Page 30 of If You Loved Me

“No,” she said with a breath. “I wouldn’t.”

“I can’t say I fully understand what you go through having parents who want you to be something you’re not.But I can tell you that there’s freedom in chasing after who you are and I hope you never lose sight of that.”

“Wow.” She smiled widely at me.

“What?” I laughed.

“I think I really like you, Ranger Adams.”

I swallowed hard and pulled her into my chest. I didn’t have the courage yet to tell her how much I liked her too because guys like me never ended up with girls like her. There was no disputing the constant reminder in the back of my mind telling me that this was fleeting and to hold onto her for as long as she’d let me.

Chapter 13

Sarah

I had no idea how I got here in such a short amount of time. I’d gone from a lonely single woman who was desperate enough to consider asking her best guy friend to pop her cherry to riding in a classic Chevy truck with a tall dark and handsome man who smelled like leather and fresh-cut grass.

I was in heaven.

Willow and I had gushed over Ranger when she came to my house tonight to help me get ready for our first date. I told her about the kiss and how I felt like I was floating on clouds ever since. She laughed, of course, and asked for every naughty detail. Then I told her to thank Asher for me because if he hadn’t eaten that skink, I probably wouldn’t have experienced the best kiss of my life.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked Ranger because the roads were starting to look unfamiliar.

He slid his gaze toward me and my stomach did a flip. “It’s a surprise.”

“I’m not very good with surprises,” I grumbled.

His deep, raspy laugh made my heart squeeze. “Why not?”

I sighed, dramatically. “It’s the anticipation. It eats me alive.”

“I think I like getting under your skin.” He shot me a wink and I turned to puddy in his passenger seat.

After a few more turns, we ended up on a dirt road with no street lights. About a half-mile down, there was a large cabin-looking structure with a bright neon sign that readCowboys. The parking lot was filled with pickup trucks and a few motorcycles.

“Oh my God! Are we going line dancing?” I squeaked, sitting tall in the seat to get a better look through the hazy windows of the establishment.

“Cats out of the bag.” He found a spot at the end of the lot and came around to open my door. “Are you excited?” He looked at me under the brim of his black cowboy hat, the boyish grin tugging on his lips pulled at my heartstrings.

“I’ve always wanted to go line dancing.”

“You never have before?”

“Nope. My mother always told me that real ladies don’t line dance, they waltz.”

Ranger snorted. “I’m pretty sure that sentiment is outdated, sugar. I can promise you, there will be plenty ofladiesin there line dancing.”

Sugar.

The man just called me sugar and now my entire bodyfelt like it was taking flight—lifted into the air on butterfly wings with a simple word.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Mmhmm,” I replied, even though I had no idea how I was going to make it out of his truck without falling because my legs felt like they were tingly all over. I had no idea how one person could have such an impact on me, but here I was completely enthralled by his charm.

I didn’t have to worry about my legs spontaneously deciding to stop working because Ranger grasped my waist, picked me up, and set me right in front of him like I was just a barrel of hay that he could maneuver easily. His calloused palms stayed on my hips, grazing over the sliver of skin between my jeans and my flannel.

My core clenched when his tongue darted between his lips, those stormy blue eyes growing hazy.

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