They needed to talk about a whole lot of stuff, but now was not the time. Emery flung her arms around his neck and she kissed him. She kissed him very, very passionately.
Greer lifted her off her feet and kissed her back. He kissed her passionately, fervently, ardently, zealously, vehemently—all the good synonyms and all the good feels.
Then he settled her back onto her feet and continued to kiss her. The kisses took on a life of their own, and neither one of them tried to stop. Darkness fell around them and Emery’s face might be more chapped from Greer’s beard rubbing against it than her inner thighs had been after wearing shorts on horse rides, even with the blanket.
Finally, she pulled back and could barely see him in the dark.
Greer laughed. “You make me do things I never thought I’d do.”
She laughed too.
He pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight. They made their way back to his barn, where the exterior lights guided them to the house.
As they went inside, Emery only wanted to kiss more. Who cared about some rash on her face from his beard? But suddenly the nerves hit her, and she started shaking. She had to tell him. She had to tell him now. It was past time to clear the air and move forward. Together.
She said a desperate prayer for help.
Greer led her to the couch. “Movie?”
“No. I need to use the bathroom, and then I have to tell you something.”
He regarded her, as serious as he’d been when she’d first met him. He knew. Somehow, he knew. But she still had to be the one to say it. That almost made her smile. With Greer, of course she had to be the verbose one, but it was more than that. She needed to prove she trusted him with her secrets, her safety, her life, and her heart.
She hurried away from him and into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, looked at her reddened cheeks and lips in the mirror, and replayed every minute of those kisses. She used the bathroom, spritzed on some vanilla sugar body splash and put on some lip gloss, and then she dropped to her knees to say a prayer. Somehow, with heaven’s help and Greer’s kind, patient understanding, she would make it through this.
She was still terrified.
But that was silly. God was on her side, and Greer was an amazing, understanding, and gentle man. He cared more deeply for her than a woman he had dated for two years. She’d never asked why they broke up, but it didn’t matter. Unless it had damaged Greer. Maybe that was why he was so quiet.
She walked back out into the main area. Greer was sitting on the couch but he stood, came to her, and escorted her to the couch. Settling down beside her, he waited.
Emery wanted to hold his hand, or better yet sit on his lap, but she needed to say this without any distractions. She stood and started pacing in front of him. Greer stood to face her, but she gently pushed him back onto the couch. “Please. I need to look down on you while I admit to all of this.”
He quirked an eyebrow.
“Sorry, that sounded weird. I’m just anxious and with my students I’m taller and I’m always looking down on them and I’m always in control. Well, as in control as you can be with clever nine- and ten-year-olds. But does that make sense?” He didn’t look like it did, but he said nothing. “I just need to be … taller than you for a minute.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks.” She paced and wrung her hands together, then tried to spit it out. “You remember how I ran through the woods and then found you and my ex had gone after me and threatened me and all of that?” She paused her pacing and looked at him. He nodded. “Okay, well, that was … all a lie.”
Greer didn’t react. He just kept his blue gaze steadily on her; no anger, no incrimination, no injustice on any part of his face. So Greer.
Suddenly, Emery didn’t want to be taller than him. She dropped to her knees in front of him and grabbed both of his hands. She wanted to be humble, meek, respectful, penitent, and most importantly, closer to him.
“Greer … I’m Emery Reeder.”
He squeezed her hands and said, “I know.”
Her heart raced. She’d wondered if he knew, but to hear him confirm it was upsetting, liberating, and also awkward. She’d been living this stupid farce, and he’d known the entire time.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” She should beg his forgiveness, but the words kind of ripped out of her.
“Emery,” he said in a husky voice that made her quiver. He’d said her name. Her real name. He gently tugged her up onto the couch next to him, then angled toward her, still holding both of her hands. “I wanted you to trust me enough to tell me.”
There was so much to say, so much to ask, so much to discuss, but those words from Greer brought tears to her eyes. “I do trust you,” she said fervently. “With everything, Greer. My Maverick.” She gave him a watery, emotional smile. “I trust you with my heart, my body, my soul, my life, my lips.”
Greer swallowed and she thought he might kiss her. Sadly, he didn’t. “That means a lot.”