“But aren’t you usually out working on the farm by five every morning? It has to be almost nine.”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” Wyatt raises an eyebrow, making me giggle.
“Never.”
“Good. Because you’re stuck with me now.” He seals his declaration with a kiss, stealing the air from my lungs. “Besides,” he says once we break apart. “They knew I wouldn’t be up early this morning.”
“What do you mean?”
“They all saw me throw you over my shoulder last night and stomp out.”
“So that’s normal behavior for the Ford brothers?” I tease, though now that I think about it, it might be. The locals call their property the Stud Farm.
“Not at all,” he insists, cupping the side of my face and turning my gaze back to his. “Never done that to anyone before. Never needed another living soul the way I need you, Kennedy. That’s why they knew I was serious about you. Only you, sweetheart.”
I nod, blinking back tears. Wyatt kisses my forehead and then guides me to lay back against him. We stay wrapped up in each other for long moments, our bodies molded together, our hearts beating as one. I don’t know what my future holds, but I know I want this man in it.
EIGHT
Wyatt
Kennedy sways closer to me,slipping her hand in mine as we walk toward the stables. I tuck her into my side, loving the way her soft, curvy body fits perfectly against mine. She hums quietly to herself, a few wisps of her dark hair fluttering around her face.
I’m already addicted to every single thing about this stunning creature. I thought I was obsessed the first moment I saw her, but that feeling has only grown in intensity since we’ve been together in every way.
Jesus, pushing inside her tight heat for the first time, watching her stretch and take all of me, her body surrendering to my touch…
I clear my throat, reaching down to adjust the growing problem in my pants. Kennedy glances down at my hand, then darts her eyes up to mine, a mischievous grin on her lips.
“Someone having dirty thoughts?” she teases.
“Can you blame me?” I grunt, though I give her a wink so she knows I’m not upset. It’s not her fault she’s so damn irresistible.
We walk the rest of the way to the stables in comfortable silence. That is until we step inside. Kennedy tenses beside me, her grip on my hand tightening as she curls into my side.
I pause, turning my woman to face me. Lifting her chin with my thumb and forefinger, I make sure she’s looking at me before I speak. “I’m so damn proud of you, Kennedy,” I murmur. Her brow furrows in confusion, and I place a kiss there, easing the tension. “You’ve come such a long way since that first day I brought you out here. I want to take a moment to celebrate how far you’ve come.”
She blinks up at me, a heartbreaking mixture of disbelief and tentative courage swimming in her ocean blue eyes. It’s almost like no one has ever said they were proud of her. That’s too goddamn sad to think about, so I cover her lips with mine, letting her know without words how incredible she is.
By the time we break apart, Kennedy is less tense. She pants as she rests her head on my shoulder, and I smile, knowing at least one way I can distract her from her anxiety.
“Are you ready for the next step in the healing process?” I ask quietly.
My brave girl lifts her head, squares her shoulders, and gives me a nod. “Riding?” she asks.
“Only if you’re ready.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready,” she whispers, looking over my shoulder at the stalls behind us. When her blue eyes meet mine once again, I see a deep well of strength and determination. She’s breathtaking when she’s taking her power back. I’m humbled and so damn grateful to have played a part in building up this woman’s confidence. “Let’s do it anyway,” she says firmly.
I curl my fingers around the back of her neck, pulling her into me and tasting the courage on the tip of her tongue. Fire and sugar dance on my taste buds as Kennedy presses herself against me, meeting me stroke for stroke as our kiss turns wild.
Reluctantly, I pull away from the woman of my dreams, giving her one last kiss on her forehead before leading us over to Tin’s stall. Kennedy watches in silence while I prepare Tin for the ride. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kennedy tentatively reach out, stroking Tin’s side.
Taking the reins, I walk Tin out to the paddock, Kennedy following close behind.
My girl takes a deep breath once we’re outside, peering up at Tin with a determined look in her eyes. “We’ve got this,” she murmurs to the horse. Tin bobs her head up and down, making Kennedy laugh. That’s a good sign. I can feel the torrent of emotions rushing through her, but she’s commanding the storm inside and choosing to push through the fear.
Her hands shake as she reaches for the hold on the saddle, but when she mounts the horse, a serene confidence takes over. Kennedy moves with practiced grace, the muscle memory taking over as she adjusts herself and leans forward to pet Tin.