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“You said you were going to stay.” He says it carefully like he’s working hard at controlling his tone.
“I did stay.”
Standing, Went tosses the pencil in his hand onto the table he’s working at. “We both know what I meant.” Looking down, he seems surprised and mildly exasperated to find that he’s no longer wearing his shirt. Snapping it up from the back of his chair, he pulls it on while he walks toward me, closing the distance between us in a handful of strides. “You know I didn’t just want you to stay for the day.” Stopping in front of me, he shakes his head. “I want you to stay.”
“I know…” I nod, swallowing hard. Not because I’m afraid. Because I don’t want to leave. Because I’m seconds away from giving in. “But—”
“Is this about what I said to you on the dock?” His tone changes. The scowl on his face softening slightly with worry. “Look, I’m not going to say that I didn’t mean it or that I was just kidding around because I meant every word, but I’d never force you into—”
I shake my head on a quiet laugh. “Considering the things you’ve allowed me to do in the name of my bucket list and how much restraint you’ve shown, I would think you’d know better than to think I’m afraid of you.” Thinking of the things he let me do to him—the things I asked him to do to me—on the countertop behind me, I fight the urge to squirm in my seat again. “You could’ve taken advantage of me a hundred times over by now if you wanted to.”
“I wanted to.” His gaze dips lower, grazing across my mouth before he lifts it again to find mine. “Believe me, Sunshine—I fucking wanted to.”
“But you didn’t.” I shake my head. “I’m not afraid of you.” Saying it out loud makes me realize that I’ve never been afraid of him. Not even when he wanted me to be.
The scowl on his face tightens again. “Then what is it?”
“I have responsibilities.” Shaking my head, I stumble a bit. “I can’t just—”
“Why is everything your responsibility?” he asks me, his tone more resigned than angry. “When was the last time your sister shoveled horse shit? Or did the grocery shopping? Or scrubbed a goddamned toilet?”
Never.
To be honest, I’m not even sure Abbey has ever been inside the barn and I’m damn sure she’s never held a toilet brush. Instead of telling him the truth, I ignore the question altogether.
“Damien will be here soon.” He’s never told me but I know his brother comes up here after work. Stays for dinner. “If he knows I spent the day here... he’s loyal to my father. If he thinks something might be going on between us, he’ll—”
“One—” Went holds up a finger. “there is absolutely something going on between us. And two—” He flips up finger number 2. “he already knows. He saw me kiss you on the dock yesterday morning.” Something flickers in his dark eyes before he shakes his head. “But if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll call him and tell him not to come. That—”
“No.” I shake my head, suddenly desperate. “You can’t do that. Nothing is more important than spending time with your brother—trust me.”
His jaw flexes hard and shifts like he has a mouthful of words he wants to spit out. Swallowing them, his shoulders slump in defeat. “Okay, Sunshine…” Giving me a barely there nod, he gives up. Starts to back away from me. “If you don’t want to stay, then—”
“I’ll come back.” It comes out in a rush and I’m surprised at how relieved I feel when I say it.
Reclosing the distance, Went steps into me, lifting a hand to slip it around the back of my neck. Thumb pressed into the soft skin under my chin, he angles it. looking down at me, Went pins me in place with those devil back eyes of his and I’m suddenly sure I can’t leave. Couldn’t if my life depended on it. “When?”
“Tomorrow.” I feel my breath flutter in my throat, my lids going heavy, when he stokes the rough pad of his thumb down the length of it and up again. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“And you’ll stay.” It’s not a question but I nod anyway.
“I’ll stay—” Reaching up, I wrap a hand around his thick wrist, my fingers not even close to touching. “for as long as I can.”
Relief shows plainly on his face and I realize Went isn’t mad that I’m leaving. He’s upset because he doesn’t think I’m coming back. That whatever’s happening between us is too much for me to handle. Thumb still pressed into the underside of my chin, Went leans down to brush his lips against mine, his fingers tightening around the back of my neck when the pressure of his mouth pulls a soft sigh up the length of my throat.
Pulling back, Went drops his hand and takes a step back on a sigh of his own. “I guess this means I’m sleeping alone and all the way naked after all.”
FORTY-TWO
Kaitlyn
Opting to leave my backpack, I saddle two-tone while Went stands on the back porch, watching quietly. Even though he’s not happy that I’m leaving, he didn’t try to talk me into staying. Didn’t try to guilt or manipulate me into doing what he wanted.
Leading Two-tone out of the paddock, I fit my foot into one of the stirrups and use the saddle horn to haul myself up. Swinging my leg over Two-tone’s back, I settle into my seat before looking toward the house. Finding him leaning against the porch post at the top of the steps, long muscular arms crossed over his chest while he watches me quietly, I almost change my mind.
Almost.
“I’ll be back.” Offering him a small smile, I lean toward the porch in my saddle. “I’m probably going to head into town later—is there anything you want?”