark. “It’s a perfect star shape.” He swept his finger over the mark. “Absolutely perfect. ”

I laughed self-consciously. “Yeah, is that a problem?”

“No,” he murmured, a line between his brows. “It just… took me by surprise.”

“Why?”

He didn’t respond, he continued to study the mark.

“Rex,” I said with exasperation, “It’s just a birthmark. Why are you so fascinated with it?”

He gave a sheepish laugh. “Sorry. I got distracted.”

“I noticed.”

“Won’t happen again.” He lowered his head, his warm breath wafting over my crotch. “Now, where was I?”

I smiled, relieved he was back on track. “That’s more like it,” I mumbled as he nuzzled my bush.

“Mmmm.” His warm breath tickled. “I’ve wanted this since I first met you.”

“I’ve wanted it too,” I whispered. “I… I felt guilty because I was with Steve, but I couldn’t stop the thoughts.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded. “Even when Steve touched me.”

“Fuck. I like the thought of that.” He looked up at me under his brow, lust buzzing in his eyes. “Shall I tell you a little secret?”

“Yes. ”

“I saw you and Steve together. Outside your cabin that first night.” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “You guys were fucking up against a tree.”

Heat flooded my face as memories of that night came to me. “It was you,” I murmured.

“Yes.” His eyes seemed a brighter blue. “I hated watching him touch you, but I couldn’t stop watching you . I kept wishing it was me in his place. I kept wishing it was me pushing up inside you and making you moan.”

A needy whimper escaped me. “I’ll tell you a secret too, Rex. I… I fantasized it was you inside me, not Steve. I hoped it was you watching, and I wanted this so bad.”

He shuddered and excitement sparked in his eyes.. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “Maybe that makes me a horrible person, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Rex.”

A growl rumbled deep in his chest and without another word, he lowered his head and engulfed my aching cock with his heated mouth. I arched my back, crying out in ecstasy as he sucked my dick deep into his tight throat. I hissed and tangled my fingers in his soft hair, gently thrusting into the glorious warm cave of his mouth.

Was this really happening? Did Rex actually have my cock deep in his throat? Was I actually fucking his mouth? I groaned and sweat prickled my skin as I fucked that beautiful mouth deeper. I wanted to come bad. I wanted him to swallow my cum deep into his stomach. I was excited at the thought he wanted that too.

He sucked me to the edge over and over, so many times I began to lose my mind with the need to come. But I really wanted to feel him moving inside me when I climaxed, so as he once more drew me to the edge, I said in panicked voice, “Wait. Don’t wanna come yet. Want you to fuck me, Rex.”

He rumbled his disapproval at stopping, but slowly pulled his mouth off of me. “You sure you want that, Tanner?”

“Oh, I’m sure,” I whispered.

He licked his lips, his eyes dark and feral. “Good.”

“I… I have condoms in the nightstand,” I offered.

He hesitated, but then shimmied up the bed and tugged open the drawer. He was probably as tempted as me to forego protection. I wanted to feel his bare skin inside me, and he no doubt wanted that too. But what I didn’t need or want was to get pregnant by an alpha I’d probably never see again after this trip.

He grabbed a condom and ripped the packet open with his teeth, then he rolled the latex down his thick length. His eyes never left me, and his irises looked yellow-blue and wolfish. His intensity was almost disconcerting. I wasn’t used to that sort of focus from an alpha during sex.

Not surprisingly, Steve had been a selfish lover. He’d been a skillful lover, but the intimacy had been lacking. He’d had an aggravating habit of avoiding looking at me when we fucked. That little quirk had made me uneasy. Especially once I knew he’d cheated on me. I’d always wondered if he was thinking about those other omegas when he’d climaxed.

Rex, however, was the opposite. He was fully in tune with me. As he settled between my trembling thighs, he smoothed his hands over my skin almost reverently, as if couldn’t believe he got to touch me. His kisses vacillated between beautifully tender and ravenously hungry—like he was having trouble controlling himself. His body shivered against mine, and he was fully present and in tune to me.

Sex with Rex felt so fucking personal .

When he pressed the wide head of his cock to my slick hole, he stared into my eyes as he penetrated me. My lips parted and I gasped as his thick shaft sank slowly inside me. Body quaking, I whimpered and clutched him in desperation as he filled me full. My eyes burned with tears because I felt seen. Worshipped. Turned on beyond belief. My entire body was on fire, and my heart throbbed and ached as I held his heated gaze.

“Oh, God,” I whispered, my breaths coming fast and sharp. “Oh, God, Rex.”

He shuddered and his eyes got even brighter. He pressed his nose to my throat, nuzzling the bite Steve had given me. He growled and lifted his head, looking irritable. But then he slowly began to move his hips, pulling his cock slowly in and out of me. I moaned and he looked pleased.

“Feel me inside you?” he hissed.

“So fucking good.”

He smiled.

“More.” I dug my nails into his back, feeling crazed with lust. I writhed beneath him as he started fucking me deeper and harder. He gritted his teeth, holding my gaze. Anytime his eyes would drift to the bite on my neck, his mouth tensed and he’d growl.

It was no surprise to me that having the bite of another alpha was messing with his head. That was one reason I had to get Steve’s bite removed. Alphas hated seeing that mark on any omega they touched. It turned them off. Seeing another alpha’s bite flustered them.

Trying to distract Rex, I pulled his head down to kiss him. He calmed immediately and he sighed contentedly against my lips. His mouth gentled against mine, and we stared into each other’s eyes. His pupils expanded and his body tensed. He groaned and began to thrust deeper and rougher.

I cried out, meeting his thrusts. I’d never felt anything like what was happening to me. Every inch of me buzzed and ached with pleasure. I felt all consumed by Rex. His scent and taste was all I could think about. Steve wasn’t even a blip on the screen as Rex took what he needed.

His cock grew inside of me, and he moaned and gnashed his teeth. We shared ragged, warm breaths as my climax approached. My dick ached for release, and his cock was hard and swollen inside my body. His body trembled against mine and I knew we were mere seconds from delicious release. I couldn’t wait to experience that beautiful moment with Rex. I wanted to see what he looked like and what sounds he made as his orgasm hit him. I couldn’t wait to see him unravel.

“Oh, fuck,” he wheezed, eyes widening. “I’m coming.”

His cock grew even bigger inside me and I groaned in ecstasy. My insides were hot and tight, and as my climax began to unfurl, I felt like I was losing my mind. What was happening to me was too fucking delicious to describe. I was stretched achingly wide by his cock as he exploded inside me. I wasn’t able to watch Rex because my eyes rolled up in my head as I almost passed out from the sheer pleasure rolling through me .

Rex was like a wild animal as he came, thrusting and sticking his tongue down my throat. I held on to him in desperation as my orgasm ravaged me into a shuddering mess of lust and whimpers. I spilled and spilled creamy hot release between our heaving stomachs, tears dripping from my eyes. I’d never come so hard in my life, and I felt dizzy and almost panicked from the force of my orgasm.

Bright colors flickered behind my eyelids and even with the condom on, his seed felt hot and heavy in my body. Rex’s hungry mouth melded with mine as our orgasms shook us deep and hard.

“Tanner,” he whispered, kissing my mouth more tenderly now.

I moaned and opened my eyes to find him watching me. “Felt so good,” I mumbled, clenching my hole on his cock.

He shuddered and thrust weakly as if he couldn’t help it, and we both groaned as residual pleasure washed through us. Minutes passed. We kissed and I felt cocooned in pleasure as the sensations slowly quieted. Rex grunted and reached down, pinching the base of his cock so his knot wouldn’t form. He pulled out of me, but once he’d disposed of the condom, he carefully wiped my belly clean and he lay down beside me.

Instinctively, I moved into his arms. He kissed my hair and I listened to the steady beat of his heart under my ear. I was content and my body was warm and relaxed. I kept expecting guilt to hit me at some point, but it never did. I simply felt happy. Satiated.

“I’m so glad you didn’t leave the ranch early,” he said softly, sounding amused.

I laughed. “Me too.”

He sighed. “I sure am going to miss you when you do leave, Tanner.”

I grimaced. “I’ll miss you too. That’s weird, isn’t it? We don’t really even know each other that well.”

“I feel like we do,” he said quietly. “I feel like I’ve always known you.”

I felt the same, but was too shy to admit that. I worried I was already too connected to Rex. It was going to be even harder to leave him behind now that we’d shared this intimate moment. I didn’t regret sleeping with him one bit, but I did worry he’d be hard to forget once I was home.

“Have you thought about maybe extending your vacation by a week?” he asked softly. “If not, you’ll have to leave tomorrow, right?”

I grimaced. “It might be irresponsible of me to stay, considering I’m unemployed.”

“It’s just a week.” He tightened his arms. “You should definitely consider it. Just think of how much fun we could have together.”

I couldn’t help smiling. He was so open about his interest in me. Steve had always played games and liked to mess with my head. I liked that, with Rex, what you saw was what you got. He wasn’t prideful about expressing himself. He didn’t seem to feel the need to hide his feelings from me.

“Aren’t you worried Mrs. Rodwell might get mad at you for fraternizing with the guests?” I smirked up at him.

He narrowed his eyes. “You just let me worry about her. She can yell at me till the cows come home. So long as you’re in my bed, I don’t give a hoot.”

I smiled. “You’re in my bed right now.”

“That I am,” he rumbled, running his big hand down my stomach. He caressed the birthmark again, but then moved on to stroke my thighs.

I shivered at his possessive touch, and my dick warmed and twitched with interest. “Shit, all you have to do is touch me and I’m ready.”

“Yeah?”

I blew out a shaky breath. “Definitely.”

The sheet tented between his thighs, and he pushed them off. Before I could stop him, he was kneeling between my thighs. He took my dick in his mouth, and I let out a lusty gasp of delight as he sucked me deep into his throat.

I braced myself on the mattress, groaning as he sucked me hard. My dick grew inside his hot mouth, and I was incapable of controlling the wanton sounds falling from my lips. I watched my dick disappear deep into his mouth as I fucked his face. I couldn’t stop, the urge to thrust was instinctive. My thigh muscles burned as I used his mouth for my pleasure. He stroked himself with one hand, his other hand rubbing over my hole.

“Shit,” I wheezed, body shaking. “I… I’m gonna come again.”

He moaned and sucked harder.

My orgasm hit me hard and warm, causing me to cry out. This climax was softer since I’d just come moments before, but the fact he’d brought me to orgasm at all so soon was miraculous. He groaned and swallowed my cum. His thick cock hung down between his muscular thighs, and he stroked himself until a stream of cream spilled onto the comforter.

Once we’d both climaxed, he crawled up my body and kissed me. I tasted my release on his seeking tongue, and I tugged him closer. We kissed for a few moments as our delicious orgasms faded away. Then he collapsed beside me, cheeks flushed and hair mussed.

“I’m not a begging man, Tanner,” he said breathlessly, “but I’m begging you to stay another week. I ain’t ready to say goodbye.”

There were plenty of reasons why I shouldn’t give in, but the contentment I felt overrode them all. “Okay.” I laughed sheepishly. “I need more of you too. ”

He sat up on his elbow, looking elated. “You mean it? You’ll stay another week?”

I shrugged. “There’s nothing but stress and turmoil for me back in Billings. It can wait.”

He leaned in and kissed me. “After all the guests check out tomorrow, you and me are going camping under the stars. I have a few days off coming to me, and I’m spending them with you.”

“Yeah?” Excitement thrilled through me at the look in his eyes. “Just you and me?”

“Yep.”

“Promise you won’t get in trouble?”

He lay back, tucking his arms behind his head. He looked content as he stared up at the ceiling of the cabin. “I’ll explain everything to Mrs. Rodwell. She won’t be a problem.”

“Okay.” I scooted over to him, cuddling against his body. “There’s a wet spot on my side.”

“Is that the only reason you’re canoodling with me?” he asked with a smile in his voice.

“That and I kind of like being near you, Rex.”

He ran his hand up my back, pressing me closer. “Feelings mutual, Tanner.”