Chapter Thirteen #3
“Do you have feelings for me?” She tilted up her chin with a touch of defiance, telling him just how hard it was for her to put herself on the line. He didn’t want her to feel that way. Not with him.
“I love you,” he said simply.
Mac’s lips parted, before pressing tightly together as she eyed him. “Okay then.”
“Okay then?”
She lowered her gaze, once again tightening her mouth in a rueful expression. “I don’t know how to do this.”
Neither did he. Never before had anyone meant as much to him as this cautious woman who was doing her best not to bolt in the face of perceived danger.
She looked up again. “I’ve never said I love you out loud to a guy.”
Trev reached out to smooth a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Did you ever think it?”
“All the time.” She met his gaze in a serious way. “Lately anyway.”
“Fuck.” He hadn’t meant for the word to escape, but as it did, his self-control snapped. He reached for her, pulling her tightly against him before finding her lips. One kiss led to another, and another, which led to him backing her up to the wall.
“Don’t stop,” Mac said when he came up for air.
“Oh, I have no intentions of stopping.” He touched his forehead to hers. “I just wanted to point out that we seem to communicate better with actions than words.”
“You think?” Her laugh was low. Pure Mac. “I’d also like to communicate with words.”
He wasn’t feeling all that verbally inclined at the moment, but for Mac he’d do whatever needed done. “Now?” he asked.
“Later.” She rimmed his lips with the tip of her tongue.
“How much later?” He barely got the words out.
She leaned back to meet his gaze, amusement lighting her gray eyes. “After I find out just how vigorously you can say, You’re welcome.”
He gave her a look that spoke of his intentions. “I’m going to do my best to make you want to say thank you again.”
*
Mac snuggled against Trev, pleasantly spent, yet unwilling to surrender to sleep. There was time for that later after things were more settled between them. “I heard rumor you loved me,” she said in a low voice.
“Not a rumor.” His breath was warm on her cheek.
“What does that look like?”
He frowned down at her. “I must have done something wrong if you’re asking a question like that. I can try again.”
“I’m communicating, here. Don’t distract me.”
His smile took on a sensual edge, and Mac gave a low laugh. Had she ever in her life felt this comfortable with another person? “I mean what does it look like in the other aspects.”
“Other aspects.” Trev tugged the blanket higher, so it covered her shoulders. “Good question. Hard question.”
“I know.” But easier to tackle snuggled naked under a blanket in a chilly bedroom.
He studied the ceiling, lit only by the dim lamp on the desk that held the router. “I’d say it looks like you having a say in my future plans.”
“And you in mine?” she asked.
“Only if you’re on board.”
“I am.” The words came out before she even thought of saying them.
He studied her face for a moment, then said, “I honestly don’t know what my future looks like, Mac. I have obligations.”
“Me, too, but I can probably get a job. Elsewhere.” She wouldn’t be working in the equine world, but Missoula was big, and she could find something to help her get by while she waited for Trev to fulfill his obligations. She felt the muscles of his chest tense as her meaning hit him.
“You’ll come with me?” The words came out warily, as if Trev was afraid of overstepping. He had reason, considering her skittish past, but Mac wasn’t going to let the past hold her back now that she’d found what she wanted. She trailed her fingers down his hard abdomen.
“It’d give me the chance to see you in your geek wear. Khakis and the button-down. You did promise me.”
She gave a surprised oof as he rolled her onto her back, weighing her down in the most delicious way. “Better yet,” he said, his lips close to hers, “you can see me peel out of my geek wear. In many senses of the word.”
“I look forward to that.”
Instead of kissing her as she expected, his expression grew serious. “It won’t be forever, Mac. I know now that I’ve gotta come home. Do what I want to do, instead of what I thought I was supposed to.”
“Think I can leave my horses here?”
“Oh, I believe Wade will be in favor of that.”
Mac nodded. “He’s mentioned keeping the horses a few times when we talked about my job prospects. Something about a theory that needs proving.”
“Son of a—” Trev’s forehead dropped to her shoulder. He let out a breath before raising his head again. “He’s serious. And so am I. I love you, Mac. We’re going to stumble through this together. Make it work.”
She ran her hands over the hard muscles of his back and shifted beneath him, feeling his body respond to her movements. A slow smile came to her face just before he kissed her. She pushed her hands into his thick hair when his lips left hers.
“I agree, Mr. Matthews. We are totally going to make this work.”
“Any more words?” he asked, leaving her no doubt as to his intentions.
She shook her head. “Nope. Words are done. Now I’m looking for actions.”