He shrugged. “Then there’s no harm done, and we start again.”
“Okay.” She sounded dubious, but she bent and called Bella over. Bella’s fluffy black and white tail swished as she sat on her haunches at Megan’s feet. “Good girl.” She stepped hesitantly toward the ramp, and Bella watched as she made the signal for “up.”
“You have to run with her,” Tione said. “She won’t do it by herself.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Of course. Why would she?” She jogged to the ramp, and made the signal when she reached it. Bella scrabbled up one side and down the other. Megan giggled. “I did it!”
“Good start. Keep it up.”
He watched as she trotted to the first jump and gestured for Bella to leap over it. She did easily, and Megan’s goofy grin widened. He loved that grin. The sight of it made coming out here at the ass crack of dawn worth it. Bella cleared another two jumps, and with only a little coaxing, dropped her belly to the ground to wiggle through the tunnel.
He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping she’d make the jump through the ring without him there to guide her. The ring was a recent addition, and they’d only successfully completed it a few times. Perhaps he should have left it at home.
No, he needed to have faith in his girls. They could do this.
Bella ran up the seesaw, waited for the other end to thud to the ground, and dashed off it. Megan was on a roll now, more confident in herself, and he held his breath as they approached the elevated ring. Five meters… two meters… and they were through it.
Megan whooped. “We did it!”
Bella flung herself into the air like a dolphin, excited by the commotion. Megan raced to Tione, and he opened his arms wide, catching her as she threw herself into them. He hugged her, but not tight enough to hurt her ribs, and when he drew back, his breath caught in his chest. Her eyes glittered golden in the light, her happiness a potent aphrodisiac.
God, she was so beautiful he ached just looking at her.
Her tongue flicked out over her upper lip and his heart puttered like a car backfiring. He knew the fantasies running through his mind were wrong, considering how vulnerable she was, but he didn’t think he could survive another second without knowing how she tasted, or what it felt like to truly kiss her. He’d never wanted a woman the way he did her. He’d never had the desire to take one in his arms and protect her from the world until now. In this moment, Megan was everything. Everything he’d ever wanted, everything he could never have.
Before he’d made the conscious decision to move, he was kissing her. Her lips were satin-soft beneath his, and they parted on an intake of breath. Then she was kissing him back, twining her arms around his neck, pressing herself into him. His heart sang with triumph and he became hyper aware of the heated friction at every place their bodies connected.
His fingers dug into her hips and he kissed down the length of her neck, loving the way she sighed and tilted her head to give him better access. As his mouth worshiped her skin, his nostrils filled with the scent of her, at once sugary sweet and alluring. His tongue darted out to touch a pulse point, and she clutched his shoulders tighter.
She was decadent. Like the richest dessert he’d ever tasted, and he wanted to savor her forever. But he couldn’t. Reluctantly, he released her and put distance between them.
Her eyes had closed, but now they fluttered open, slowly focusing on him. “Wow.”
* * *
Megan had never been so thoroughly kissedin her life. Her mind whirred, struggling to process anything, too glazed by the effects of Tione’s expert lips and potent pheromones. She didn’t know what it was, but man did he smell good. And the way he kissed… her knees weakened, but she managed not to swoon.
“Wow,” she repeated, like an idiot. “You really know what you’re doing.”
Shut up, Meg. Stop making it worse.
He turned to scan the field, checking on the dogs. She followed his gaze, pleased for the distraction.
“We should get back,” he said. “I need to make a start on lunch.”
She stared at him. Really? Were they not going to talk about the mind-boggling kiss they’d just shared?
He called the dogs in. Her jaw set, and her lips firmed. They weren’t going to ignore this. Not on her watch. She’d spent too many months staying quiet when she should have said something. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“I enjoyed that,” she announced. “We should do it again some time.” If she sounded moronic, she didn’t care. Better that than let the moment slip through their fingers.
Tione scowled, and rubbed his chin. Her core heated in response. She knew how soft that beard felt against her face, and she had intimate knowledge of how wonderful his stubborn mouth could be when he stopped being so determined to keep his distance.
“It was nice,” he agreed.
It had been a darn sight better than nice, but she let the comment pass. “What are we making for lunch?”
He raised a brow, but answered, and she kept up a steady stream of small talk while they collected the dogs and walked back to the lodge, where she followed him to the kitchen and washed her hands. Together, they prepared ingredients for BLTs, and oddly, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so in control. They worked like a well-greased wheel, as though they’d been a team for much longer than a couple of weeks.