“I think one of my favorite things is to see your smile. It makes me happy.”
I stared at Wade and Debi as Miranda Lambert’s song, “Well-Rested,”’ played.
Something came over me, almost like an out-of-body experience, and I walked up to Wade.
“Will you dance with me?” I asked, hope in my eyes.
His grin nearly knocked me off my feet. “Of course, I will. Excuse me, Debi.”
Wade wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to the dance floor. My chest fluttered at how his voice had changed when he spoke to me. He was happier. His eyes lit up when they moved up my body and focused on my gaze. Setting the Diet Coke on a table, I melted into his body. His arms brought me close, as if he knew the struggle my heart and mind were having with one another.
Neither one of us said a word as we danced. We didn’t two-step—we barely even moved our feet.
His hand moved up my back and pulled me even closer. Each breath I took felt like it was a forced labor, like I was struggling for oxygen, the only thing that could come between our swaying bodies.
“Please talk to me, Amelia.”
My eyes closed at the softness of his voice. I fought to hold back the tears. I had no idea why I was so emotional. Wade Adams brought out feelings in me I’d never experienced in my life.
Lifting my eyes to his, I said, “I’m scared of you, Wade.”
He furrowed his brows and a sadness swept across his face. I didn’t want him to misunderstand, so I continued.
“I’m scared of the feelings I have. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Not even the man I thought I was going to marry.”
The way his face relaxed made me grin slightly.
“Amelia, I feel the same way. Exactly the same way, darlin’.”
My chin trembled and I fought for the strength to tell him exactly how I felt. “I’m realizing that you hold the power to destroy my heart and that scares the daylights out of me.”
His eyes glassed over.
I took a deep breath and let my honest thoughts continue. “I’m struggling between admiring you from afar and falling into your arms and begging you to kiss me.”
Wade cupped my face with his hands, his thumbs sliding across my cheeks, leaving a trail of heat over my skin. My chest rose and fell as a rush of tingles raced through my body.
“What fun would it be if we admired each other from afar? Look but don’t touch? I don’t think I’m that strong around you.”
I gave a small laugh. “But what about Trevor?” I asked, my eyes searching his face.
“I’ve already told him I have feelings for you.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “You did?”
Leaning in closer, his lips barely brushed against mine. “Yes, I did, darlin’. Now stop talking so I can finally kiss you.”
I gripped his arms as he softly pressed his lips to mine. For as long as I live I will never forget the feel of that first time. Couples danced around us, but they seemed to fade into the distance. Leaving only the two of us. To say it was magical wouldn’t be close to the way my body felt.
The kiss started off gently. Wade prompted me to open for him, but not too quickly. The moment I did, my legs felt weak. He dropped one of his hands and wrapped it around my waist, drawing my hips close. Our tongues danced in unison as well as our feet did. He wasn’t hungry… He was exploring, learning our every move.
I never in my life imagined I could be kissed the way Wade Adams was kissing me. And his body heat against mine caused me to let out a soft moan. I was rewarded with him pulling me closer still, his desire apparent as he pressed into me. A low moan slipped from his mouth, as well.
When he drew back, I was breathless. My head was spinning, and my body yearned for more. I slowly opened my eyes. Our gazes met, and I knew he felt the exact same way I did.
“I’ve been waiting to do that since I first laid eyes on you, Amelia.”
My heart was pounding so hard I was sure Amelia could feel it as she pressed against me.
I drew back and fought to find air.
That kiss.
I was breathless, and that had never happened before.
That kiss.
It was everything I dreamed it would be and more.
Our eyes met, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. “I’ve been waiting to do that since I first laid eyes on you, darlin’.”
“You take my breath away, Wade Adams.”
Tracing the back of my hand down her cheek, I replied, “You have no idea, darlin’. I wish we were alone.”
Her teeth sank down on that sweet, soft lip, and my pants quickly grew tighter.
Slow. I needed to take things slow.
“So, are y’all going to stand here or dance?” Trevor asked as he spun a girl and took off into the crowd again. I was never more grateful for Trevor’s interruption. I needed a distraction before I dragged her caveman-style to a hall closet or something.
Amelia lifted her brow. “Should we show him how it’s done?”
“Hell yeah, we should.”
It didn’t take long for Amelia and me to glide over the makeshift wooden dance floor. It was like she was made for me with how she fit in my arms. For the first time in far too long, I felt like I was where I belonged.
Song after song, we danced. The sexual tension between us grew each time I pulled her close to me. Fuck, all I wanted to do was touch her. Feel her moan when I slipped my hand down her panties. Every time she laughed and winked at me, my dick grew painfully harder.
After six fast songs in a row, a slow song started, and I cursed under my breath. There was no way in hell I could hold her against me. Not with my dick about to bust out of my jeans. Thankfully, Amelia checked out. “I’m exhausted and thirsty!”
Thank God.
Laughing, I placed my hand on her lower back and guided her to where Steed and Paxton were sitting. It was hard not to notice the two of them looking at us with goofy grins.
I pulled out Amelia’s chair. The second she sat down, Paxton dove in with the comments.
“Wow! That was some kiss!”
My face heated, and the most beautiful rose color moved over Amelia’s cheeks.
“Yes, it was,” she replied with a wink.
Steed glanced my way. His smile faded, and he looked straight into my eyes. “You hurt my sister, I’ll break every bone in your body. No questions asked.”
I had been midway to sitting down when I froze—but it wasn’t from what Steed had said. It was the sight of Chloe’s goat, Patches, running toward the dance floor.
“Oh shit,” I mumbled.
“Ignore him, Wade. He’s always been overprotective.”
Standing up quickly, I said, “Patches.”
“Goat,” Steed replied, laughing. “Are we playing word games, dude?”
I shook my head and pointed. “No. Patches is running this way, and he has a look of determination on his face.”
Steed jumped up. “Oh shit.”
“Goat!” Amelia called out. “Goat on the loose!”
I wasn’t sure what everyone thought they heard Amelia call out, but people started running everywhere.
“Grab him!” Trevor cried as he, Cord, and Tripp took off after Patches.
“Should we help?” I asked as Steed stood next to me, laughing his ass every time Trevor dove for Patches and missed him.
“Are you kidding me? This is the best entertainment I’ve seen in a long time.”
I shook my head at Steed, and focused back in on the other Parker brothers, who were all attempting to get the goat.
Paxton was laughing so hard she had to take deep breaths. Amelia stood with her hand covering her mouth. “He’s destroying everything!” she said, trying not to lose it laughing.
“Oh no! The food!” Waylynn called out as they chased Patches.
“I feel like we should help,” I said with a chuckle. “I mean, it is your daughter’s goat.”
Steed
was still cracking up, clearly enjoying this too much. Amelia pushed me and said, “Go help before Trevor pulls something.”
“There’s Leroy!” Steed cried out in a laughing fit. He was bent over holding his stomach and pointing to Chloe’s other pet goat who came in unnoticed because of all the commotion and made a beeline for the food.
I made my way over to the long food table. Waylynn attempted to grab Patches by the collar. When she crawled up on the table I stopped and stared. She was crawling through the food, calling out for Leroy. Patches joined in and I swore he sounded like Chloe yelling.
“He’s eating me! Get the beast off of me!” Waylynn said as Trevor rushed over, slipping on food and sliding right past the table. Tripp and Cord threw up their hands and tossed in the towel. I don’t think I’d ever seen anything so damn funny as Trevor sliding under the table on his ass as Patches jumped on it, watching from above, like a king looking out over his dominion.
I whistled and Leroy and Patches stopped. That was something I had started doing right before Chloe and I fed the goats each morning. I’d been trying to teach Chloe to whistle, and it turned into a signal for the damn goats that it was breakfast time.
Leroy looked at me, a piece of fabric from Waylynn’s dress hanging from his mouth as he chewed. They jumped off the table and followed me. Every now and then I’d whistle so they’d stay on track.
As I walked by Tripp and Cord, they glared. “And you didn’t think to do that when they first ran in?”
With a shrug and a smug smile, I replied, “I was distracted by y’all chasing them. I wish I had recorded it.”
“Fuck you, Adams!” Cord said as he turned and headed straight to the bar.
After getting Leroy and Patches back in the barn, I poured them some food and turned to leave. Amelia stood at the entrance of the barn looking sexy as hell.
“You saved the day. Although, had you done that earlier, people wouldn’t be leaving, and Waylynn would have her dress in one piece.”
With a smile, I sauntered to her. “What fun would that have been?”
Her eyes sparkled as a beautiful grin graced her face. “That’s true.”
I stopped short in front of her. “I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”
Her eyes fell and her cheeks turned slightly pink.
“Same here.”
Taking my finger, I lifted her chin, but she looked away nervously. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Amelia? You take my breath away.”
She rocked back, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at how adorable she was.
When she met my gaze, she inhaled sharply and my chest squeezed. She closed her eyes briefly, and it felt as though time stood still.
I pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “I would give anything to know what you dream of when you close your eyes.”
Her gaze searched my face. I reached for her hand and laced our fingers together.
“I’m thinking you aren’t real. You’re a dream. Something I write about in books but never truly believed in.”
With a half-smile, I leaned in and whispered against her ear. “If I were to pick my nose or fart under the covers and hold you down underneath them…Would that make me more real?”
Amelia pushed me back with her free hand and laughed. “I guess that means we have to get to know each other. Want to go out on a date with me, cowboy?”
The way she chewed her lip drove me insane. I leaned in and kissed her, pulling that lip into my mouth. My hands gently took her hips, and I pulled her body against mine. The low moan coming from her mouth moved through my body at light speed. After only two of her kisses, I was already addicted. My dick grew harder by the minute. I had to slow this train down before we ended up in one of the stalls with Patches watching.
We drew back from one another. Our chests rose and feel with each rapid breath.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Amelia whispered.
Resting my forehead against hers, I replied, “That is very much a yes.”
With a deep breath, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My mind drifted back to the night before, when I was out riding. The sun had barely begun to set, and I found myself up by the foreman’s house where Wade was now living. Placing my hand on my stomach, I closed my eyes and smiled, remembering…
Pulling Stanley to a stop, I stared at the foreman’s house. How in the hell I ended up here was beyond me. My breath caught as I watched a naked Wade walk through the house, drying his hair with a towel. The urge to walk in and demand that he make love to me was overwhelming. He dropped the towel to his side, giving me a full-frontal view. My stomach pooled with a delicious ache.
Wade sat down and wrapped his hand around his dick and slowly started working his shaft. His eyes closed while his head dropped against the back of the sofa.
“Holy. Shit,” I said as I backed Stanley up and tried to hide him somewhat behind a tree. Jumping down, I peeked around the tree and continued to watch Wade. His hand sped up and I let out a soft low groan. His mouth parted open as he jacked off faster. I couldn’t pull my eyes off of him. It had to have been one of the hottest things I’d ever seen.
Stanley pushed against my back and voiced his unhappiness.
“Shh! Stanley, give a girl a break, will you? Look at him! Look at how…beautiful he is. How incredibly hot it is watching him. Who do you think he’s thinking about?”
Jesus, why am I asking my horse this?
Stanley snickered and pushed me again. Clearly he was ready to move on. I wasn’t. My heart was pounding as my breathing increased as I continued to watch. Wade was getting close, I could see it on his face.
“Christ almighty,” I whispered as I took a step closer. The urge to slip my hand into my pants was increasing by the second. Wade’s hips jerked and he lifted his head to watch himself come. It looked like he said something as he hit that heavenly moment of his orgasm. His other hand catching his cum as he closed his eyes and dropped his head back. He slowly stopped pumping his dick and sat there for a few moments. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on calming my erratic breathing. My eyes snapped open when I realized I was standing out in the open. Quickly rushing back behind the tree, I waited to see what Wade would do next. Stanley had wondered off and was eating grass safely out of Wade’s sight.
Wade stood and walked back toward the bedroom. I turned and leaned against the tree. My hand covered my mouth and let out a giggle.
“Holy shit! That is so going into a book!” Closing my eyes, I let the image fill my head again. Wade had an amazing body, but add him naked and jacking off. A girl could only take so much! My body was on fire. I needed to get back and to a vibrator stat.
I peeked back around the tree and waited. Wade returned dressed in a pair of sweats. He grabbed something and the next thing I knew he was on his front porch, playing his guitar and humming a tune.
I stepped back before he saw me. My lower stomach pooled with desire. I made my way over to Stanley and hopped on. The mental image of Wade Adams’ perfect, naked body on his sofa making himself come was seared in my memory, a mental image I put to use when my hand slipped between my legs that night.
The light knock on my door had me glancing over my shoulder.
“Hey. May I come in?”
I motioned for Waylynn to come in. She walked up behind me, put her hands on my arms and rested her chin on my shoulder. It had been a few days since the Patches incident and Waylynn had finally stopped threatening to slaughter the poor little goats.
“You look beautiful,” she said. “Where are you going?”
My stomach rolled with nerves. “A date. With Wade.”
A huge smile covered her face. “Really? How exciting. Where are y’all going?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me.”
Waylynn took a few steps back and chuckled. “Oh, man. He’s playing that card, huh? Where do you think he’ll take you?”
Pulling my hair up, I pinned it to t
he top of my head.
“I have no clue. With Wade, it could be dancing at Cord’s, going for a horseback ride, or going out to dinner. The ball is totally in his court.”
Waylynn sat crisscross on my bed. Her blonde hair was in two pigtails, and she looked like she was twenty instead of thirty-two. “Amelia, take a deep breath. You said you both agreed you wanted to go slow and get to know each other. Which, by the way, I’m sure our brothers will appreciate.”
I rolled my eyes. “Steed’s already threatened to beat his ass if he hurts me. I can’t imagine what the other four have said to him or what they’re going to do.”
We let out matching chuckles. “Trevor’s probably already laid it out in fine detail,” Waylynn said.
My chest felt heavy with uncertainty. “Am I making a mistake by doing this?”
Her brows furrowed. “By doing what? Going out on a date?”
“Going out on a date with Trevor’s best friend. A guy who works for our father. What if things go south?”
She grinned. “What if things go great?”
I sighed and sank down on the bed next to Waylynn. “I’m so afraid he’s going to break my heart. After only two kisses, I crave him, Waylynn. And not even in a sexual way.”
Her expression made me giggle. “No…I mean, yeah, I can’t wait to be with him when we’re ready. I crave him in a different way. One I’ve never experienced before. When I wake up, the first thing I think about is him. What is he doing? Where is he? When will I get to catch a glimpse of him? He smiles at me, and I swear to God it feels like my knees are going to buckle. His touch sends butterflies all over my stomach. This is stuff I write about… It’s not real.”
“But it is real, Meli. Look at Mom and Dad, or Steed and Paxton. You just needed to find the right guy. And the right guy might be Wade.”
I chewed on my lip, grasping the enormity of what she’d just said. “Did you feel those things for Jack?”
Her eyes turned sad. “Yes, but I was too naïve to realize that he didn’t feel them in return.”