I lean down until my lips are only an inch from hers, and I fist my hands at my sides to keep from dragging her to me and kissing her in front of her mother.
“Goodnight, Emily.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I have to straighten and walk away from her, but I don't want our first kiss to be marred by anything.
Tomorrow, Emily, I’m going to give you the ride of your life.
* * *
I'm so eager to see Emily again that I can't wait for her to come to the stables, so I wait outside her cabin bright and early the following morning.
I look like a psycho showing up uninvited like this, but when she steps out onto the porch in a pair of little jean shorts that show off those magnificent legs and a white tank top, my body starts doing funny things. My heart rate ticks up. My breathing becomes erratic. My nostrils flare.
And when those pretty blue eyes meet mine, I swear to God, I see my entire world in them.
I replayed every moment of yesterday back in my mind before falling asleep last night, and when I did sleep, I dreamed of those cloudless, sky-blue eyes.
I'm obsessed with Emily Haskins.
“Cole!” She says my name in surprise.
My dick rises to attention. Fuck, how can my name on her lips make my cock hard like this? I'd probably cream in my pants if I ever got a flash of one of her tits or her sweet pussy.
“What are you doing here?” she asks as she comes skipping down the porch steps.
I try to play it cool. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd give you a ride over to the stable so you don't have to take a taxi or walk.”
She smiles at me. “That's incredibly thoughtful of you, but you didn’t have to do that. Thank you.”
If she only knew I'm doing this for entirely selfish reasons because I thought I’d die if I didn't lay eyes on her again soon. “Have you eaten yet?”
She holds up a banana, and my throat goes dry. I walk her over to my truck, where I hold the door open for her and buckle her up.
She looks at me strangely as I hop into the driver’s side of my four-wheel drive.
“What is it, darlin’?”
“No one has ever buckled me up like that before.”
“I don't know what kind of men you've been hanging out with in New York City, but they're not gentlemen if they don't properly see to your safety.” I tighten my hands on the steering wheel at the thought of her going out with other men.
She considers that before she confesses, “That's probably it. I don't hang out with many men.”
I exhale a breath. Yep, that explains it. This woman is an admitted workaholic, and that's the only reason some lucky bastard hasn't snatched her up yet because, on a scale of one to ten, she’s a million.
Emily peels open the banana, and my throat works as I swallow, trying not to look as she takes a bite of the phallic fruit. My motherfucking dick turns to steel in my pants. The fucker is leaking, and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning.
And here's the thing. I know Emily isn't doing this on purpose. She has no idea what the sight of her eating that fucking banana does to me. I innately know this, and it’s a testament to the depth of my depravity because knowing she's that sweet and innocent turns me on even more.
It's a short drive over to the stables from the resort, and thankfully, she's finished eating the banana by the time I throw my truck into park.She jumps out of the truck with a little hop before I can get around to her side to help her down. She looks so young when she does it, which gives me pause.
“How old are you, darlin’?”
She cocks her head to the side before she answers. “Twenty-two. Why do you ask?”
“Standard procedure. I need to know your age before taking you out on the horse,” I lie.
“What about you?” she asks.