Page 31 of Call Me Yours (Lodestar Ranch #4)

STEVEN

Apparently, I did care if Chloe hated me because after the orgasm returned enough blood flow to my brain for me to function, I took one look at her sleeping face and knew that if I had to watch her wake up with regret and self-loathing when she saw me in bed with her, I’d escort myself straight off a cliff.

I gently replaced my chest with a pillow and left her there making adorable sleeping sounds that made me feel soft and achy inside.

I paused in the doorway and looked back.

She had curled herself into a ball under the covers, and I couldn’t see much of her beyond the dark hair that spilled out in all directions.

It was so hard to resist the urge to climb back into bed with her despite the uncomfortable wetness in my jeans.

Jesus, fuck, this woman. What the hell was I going to do about her?

Other than make a doctor appointment for every STI check under the sun. That was happening immediately. And then I was going to clear her schedule and keep her in bed with me for a solid twenty-four hours.

As soon as I figured out how to keep her from hating me after.

Chloe had cut back slightly on her hours at Jo, working four days a week instead of five or six.

I hated that she was still working there at all, spending six hours on her feet before commuting to her office in the city where she put in another four hours, minimum.

She intended to help Jo replace her before the baby came in May, but right now she wanted to take advantage of the free rent and stockpile as much money as possible so she could move out of my house and into a place of her own.

If I was honest, I hated that, too.

I had the feeling she’d been avoiding me since the night we had dry humped each other like randy teenagers who hadn’t figured out where all the parts go, but she spent more time working than at home, so it was hard to tell for sure.

But it wasn’t a great sign that she had Saturday off, yet I hadn’t seen even a glimpse of her since Friday morning.

Fine. If that was how she wanted to play it, I would avoid her, too. It wasn’t like I didn’t have shit to do.

I spent the morning in town, running errands and getting the groceries for the week. But no matter how hard I tried to fight it, the thought of Chloe incessantly tugged my attention back home. After two hours, I gave up. Maybe I could lure her out of hiding with food or something.

She was on the front porch when I got home. Her wind-whipped skirt billowed out behind her like a sail, molding itself to the front of her body. Her full breasts, the round curve of her belly, her strong thighs. For the first time, she looked obviously, undeniably pregnant. Fuck, she was beautiful.

She rested one hand on the top of her belly and lifted the other to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sharp sunlight. She was looking for something, or someone.

And suddenly I couldn’t breathe for wanting.

Wanting her to see whatever it was she was looking for. Wanting it to be me. There wasn’t a cell in my body that wouldn’t turn itself inside out to become whatever made her happy. You want a giraffe, princess? I’ll be a giraffe .

I fucking yearned for it. For her.

And then she turned and caught sight of me staring at her. Her face lit up.

“There you are!” She hustled over to me.

Me . She had been looking for me . Warmth exploded in my chest.

“You will not believe what happened. You know Bernadette from Sunshine Rescue? She called here. Said they have an emu that needs a temporary place. They already have a permanent home, but they need a week to get it ready.” Chloe tugged at my arm and looked up at me expectantly.

“An emu , Steven. It’s not an ostrich but that’s probably for the best. I don’t think an ostrich will let you play dress up. They are way more mean than emus.”

I stared down at her eager, upturned face. It took everything I had not to kiss her. “You already said yes, didn’t you?”

“You said you wanted an emu. Of course I said yes. Anyway, you have the space,” she reminded me. “And it’s only for a week.”

She was right. In addition to the chicken coop and pig pen, there was a four-stall barn and small pasture. Although I fully planned on getting horses someday, right now it was empty.

“I wonder why Bernadette thought of me,” I said. “I don’t know the first thing about caring for emus.”

Chloe shrugged. “Neither did the so-called petting zoo who had him for the past two years. If he could survive that, he can survive a week with you. Bernadette will be here later this afternoon, and she promised she’d walk you through all the care and feeding.

” Then she grinned. “Apparently, emus get along great with pigs.”

“I’m going to have a whole damn menagerie,” I muttered, loading my arms with groceries from the truck. When Chloe reached for one, I handed her the toilet paper instead. She rolled her eyes but allowed it.

“You hungry?” I asked as we headed up the steps.

“Starving.” She shot me a mischievous grin over her shoulder. “You got home right on time. I was about to make myself a bowl of cereal.”

Well, look at that. I didn’t have to turn myself into a giraffe, after all. Somehow, right now, I was already exactly what she wanted. Just me. Just for this moment. I knew that.

But I wanted so much more.