I lifted my hand to his cheek now. Felt the softness of his beard. “I’ve fallen for you,” I admitted. “Hard. Even after what you did yesterday. It hurt me, I won’t lie. That was my fault though, because I shouldn’t have let something so… short affect me this much.”
He wrapped his arms around me in a fierce hug, rested his cheek on the top of my head. “None of this is your fault. You gave your body… your heart, everything to me. I thought leaving was what was best when I should have treasured it. You.”
“I fell too fast,” I added. “What you did shouldn’t have hurt so much.”
“I fell for you, too. I’ve fallen and I can’t get up where you’re concerned.”
I laughed at the play on the old commercial from TV.
“As for hurting you, fuck. I’ll never be able to make that right. I walked out, realized how much being without you sucked. Wondered how a slip of thing with red hair could knock me on my ass in a day. But you did.”
He pulled back once again, but only enough to tip my chin up and lean down. His mouth an inch from mine, he stopped. Waited, as if he didn’t have the right to just take.
“Kiss me,” I whispered, eager to feel his lips on mine.
And he did.
Even with his arms around me, I fell. Again. He was gentle and tender, yet so big and powerful. Whatever the secret, we would get through it. Bennett knew it and wasn’t bothered by it. They were still friends. He wouldn’t have let Cash get near me if he were to hurt me.
I sank into the kiss. Let everything go. Just felt. His hand cupped the back of my head, the other at my lower back, fingers cupping my bottom.
“Julia Duke.”
I heard my name and pulled back. Cash loosened his hold on me, and we turned to see who had spoken.
My stomach dropped.
Holy fuck. Frank. What was he doing here?
They’d come out of the barn, and I hadn’t even heard. With Cash kissing me, a bomb could have gone off and I’d have missed it.
Even after all these months, he held the power over me to feel like shit. A slick grin spread across his face as if he knew he could still fuck with me. He was Bennett’s client. God, what were the chances? I’d avoided him at the grocery store, but had to run into him here. Bennett looked between us, curious.
How had I ever been interested in Frank? Standing beside Bennett, it was easy to compare them. Frank was several inches shorter. His hair was thinning. A slight paunch rounded his belly. He was pale and… weak looking.
But Bennett… Bennett.
My heart skipped a beat looking at Bennett. His sandy colored hair was neatly combed. He wore a charcoal gray V-neck sweater over a white t-shirt, jeans and leather boots. And I knew every inch of what was underneath.
And Cash beside me. His kiss… no, just his arms around me made me feel more than I ever had with Frank.
“You and Carter, huh?” he asked, slowly shaking his head. The look in his eyes showed… condescension. “Slumming for the mechanic isn’t going to fix you.”
I felt Cash’s fingers tighten against my hip.
God, Frank was an asshole. How did I ever think he was worthy of my time?
“What the fuck?” Bennett said, turning angrily toward Frank who held up his hands.
“I’m just telling the truth, before she keeps trying to fix a broken pussy.”
I swear I heard Cash growl. Bennett’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. So did his fists. This wasn’t Bennett’s fight, it was mine.
I broke out of Cash’s hold, stomped over to Frank, poked him in the chest, just like I had Cash the other night. Instead of the sly smile Cash had given me, Frank just eyed me with derision.
“There’s nothing wrong with me, you little shit.”
He laughed. “Oh yeah, I think I know a fair amount about your problems. Maybe I can tell Carter about them, spare him the trouble of a bad lay.”