Page 65 of Texas Kissing
It was starting to hit me just how little I’d cared about all of those girls I’d fucked, and how much I cared about the woman beside me now.
I thought of all the girls back in town. All those tight, toned bodies and those flicks of long, golden hair. Their giggling and bitchiness as they backstabbed each other, the way they thrust out their tits and slipped arms around my waist, cozying up to me before I even knew their name. And I didn’t miss them. Not for a second. I’d take Lily over any of them...allof them.
“Lily?” I just kinda blurted it out.
She turned and looked at me expectantly, brown eyes huge, black hair glossy and shimmering in the sunlight. We were just passing under some trees and, in the green dappled light, she looked like a goddamn fairy queen, soft and pale and perfect.
My words died in my throat. I only now realized what I’d been about to say: something along the lines ofI love you. What? What the fuck?I’d already told her I was falling for her and that’d freaked her out for a while. If I unleashed the L-word she’d likely split and gallop right back to town.
At least, I told myself that’s why I was scared. Deep down, I was horribly aware of the real reason: I like to think of myself as an honest guy, at least in the sack. All of those local girls I’d bedded, and not once had I told them I loved them because it had never been true. The thought that it might be, with Lily...it wasterrifying. Even for me, and I’m not scared of a goddamn thing. Except heights.
“What?” asked Lily, frowning.
I swallowed. “You want some water?” I asked. “It doesn’t do to get dehydrated.”
She nodded, took the bottle I offered and glugged some, and I tried to remember to breathe as I watched her chest move under her blouse.
“It’s just up here,” I told her. And rode on ahead before I said something dumb and messed things up. What I wanted to show her was just around the next bend and, as we got there, I looked back to see her reaction.
It wasn’t a disappointment.
52
Bull
Lily sat there lookingaround in amazement as Caliope slowed to a halt. “It’s beautiful,” she said at last.
The spot I’d picked out was next to a lake, nestled between three low grassy hills. The lake was crystal clear, fed by a river that wound down out of the distant mountains. And the finishing touch was that the river dropped into the lake over a waterfall. The place was goddamn perfect. It would have been easy to bring some of the local girls out here and let it work its magic on them—a guaranteed panty-dropper. Yet I’d never wanted to share it—I’d wanted to keep it as my own private getaway. Until now.
“This is Gold Lake,” I told her. “This is where the town got its name.”
“GoldLake?”
“You’ll see.” I tied the horses to a tree and set up camp—which consisted of unrolling the bedrolls.
Lily tilted her head to one side. “I don’t get it,” she said, squeezing the bags I’d packed. “Where’s thetent? Does it fold up really small?”
I just grinned at her.
“We’re sleepingoutside?”she asked, sounding appalled.
“Remember the stars when we went horse riding? That was still pretty close to town. Light pollution. Here, with the hills around us and no lights...trust me.”
She nodded, still looking uncertain. But, bless her, she was willing to give it a go. I loved that about her. She was doing a hell of a lot better out here than I’d probably do in New York, trying to figure out which fork to eat my sushi with.
“So what now?” she asked, looking around.
I grinned and started to strip off my shirt.
“Oh!” She flushed. “Just like that? You expect me to just...I mean, no warm up or anything?”
I laughed. “Hold your horses, city girl.” I tossed down my shirt and tipped my hat back on my head. “I was heading in for a dip.” And I nodded my head at the lake.
“Oh!” Then her eyes widened. “Shit! I didn’t bring a bathing suit. I didn’t know we were going swimming!”
“Who needs a bathing suit?” I asked. And pulled off my boots. And jeans. And boxers. And finally my hat.
She stood there staring at my naked body. “Outhere?!”she squeaked.