Page 131 of Huckleberry Hill
“Because you’ve always known what you wanted. And you didn’t waste time like I did.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I knew what I wanted . . . a home and a family. And then life was like, oh just kidding. You don’t get any of that.”
“You can still have all that. It just might look different than what you expected.”
I was silent for a moment and then asked, “Was your time on the circuit a waste? I mean, it led you to Elk Ridge, but was it worth it?”
“I met you here, so yeah, it was worth it.”
“Would you go back and do it differently?”
“Nah. I don’t believe in regrets. Plus, like you said, it all led me to you.”
I turned toward him and bathed his chin in kisses. “Thirty-two is still young, Declan.”
“Tell that to my body.” He chuckled. “It feels beat to shit. I’ve used it hard.”
“And what a hard body it is,” I teased, but then I sobered. “I understand, though. Hindsight is everything, isn’t it?”
“It really is.”
“I like the idea of not living with regrets. I thought I regretted my move to New York, my relationship with Gianni. I just felt like a colossal failure on all fronts. But if I’d never been dumped by Gianni, I never would’ve wanted to come home. I never would’ve met you.”
“And that would’ve been a real tragedy. Don’t you think?”
“The biggest.” I sighed. “I never wanted a big life. I never had big dreams. And for a while, I let the outside noise from other people make me feel like I was wrong for wanting a simple life. But finding someone who loves you—who really loves you—and making a life with them . . . isn’t that the biggest dream there is?”
“I think so,” he agreed. “And so many people never get that.”
“Muddy lost my grandfather so many years ago. Dad lost Mom . . . I don’t want . . .”
He hugged me tighter when I didn’t go on.
“We don’t know how long we’ve got on this earth,” he said. “So that’s why we have to live our lives to the fullest.”
I swallowed. “People don’t understand, do they? About losing a parent. You kind of lose your way for a while.”
“Yeah. That can be true. It can really put shit into perspective, you know? About what’s really important.”
I placed my hand on his chest and snuggled my nose against him. He was warm, vibrant. He smelled like the outdoors, like life.
“Make love to me, Declan,” I purred. “Make love to me under the stars and tell me you love me.”
His hand slid down my body to rest at the apex of my thighs. “I’ll do one better. I’ll show you, instead.”
One of the horses nickered, startling me awake. My eyes flipped open into the early dawn, and I attempted to sit up, but Declan’s arms tightened around me.
“Just Merlin wanting his breakfast,” Declan said softly. “Impatient fucker.”
The warmth of his thighs seeped onto my skin. I was bare from the waist down, never having bothered to put on my pajama pants before falling asleep tucked into Declan’s embrace.
He ground against my backside, hard and ready. His hand slid down my body, between my legs.
I’d never been so wet in my life. Without a word, I bent my knees and lifted them toward my chest.
The crown of his shaft teased me before slipping into me. He glided his finger between my folds, finding the spot that needed his attention. Sparks shot along my nerve endings.
“I can’t stop thinking about you in those overalls,” he whispered in my ear as he thrust. “I want you to wear them for me without underwear. And when I find you, alone in the barn, I’m going to unclasp the straps and let them drop to your ankles. And then I’m going to bend you over and fuck you from behind. I’m going to fuck you so hard and so deep, you come like a volcano. And you’re going to cream all over me. Would you like that, Hadley? Would you like it so raw and deep you feel me for days after?”
