“She’s sleeping. I thought I told you to leave her alone. I’m not real thrilled that you keep harassing my girl,” he tells Daniel. “She doesn’t want or need to hear your bullshit apologies. She wants nothing to do with you.” His face breaks out in a grin as he hands the phone to me. “He hung up on me.”
“Maybe he finally gets that it’s over,” I say.
“If not, I’ll be here to remind him. I’m not just saying you’re mine because I want him to leave you alone. It started out that way, but if we’re being honest, in my mind, you were mine before I said the words. Now that I’ve told you what I want, I need for you to really believe them. I want us.”
“So what were you going to suggest we do today?” I ask, changing the subject.
“What if I said I want to stay right here, in this spot, until the last possible second? That I want to spend the day holding you?” he asks.
“Why would you want to do that?”
He releases a heavy sigh. “Because I have no idea when I’ll get to do this again. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for you to understand that you’re who I want. Because right now, in this moment, nothing even touches the idea of spending the day with you in my arms.”
“Kacen . . .” I stop there because I have no words.
He chuckles. “It was worth a shot. Okay, so what if we jump on the side by side and take a drive around the property? There’s a pond and some great shade trees. We can have a picnic,” he suggests.
Turning over so we are now face to face, I ask, “You want to have a picnic?”
“Yes,” he kisses my nose, “I want to have a picnic. Why is that so hard for you to believe?”
“Well, I guess it’s not, really. I guess the shock is more that I’m with a man who wants to do something so . . . romantic,” I confess.
“Logan, he’s a dick. He didn’t treat you right. You deserve someone who will always put you first. I’m that guy. I got you.”
“Well, let’s see what you got, Mr. Rock Star.”
His grin is infectious. With a slap on my ass and a chaste kiss to my lips, he’s climbing over the top of me. “Let the master do his thing. We’ll head out in an hour.”
Looking at my phone, I see that it’s already ten in the morning. We slept late. Kacen sprints off toward his room. I assume it’s for a shower. He has a picnic to prepare. My excitement grows, wondering how he’s going to pull off a romantic picnic in an hour’s time. Then again, all he needs to do is open his mouth and let the words he’s been spewing the last two days fly and I’ll be in a puddle at his feet. The man has skills . . . in more way than one.
I lie on the couch for a few more minutes until I decide I need to get my butt in gear. Just as I reach my temporary bedroom door, Kacen opens his. He flashes me a devilish smile as he reaches out and snakes his arm around me. He drops his lips to mine and kisses me slowly, teasing me. “Forty-five minutes, sweets,” he says, pulling away with a wink. Then he’s gone, sprinting down the hall to prepare our romantic picnic.
Reaching down, I pinch my leg and pain erupts. I needed something to prove that I’m not dreaming. Something to prove that this is real.
I’m not dreaming.
He wants me.
He wants an us.
Chapter 31
Kacen
I can’t believe I got her to agree to this. She pushes every time I pull. I don’t have much time, but the spot alone that I have in mind will crank up the romance factor. All I have to do is make sure that the delivery is there. I know she wants me. I can feel it every time I touch her. I can see it in those dark brown eyes when she looks at me.
I’ve got this.
Nancy does all of the grocery shopping. Logan offered, but I told her to just give Nancy the list and she would take care of it. It’s bad enough Logan cleans up after us. Nancy has less to do with Logan around.
My first stop is the garage. I place a couple of blankets in the back of the Teryx. Then I grab the small soft-sided cooler and a couple of ice packs from the freezer and head back to the kitchen.
After a quick survey of options, I decide on grapes, cheese and crackers, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Not the most romantic food, but I love them. My mom used to make them for me growing up. It’s like comfort food, and that’s what I want her to feel. I want Logan to be comfortable with me. I want her to be able to relax and enjoy spending the day with me. I hope to give her a glimpse of how it would be with us. I want her to let go of her fears and be with me, be mine.
I add a few bottles of water and zip the top. Tearing off a few paper towels, I fold them and store them in the front pocket of the cooler. My mind runs through a mental checklist. I don’t want to forget anything.
“Ready.”
I turn to see Logan standing in the doorway. Her hair is pulled up in a knot on top of her head, a few loose strands frame her face. She’s wearing a tank top and a pair of tiny shorts. My eyes continue to take her in as they lock on her tanned legs, leading to her feet. Bright pink toenails and a pair of flip-flops. Meeting her eyes after undressing her with mine, I hold her stare as I stalk toward her.
My hands grip her waist and I pull her against me. “You about made me swallow my damn tongue.” My voice is gruff, laced with my desire for her. Burying my face in her neck, I breathe her in. Forcing myself to pull away, I ask, “Ready to be wooed?”
She throws her head back and laughs. “Let’s see what you got, rock star.”
Grabbing her hand, I lead her into the kitchen, pick up the cooler, and head for the garage.
“This is what we’re taking?”
“Yep. Have you ever ridden in one?”
“No, we had four-wheelers growing up, but nothing like this.”
“You’ll love it. On the way back, you can drive.”
“Really?” she asks with excitement.
“Yes, really.” I laugh at her enthusiasm. I help her fasten her seat belt, and then shut the door.
“Don’t we need helmets?”
“Not for what we’re doing. Seat belts are sufficient, besides I won’t be going that fast. I’m carrying precious cargo.” I watch the blush creep up her cheeks. I love that about her.
As soon as we are out of the garage and on our way to the back of the property, I reach over and rest my hand on her thigh. I can’t help but touch her when she’s so close; besides, I promised romance.
It takes about fifteen minutes to get to the pond. I park under one of the many shade trees and kill the engine.
I can’t take my eyes off her as she takes in our surroundings. “Kacen, this place is beautiful. You own this?”
“Yeah, it’s part of what sold me on the place. The house is great, a little big for what I need, but maybe someday I’ll be able to fill it with kids.” Her eyes go wide at my admission. I’ve mentioned before that I want a family. “My parents’ farm is like this. There was always an adventure waiting for me. My cousins, Blaise, Asher, Ember, and me would spends hours roaming, building forts. I have a lot of great memories. I figured if I was going to invest in a home, I wanted it to have unlimited possibilities,” I confess.