Page 70 of The Jilted Lovers Club
He pulls back, looking me over. “A highlight? What, like a stop on your tour of Lahoma Springs?”
The look on his face is enough to make me regret saying anything. But I can’t keep this thing between us—whatever it is—going.
I swallow hard, then force a smile. “We’re just having fun, right?”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment, but he also doesn’t pull away. He seems to ponder my words, and the pause confuses me.
“I mean, we live on separate coasts,” I continue. “Your whole life is here, and mine is in New York.” I sit up on my elbows, pull the covers over my chest. “It’s not that I don’t care for you, I do. If we lived closer, this would make a lot more sense, but—”
“Stop,” he laughs. He squeezes me closer, bringing my face to his chest as he kisses the top of my head. “You don’t need to explain yourself. Yes, we’re having fun. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to propose marriage or anything.”
As crazy as it is, these words offer me little relief. In fact, it makes me feel disappointed.
“Right,” I say, looking up. He leans down and kisses my lips softly.
“You’re here right now, though,” he says, then kisses me again. “And I’m here with you.”
My mouth quirks into a small smile. “It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity just because we don’t have a future.”
His eyes shift as he looks into mine, and he takes a deep breath before smiling. He smooths my hair from my face, then rests his hand under my chin.
“A damn shame.” Then he kisses me long and deep, drawing me closer until I’m on top of him. “Why don’t we make use ofthis opportunity now before Lottie wakes up, and before I go to work?”
An hour later, fully sated, we both enjoy our first sips of coffee over the center island. Lottie is already at Bec’s house, which I know Ashton did so we could have more time alone together. I love that little girl, but I’ll take every moment I can with her father.
He makes the requested omelet, along with toast and sausages rolled up in crepes. It’s still so early, the sky is still dark, but I’m getting used to these rancher hours.
“Can I come with you to feed the animals?” I ask.
He takes one look at me in my silk robe.
“In that?”
I throw a piece of toast at him, and he laughs as he dodges it.
“I have all those thrift store clothes Michael and Grace got me.”
He tilts his head. “Yeah, but this is a dirty job, I don’t want you to ruin your clothes.”
“I can wear something of yours.”
He laughs at this, then stands so he’s towering over me. He has almost half a foot on me, and his body is twice as broad as mine. “You’ll drown in any of my clothes, but you can wear something of Sasha’s. I might have something left here.”
I roll my eyes, then look out the window.
I don’t really want to. I’ve already had to borrow clothes from his ex too many times, and I’ve never met the woman—nor do I want to. But I also don’t want to ruin any of my clothes, even the secondhand ones.
So I agree, and he goes off to his bedroom to rummage through his closet.
My phone pings while he’s gone, and I look down to see Alexander calling me.
“Hey stranger,” he says when I pick up. “Are you going out of your mind there, or what?”
“No, it’s been nice,” I say. That’s an understatement. It has been so much more than nice. “Lahoma Springs is a really cute town. I can’t believe you ever left it.”
“Believe it,” he grunts. “The moment I left that place, I never looked back. I think I’m just too sophisticated for a behind-the-times cow town like Lahoma. New York is way more my speed. I bet you can’t want to get back.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
