Chapter 20
Blake pulled back to look at me. ‘Was that okay?’ he asked anxiously.
‘No,’ I said.
‘Shit, I’m—’
‘I need more,’ I interrupted before he could spiral and step away from me.
Blake’s lips curved into a small smile. His eyes shone in the golden-hour light round us.
‘More, huh? I think I can oblige…’ He leaned back down and touched my lips again.
His kiss was still soft and careful but it sent a sweet heat through my body.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and I stood on tiptoes so I could put mine around his broad shoulders as I kissed him back, enjoying his lips like they were sweet, juicy strawberries.
And they tasted just as delicious. Blake was tall and he felt strong but he touched me so gently, I felt weirdly like I could cry.
Which would have been really embarrassing.
Blake leaned back again and reached out to touch my hair. ‘I thought when I first saw you in that wedding dress, you had been sent by the universe to torture me,’ he said in that same gruff voice he had said my name in. It sent another thrilling shiver through my body.
‘Torture you how?’ I asked, unable to hold back a smile after that great kiss. My body hummed with the feel-good energy from it. I felt lighter on my feet suddenly. And brighter too. Like somehow, things might actually be okay if you could have a kiss like that.
‘You looked… perfect. Like the woman I’d always dreamed of marrying. In a freaking wedding dress. And I felt so broken, it didn’t feel fair. I assumed you were someone else’s and that pissed me off in an irrational way considering I didn’t even know you.’
I reached up instantly and pressed my lips against his, earning a surprised smile from him. ‘How can you say you don’t know how to talk to women after telling me that?!’ I cried, grinning giddily at his words.
Blake looked sheepish. ‘I don’t know. It’s just easy to talk to you. I like telling you things. I like being honest with you. Even when it’s embarrassing.’
‘That was not embarrassing,’ I said, shaking my head.
‘It was beautiful. I thought you were judging me. I know now, I was judging myself. But I also wanted you to approve of me in a way I hadn’t really felt about a stranger before.
And earlier today, when I saw you over there with your shirt off…
’ I bit my lip as my cheeks flushed. Blake was grinning now too, his dimples on full show, making him look young and carefree.
‘I thought I’d picked a damn good guy to fake date. ’
‘You think this is fake?’ Blake reached down and pulled me into his chest again.
This time, his kiss wasn’t gentle. He kissed me with hunger like now he’d had a taste, he wanted the whole thing.
And I was right there with him. I clung tightly to Blake as his tongue caressed mine and I murmured contently as he cupped the back of my head, his fingertips tangling with my hair.
His hands were on my waist then he moved them to my back.
I slipped mine down to his shoulders. The world around us faded as I lost myself in Blake’s kiss.
My body was full of heat. I thought about how easy it would be to pull his shirt up over his head.
How much I wanted him to slip his fingers under my top.
How I needed his touch. I murmured against his mouth and was about to suggest that we did all those things when Blake abruptly pulled away from me, leaving me breathless.
Blake’s breathing was as rapid as my own. ‘I’m sorry, I’m getting carried away,’ he said, reaching out to touch my cheek. ‘But there’s nothing fake about our kisses, Daisy.’
I nodded. ‘I feel it too.’ My heart was hammering inside my chest now, desperate to escape and jump right into Blake’s heart.
‘What’s going on? Our exes are still here, wanting us back. We were pretending to date but this is feeling real.’
‘Even though Henry doesn’t believe it,’ I said lightly.
‘I think Sarah can see there is something between us, and we were pretending to begin with, but she’s right, isn’t she?’
‘Yes,’ I whispered. ‘I’m still wearing Henry’s ring, though.’ I stepped fully out of his embrace. ‘What do we do?’
‘See what this space away from them does. Decide what our hearts are saying.’
The problem wasn’t knowing what my heart was saying; it was having the courage to listen to it. I nodded, though. ‘Okay.’
He sighed, running a hand through his hair as I sucked in a calming breath. ‘So, want to take the ponies in?’
‘That would be good.’ I knew if we stayed here, we’d kiss again. And we might not stop. But neither of us were ready for that.
We left my flower arch and walked past the enclosure Blake had put up today and was going to paint tomorrow, and went to where the ponies currently were.
They stood by the gate as if waiting for us to get them.
It seemed crazy to believe it was due to rain overnight.
The sun was dipping down low in the clear, blue sky and there was a dreamy haze to the light around the farm.
It was the kind of light you pictured having your first kiss in while wearing a pretty dress, and I couldn’t believe I’d done exactly that with Blake.
I kept my eyes off his, my cheeks still flushed, as we took a pony each by a lead and walked them out of the enclosure and into the barn to shelter for the night.
They both tried searching our pockets for food, making us chuckle, and we gave them a treat and water, and then made sure the barn was clean and they had enough hay.
Blake locked them up for the night and looked up at the sky.
‘It’s still so clear. All the stars are coming out.
’ The sky was now turning inky blue but the clouds hadn’t rolled in yet.
I looked up and saw the North star twinkling down on the farm.
‘Come on.’ Blake beckoned me to follow. I didn’t think twice.
I didn’t want to part from him yet even if I was tired and achy from a day’s work on the farm. I could wait for sleep.
We walked behind the barn where the sunflowers were.
They curved their faces up to the setting sun as if they were saying goodnight to it.
There was a gentle breeze making it appear as if they were dancing in a uniformed line.
Blake sat down on the edge of the sunflowers on a patch of grass so I climbed down too.
‘Lie down,’ he said.
‘Excuse me?’ I raised an eyebrow.
Blake shook his head. ‘Not like that. Let’s look at the stars. Like you said you and Willow did when you were young.’
‘You remember that?’ I watched him lie on his back, laying his arms across his stomach. I thought about what I’d said to him. ‘You thought they might have some answers for us as adults and that we should try it one day.’
‘Lie down then and we can see if they do,’ he said with an encouraging smile.
I shook my head. ‘You’re crazy.’ But I did what he asked and lay back on the grass, also putting my hands on my stomach as I tilted my head up to see the stars above us.