Page 16 of Caspian (HC Heroes #14)
Again, normally, thoughts like that would freak her out, but she was ready to kick normal to the curb and live a little.
However, stripping naked and ravishing each other outside in broad daylight was probably too far past normal for her.
Grateful for the guy’s common sense and restraint, Harper picked up her sandpaper and got back to work.
The afternoon passed in a comfortable blur of sanding, chatting, cleaning, applying the first coat of sealant, and the occasional stolen glance that messed with her pulse.
She loved being at the ranch, loved the sense of accomplishment that came with each completed project, but more than anything, she loved the time spent with Cas.
Those quiet, unguarded moments that felt like they were building something together, piece by piece.
She waited for the fierce grip of panic to squeeze her chest, but it never came. Instead, she noted an unexpected peacefulness that’d been missing from her life for almost a decade. She almost didn’t recognize it.
Because the significance was a little too much to deal with, Harper pushed all of it to the back of her mind and enjoyed the present without any clouds hanging over her.
By the time they decided to call it a day, the barn door was well on its way to becoming a headboard, and she was pleased with what they’d accomplished. She and Cas stood back, admiring their work, and Harper reached out to take his hand without thinking.
“I’m glad we’re doing this,” she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
Cas squeezed back, his smile warm and genuine. “Me, too. And we’re just getting started.”
He insisted on grilling some chicken for dinner, and within the hour, they were showered and changed, and sitting on his front porch, enjoying their food.
Streaks of pink and orange painted the sky as the sun set over the ranch. That peace she was coming to love settled over Harper, the kind that came from good food, good company, and the promise of more days like this one to come.
At least, she hoped for more.
“Here’s to another day of great progress,” Cas said, holding up his glass of iced tea, which she happily clinked with her own glass.
She smiled. “I can’t wait to see that headboard against your wall. It’s going to be stunning.”
He nodded, digging into his chicken.
She chewed several delicious bites before switching the subject. “And even though Dale and Cooper didn’t have much on the envelope, at least we’re narrowing down the families involved. It feels like we’re getting closer.”
“I agree,” he said. “Maybe we’ll learn something new if we read the next few pages in the diary.”
For the first time since arriving at the ranch three days ago, trepidation tightened her chest. Harper hadn’t opened the diary at all during her stay. She wasn’t sure why. Probably because she didn’t want to interrupt her newfound peace.
But Caspian was right. There were undoubtedly clues in it, clues she could’ve easily uncovered by reading the diary straight through the day she’d found it. Or giving it to Sadie to read, although her cousin had stated it felt like it was meant for Harper to find, and therefore read.
Even so, she’d only managed to read a little here and there because fear of the unknown held her back. Well, not anymore.
She nodded. “Maybe we will.”
For the next few minutes, they ate the rest of their meal in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
“Well, I know one thing for certain,” he said, taking the empty plate from her hands, and stacking it onto his, before placing them on the nearby table. “We got a lot done on the headboard already. Not bad for a day’s work.”
“True,” she said, with a grin. “We make a pretty good team.”
“Best I’ve ever been part of,” Cas murmured, closing the distance between them.
They laughed before his lips met hers with a warm, lingering kiss. As always happened when they kissed, Harper melted into the guy and eagerly responded, wanting, needing to feel more.
She slid her hand under his shirt, loving how his hot, hard, body quivered under her touch. And he was touching too. He had one hand cupping the back of her head and the other under her shirt just beneath her bra.
Unable to help herself, Harper brushed his lip with her tongue, and a sexy sound rumbled in his throat just before his tongue dipped into her mouth.
Her heart was beating like crazy in her chest while heat rushed through her body to all her good parts. Parts that had been dormant for so long.
Just as she was about to straddle him, Cas ended the kiss, draping his arm around her shoulder before tucking her against him while they worked to catch their breath. For a second, she debated what was more important—her disappointment or her need for air.
Since she needed the latter to form a coherent thought, Harper leaned her head against his chest and listened to the strong thudding of his heart.
As they sat there, working to get their breathing under control, sharing the stillness of the evening, Harper realized that she hadn’t felt this at home in, well, ever.
She also hadn’t ever felt this turned on, either.
Harper drew back slightly, the soft creaking of the porch swing mingling with the evening breeze as she met his gaze.
She wanted to feel that connection again, to lose herself in another kiss that felt so easy, so right.
But just as her lips were about to brush his, Cas gently shifted her aside, his expression unreadable.
“I should probably clean up,” he said, grabbing their dishes with a quick, almost forced smile. Before she could respond, he was already up and heading inside, disappearing into the house.
What just happened?
Harper sat there for a moment, the sting of disappointment mixing with a hint of amusement.
She hadn’t expected him to pull away, not after the easy flow of their day, but there was something in his eyes that told her this wasn’t just about the dishes.
Pushing herself off the swing, she followed him into the kitchen, finding Cas at the sink, his back turned to her.
“Cas,” she said softly. “What was that about?”
He glanced over his shoulder, then set the dishes down, turning to face her fully. “I just don’t want to rush you.”
She tilted her head and blinked. “Rush me? Cas, I’m the one trying to kiss you. I’m not exactly going slow here.”
He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “I know, and believe me, resisting you is hard as hell. But I care about you, Harper. A lot. And I don’t want us to jump into something before you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere, and you’re not going anywhere. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
Her mind could barely compute those words coming from Caspian Taylor, the gorgeous, carefree, almost cocky Romeo she used to watch at the McCall’s corral.
To be fair, this Cas, the one she’d met in her cousin’s driveway last week, was not the same Cas from her youth.
He had a confident, more serious, mature air about him with a few shadows in his eyes, no doubt from things he’d experienced as a SEAL, and, yeah, the guy was loads sexier now, too.
Heaven help her, she found this version of him way more attractive.
Her heart softened and cracked open a little at his words, the honesty in his voice wrapping around her like a warm blanket.
She stepped closer, her hand finding his. “I appreciate that, Cas. Really. But I followed you in here because I wanted to, and I’m not afraid of whatever this is between us.”
Not exactly true. She was afraid of losing another guy she’d given her heart to, so she just needed to not do that. The small crack in the wall she’d built around her heart could easily be repaired when she was back in her apartment. She wasn’t worried about it.
Cas squeezed her hand, his gaze softening. “Don’t mistake my retreat for fear. I’m not afraid of this connection either, Harper. I just want to do this right…for both of us.”
She nodded, understanding the care behind his hesitation. “Okay. We’ll take it slow. But just so you know,” she added with a playful smile, “I’m all in.”
He laughed, pulling her into a hug that felt like a promise. “I’m all in too.”
I wish you were.
He stiffened, and that’s when Harper realized she’d spoken the words out loud.