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He squeezed her closer. Tracing her fingers over the length of his forearm, she settled into thoughts of what they’d just done. How differently the day could have turned out.

“What were you doing out on that hill, anyway? Were you looking for the cow?” His question made her flip in his hold. He hovered over her, eyes hooded as he searched her face.

She hooked her arms around his neck and drew him down until his forehead rested against hers. “Truth?”

He nodded against her.

“I was having a picnic.”

He pulled away. The darkness let her see how his eyes glittered, but not much else about how he was looking at her.

“Do you have any food left?”

A laugh bubbled out of her. “You’re thinking about your stomach right now?”

“Hell yeah. Aren’t you?”

Now that she thought about it, she was too.

“There’s a little food left. I ate the sandwich, but there are a couple apples—I brought one for my horse. And some beef jerky and potato chips.”

“Hot damn! I did pick the right woman to get stranded with.” He performed a pushup over her, shoving to his feet. In the flickering light, she watched the hard planes of his shadowed form move toward the horse.

A minute later, he returned with his hands full of the detritus of her picnic.

When he took a seat cross-legged beside her and handed her an apple, she sat up and took it. With their bodies still touching, they settled in for a meager supper.

The best of her life.

The apple was sweet and crisp. The beef jerky hit the spot, and the chips they shared topped it all off.

She couldn’t think of the last time she’d felt so happy. So at ease.

She started to say so to Colton but stopped at seeing the twin creases between his brows as he stared off into space. While she felt like their time together couldn’t be more perfect…it was obvious the SEAL-turned-cowboy was in deep torment.

* * * * *

Meadow galloped around the training ring on the back of her mare. Two days after being marooned in a storm, the duo didn’t seem as if they were affected at all. The horse sailed around a barrel, and the rider had all the stamina and skill to lead her through the turn.

Colton let out a low groan.

She bounced up and down in that saddle the same way she had on his cock. And she didn’t look as if him taking her virginity was causing her an ounce of trouble either.

He watched her circling the perimeter. Her blonde hair fluttered loose and free behind her, making his fingers curl, ready to grab the mass and thrust his cock inside her again.

Damn if he wanted to admit it, but two nights alone in his bunk left him burning for her. He’d managed to steer clear of her too, always working with one of the other ranch hands. If she asked to talk to him alone, she risked them telling her father.

That was another thing—the man still hadn’t returned from his conference. Colton didn’t know a hell of a lot about the ranching business, but the conference couldn’t have lasted so many weeks.

Dirt and dust sprayed over his shirt and legs. He looked up to see Meadow doing a turn-and-burn on horseback, the hooves spraying up earth. His grunt mingled with Meadow’s tinkle of laughter.

The little brat. She did that on purpose.

Before she could gloat about him brushing the dust off his shirt, he strolled away from the training ring.

A sharp voice carried across the yard to him. “Hey, Nox!”

He turned to see Webb unloading feed from the back of one of the ranch pickups. Great—what did that asshole want?