Chapter 35
Did he just say what I think he said?
“W-what?” I look up at him wide-eyed, heart about to pound out of my chest.
Cal smiles, somehow both cocky and nervous. “You heard me.”
Emotion swells within me, potent and mind-fuzzing. I wrap my hands behind his neck, tugging him down to kiss him, savoring the way he groans softly against my mouth.
The doors to the kitchen swing open with too much force, slamming against the wall. Cal and I shoot apart, me pretending to be looking at something on the counter and him picking up a nearby carrot.
Wylie stomps into the room and lets out a loud groan, rubbing a hand across his face.
“Everything okay, bud?” I ask, and he startles, having apparently not noticed me making out with Cal when he came in.
The younger minotaur’s tail whips back and forth, smacking against the backs of his legs, but he shakes his head. “It’s fine.”
“Doesn’t seem fine,” Cal says dryly.
“If someone was bothering you, it’s important to let us know so we can take care of it,” I add, worried a guest may have harassed him since his horseback riding video is still one of our most viral ones.
“No, it’s not that. It’s Remy being his usual self.” Wylie sighs and picks up a cookie from the counter, shoving it into his mouth angrily.
As I’ve grown to know them, I’ve realized that Wylie is much shyer than his brother.
Not toward me, but it turns out that’s because I reminded him of Dawn, which makes it less scary to talk to me.
Wylie is kind, shy, and sensitive. He’s the younger of the two, but he’s much more serious.
The only person who seems to get under his hide regularly is Remy, and most of the time, his brother is oblivious to it.
“Uh oh, what did he do?” I ask, giving him a sympathetic frown.
“He invited his whole stupid D&D group to dinner!” Wylie winces. “Sorry, no offense. It’s not that the group is stupid, it’s just…I wasn’t prepared for them to be around.”
Oh crap. If I were a betting woman, I’d say that Wylie is freaking out because his crush, Tessa, is here. To be fair, the effortlessly cool veterinarian is a little intimidating.
“I’m so sorry, Wylie,” I say with a slight grimace.
“Why are you sorry?” he asks, his ear with the white spot flicking.
“I invited them. Thought it’d be nice since they’ve been so helpful. Remy had nothing to do with it. I should’ve checked in with you first.”
“Why would you need to check with him?” Cal interjects, and I shoot him a glare.
Wylie’s agitation deflates. “Oh…that’s alright then…I thought maybe he’d done it to mess with me, but if you invited her—them—it’s fine.”
My mouth twitches at his slip up. Man, his crush must’ve gotten even stronger. “Good to hear.”
“Great. Problem solved. Now quit sulking in here and go back out there and eat.” Cal shoos Wylie toward the door, and the younger minotaur frowns, but does as he’s told.
I give him a thumbs-up as he goes, and when I turn back to Cal, startle to find him right behind me.
“Thought he’d never leave,” he rasps, pulling me flush against his body and bringing his lips to mine.
I grip his shoulders to steady myself, his kiss laced with so much desire and affection that I grow lightheaded. He backs me against the fridge and deepens the kiss, hands roving my sides.
“Wait…Cal…I…” I gasp out the words between kisses, and he pulls back, eyes blazing as he waits for me to continue.
I feel like I’m at the top of a rollercoaster, terrified and excited and filled with adrenaline. Worried about the plunge ahead, but knowing in my gut that it’ll be amazing.
Here goes nothing.
“I—”
“...tried that, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I swear the woman is determined to hate me.” Rhett’s agitated voice startles us apart.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Cal mutters under his breath as August and his cousin enter the kitchen.
“Oh, whoops, sorry. Didn’t realize anyone else was in here,” Rhett says, shooting me a wink that has Cal breaking the carrot he’d picked up in half.
Under any other circumstances, I’d be curious about what kind of drama is going on with our newest minotaur ranch hand, but I’m about to burst from the tension and interruptions.
August gives us a sidelong glance. I’m sure he knows that…things have been happening between me and Cal. He’s the first person on the ranch I would’ve talked to about it, if he weren’t such good friends with Cal, so it’s been killing me not to spill all the details to him.
“I know it’s shocking for you to find out, but some women aren’t charmed by your whole…” August waves at Rhett’s too-tight shirt and jeans and his perfectly imperfect flop of hair. “…Thing. Give it time. And cool it on the flirty jokes and grins. She’ll come around.”
“Or she won’t,” Cal grumbles. He’s still not Rhett’s biggest fan because he danced up on me at The Rodeo, even though Rhett has been nothing but polite and self-deprecating about our initial encounter.
“Don’t let first impressions faze you. Sometimes you start out hating someone, but with time you can grow to really appreciate them.” I smile, uncaring that August knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“God, I hope so,” Rhett says with a heavy exhale.
August pats his cousin’s back and gives Cal an oddly apologetic look. “I was looking for you when I ran into this mopey guy.”
Cal glares at him. “Why?”
“It’s Doodle. I went to check on him to make sure he was secure in his cage before dinner, and he wasn’t there.”
“Fucking hell. How?? Are you sure you latched it?”
“Pretty damn sure. But I figured you’d want to know since he’s bound to cause havoc when he’s on the loose.”
“Can’t you look for him?” Cal huffs.
August frowns. “I can, but I was going to run the evening campfire. Do you want to do that for me so I can go look?”
Cal scowls. “No, dammit. I’ll find him.”
Cal’s tail brushes surreptitiously against my calves. “I’m sorry. I’ll figure this out as quickly as possible, and then we can continue our conversation somewhere we won’t constantly get interrupted.”
“Wait!” I flush when all eyes turn toward me. “I could help you look,” I say weakly, knowing I’m supposed to be assisting with the evening activities as well.
“No, I’ll handle it. I’ll come find you later tonight.”
Fuck, I don’t want him to go. I want to yell at everyone to go away so I can kiss him silly and tell him how I feel. But doing that would be exactly what we’ve been trying to avoid—our feelings impeding doing what’s best for the success of the ranch.
I smile as best I can. “Alright. Talk to you later, then.”
He leaves, glancing back over his shoulder, and my head hurts from the whiplash of his love confession and frantic kisses to him leaving before I can say anything back. It’s not Cal’s fault, but part of me wishes he’d told everyone to fuck off so we could finish what he started.
It’s almost midnight.
After the campfire and prep for tomorrow with Marcie, I hurried back to my house, freshened up and got changed into my cutest set of underwear and a robe, breathlessly waiting for Cal to arrive.
The excitement dimmed after an hour passed, and he didn’t show. I texted him, asking if he needed help to find Doodle, but got a message a few minutes later from August, who said Cal had accidentally left his phone at their cabin.
One hour turned into two. At hour three, a storm rolled in, the steadily falling rain and thunderclaps an apt companion for my increasingly stormy mood.
He’s not coming.
He’s having second thoughts.
He didn’t mean to tell me he loved me.
The thoughts aren’t logical. I know Cal. If he says something, he means it.
Yet they still rattle around in my head, all my insecurities shaken loose when faced with the prospect of truly falling for someone for the first time, only to be unwanted.
Because I love Cal. I hadn’t let myself acknowledge it until he said those words, but it’s clear as day that my heart belongs to him.
I sit on the front porch like a fool, staring out into the rain as my thoughts grow progressively more dark.
What happens if he changes his mind?
What happens if he doesn’t show up and I have to face him tomorrow and pretend like everything is fine?
I’m so tired of never being enough. For once in my life, I want to be loved exactly for who I am, not who someone thinks I am. I want to stay and build something, instead of getting shoved aside and worn down until I leave.
Resting my face in my hands, I let out a heavy sigh and attempt to force my worries away.
Lightning strikes nearby, and I startle, opening my eyes in time to catch the flash of light that illuminates a figure right in front of the house.
My heart rises into my throat as Cal strides up the porch steps, soaked and breathing heavy.
“I’m so sorry…Came as fast as I could. Took ages to find that damn bird and get him secured back at the cabin with August, and then my truck wouldn’t start so I had to run over here in the rain and—
“I love you,” I blurt, needing to get the words out before I explode.
All the worry drops from his face, his eyes lighting up with hope. “What?”
“You heard me,” I say, echoing his earlier words.
I leap into his arms, his hands automatically catching my hips as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. He grunts in surprise, but kisses me back with equal fervor.
Water soaks into the flimsy fabric of my robe, but I don’t care. I kiss away all my doubts and fears as I reassure myself that Cal isn’t like the others. That he’s here, and he wants me, and this thing between us is going to work, dammit.
“Belle, I’m getting you wet—” He protests weakly when our mouths part.
I snort. “Yeah, you definitely are. Very wet.”
He lets out a low growl and grips my hips tighter, hauling me inside and directly up the stairs to the bedroom. I kiss his throat and run my hands through the damp hair at the nape of his neck, loving how it makes his breath hitch. Loving how strong and sturdy he is, carrying me with such ease.
Cal sets me on my feet when we get to the bedroom, even though I’d love it if he tossed me directly onto the bed. When he steps back, I frown and reach for him.
He chuckles, gently batting my hand away and ripping his flannel open, tossing the wet shirt down onto the ground. His pants and underwear come next, until he’s standing before me in all his naked glory while I watch, mouth agape.
“Sorry, I’d make more of a show of it, but I’ve already wasted enough time today,” he says, reaching for me to kiss me again. His hands push off my robe as our tongues meet, and I shiver from the cool air and anticipation.
He pulls back with an apologetic frown. “We should dry off. You’re freezing.”
“You can warm me up,” I tease, reaching down to grab his firm ass and mold our bodies together.
He shakes his head. “Not going to have you catch a cold because I didn’t take proper care of you.”
Cal gives me a hungry once-over, gaze dragging up and down my body. “Fuck, Belle,” he groans, stroking his length like he can’t resist before turning away.
I sigh, appreciating the sight of his muscular ass and surprisingly adorable tail as he steps away into my bathroom in search of a towel. While he’s gone, I strip off my damp underwear, cursing when I get tangled in the robe.
When Cal returns, he has a towel in one hand and his other hand tucked behind his back. After his eyes widen as he takes in my nakedness, his lips twist into a cocky smile. “I found something interesting in your bathroom.”
My brow scrunches. “You did?”
His smile grows. “Yes. Here I was worrying that we wouldn’t fit, but it looks like you’ve been preparing for me.” He reveals the pink sparkly minotaur dildo with a flourish and raises a brow at me.
A hot flush washes over my cheeks. I forgot I’d left it out to dry on the edge of the sink, but there’s no point in being shy.
“Who said that was for you?” I shrug. “There’s a lot of minotaurs here that could’ve inspired me.”
Cal’s nostrils flare, his voice growing deeper. “We both know that’s not the case, darlin’.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.” My pulse quickens as he moves closer.
He smirks. “You thought about me when you worked your pussy open with this toy.”
It’s a statement, not a question, and damn him if his confidence doesn’t turn me on.
“Yes,” I murmur as he backs me up until my thighs hit the end of the bed.
“Show me,” he rasps, guiding me to sit and standing between my thighs. His dripping cock stands erect at my eye line, but when I reach for him, he shakes his head. “Not yet. I need to warm you up. See how much you can take.”
He steps back and strokes his length, gaze hot as he hands me the dildo. “Be a good girl and show me how you made yourself come imagining my cock inside you.”