Page 29 of Forbidden Ride
“I’m not playing games, Jenny. I want you to want me for who I am. I told you before, the only thing that matters is the way we feel about each other.”
“I-I don’t know.” Her eyes fill with tears. “Nothing like this has happened to me before. It isn’t only me I have to worry about.”
“What we have doesn’t come around very often, Jenny.”
It looks like her heart sinks as she turns to the door. I watch her cute little ass as she wiggles the key into the lock.
“Did you hear me?” I hurry to her. She pivots to me, startled, excited, and I don’t know what the hell else she’s thinking. “This isn’t goodbye,” I tell her again, leaning down close to the lips I’m aching to devour. “Not by a long sho—”
She cuts me off with a kiss. On her tiptoes, she wraps her hands around my neck and presses her curves against me, kissing me hard. My heart slams against my chest as I tunnel my fingers through her silky hair, relishing her taste, inhaling her lavender and orange scents and everything about her.
Everything inside me is shoutingdon’t let her leave. Protect her. Claim her. Take her inside and fill her with seed so she’ll be yours forever.
“I’ve never had much luck with relationships,” she says against my lips. “I’m so sorry, but I don’t know how this can be any more than a beautiful weekend together. And I do mean beautiful, William,” she says softly. Her emerald gaze mists over. “I’ll never forget you.”
I’ve never been one to panic, and I’m not about to start. But if Jenny honestly doesn’t feel the same way about me as I do about her, I might as well know now. I use every ounce of willpower to step away from her. “Remember, I’m just a call or a text away. In fact”—I point over her porch railing to the snow-frosted valley behind us—“stay between the trees where it’s clear and it’s a straight walk back to my place.”
She casts her eyes down in defeat. “I can’t. It’s just...” She shakes her head, apparently not wanting to finish her thought.
“There’s no need to explain anything.” I give her another quick kiss. “Just come back to me.” I pry myself away and head down the steps without looking back because if I do, I’ll never leave her.
Chapter Twelve
Ifeel like I’m missinga limb as I watch William drive off. Saying goodbye might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
I sniffle, take a deep, shuddering breath, and try to buck up before entering my family’s cabin for the first time in a year.
It isn’t as musty as it usually is because Chase and Lexi were here in September. I go back out and grab my bags and set them on the kitchen table. I open a few windows and fluff up some of the pillows, trying to make it feel like home. But William is still in my system, so my old homemaking tricks don’t work anymore.
Is he my home now?
I push the question out of my brain and try to focus on the positive.
The house is lovely, a bright and airy space, much bigger than it was in my grandparents’ day. We remodeled the thousand-foot cabin a few years ago, or I should say Chase did. After he hit pay dirt with his movieRide ’Em Hard,he wouldn’t hear of me, Shane, or Ryder chipping in. But we all put our heads together on the plan.
We added three bedrooms, which means all our kids can be here together. It’s still a tight squeeze, but with the bunkbeds it works. We also added another ten feet to the kitchen and modernized it with all new appliances. Massive floor-to-ceiling windows on every wall fill the place with light.
