Page 32 of Home to You
Jake studied him for a moment longer but let it go. “All right. Well, be safe. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
Colt huffed out a quiet laugh and shook his head. He tipped his chin toward me. “Night, Eden.”
“Night,” I said softly, watching as he headed out into the night.
When his truck rumbled away down the long gravel drive, a hush settled over the barn. A few lanterns still flickered, casting long golden shadows over the room.
Jake turned toward me slowly, and I saw the exact moment his mood shifted. His eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to my mouth before traveling back up. The careful restraint he’d maintained during the event began to crack.
“All day and night,” he said, his voice rough with desire, “I’ve had to watch other men look at you. Had to keep my hands to myself while you smiled at everyone.” His fingers found the hem of my sweater, toying with the soft fabric. “Do you have any idea how hard that’s been?”
My breath caught. Possessive Jake was new. Typically, I wouldn’t like it, but coming from this man …whew. Heat pooled low in my belly, and my pussy clenched with need. Yeah, I enjoyed this side of him a whole lot.
“Tell me,” I teased.
“I kept thinking about this morning,” he continued, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. “About how you looked in my bed, how you tasted on my tongue.” His thumb brushed along my hipbone, and I shivered. “About all the things I wanted to do to you that we didn’t have time for.” His free hand came up to cup my face, his thumb tracing my lower lip. “Everyone’s gone. It’s just us now.”
I leaned into his touch, my body already responding to the promise in his voice. “It is,” I agreed, my tongue flicking out to lap at the pad of his thumb.
His eyes locked with mine, and I saw raw, undisguised hunger in his gaze. “I’ve been patient long enough, Eden.”
My knees went weak at the intensity in his voice, at the way he was looking at me like I was something he wanted to devour.
His thumb pressed into my mouth, and I sucked on it.
“Come with me,” he said, his voice pure command.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I lacedmy fingers through Eden’s and led her toward the stairs, my grip tightening as we walked. I’d kept my hands off her all night, and every time I heard her laugh, every time she smiled at someone else, all I could think about was getting her alone tonight.
About asking her to marry me. Again.
The ring I’d bought ten years ago was still sitting in my dresser back at the house, tucked away in the back of a drawer. I never could say why I hadn’t gotten rid of it, only that I’d never been able to bring myself to do so. I wish I’d had the foresight to bring it with me tonight, but then, I hadn’t planned to ask her to be my wife. But it felt right, somehow.
And if she said no? If she wasn’t ready or didn’t believe in us the way I did?
I didn’t know how the hell I’d live with that.
I cupped her hip as she climbed ahead of me, my gaze dragging down her legs, the way the tight denim hugged curves I hadn’t been able to stop dreaming about.
The hayloft came into view as we crested the last step. A thick blanket was spread out with another folded next to it in case we got cold, as well as a battery-operated lantern hanging on a nail to ward off the dark. It wasn’t quite as romantic as the old flame one I’d brought up here with me ten years ago, but I was quite a lot smarter now about fire safety.
Soft white light lit the space, and when my gaze landed on the old beam where I’d carved our initials that summer, deep and sharp, I couldn’t breathe. At the time, I thought this woman was my forever. That we’d always be together. Two weeks later, she was gone. I didn’t come up here again for four more years.
Before I could call attention to the carving, Eden moved toward it, her fingers tracing the grooves. She was quiet for a long moment, and I wondered if she, too, was remembering the night I’d carved them—how young and confident we’d been. “I almost forgot how magical it is up here,” she said finally, her voice soft as she looked back at me over her shoulder with something like wonder in her eyes.
I swallowed hard, my boots scuffing the floor as I stepped in behind her and placed my hands on either side of her hips. “I never could.”
She turned then, her eyes shining, her mouth soft, and for a beat we just stood there, the air between us thick with memory and wanting.
I reached up, my fingers brushing her cheek and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Jesus, she was so beautiful it made my chest ache.
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever get this again,” I said softly. “You. Us.”
Her breath caught. “Neither was I.”
I leaned my forehead against hers. “But this isn’t about our past, Eden. Not anymore. Being up here again, it’s about what I want with younow. And I need you to understand that if you stay with me tonight, that’s it—you and me. Together. Forever this time.”
