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  Morgan caught them staring and giggled. “Two couples.”

  As we ambled toward the fountain, the game continued. I’d point out people who were pretending not to watch us while she acted like none of it was that big a deal.

  “You are so stubborn,” I said as we sat on a bench.

  “Me? I’m stubborn. Have you met yourself?” Morgan took another long lick of her ice cream and I swore she was doing it to mess with me. That was the only excuse. No way anyone could actually look that sensuous while eating Rocky Road.

  “You know, we could give them something to talk about.” I slung an arm over the back of the bench. “Something to drive the gossipers wild.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “I thought I could do a little of this.” I played with her hair. “Then maybe a little of this.” I gave her my sexiest smile. “Then I thought I could lean in like this…”

  I closed the distance between us, intent on kissing her, but Morgan put a hand to my chest and pushed me away. “I thought there was an order to the evening.”

  “There is.” I leaned in closer but she pushed against my chest again.

  “I thought you were a sensitive soul who needed dinner and dates. What was it you said?” Morgan put a finger to her chin and pretended to think. “Oh. Right. It can’t all be about getting me in bed.”

  “This isn’t about getting you in bed.”

  “Sure. Right. It’s about giving the townspeople a reason to be jealous of you.”

  “Nope. Not about that, either.”

  She quirked her head as she went to work on her Rocky Road. “What’s it about then?”

  “It’s about you, doing whatever you’re doing to that ice cream cone and driving me fucking crazy.”

  Morgan paused mid-lick. “You’re kidding right?”

  “You mean you’re not doing it on purpose?”

  “If I was doing it on purpose, it would look something like this.” Slowly, sensuously, she drew her tongue along the ice cream, swirling it as she closed her eyes and moaned. When she opened them and found me watching, she repeated the motion, a wicked grin twisting her lips. “Oh, Reuben,” she gasped. “It’s so good! Yes! More!”

  My dick throbbed and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Morgan. I licked my lips as she continued making out with her desert. Caroline Pierce, a sweet older woman who worked at the church, stopped in her tracks and covered her mouth before hurrying off.

  “Are you proud of yourself?” I asked when Morgan finished. “You look proud of yourself.”

  “I mean…it wasn’t my best work, but I guess you could say I’m pleased. What about you? What did you think?”

  “I think I’m going to take you home right now and show you.”

  Chapter Nine

  Morgan

  “What? Right now?” I stared at Reuben in shock. “You want to go home right now.”

  He stood. “Right now.”

  “But we just got here.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have done…” He waved his finger in front of my ice cream cone. “…that. Whatever that was, you shouldn’t have done it.”

  His grin was addictive and I stood. “But what about the all-important order of the evening?”

  “Screw the order. I’ve got more important things in mind.”

  We practically sprinted back to his truck. When we made it to where we’d parked in front of the pizza place, he caged me against the vehicle, his eyes locked on mine. “I’m going to take care of you tonight, Morgan.” While his words were sweet, his voice was sin and the fire in his eyes threatened to consume me.

  “But I don’t have a migraine.” I quirked a brow and licked my lips as my chest heaved. I could feel every inch of his body, and the places we weren’t touching? I could feel those too. A lack. A want. A need for his skin against mine.

  “That’s not the taking care of you I’m talking about.” He leaned in and whispered, “I’m going to make you come so hard you forget your name.”

  My lips parted as heat throbbed between my thighs. Before I could come up with a clever comeback, Reuben pressed his mouth to mine, his tongue stroking my bottom lip while his stubble scratched my skin. Somehow, we managed to get into the truck and drive to my house, but I couldn’t say how it happened. All I knew was his hand on my thigh, sliding higher, higher, inching past my shorts. Tantalizing. Teasing.

  We made it into my house in a tangle of limbs, kissing and pawing, gasping and moaning. The moment the door closed behind us, I yanked his shirt off and dragged my fingers down his muscular torso.

  “Any chance you have the toolbelt around?”

  Reuben cocked his head. “What?”

  “Never mind.” I pulled off my shirt and dropped it to the floor.

  Reuben cupped a breast and my nipples pebbled. He lowered his face, kissing, nuzzling, backing us up until we bumped against a wall. I reached for his pants and he captured my hand, pinning it above my head as he returned his mouth to mine. “Not yet. Not until you’re quivering.”

  “Then make me quiver.”

  He took my hand and led me to the bedroom where he stripped me bare and laid me across the bed, spreading my thighs as he climbed between them. His head dipped and electricity coursed through my body, hot and molten like caramel oozing through my veins.

  Ecstasy filled the room, but I ached for him to fill me. My body clenched as he worked magic with his mouth, but there was more of him to have, more he could give me, and I wanted it all.

  “Please,” I moaned.

  “Please what?”

  “I want you, Reuben.” I lifted my head from the pillow to meet his eyes. He wiped his mouth and stood, the muscles in his arms flexing as he unfastened his pants and stepped out of them. A smattering of chest hair reached down to the V at his hips, drawing my gaze to his erection as it strained toward me. I pushed up on my elbows as he rolled on a condom, then watched with enthusiasm as he climbed onto the bed.

  “Fuck, Morgan,” he moaned as he pressed himself against my entrance.

  Our eyes met.

  I bit my lip.

  He pushed forward.

  Stretching. Sliding. And I was full, so gloriously full. My eyes rolled closed and I panted his name as he sheathed himself.

  He thrust his hips and my breasts bounced, the bed squeaking beneath us. This was bliss and agony. Deliciously sharp, sweet. I called his name, over and over, again and again. Our movements were a promise, an awakening. Together, we were chasing something…

  …something…

  …my breath hitched…

  …chasing…

  …my back arched…

  …chasing us.

  My name fell from his lips and his eyes claimed mine and… “Fucking hell Reuben, I’m gonna come so hard.”

  My orgasm ignited me. Blinded me to the past, the future. There was only now, his body stroking mine, building the fire within, making me claw his back and dance with the stars.

  He grunted, finishing with me, his body stilling as I convulsed and shook. His hand brushed my cheek, pushing hair out of my face. His eyes met mine and filled with something deep and powerful, something that made me feel like I’d found the meaning of life.

  He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then collapsed beside me. “That’ll teach you to eat ice cream in public.”

  Chapter Ten

  Reuben

  “I heard you and Morgan were on a date last night.” David lowered himself into a chair opposite my desk in the back office of the hardware store.

  I glanced up from the inventory lists I’d been pouring over. “Who’d you hear that from?”

  “Honey heard it from Ginger who heard it from Garrett Blake who heard it from his brother Grayson as well as Charlie Miller who heard it from his parents.” David crossed his ankle over his knee and shrugged, as if to say ‘what’re ya gonna do?’

  “We grabbed some dinner last night.” My answer was purposefully vague, specifically to drive him crazy. A
fter all, it was my duty as a younger brother to annoy him whenever I possibly could. I gave my attention back to my lists, a move I knew would stoke his curiosity even further.

  He nodded and picked at his fingernails, trying to seem like he didn’t care. We sat quietly for a few minutes until he casually asked, “How’d that go?”

  “It was nice.” If you could call mind-blowing sex, hilarious banter, and chemistry for days nice. “I’ve been helping her build that chicken coop she came in to get supplies for. We finished so I took her out for pizza and ice cream to celebrate.”

  “Oh, I heard about the ice cream.” My brother grinned like he’d heard what we’d done after the ice cream. “Word on the street is that Morgan scandalized poor Caroline Pierce because of the way she ate her Rocky Road.”

  “You even know what kind of ice cream she bought?” I sat back, flaring my hands in exasperation, sounding as shocked as I felt. Who actually paid that much attention?

  David snorted. “This town cares too much about what other people are doing.”

  “I can’t argue with you there.” I ran my hands through my hair and rubbed the back of my neck.

  “You guys gonna keep seeing each other now that the work is done?”

  If I had anything to say about it, we’d be seeing each other even more than we had been. After last night, I couldn’t imagine going a day without Morgan. Something tapped my heart…a thought…a nudge. I didn’t know what to do with that feeling, so I gave my attention to David instead.

  “Probably.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but the smile I couldn’t hide ruined the effect.

  My brother frowned. “Well, that sucks.”

  “Are you not listening? I said we’d keep seeing each other.”

  “Right. Morgan seemed like she’d be a lot of fun. And, since you never do the commitment thing, I won’t get a chance to find out. When you guys break it off, I’ll have to stay team Reuben and keep my distance. Can’t hang out with the enemy, am I right?”

  I sat back in my chair and folded my arms over my chest. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’m just sayin’. I can’t think of the last time you had a relationship of any kind. But when you do? You go on a few dates, get bored, and move on.”

  “Maybe I’m busy.”

  “Maybe.” David didn’t sound like he gave that ‘maybe’ much weight, which was fair, though his assessment of me being a commitment-phobe was not.

  The lack of women in my life had less to do with being afraid of forever and more to do with actually looking for forever. My loyalty streak meant that when I gave my heart to someone, I gave everything I had. I’d rather keep things simple and break it off early than to end up more committed than her—and be devastated when I found out.

  I stared at my brother for a long time. “Maybe I’ll surprise you this time.”

  Given how I felt about Morgan, I fully suspected I would. She was different. I didn’t know how I knew, but I did.

  David seemed less convinced. “Again, maybe, though I doubt it. If you two last more than a couple weeks, I’ll run both the lumberyard and the hardware store for a month.”

  I returned my attention to the inventory lists. “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “I see I’ve touched a nerve here.” He gripped the arms of his chair and stood. “I’ll just head back to the lumberyard and let you cool off.”

  Arching a brow, he ambled away, while I folded my arms on my desk and watched him go.

  Where did he get off, assuming Morgan and I wouldn’t last a month? He didn’t know the way I felt about her and had certainly never bothered to ask why I’d stayed single so long.

  With those thoughts squirming uncomfortably in my head, I pulled out my phone to shoot Morgan a text.

  Me: thinking of you

  Morgan: That’s funny. I was just thinking of you. But I’m always thinking about you, so that’s not such a huge coincidence.

  Me: Funny. I’m always thinking of you too.

  And I was, which should have scared me to death. If I was thinking about her all the time, I was falling for her, and if I was falling for her, I’d be in over my head in no time.

  Assuming I wasn’t already.

  The crazy thing was, thinking of Morgan didn’t scare me at all. It excited me.

  Morgan: Feel like coming over after work? I’ll cook.

  Me: Will you be naked?

  Morgan: While I’m cooking?

  Me: If I had my way you’d never wear clothes.

  Morgan: As if people around here don’t have enough to talk about!

  I sent a string of laughing emojis, promised to see her tonight, then put my phone away with a smile. I didn’t need to know what the future looked like to know I liked being around her. David and all the doubt he stuck in my head could go to hell.

  Morgan was different. Better.

  For the first time in a long time, it felt like I’d found someone who would treat my heart with the respect it deserved.

  Chapter Eleven

  Morgan

  In a perfect world, I’d be making dinner with veggies from the garden and eggs from hens I’d raised from chicks. But this obviously wasn’t a perfect world. My lettuce had bolted and gone to seed. My tomatoes had all split after a heavy rain. The peppers hadn’t even made an appearance yet and the chickens? I’d have to wait a couple more months to see how I could ruin those.

  Assuming I even made it to next year.

  As disappointing as it was, I had to face facts. I wasn’t getting anywhere with my little experiment.

  “At least not yet,” I said to myself as I tore open a bag of store-bought lettuce.

  A knock at the door sent my heart racing. I wiped my hands on a dishtowel and ran to open it, finding Reuben on my porch with a bottle of wine and a grin the size of Texas. He frowned when he saw me. “I thought you were gonna be naked.”

  “I thought we’d leave naked time to the portion of the evening that didn’t risk serious burns.” I raised my hands like I was weighing out options. “Seemed like a fair tradeoff.”

  “You do have a point. I’d hate to mar that body in any way, shape, or form.” Stepping inside, he grabbed me with his free arm and pressed his lips to mine. “So when do we get to the naked portion of the evening?”

  “Now.” I took the bottle of wine, set it on the coffee table, and stepped back into his embrace. “I’d like to do that now.”

  After a round of living room sex that had me feeling loose, languid, and completely spoiled, Reuben and I wandered into the kitchen. He’d pulled on his pants while I proudly donned his shirt. It hung to my thighs and surrounded me in the scent of his cologne. I didn’t know what was more distracting, that, or him leaning on the counter, his chest and feet bare, his hair tousled and his gaze following me as I cooked. It’d be a miracle if I didn’t burn the steaks.

  “Where do you keep your bottle opener?” Reuben gave the wine a shake and I pointed at a drawer.

  “And glasses are in that cabinet over there.”

  “I found those when you had your migraine and I needed a bowl to put your chicken soup in.” He uncorked the wine and poured two glasses while I finished prepping the salad. “What can I do to help?”

  “You can sit and let me take care of you this time. The potatoes are in the oven and the steaks barely need any time on the heat.” I’d salted them earlier that day, then brought them to room temperature. When I tossed them into a hot pan with some butter, the outsides would sear, crisping the edges while the insides stayed juicy and tender. Before the potatoes went into the oven, I’d coated them with olive oil and a dash of salt. They’d come out creamy and delicious. It was a simple meal, but it already had my mouth watering.

  Reuben watched me cooking with interest. “This smells amazing.”

  “Thank you.”

  As I pulled the potatoes out of the oven, he brought two plates out of the cabinet. I loaded them up with dinner while he set the table with k
nives and forks. It was strange, seeing him move so comfortably around my kitchen.

  Strange—but nice, too.

  We sat and Reuben moaned over each bite. “The steak is…I didn’t know steak could taste this good.” He popped a bite of potato into his mouth. “And I’ve never thought baked potatoes had much going for them, but this?” He pointed at it with his fork. “This is amazing.”

  “I’m tickled you like my food so much.”

  “I think I like everything about you.” He slid his salad bowl over and stabbed a tomato. “Is this a Morgan special too? Fresh produce from the backyard?”

  I grimaced. “Nope. Unfortunately, my black thumb is not improving. I had to buy this stuff from the store.”

  It felt like admitting defeat and stole the light from my smile.

  “Everything has a learning curve. I’m sure you’ll be growing food in no time.”

  “I’m growing something all right. Impatient.” I chuckled as I rolled my eyes. “There’s a part of me that wonders if I should just pack up and head back to Syn City. Count this little experiment as a failure and take my losses.”

  I didn’t want that to happen. Not even a little. I liked it in Cherry Falls, and I certainly liked being around Reuben.

  In fact, he was the one thing I looked forward to most every day.

  He stared, angrily chewing a bite of steak, then taking a long drink of wine. “I don’t think you should give up so fast. But, you gotta take care of yourself, I guess.”

  What was with the change in mood? Why did he look so mad?

  “Oh, I’m not giving up. Not yet. I’m just trying to stay realistic. If I can’t do the one thing I came here to do, you know, use the power of nutrition to help me find relief from my health issues, it’d probably be smart to live closer to my doctor.” I shrugged while Reuben bobbed his head. He stabbed his steak and sawed into it so hard the wine shifted in our glasses.

  The conversation had taken a strange turn and so had his mood.