I take the plate, and she picks up the remote and turns the television on. “What do you want to watch?”
“I don’t care,” I tell her, staring at her from the side. I want to reach out and push the hair behind her ear. I want her eyes on me, but I know I need to work up to it.
She laughs. “I’ve never known a man not to care what’s on TV. As a matter of fact, I’m surprised you even let me hold the remote.”
I’m torn. I want to ask her about the other men in her life but just the same, I don’t want to know either. “Things like that don’t matter to me. Plus, I’d rather watch you than the television.”
She jerks her head toward me, and the surprise that lights up her face is evident. She’s blushing, and in this moment, I know she’s the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. “Get your food and eat.”
She grabs her plate, and instead of eating on the coffee table, she sits back and holds it in her lap. We’re right next to each other. I can feel the warmth of her thigh pressed against my leg, and a calm comes over me. The last few days have been filled with stress, from blurry vision, headaches, my ribs and knee, I’ve been a downright asshole. But now that she’s here, it’s like everything is right in the world.
She eats slowly while I scarf down the sandwich, chips, and apple slices. When I’m done, I set the plate on the table and lean back with my water. She seems self-conscious, so I try to act like I’m watching television instead of completely aware of everything she’s doing.
When she finishes, she stands up and grabs our plates. “No, it’s fine. Leave them.”
She walks a few steps. “Give me just a few minutes, and I’ll be right back.”
She isn’t gone long, and when she comes back she sits at the far end of the couch. I laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“You. Really, you think putting space between us is going to stop what’s happening between us?”
She lifts her chin. “I don’t know what you mean.”
I slide across the cushions and trap her into the arm of the couch. “Yes, you do. For whatever reason, you’re questioning all of this. Why I want you here. If you should trust me. And well, I’m glad you’re asking those questions because just the fact that you’re wondering about them tells me that there’s hope for me. I’m not going to let you down, sugar.”
She rolls her eyes. “There’s that name again.”
I put my finger under her chin and bring her head up. “You like it. You know you do.”
Her gaze holds such intensity, it’s almost vibrating off her. “I do like it, Austin. I like it when you call me sugar, honey, baby, all of it. But I don’t want to be hurt by you, and even though we just met, I know you could destroy me.”
“But I’m not going to.”
She looks as if she may argue with me, but she stops. “Forget it.”
“No, obviously this is something we need to talk about.”
She nods. “Yeah, we probably should. But not now. Not when you feel the way you do. Let’s just sit here and enjoy the movie and rest.”
I put my arm around her shoulder and bring her into my side. Luckily, she doesn’t stiffen. She melts against me, and I lean my chin against her head. We watch television for I don’t know how long before I can feel my eyes getting really heavy. With her heat against me, I fall into the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.
Chapter9
Millie
Ifell asleep. It’s morning, but the sun hasn’t come up yet. I’m tucked against Austin, his arm around my waist as we lie with my back to his front. I can feel the steady rhythm of his breathing all around me, and I bask in the safety I feel in his arms. It would be way too easy to get used to this.
I slide from his arms and onto the floor. On my knees, I look at him. Me getting up didn’t even faze him. He’s still sleeping. I look at the soft expression on his face, and I’m glad to see that he was able to sleep so well.
I tiptoe out of the room. Luckily, I have some things in the truck, so I go and grab them and freshen up. When I come out of the bathroom, Carrie is in the kitchen. She’s cooking breakfast, and I debate on whether I should leave or not. “I got a late start this morning. Breakfast will be ready in a little while.”
“Oh, I think I’m going to head out—"
But before I can even finish, she points the spatula she’s holding at me. “Don’t think you can just leave while he’s sleeping, honey. Knowing him, he’d just drive into town and follow you, and he’s not supposed to be driving for a week.”
“Okay, do you think he’d mind if I walked around the ranch? It’s so beautiful, I’d love to see it at sunrise.”