Page 38 of Make Me Whole
Chapter Nineteen
BRADLEY
I was inthe middle of loading another crate of jam onto the bed of my truck when the smell of wildflowers and freshly baked bread halted me. Because my back was still to her, I could close my eyes and suck in a lung full of Hailey's scent without looking like too much of a weirdo.
Temporarily satisfied, I slid the crate into place before turning to feast my eyes on her. The instant I saw her, though, I was very thankful I'd had the good sense to secure the jams first.
Because, holy hotness, they would have dropped to the floor right alongside my jaw at the sight. She looked like some sort of angel bathed in white lace.
An angel made for nothing but sin.
Greedily, my gaze took in every little detail from her dark tresses tumbling over her shoulders to her boot-covered feet. Spending hours in the sun every day had given her skin a golden glow too. My fingers itched to touch. To feel if it was as soft and silky as it looked.
When I'd finally taken my fill, my eyes swept up to lock onto hers. There was something shining in those big green pools that stole my need to breathe and replaced it with a needfor her.
For whatever reason, she broke eye contact and studied the tray in her hands, trapping her bottom lip between her teeth.
Is she nervous?If she was, she wasn't the only one.
It finally dawned on me that I'd been gawking at her for who knew how long without uttering a single word. Scratching the back of my neck, I blurted out the first words that popped into my head. "You look—"stunning, gorgeous, sinfully sexy"—nice."
The slightest blush stole her cheeks, and damn if it wasn't the prettiest sight. "Thank you." She eyed the loaded truck behind me and then asked, "Can I help with something?"
Oh yeah, you can most certainly help alleviate the ache down south. The sun was barely up and already my mind was traveling down a path it had no business going. How the hell was I going to make it through the entire day without mauling her?
"Nah, I think I'm all set." To prove it, I snapped the tailgate in place and started moving toward the front. "Shall we?"
Her lips curved into the biggest smile before Hailey carefully lifted the tray in her hands. "I…uh…made fresh rolls. I thought the customers would maybe like to sample the jam first."
I sucked in another breath through my nose, trying my best not to blurt out the jumbled-up words floating around in my head. If they were freaking me out, who knew how they'd affect her. "Good thinking. They'll go down a treat."
Eagerly, she bounced off the porch steps and made her way to the passenger side after securing the scrumptious smelling rolls on the backseat. I waited for her to get into the cab first so I could take a much-needed moment to get my shit together.
Whatever the hell I was doing was new to me. When it came to luring a woman into bed, I knew exactly how to act and what to say. Seducing a woman's mind, teasing her secrets out of her…yeah, that was uncharted territory.
My fingers curled around the handle and just as I pulled on the door, my name being called stopped me short. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted one of our ranch hands, Jeremy rushing toward me.
"Oh good, you're still here." Planting his hands on his hips, he heaved out a few breaths. "I was hoping to catch a ride with you to the market today."
"Of course."
After nodding his head in thanks, he started to move toward the passenger side. "Uh, someone's already sitting there," was all I managed to get out.
"All good." Jeremy pulled on the handle of the door behind the driver's side before hopping into the truck. I knew exactly when he spotted Hailey sitting in the front seat. His features lit up with appreciation while I was having a difficult time not acting on the sudden urge to yank him out of my truck.
Gritting my teeth, I did a slow count from one to ten, before slipping behind the wheel and shoving the key into the ignition. A second later, the engine roared to life, and we were on our way.
Normally, I'd welcome the kind of silence filling the cab, but not today. It gave me too much time to think. Too much time to wonder what was going through Hailey's mind while her gaze stayed fixed on the rolling scenery beyond the window. Too much time to realize she was so close, if I extended my arm, I'd be able to touch her.
And shit, I'd never wanted to touch a woman as desperately as I wanted to touch Hailey. And I wasn't referring to just the intimate stuff either. I wanted to burrow deep beneath her skin and embed myself in her every thought like she'd done with me.
"The fields are so purple," she murmured. "It's beautiful."
I glanced in the rear-view mirror and noticed Jeremy's head was resting against the headrest. His eyes were screwed shut and judging by the buds pressed into his ears, I guessed he was losing himself in some old country song—as he always did.
Easing my foot off the gas pedal, I sneaked a quick peek at Hailey before focussing on the road again. "They're called shooting stars," I explained. I'd lived here all my life and I guess that'd made me immune to the raw beauty surrounding us. But as I scanned over the little flowers that stood tall and stretched for miles and miles, even I had to admit they held appeal.
"Really?" Hailey's excited voice filled my ears. "They're actually named shooting stars?"
