Page 41 of New in Town

“Maddie, why did you come here?”

She’s surprised by the bluntness of the question. They’ve tiptoed around the subject before, but never talked about her move directly. Before she can answer, Grey reaches out and pulls her chair closer until it’s up against his.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that you did.”

She smiles, knowing Grey has a way of bringing out the softer sides of her. Instead of her typical quick-witted retort, she wants to take the time to give him a real answer—something she only felt able to do with Jules before.

“Life in Denver had been feeling really… wrong. I hadn’t felt joy in some time, my job was stressful, I wasn’t doing the type of work I planned on in school. And then one day my mom brings me this box. She says my dad died and he left it to me in his will. A man who was pretty much a stranger left all the personal things about his life to me, in this box. I knew I needed to at least come visit. I’d had a Henry shaped hole in my life for so long,” she pauses, pressing her fingers on the tension between her eyes.

“And when you visited?”

“It was just supposed to be for the day. But then I ended up meeting Arlo and I’m suddenly asking him for a job. And before I know it, I’ve uprooted my life.”

He is watching her intently, as if his eyes are piercing straight through to her soul. “Do you regret it?”

“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but regret hasn’t been one of them.” She blinks rapidly to keep her tears from spilling over.

Reaching out, he cups her face, running his thumb along her jaw. He’s not at all like Charlotte had warned, and that in itself is terrifying. Because this raw, caring cowboy before her is someone that she may want in all the realest ways.

“And what about happiness?”

“Happiness, I have definitely been feeling.”

His face softens, a spark in his eyes. Afraid she’ll tell him things that she has no business saying to a fake boyfriend, she shoves the remainder of her pizza slice into her mouth.

“What makes you happy?”

“Norma’s,” she mutters through her sizeable bite.

Grey chuckles huskily, leaning over until his lips brush her ear. “Is that all?”

“Not exactly,” she shivers.

In a swift motion, he lifts her onto his lap, his hands roaming her body. One trails up her back to grasp a fistful of her hair and the other runs along her thigh, igniting need between her legs. Tugging the hand wrapped in her hair, he guides her head back and brings his lips to hers with heat that rivals the muggy summer evening. Just like his personality, Grey’s kiss brings a thrilling combination of tenderness and untamed passion. She digs her fingers into his arms and hums with desire as his mouth works its way to the sensitive spot below her ear.

She’s losing herself in the moment, moving her hands to slide under the hem of his T-shirt. She’s desperate to feel more of him. His skin is warm against her palms, and Maddie can feel the distinct outline of strong abs. She saw him shirtless at the ranch, but being able to feel his muscled torso makes her imagine how toned his whole body must be from the rugged ranch duties.

Eager to reach more of him, Maddie shifts so that she’s straddling his lap. He pulls back from where he was starting to kiss down her neck, a surprised look flashing across his face. He recovers quickly, the look in his eyes returning to the dark hungry gaze that makes her want to throw every rule out the window.

“Fuck Maddie, you can’t do this to me with a clinic full of people waiting for you out there,” he growls.

“Why not?” she asks, feigning innocence.

He brings her mouth to his again in response, clutching her hips and rocking against her as his tongue plunges into her mouth. She’s melting in his touch and grinding down in response, warm and needy for more friction. “That’s why, you naughty girl,” he says into her mouth.

She pulls back, her face flushed from the realization that she was just riding a man’s lap while at work. He has a point. This probably isn’t the best timing.

“It’s because you’re irresistible,” he whispers.

On the other side of the office door, the sound of a dog barking drifts through the air. Grey lifts her off his lap and reaches for the pizza, handing her a slice.

“Come on, you need to eat. I should have just dropped off the pizza instead of distracting you.”

“I’ll eat if you stay,” she counters, leaning back against the desk.

“I’m here as long as you want me.”

She takes a bite, trying to ignore the nagging hope she feels that he may mean about more than just tonight. That maybe he means it in all the ways she could want him.

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