something?”
“Yeah, what?” She looked over at him, unsure
of his recent shift in mood.
He held her hand and made soothing strokes
over it with his thumb. His eyes had a deep crease between them and
his smile was completely gone. She looked at him. An extraordinary
man who found favor with her, but held so much sadness.
“It’s a place I found here, on the backside
of our estate.” He hesitated.
Wanting to reach out to him, her hand
betrayed her. The more she craved the touch of his face, the harder
she clutched her jeans, until her fingers ached. “This place is
special to you?” she asked, trying to sound happy and upbeat. She
wasn’t fooling him. He seemed to always sense her true mood.
“Yeah, it’s almost as beautiful as you.” He
looked at her with such longing, but still his eyes had a hint of
grief. “It’s where I go when I need to think . . . to get
away.”
“Let’s go then,” she said, and smiled,
really smiled. He wanted her to see his safe place.
They rode in silence all the way there. His
hand never eased up on the grip it had over hers. She felt him
tense up almost in despair when he caught a glimpse of his new
home. He turned down a side gravel road right before they got to
the house.
“I like to walk and clear my head. I found
this place and it has become my refuge from all the craziness in my
life.”
“You’re sure you want me to see it?” She
caressed his face, the face of a wounded god. “It sounds special to
you.”
“Yes,” he answered as he leaned into her
fingers. “Because you’re my safe place now.” His often-brooding
eyes pierced through her heart. “I need you now. I should’ve walked
away, ignored you.” He shook his head as if that thought was more
than he could bear. “But it’s too late, I can’t leave now.”
“Then don’t,” she replied. She bit her lip
to keep from adding more.
They parked on a road that led to a field.
Everywhere that her eyes wandered was cotton. She wondered what was
so special about that one place. One look at his sneaky grin and
she knew that something about that place was magical.
“We’re going to have to walk to it. This car
was built for speed, not dirt roads.”
Julie reached for the door to get out as he
grabbed her arm.
“Doors are my job,” he said. “I know you
don’t like attention and being spoiled, but get used to it, you’re
my girl now.” He smiled as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
He kissed her heated cheeks before letting go of her arm, and
climbed out of the car. His baffling speed was replaced with
deliberate slowness. He crept around the car, his gaze never
leaving her.
“I’m not helpless, you know,” she stated as
he helped her from the car.
“I know, but it’s my job to take care of
you, so please let me do it.”
He pressed his forehead into hers and his
aroma hit her. It was his same matchless smell but in a more
concentrated form. Breathing in his scent, she knew arguing with
him was a moot point. He pulled away and put his hands on either
side of her face.
“Don’t leave,” he whispered.
“What do you mean leave?”
“Leave me, please Angel, never leave me,” he
pleaded. “Be mine forever,” he breathed in her ear, taking a soft
bite of it.
She nodded with a sudden realization he
sensed the same magnetic pull she felt. She swept her fingers
through his hair. He gripped her hand, firmly placing it on his
cheek, and took a few deep breaths to work through some unseen
torment.
Julie didn’t ask any questions; the look in
his eyes told her all she needed to know. He wanted her.
They walked hand in hand a short piece
through the cotton field, when they came upon a rather large
fencerow. He guided her through a narrow dirt path toward a dense
overgrowth of twigs and vines. Trucker blocked her face from the
overhanging branches as they ducked around the trees. Something
about this place felt off to her. Julie wanted to check her cell
service, just in case. But
“Yeah, what?” She looked over at him, unsure
of his recent shift in mood.
He held her hand and made soothing strokes
over it with his thumb. His eyes had a deep crease between them and
his smile was completely gone. She looked at him. An extraordinary
man who found favor with her, but held so much sadness.
“It’s a place I found here, on the backside
of our estate.” He hesitated.
Wanting to reach out to him, her hand
betrayed her. The more she craved the touch of his face, the harder
she clutched her jeans, until her fingers ached. “This place is
special to you?” she asked, trying to sound happy and upbeat. She
wasn’t fooling him. He seemed to always sense her true mood.
“Yeah, it’s almost as beautiful as you.” He
looked at her with such longing, but still his eyes had a hint of
grief. “It’s where I go when I need to think . . . to get
away.”
“Let’s go then,” she said, and smiled,
really smiled. He wanted her to see his safe place.
They rode in silence all the way there. His
hand never eased up on the grip it had over hers. She felt him
tense up almost in despair when he caught a glimpse of his new
home. He turned down a side gravel road right before they got to
the house.
“I like to walk and clear my head. I found
this place and it has become my refuge from all the craziness in my
life.”
“You’re sure you want me to see it?” She
caressed his face, the face of a wounded god. “It sounds special to
you.”
“Yes,” he answered as he leaned into her
fingers. “Because you’re my safe place now.” His often-brooding
eyes pierced through her heart. “I need you now. I should’ve walked
away, ignored you.” He shook his head as if that thought was more
than he could bear. “But it’s too late, I can’t leave now.”
“Then don’t,” she replied. She bit her lip
to keep from adding more.
They parked on a road that led to a field.
Everywhere that her eyes wandered was cotton. She wondered what was
so special about that one place. One look at his sneaky grin and
she knew that something about that place was magical.
“We’re going to have to walk to it. This car
was built for speed, not dirt roads.”
Julie reached for the door to get out as he
grabbed her arm.
“Doors are my job,” he said. “I know you
don’t like attention and being spoiled, but get used to it, you’re
my girl now.” He smiled as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
He kissed her heated cheeks before letting go of her arm, and
climbed out of the car. His baffling speed was replaced with
deliberate slowness. He crept around the car, his gaze never
leaving her.
“I’m not helpless, you know,” she stated as
he helped her from the car.
“I know, but it’s my job to take care of
you, so please let me do it.”
He pressed his forehead into hers and his
aroma hit her. It was his same matchless smell but in a more
concentrated form. Breathing in his scent, she knew arguing with
him was a moot point. He pulled away and put his hands on either
side of her face.
“Don’t leave,” he whispered.
“What do you mean leave?”
“Leave me, please Angel, never leave me,” he
pleaded. “Be mine forever,” he breathed in her ear, taking a soft
bite of it.
She nodded with a sudden realization he
sensed the same magnetic pull she felt. She swept her fingers
through his hair. He gripped her hand, firmly placing it on his
cheek, and took a few deep breaths to work through some unseen
torment.
Julie didn’t ask any questions; the look in
his eyes told her all she needed to know. He wanted her.
They walked hand in hand a short piece
through the cotton field, when they came upon a rather large
fencerow. He guided her through a narrow dirt path toward a dense
overgrowth of twigs and vines. Trucker blocked her face from the
overhanging branches as they ducked around the trees. Something
about this place felt off to her. Julie wanted to check her cell
service, just in case. But
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