Page 37 of Light on Love

“The only time I was able to marginally focus was during your training, because I was at least with you. But then you looked so sexy shooting, it made things worse.”

She giggles, adjusting the bedsheet wrapped around them, “is that what does it for you? Heavy artillery?”

Brett snorts and gives her waist a squeeze, “youare what does it for me. But it is really something watching you train and get stronger. I love the look on your face when you feel confident with one of the new things.”

“I am enjoying the training,” she muses.

Brett tilts her chin up and kisses her. “I’m glad, honey,” he murmurs at the same time her stomach growls. He slides out of bed, handing her his flannel and pulling on grey sweatpants.Laurel’s eyes trail over him,Brett in grey sweatpantsis sacred, she thinks happily. He reaches for her and together they head downstairs.

Once in the kitchen, Brett lifts Laurel and seats her on the island counter. “You did all the work upstairs just now,” he says with a wink, “dinner is on me.”

Laurel leans back on her hands, more content to take in the scene now that she’s had some release upstairs, twice. She watches as Brett moves to the refrigerator and collects his ingredients, working with his back to her, preparing the food. She takes in his muscles taut across his shoulders, his hair falling about halfway down his neck, just long enough for her to twist her hands in. His pants hit causally just below his hips, those hips that she was just straddling moments ago. Laurel’s face flushes at the memory and she sighs to herself. This would never get old, she thinks.

A knot in her stomach forms at the thought. This would never get old because she doesn’t want to leave. She wants to stay here, at Hayes Ranch with Brett.

She hates the idea of trying to get over this man from across the country. The realization hits her as Brett flashes her a crooked grin. He’s turned around, a plate with dinner in hand. He sets the plate on the island next to her and leans in between her legs. His hands wrapped around her thighs, the cowboy sucks on her neck just below her ear. Laurel’s pulse thrums with pleasure and she feels him stop and smile against her.

“I’m glad to see I have an effect on you too,” he comments about her quickened pulse.

Laurel sighs, “you have no idea.”

22

The snow came on the first of November. Laurel jumps out of bed before Brett, excited to see the blanket of white across the valley. Throwing on her taupe oversized knit sweater and black leggings, she rushes downstairs and out to the back porch.

Every season on the ranch held such unique beauty that she hadn’t seen anywhere else, and the winter scene before her was mesmerizing. The snow lay pristinely untouched across the rolling fields, sparkling in the early morning sun. The mountains’ grey rock was capped with white and pine branches heavy with fluffy snow mounds. With the barn roofs blanketed as well, the wood sides of the barns stand out magnificently against the glowing backdrop.

“I thought I’d find you out here,” Brett says from behind her in the doorway. He moves to wrap her in his jacket and Laurel leans back against his solid chest, his arms holding her close. Brett rests his chin atop her head then asks, “so what do you think?”

“It’s magical,” she breathes.

“Want to forgo training and play with the horses today? Dune loves the snow as much as you do.”

Laurel tilts her face up to look at him, eyes shining, “yes please.”

—

There had been six horses in the stables when they arrived, the rest off with the ranch team. Laurel and Brett lead the remaining horses to the pasture then take a seat on the fence. As for Dune, he really did love the snow. Laurel’s smile stretches across her face watching the joy from the once wild horse. He prances in circles before dropping down and rolling around like he’s making giant horse snow angels. He burrows and flips his head repeatedly, spraying snow at them with the movement. Laurel’s laugh is unrestrained as she shakes the snow from her knit beanie.

Dune jumps up, prancing with the others again and Laurel turns towards Brett to find him already watching her. She smiles at him, adjusting the scarf he’d wrapped around her before they went out.

“Are you happy?” he asks.

Laurel looks out at the horses running in the snow, the wild landscape around her, and then finally back at Brett’s handsome, patient face.“I am,” she responds softly as he reaches up and tucks a loose strand of hair back under her hat.

“Are you happy?” she asks him in return.

He pulls her into a kiss, his gloved hand rough on her cheek.“I am,” he replies, his voice raw. “Would you ever—”

Before Brett can finish the question, Grey comes walking from the stables and calls to him. “We’ve got a problem brother, need you.”

Brett turns to Laurel, placing a kiss on the tip of her cold nose, red from the winter chill. “Get inside and warm up, we’vegot the horses.” He jumps down from the fence and makes his way to the stable, pausing to glance over his shoulder at her, a small smile on the corner of his lips.

Laurel turns back to the horses, watching them in the snow for another moment before starting her trek back to the farmhouse. The whole way, a question runs through her head,what was he going to ask me? Once inside, she strips back down to her sweater and starts a fire. With the wood crackling from the living room, she moves to the kitchen to warm some cider. The half-spoken question still lingers on her mind when she takes her mug and files to the coffee table.

Laurel takes a seat and surveys the stack before her. It’s thin, just a few pages remaining in her re-review pile. Her original fear that the mole was a SEAL has dissipated. She feels confident it’s not an operator and these minimal pages are not anything that would contradict her belief.

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