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Satisfaction sweeps through me. I did this. I reduced clever, articulate Benji Gange to a speechless, panting mess.

I press kisses to his trembling thighs as he catches his breath, his skin flushed and gleaming in the fading light.

He looks thoroughly claimed, with marks scattered across his throat, his usual perfect hair completely destroyed, and his green eyes heavy-lidded with satisfaction.

When he pulls me up for a kiss, it’s slow and deep and perfect.

We lie tangled together, my heartbeat slowly returning to its normal rhythm. I brush a strand of hair from his forehead, letting my touch linger longer than necessary, just because I can.

“That was different from what I expected.” Benji finally breaks the silence between us.

My stomach drops. All the warmth I was feeling suddenly freezes solid.

“Not sure if ‘different’ was what I was going for,” I manage to say.

“Oh no, no.” He’s seen the look on my face, and he pushes himself up on one arm to meet my gaze. “That was incredible. Absolutely incredible. I guess I just always assumed that the first time between us would be explosive hate sex after we argued about something.”

The relief flowing through me means it takes me a moment to find my voice.

“I’ll give you explosive hate sex next time you leave the boundary gate open,” I finally say, and he laughs, the sound vibrating through me.

Next time.

The word seems to hang in the air between us.

“I’ll take that as a promise,” Benji says as he snuggles back into me, his head on my chest.

His weight against my chest feels right, like when the wool press clicks perfectly into place. I never knew I was waiting for this, but now it seems so bloody obvious. His eyes flutter closed as his breathing evens out, and I lie there thinking about tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. Everything suddenly seems so much brighter.

Because I now have a future full of next times.

ChapterSix

David

Waking up the next morning with Benji in my bed gives me the same happiness I usually only feel watching newborn lambs galloping around the paddock in the spring.

I kiss his temple, breathing in the scent of his skin, marveling at how someone who argues with me about everything from sheep rotation to rugby selection can fit so perfectly against me.

Benji’s eyelids flutter open, and he stretches like a cat in the sun, all lean muscles and satisfaction, before giving me his crooked grin that always means trouble.

My gaze wanders to where the sheet pools at his waist, and for a moment, I have a flash of disbelief that the man who’s driven me mad for years is now sprawled across my mattress like he belongs there.

“Like what you see?” he asks, his voice still raspy with sleep.

“Just trying to figure out how you went from being the biggest thorn in my side to the best thing in my bed.”

He huffs a laugh as he shifts closer, resting his chin on my chest. I can’t help running my hand down his arm.

Benji’s expression turns from playful to something more thoughtful.

“Have you ever been with a man before?” His voice is casual, but his eyes are watchful. “Because I’ve been in the district for five years, and I’ve never seen you bring anyone back to your place, man or woman.”

“Never really wanted it before,” I say truthfully. “With either a man or a woman.”

His forehead creases. “You’ve never wanted to be with anyone before?”

“No. I mean, I was with a few girls when I was younger because that was what was expected, but it…wasn’t like this.” I swallow. “It didn’t feel like this.”

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