23. Holden
HOLDEN
Lying on a pile of straw shouldn’t be this damn comfortable. Though it’s not the bedding that’s making me reluctant to move. It’s the woman curled up asleep in my arms.
Dim, early-morning light filters through gaps in the barn’s walls. The storm has passed, leaving only the steady drip of rainwater from the trees outside.
Sage lets out a quiet sigh in her sleep, and I pull her closer. The peaceful look on her face has me feeling all kinds of things I’m not used to.
I skim my knuckles over her cheek, and her lashes flutter, then drift open. Hazy green-gold eyes meet mine, filling with warmth that matches the heat in my chest. Pink, swollen lips press together, then tip up into a smile. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
She ducks her head, her lashes hiding her eyes, but I’m not having that. With my forefinger, I tip her chin up. “No point getting all shy on me now.”
“Not shy. Just not sure how to behave after a night like that.”
“A night like what?”
Her laugh is soft and husky. “Don’t fish for compliments. You know what I’m talking about.”
Chuckling, I roll, taking her with me so she’s straddling me, the bottom of my jacket draping over her thighs. Then I draw her down so I can kiss her.
Her mouth is soft against mine, her body a perfect fit.
When I let her go, she’s smiling, but as she pushes herself upright again, the uncertainty in her eyes is impossible to miss.
I glide my palms up her legs until I reach the crease where her thighs meet her hips.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” I ask, rubbing circles against her smooth skin with my thumbs.
“Last night, you said some things. We both did. I just need to make sure we’re still on the same page.”
“You should know by now that I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
She hums. “Good. Because I think you said something about taking me back to your cabin…”
I nod slowly. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I said.”
Her cheeks flush as she catches the promise in my tone. She rests her hands on my chest and rolls her pelvis against mine, making my already hard dick swell even more.
“Then let’s ride, Cowboy.” Her eyes go wide, and a laugh bubbles out of her as she hangs her head. “I’m so sorry; that was bad.”
Hooking my arm around her waist, I flip her over. “Nothing involving the idea of you riding me is bad.” I kiss her again, long enough that we’re both panting by the time I force myself to let her go. “Let’s get moving before Dad and Sterling send out a search party.”
“Will they be worried?”
“More about you. I’m used to roughing it.”
She shrugs. “Then they should be fine. They know you’d take care of me.”
The way she says it, with such casual certainty, trusting not only me but my family’s belief in me, tugs at something that’s been tightly knotted inside me for a long time.
I stay where I am for a beat as she gets up from our straw bed and stands there, my jacket drooping off one shoulder, her hair a tangled mess.
She’s the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen.
I force myself into motion. I should be focusing on getting out of here, not trying to figure out what the hell any of this means.
Our clothes are still damp, and not particularly pleasant to get back into, but it has to be done. Before long, we’ve got the horses tacked up. Sage double-checks her camera again, then packs it away and straps the bag across her back.
Before we leave, I kick the straw into a rough pile in the corner and gather up the blankets. This place doesn’t get much use, but there’s no reason to leave a mess for someone else to deal with.
Outside, the clouds have started to dissipate, with patches of pale blue breaking through the gray. The ground is still slick, but the horses will be fine as long as we go slow.
And as much as I’m looking forward to getting Sage in my bed, it’ll have to wait. I’ll most likely need to help with storm damage for at least part of the day.
I lead Cozy over to Sage, who’s twisted her camera bag around and pulled her camera out again. “What are you doing?”
She bites her lip and glances at me from beneath her lashes. “Just taking a photo.”
I arch a brow. “Of an old barn? Not sure that’s much of a draw for people.”
“I don’t know… maybe it would be if they knew what goes on inside it.”
I tip my head down to hers and lower my voice. “Not sure if that’s part of the general guest experience.”
Her pupils dilate in response, and pink tints her cheeks. “Lucky me, I guess.”
When that simple reaction has my dick hardening, I know I’m in trouble. Hell, it’s not just my dick that’s kicking up a fuss. What’s happening in my chest is going to cause issues too.
Lucky I’ve spent years practicing locking both down when I need to.
I nod toward the barn. “Go on, get your souvenir, then.”
Her mouth pops open. “I didn’t say it was a souvenir. I don’t go around collecting mementos from everywhere I’ve had an orgasm. No matter how”—she waves her hand up and down at me—“moderately attractive the man is who gives it to me.”
My lips quirk at her outrage. Good to know I still get to experience this side of her too.
Her pretty hazel eyes narrow as she takes in my amusement, but I forestall any comeback by curving my free hand around her neck and using my thumb to tip her face to mine. “You should definitely take that picture,” I say, leaning in close. “But just remember, sweetheart…”
She exhales softly against my lips.
“It was three orgasms, not one.” I flick my eyes toward the barn, then back to her. “And what happened in there was just the warm-up. I plan to give you a whole album’s worth of mementos.”
I punctuate the statement by brushing my mouth against hers, savoring the way she sways toward me.
Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, Cozy shoves her big head over my shoulder, ending the kiss before I can convince myself that taking Sage back into that barn isn’t such a bad idea.
Laughing, she strokes the mare’s nose. “Spoilsport.” Then she arches a brow at me. “Back it up, Cowboy. I need space if I’m going to start filling my new album.”
I laugh as I step back, crossing my arms and watching as she holds the camera to her face.
She lowers it for a moment and presses some buttons, then peers through the viewfinder again. Apparently satisfied with the adjustments, she takes several shots, checks the screen, and smiles. Then, without showing me, she packs the camera in her bag.
“Don’t I get a look?” Despite what I said, I’m curious what she sees when she looks at the building. Because I have no doubt what she captured through her lens is far more than just weathered walls and rusted metal.
She strolls up to me, lips curved. “Sorry, this album is marked private. Maybe once you’ve helped me fill it, I’ll let you have a look.”
I shake my head. This woman is going to be the end of me.
This time, when I steady Cozy for her as she mounts, I don’t give a damn if my hand lingers on her leg—especially with the way she smiles down at me.
The ride back goes too quickly. I keep an eye out for freshly broken fencing, stopping once to fix a sagging wire, while Sage takes photos here and there.
I ride closer to her than yesterday, not because I’m concerned for her, but because I can.
Because I’ve given up denying that being close to her makes everything feel lighter.
As we go, she tells me about the shots she’s taking. While I’m focusing on broken fences and washouts, she’s noticing the mist lifting off the pasture and the way the sunlight breaks through the clouds.
It brings back memories of riding out here when I was a kid, sometimes with my siblings, sometimes with our whole family, sometimes just Mom or Dad.
Back then, I couldn’t think of anywhere I wanted to be more than on this land.
Yeah, I always figured I’d spend some time away, travel maybe, but I felt tied to this place in a way I’d never questioned.
Until that tie snapped, leaving me with nothing but questions.
This morning, with Sage at my side, is the closest I’ve come to recapturing that feeling.
While I keep an eye out for damage, I let myself relax.
I listen to her talk, answer her questions, and ask my own.
Though we skirt a couple of subjects: her fuckwit ex and her plans for when her job here is done.
Not sure I want to think about either topic right now. I guess she feels the same way.
Sooner than I’d like, we make it to the barn where we keep Cozy and Whiskey.
It’s still early, and with the storm last night, the ranch hands are probably busy assessing damage, so we’re alone as we give the horses a thorough grooming along with an extra portion of feed and settle them in their stalls.
As we’re driving along the road back to the cabins, Quinn’s truck appears, heading toward us. We both roll to a stop and lower our windows.
Nudging his hat up with his knuckles, he squints at us. “What happened to you two?”
I keep one hand on the wheel and rest my other forearm on the open window frame. “Got stuck when the storm hit. Rode the weather out in one of the calving barns.”
His brows shoot up and his eyes slide toward Sage, but apart from the flicker of a smirk, he doesn’t press the issue. “We’ve been checking the north pastures. Don’t seem to have lost any cattle this time.”
“I fixed one break on the way back, but there may be more. There’s at least one herd of cattle to the south that’ll need checking.”
“We’ll add it to the list. Sterling’s headed down to the construction site to check on things there.”
I tip my chin toward where our cabins are. “I’m going to take Sage home, then I’ll come back and join you guys.”
“Thanks, man.” He turns a grin on Sage. “Glad to see my brother took good care of you.”
“Oh, um, yeah, he did.” Her laugh is higher pitched than usual, and I swear she’s blushing.
Fuck, she looks cute like that.
Luckily, Quinn doesn’t seem to notice. He slaps the side of his door and eases away. “See you soon, then.”
Once his truck disappears behind us, I start forward again. “Do you think he suspects?” Sage whispers.
I give her an amused look. “No clue. But I’m sure your perfectly normal response didn’t give anything away.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know how to act around your family now.”
I rub my hand over my chin. “Same as always. It’s none of their business what we do in private. And even if they figure it out, I have no doubt I’ll be the one fending off accusations.”
Soft lips pressed together, she crosses her arms. “I don’t want that either.”
Reaching over, I give her thigh a gentle squeeze. “If they happen to find out, I can guarantee they won’t judge. They’re not like that.”
She nods slowly, though uncertainty lingers in her expression.
Outside her cabin, I put the truck in park and jump out so I can open her door for her.
She climbs out with a smile, her expression easy again.
I waste no time pulling her into my arms. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone,” I tell her. “Depends on how much mess there is to clean up.”
“I know. Need my help? I just want to change first—”
“I’d rather you rest up. You didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night.”
With her head cocked, she grazes her finger down my chest. “Neither did you.”
“I’m used to ranch work on no sleep. You’re not.”
One dark brow lifts. “You’re trying to tell me I’ll only get in the way, aren’t you?”
How the hell does she make me smile so easily? “I’m trying to tell you that I’ll be distracted if you’re around. And knowing you’re waiting here for me will only make me work faster, which means I’ll be back sooner.”
Her mouth quirks. “I guess when you put it that way…”
“I do.” Tipping her chin up, I press my lips to hers, savoring how soft they are under mine.
As tempted as I am to linger, especially when I pull back and she blinks up at me almost dreamily, I don’t let myself.
“Go have a shower, get changed, whatever you want,” I tell her. “Then maybe you can spend the rest of the day at my cabin. There’s coffee.”
Her eyes light up like I knew they would.
“You can take your laptop and work if you want, or just sleep, watch TV, anything.”
“Are you sure?”
I tilt my head. “I kind of like the idea of you waiting at home for me.”
Her teeth catch her lower lip as she smiles. “Should I have bare feet and a meal ready for you when you get back?”
Humming, I pretend to consider. “Bare feet are fine. No meal, though. Wouldn’t want it to go to waste when the only thing I’m planning to eat when I get home is you.”
I think I’m getting addicted to the way her cheeks turn pink.
She taps her lips with her fingertip. “Hmm, good point. And you’re sure you trust me? What if I’m the kind of person who snoops?”
“Snoop away, sweetheart. There’s nothing in there I’m worried about you seeing.”
She laughs. “Okay, you win.”
I tug her close again. “I’m hoping we’ll both win.”
This time, instead of kissing her lips, which might as well be branded with a danger sign at this point, I brush my mouth against her forehead. “See you soon.” I squeeze her waist gently and step back.
She hesitates for a beat, searching my face.
I shove my hands into my pockets to stop myself reaching for her again. “Better go before I change my mind and stay.”
“You wouldn’t let your family down that way.” Smiling, she turns and walks away.
Unfamiliar emotions tangle inside me as she wanders up her porch steps. I’m not sure how things changed so fast or how it’s possible that I’m struggling to drag myself away from her.
All I know is that I like the man she sees when she looks at me.