11. Molly
Chapter 11
Molly
E ven now, hours after it happened, I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. Every time I closed my eyes, even blinked, there it was—or should I say there we were, with our bodies pressed against one another as we attacked each other’s mouths. It was such a hot, spontaneous encounter that my nipples were hard all day, and just remembering his big hands on my body made my panties wet and had sweat trickling down my spine.
I’ve been thinking about tasting you all week. My body shivered as those whisper-growled words played over and over in my mind. No man had ever talked so dirty to me, so bluntly, which was strange considering how many had tried to talk their way into my pants. Thinking about Colton’s hands and his dirty words had me distracted all morning as I went through alphabets and numbers with Hunter.
“Okay, kiddo, that’s enough for the morning. What do you say we go see Peanut Butter?”
Hunter’s big green eyes widened in surprise and then sparkled with joy. “Yes, please!” He jumped to his feet, practically bouncing on his toes. “You mean it?”
I stood much slower and nodded. “Yep. I think we need some sunshine and fresh air.” And I hoped the breeze would cool my overheated skin, and maybe watching him on the pony would give me something else to think about.
We got our shoes on and trudged down the steps hand in hand. “You think Billy’s gonna let me run today?”
I smiled. “I don’t know. All we can do is ask, right?”
He nodded, but he wasn’t hopeful. “Okay.” By the time we made it to the stables, Hunter’s spirits were lifted as he greeted Peanut Butter. “Hey, Peanut Butter, I snuck you an apple. Don’t tell Molly,” he said loud enough for me to hear.
“Hey, Mols.” Billy strolled up like a handsome cowboy straight out of a Hollywood western. It was too bad he didn’t make my heart race the way Colton did.
“Hi, Billy. How goes horsing around?”
He smiled at my silly wordplay. “Good in here. Not so good out by the fences where the goats got tangled.”
“Oh no! Are they all right?” Those goats were adorable and so affectionate, and I hated to hear they were hurt.
“A little scraped up, but they’re good. With the vet right now.”
“That’s good.” Poor Colton was probably upset and angry that he hadn’t prevented it.
“Yeah,” he nodded as he helped Hunter saddle Peanut Butter and led them out of the stable. “Something is weird about it according to Wyatt, but he didn’t say much more about it.”
“Weird how?”
“The way they were tangled up; apparently, it was unnatural.” He shrugged and grabbed the lead rope before motioning for Hunter to get on the pony, which he managed to do on his own.
“Did you see that, Molly?”
“I did. You’re becoming more of a cowboy with each passing day.” I watched the beautiful smile that lit up Hunter’s face as he rode around the paddock, sitting perfectly and moving with the pony. My thoughts shifted to Colton and the goats. Unease settled into the pit of my stomach, and I couldn’t say why, but I was determined to shake it off. Colton would be exhausted after being up all night with the goats, and a little grumpy, so after pony time, I put together ingredients for a slow cooker chili.
“Now what?” Hunter popped up beside me, smiling with all of his teeth on display.
“Now we’re going to learn a little bit of life science: flowers and plants, grass, bugs, and trees. How does that sound?”
“Let’s go!”
One of the things I loved about kids at Hunter’s age was just how excited they were to learn new things. I hoped he never lost that feeling, like a new world was opening up. He listened carefully when I explained about the bee sitting on the flowers in the meadow. He laughed until he cried when the butterfly landed on his nose and got mud everywhere when we dug our hands into the mud.
It was a fun day full of education and outdoors, which gave me plenty to distract me from thoughts of that fiery kiss with Colton. Did it technically qualify as a make-out session since our bodies were all over each other? Heat flamed my cheeks just thinking about Colton. My boss. Hunter’s dad.
I looked over at Hunter as we started back to the house to find his head bobbing all over the place. I admired kids and their ability to fall asleep at any moment, even while walking. He wasn’t going to make it to the house, so I hoisted him in my arms and slowed down to make sure I could make it all the way home.
The sun was starting to set, and it was getting dark out, but the walk was peaceful, almost serene. The beauty that faded during the last rays of sunshine was breathtaking, and I focused on that as my legs grew heavy and tired. It was dark by the time I set foot on the front porch, nearly collapsing on the welcome mat just as the door yanked open.
Colton was there with a dark scowl on his face. “Where have you been?”
I sighed heavily and pushed past him with my right shoulder because the longer I held Hunter, the heavier his sleeping body became. My thigh muscles screamed more with every step I climbed until I made it to his bedroom. I laid him down and undressed him quickly before replacing his outdoor clothes with pajamas. “We’ll do a bath before dinner,” I whispered to myself.
Colton’s presence behind me was a reminder that I couldn’t just leave and collapse in my own bed. He was waiting for an explanation. “Molly.”
I turned to him and sighed again, ignoring the way my legs wobbled with exhaustion and my eyes fluttered closed. I ignored it, at least until Colton’s arms banded around me and he scooped me off my feet. “What are you doing?”
“You can barely walk,” he growled and carried me out of Hunter’s room and down the hall to mine.
I wrapped my arms around him, reveling in being in his arms again, even if he wasn’t kissing me breathless. He smelled good, like man and sweat, soap and hay, and something that was uniquely Colton. I laid my head on his chest and inhaled deeply; his heady scent made me giddy. “You smell good.”
He groaned at my words, and I smiled, inhaling his scent again. “Molly,” he growled.
“What?” I asked the question with big, innocent eyes and a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. “You picked me up, and I’m surrounded by you and your scent. You. Smell. Good. Really good.”
He set me on the edge of the bed, and I fell backward with a sigh. “We were out exploring, learning about nature and the great outdoors. We got carried away because Hunter is excited to learn about everything, and he fell asleep on the way back, so it took longer than it should have. If I thought we would be out so long, I would have left a note.”
“You’re dead on your feet,” he grumbled and dropped down beside me.
“Yes, I know. But it was so worth it. Look at the photos and videos. It was a really good time, Colton.”
The smile on his face as he swiped from photo to video was intoxicating. It was so damn sexy I had to pinch my knees together and bite the inside of my jaw to prevent the moan from escaping. “It looks like a great day. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“That’s why I captured it all. I’ll send it to you.” The bed dipped beside me, and my eyes opened to find Colton staring down at me, so full of masculine energy and that cowboy spirit that was at the heart of every good book boyfriend.
“What the hell is a book boyfriend?” he grumbled.
I laughed. “Did I say that out loud?”
“You did.” He laughed, and holy hell, that made him even hotter. “And you didn’t answer my question.”
“I did not.” I laughed, trying to sit up a few times before I actually did it. I needed to use the last of my energy to take a quick shower. I stood and swayed, yawning so big my jaw cracked. “Be right back.” I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I blamed the bone-deep exhaustion for stripping out of my clothes on the way to the bathroom. I promised myself I would be embarrassed about it tomorrow when I had all my wits about me.
For now, I stepped into the hot shower and soaped up quickly, rinsing off even quicker. I didn’t have time to dawdle because my lids grew heavier and heavier as I stepped out and dried off, dropping the towel on the floor. “Better,” I groaned and opened the en suite bathroom door and crawled into bed, completely naked.
A low growl was the last thing I heard before I sank into a deep sleep.