Page 77 of Live, Ranch, Love

“Did that meditation help you feel better in the end, or do you need to calm your nerves by sitting on my face?” I ask, stalking over to the swing. The midday sun shines down, circling the house with golden light.

Her lips pop open with an innocent giggle as she bats her wide, glistening eyes up at me. “You have the dirtiest mouth I’ve ever heard, Hensley.”

“And yet you let me do whatever I want with that mouth, so it can’t be that bad,” I retort as I settle onto the swing. I hold out my hands for her legs so they can rest over my lap, and she spreads out, her warmth seeping into me.

Locking my eyes on hers, my head angled just a little, I trail my fingers up her leg as slowly as possible, relishing in the way her body reacts to me as I drift further up her thigh. The flush of her cheeks, the prickling of her golden skin, the shuddering of her chest. Every inch of her body is burned into my memory, I feel like I could navigate it with my eyes closed, just like the back roads I always take into town.

The only thing in the way of where I really want my fingers to be is her phone, sat resting in her lap. I tap it, asking, “What were you so focused on?”

It takes Aurora a couple of seconds and blinks to snap back to reality. Oh, how I would love to know what was running through her mind just then, but I’m sure I’ll get to find out later when all the guests have arrived and are in their lodgings.

“Just a post for tonight.” Aurora giggles again as she finds the photo and presents her phone to me. And there I am riding Dusty, leading the trail on the last retreat. I don’t even know how she managed to take that. I’m just glad it’s not that darned one she once took of me when she forced me into yoga.

“Thanks for asking for my permission,” I snort, shaking my head. There’s no point in me trying to make her take it down. Even if I like to think I’m strong, I know I’ll never win in a battle against Aurora—all she needs to do is flutter her lashes and I’ll be on my knees. And I’m not even ashamed to admit that now.

I have always said I am a weak man when it comes to her.

Aurora waves me off and wriggles closer so we’re more intertwined. “You looked so hot, up high on your horse, riding like a true cowboy. I couldn’t resist. Though,” she crumples her freckled nose, “it seems I’m not the only one who thinks that. I’ve had to remind myself multiple times that I can’t blast my followers in the comments telling them to back off because he’s mine.”

“All yours.” I kiss her forehead, not even thinking twice about saying it. I don’t miss the slight shock that flickers in her eyes when I pull away, but it’s true—I am completely and utterly hers.

I’m uncertain how I got to this point, considering two months ago I would’ve done anything to see her leave, yet I can’t imagine existing without her now. She’s so entrenched in this ranch, in my life now. It’s a little scary.

But then Aurora snuggles her head between my collar and jaw, arms winding around mine to tug me closer.

Right. This just feels so goddamn right.

“Besides,” she hums, “I probably shouldn’t waste my strength on my followers and keep it for the next time I have to battle Holly.”

I shake my head. “Don’t be silly. Honestly, I doubt she even cares now that she’s engaged.”

Aurora stiffens slightly. “Wait, you knew Holly was engaged?”

“Yeah, my mom told me after they came around for dinner… How did you know about it?”

“Oh.” Aurora rears her head back abruptly, features all pinched. She completely ignores my question, eyes fixed over my shoulder, somewhere scarily far beyond me.

It’s an effort to try release the tightness winding in my chest. Something feels off, the air suddenly heavy. Everything begins to dull, the light in Aurora’s hazel eyes dimming. “Is that… a problem?”

“Oh, um…” Her gaze flashes back to me, and the smile she attempts is pitiful, barely even a stretch of her lips. That’s not the Aurora Jones I was just talking to. Neither is the uncomfortable breath of a laugh that follows. “It’s just a little disconcerting to hear that you kissed me straight after finding out your ex was engaged.”

Fuck.

Right, yeah that doesn’t sound great. But I know that Holly being engaged has nothing to do with how I feel about Aurora—if anything it just proves how much I care about her because it didn’t even bother me to hear about the engagement.

Alarms begin blaring faintly in my head as Aurora slithers away from me, tangled limbs disconnecting.

Say something, Wyatt!

“Me kissing you had nothing to do with Holly, I promise.”

Her eyes dart back and forth across the floor. Save for that and her chest lifting faster by the second, she’s pretty much frozen. I’ve seen her like this before, and it usually means she’s starting to spiral. That she’s doubting the confidence she has in herself. Even though she’d been on such a high this week and this morning about the next trial run.

I need to get her out of this. Doesn’t she realise how much she means to me?

“Hey.” I shuffle towards her, taking her hands from where they sit in her lap. “What are you thinking?”

“Sorry, I… I’m just finding it hard to not put a link between those two things. After everything you and the guys had told me about your relationship—”

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