Page 68 of Hogging the Hunk

“I know. That’s what I told him.”

“To his face?” Beckett nodded. “Wow. How’d he handle that?”

“His usual way. Redirecting the problem back onto me. As much confidence as he pretends he has, he’s actually a very insecure man.”

“Still didn’t give him the right to treat you the way he did.”

“Probably. Obviously, I had some learning and growing to do, too.”

I waited one heartbeat. Two. Three. Four.

“Where do you reckon that leaves us?”

Beckett giggled. “If you had on a cowboy hat, you might be mistaken for Clint Eastwood. Reckon?” She tipped back and laughed harder. “That has to be the cutest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

She slid closer until our hips were touching and leaned her head against my shoulder. I didn’t even have to be sly to pull her in close. Having already held onto her, from carrying her down the trail to our near-kiss when I confronted her about her feelings to the tornado, having her in my arms seemed completely natural.

“I suppose today signifies a fresh start for us.” She reached around my waist and snuggled into the crook of my arm. I had been created for the purpose of being close to her. “So, you saw me walk off with Greg?”

I nodded. “Talk about a stab to the old love pump. I heard you were back in town, and had planned all this stuff I was going to do and say, then poof. My chances were evaporating.”

“You were going to give up on me so easily?” Her coy ribbing made my heart thump like the big bass drum in a marching band. “That’s very unlike you.”

“Not a chance. I chased after you, asking everybody I knew if they’d seen where you went. When the trail went cold, and the rain started coming, I got a call from Bonita, asking if I’d drive her and her car home.”

“Ellie said she doesn’t like driving in the rain.”

“Right. So I got her home, I was jogging back to the clinic where I planned on calling you. That’s when the rain started coming down in buckets. Getting soaked was annoying. When it started coming down sideways? I hoofed it as fast as I could.”

“Ellie was so worried for you.”

I chuckled. “Not you?”

“I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to run around in a tornado.”

Joining her laughter, Beckett repositioned herself. Facing me, she kept locked around my midsection. She pressed her ear against my barreled chest, almost like she was examining my heart without her stethoscope. I knew what she’d be hearing—a strong, snappy beat brought on by her touch.

“In my defense, I didn’t know we were under a tornado watch. I was already halfway to the clinic when the thought even occurred to me. Couldn’t very well stop under a tree, could I?”

“No, I don’t suppose so.” Beckett’s hands migrated to my neck, where she traced lazy circles with her nail under my hairline. Once, she tangled her finger in the hairs growing over my nape, and an involuntary shiver shook my entire frame. I swore I would never cut my hair any shorter, so she’d always be able to work that magic on me. “Cold? We’re both still pretty damp.”

“No.” My voice was low and husky. It made Beckett tilt her face to mine so she could search my eyes in the pale light of a tranquil spring evening. Tiny peeper frogs serenaded us from their nearby hiding places, and the air was sweet with the growth brought on by the change of seasons. “That’s what you do to me, Beckett. I’m at your mercy.”

Her smile was dazzling, and it lit up her countenance. “Are you sure you want that? It can be a dangerous place to be in when someone has power over you.”

“With the wrong person, yes. But that’s also the price of love. Your heart is never completely yours again.”

“I know mine isn’t.”

“Who ran off with a piece of your heart? I hope they keep it safe.” The playful lilt of her voice drove me wild. She had to know what she did to me. I would drop to my knees and worship her so she could grasp a sliver of her importance to me if she didn’t.

“What you do with it is up to you.” Her cheeks were so smooth that I couldn’t resist one soft kiss to feel them against my lips. Her eyes fluttered closed. “It’s yours, Beckett. I realize it makes me susceptible to potential harm, but I couldn’t have kept my love from you if I tried.”

Beckett’s eyes opened slowly, as if she was waking from a wonderful dream. “You love me?”

“Yes.” I drew in a breath, relishing the ability to finally admit what I’d been feeling for ages. “I love you, Beckett, with everything I know how.”

“What good timing, because it turns out, I just realized I love you.”