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“I like winter better.” He pulled back slightly, staring at the flag holder.

“You hated winter.”

He huffed and climbed down the ladder. “Don’t throw that in my face.” As he wiped his face again, I couldn’t help myself.

“Looks like you need to be cooled off.” I backed away by a few feet, turning hose water on him full blast.

“What the…” His shoulders slumped, but I could tell his clenched jaw I was in trouble.

I couldn’t help but to laugh. We’d worked so hard over the last few months, trying to turn the ranch into a destination location. At least the barn had recently been completed. I’d worked on artwork and the webpage while he’d handled most of the grunt work.

The guesthouses were works of art and we were in the process of considering adding a commercial kitchen with patios and gazebos for renting out for celebratory events.

That had been a hard sell since he was a hardheaded man. But I was slowly wearing him down.

He stood where he was, shaking his head a few times. If I didn’t know the man so well, I’d say he was preening for me. Everything about him took my breath away, including the way the bright sun created a glow on his skin.

I was too busy enjoying the view to realize he’d suddenly lunged toward me. He managed to tackle me to the ground. I not only squealed from his sudden move, I also dropped the hose. As it danced back and forth like a snake, I was almost instantly as soaked as he was.

“Oh, you!” I yelled, laughing as he rolled us back and forth on the beautiful lawn we’d suffered trying to grow. “You’re hurting the grass.”

“I think it can take a little romp. Unless you’d prefer in the hay.” His laugh was freer than it used to be, the husky sound always creating instant arousal.

He pressed his hands on either side of me, pushing up from the grass. As he peered down, water dripped off his face onto mine. The look was carnal, the man intent on devouring me.

Just as he’d done so many times before.

I’d never known such passion. I’d never felt such joy.

I pressed my hands against his chest, kneading his muscles with my fingers. As he slowly dropped his head, he created another wave of intense heat. I curled my leg around him. “What do you want, big boy?”

“Big boy, huh? That’s Master to you.”

“Not a chance.”

He hovered over me for a few seconds before darting his tongue around my mouth. The electricity was incredible, crackling through us with such ferocity I feared being doused with water. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, jerking him down until our lips were firmly planted together.

There was nothing in the world that could compete with the taste of him.

He thrust his tongue inside and I curled my other leg around him on purpose. I could stay like this for hours. Well, maybe without the water.

Between the music and the waterflow, the sound of an engine coming closer barely registered. When we finally broke the kiss, the vehicle was already parked in the driveway.

The sun was blinding. I shielded my eyes as Maddox lifted his head.

“Didn’t I tell you before to get a room? Not our room, though.”

I bit back a laugh.

“Kage?” Maddox said as we both scrambled to our feet. As I reached for the hose to turn it off, I almost slipped on the wet grass.

Maddox was forced to catch me around the waist.

“Yep, they need a room alright. You were right.”

The second man I only recognized from the picture I’d found in one of Maddox’s drawers. The photograph obviously brought back so many memories, the group of Navy SEALs appearing as if they had the world by the balls.

“Stone? You got to be kidding me.” Maddox took slow steps toward the other man, shaking his head the entire time.

Stone Bellows was the third in the three musketeers. I stood back as they grabbed each other for a bear hug, noticing the beautiful woman standing beside Kage. I’d been excited for days and trying to keep in the surprise had been killing me.

I walked closer and Kage lifted his sunglasses so I could see him wink.

“You took me up on my offer,” I told him.

“I did. I thought I’d bring my old lady with me.”

The woman punched him in the arm. “Hey. Speak for yourself. You’re the one with gray hair, not me. I’m Juliette. I’ve heard a lot about you, including how you tamed Maddox.”

Maddox turned his attention toward us, snarling on purpose. “Nope. I’ve tamed her.”

“Yeah, right,” both Juliette and I said at the same time.

He laughed, but his eyes were full of the same haunted sadness I’d seen several times. “You just dropped by?”

“We were in the area. I picked up Stone on the way.” Kage laughed. “No, you idiot. We booked a couple of the guesthouses. We thought we’d christen your new business adventure. Your tamed gal was insistent we pay a visit.”

“Oh, she was, huh?” Maddox pulled me closer, growling into my ear on purpose.

“This is amazing,” Juliette said. “Just beautiful.”

“A work in progress,” Maddox told her. “How do you keep him from driving you crazy? He has a lot of bad habits.”

“Now, don’t go spoiling anything,” Kage huffed. When Stone burst into laughter, Kage gave him a harsh look. “Your turn is next, buddy. Just wait until you fall in love.”

“Not gonna happen,” Stone insisted, tossing his hands into the air. “Not in this lifetime.”

Kage and Maddox glanced at each other with unspoken words. But the grins on their faces created a warm spot in my heart.

“Why don’t you guys head to the big house over there,” Maddox teased. “We’ll have a drink then get you settled in.”

“We’ll be happy to make ourselves right at home,” Kage said. “Including drinking your booze.”

The three headed for the older Jeep and I waited until they’d climbed inside to turn and wrap my arms around Maddox.

“Good surprise or bad surprise?” I asked.

He took his time answering. “I spent far too many years allowing guilt to eat me alive. That turned into hate, which kept me from enjoying my life. You pushed me.”

When I started to say something, he placed his finger across my lips.

“Just let me finish. You pushed me not because you thought you knew better, but because of your love for me. I didn’t think I deserved love.

I certainly couldn’t stand the thought of letting anyone in.

Too painful. You smashed all barriers, crushing the armor I had surrounding me.

I hated it and was furious with you. At least at first. But you refused to stop and I’m thankful you didn’t. ”

The way he took my face into his hands brought tears to my eyes.

“I love you very much, Charmaine. I can’t promise the life we share will be perfect, but I will promise I’ll do everything in my power to cherish and protect you.”

“Just be yourself, Maddox. That’s all I need.”

He pressed his forehead against mine and we clung to each other for a few of the most precious seconds we’d experienced.

I’d never loved a man like I did the one holding me.

“So a good surprise,” I repeated on purpose.

After lifting his head, he smiled as he looked into my eyes. “Almost the best surprise. Almost. A close second.”

“You have me curious. What was the first?”

As he breathed in deeply, he cradled my neck with his massive palm. “You. It will always be you, the one and only woman who could ever tolerate me and I love you for that.”

“Just that?” I teased.

“Don’t press your luck.” As if to prove a point, he cracked his hand on my bottom. When I went for the hose, he corralled me with ease, tossing me over his shoulder.

Maddox had told me more than once he wasn’t a romantic man. He’d insisted he was a tainted hero and not worthy of love, a bad man with a guilty heart. Yet I knew otherwise. He was perhaps the best man, the best person I’d ever met in my life.

Whatever happened, I knew we could build on the happiness.

As long as we took it one day at a time.

The End