West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(46)

“Hi,” I say softly.

“Hello.”

Lark starts to walk toward me, and I do the same. “You came.”

“I did. So did you.”

“I did.”

“It’s been five days,” Lark reminds me.

“That wasn’t my brightest idea,” I admit.

“No?”

I shake my head. “No. I should’ve just said one.”

She stops in front of me, her smile wide. “I didn’t need five days, Tristan.”

“I didn’t either, but I needed you to have them.”

There needed to be no questions between us. I had to know she understood that this agreement is all I can ever give her. That she had the time to process, fully be okay with the decision. We are risking a lot, more her than me.

Her family. My family. The feud will escalate. People will be hurt and angry. We’ll both have blowback that will leave destruction in its path.

“And that time is up,” Lark says.

“You’re sure about this?”

She lifts her hand, laying it in the center of my chest. “I’m here, Tristan.”

I lean down, slowly, measuring each heartbeat between us. Her beautiful eyes close as her head lifts to meet mine.

This kiss is slow, a surrender to the desire that has been building between us. When our lips touch, it ignites.

Her hand moves to the back of my neck, and I pull her tighter to me. Our lips part, and I don’t waste a second, pushing my tongue against hers. She tastes like mint and sunshine and a promise of all the things I can’t have.

But she’s giving them to me anyway.

Our tongues slide against each other. She lets out a long moan into my mouth, and I drink it down.

God, she’s perfect.

“Come with me,” I tell her, my voice deep and husky.

I pull her back to the blanket, and she giggles. “You were hedging your bets?”

“I did say if you came tonight, what it meant.”

She lies on her side, her head resting on her hand. “That you did.”

“I also brought wine and snacks.”

“You did?”

“I did. I’m a gentleman.”

“Yes, wine me and dine me before…”

I grin. “Finish it.”

She huffs a laugh. “No way.”

“Say it.”

“Fine! Sixty-nine me. Ass.”

Lark shifts to her knees to swat at my chest, but I grab her wrist and pull her to me. “I plan to go down on you, Lark. I plan to make you scream out to this peaceful night sky as I lick you until you orgasm. I’ve thought of nothing else for five days.”

She shivers. “Good to know.”

“Have you thought about it?” I ask.

I want to know that I wasn’t the only one suffering in this standoff. That she was equally bothered.

“Every day. I haven’t slept, I barely eat, then to see you two days ago, to be so close and want you this much…” she confesses. “Even though I know we shouldn’t.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t.” I push her hair back. “I still want to.”

“Me too. What else would you like?”

I sit up so we’re face-to-face. “I’d like to make you moan. I bet I can.”

“I bet you can, too, but let’s see you try.”

I’m going to enjoy every second of this.

I press my lips to the hollow of her neck with the intent of slowly making my way down her shoulder. She shivers softly, and I grin when she whimpers. “Close.” I kiss again, this time using my tongue against her soft skin. Lark inhales deeply. “Closer.” I like that it takes some work. Then I move down against her shoulder, and nip. She moans, and I feel it in my cock. “There we go, sweetheart. Now, I think we can make it louder, don’t you?”

“Tristan,” she says my name harshly, her fingers lacing through my hair.

“What do you want, Lark?”

“More. I need more.” The rumble in her voice would’ve taken me to my knees if I wasn’t already on them.

This is a bad idea. It’s stupid. It’s reckless. It’s everything I’m not, yet I can’t find the damn strength to stop it.

Lark is tinder, just one spark away from going up in flames.

And fuck if I’m not holding the match.

“I’ll give you everything I can. Everything you need.” But not more than what we promised. I leave that part out. There’s no need to drive it home. “Tell me if you want me to stop,” I say, praying that she doesn’t do it.

“Don’t.”

“Only if you ask me to.” Somehow I’ll do it. It might kill me, and I won’t be riding my horse back home, but I’ll stop.

I move the strap of her tank down, exposing her skin to the night air. Then I kiss across her collarbone. Her head falls back, and I run my tongue along her neck up to her ear. Her skin is smooth, unmarred, and smells like sunshine and heaven. “You’re so beautiful,” I say against the shell. “So fucking tempting. I want to see you. Lay you out on this blanket like the goddess you are and let me feast on you.”

Lark shifts and then pulls her top off, exposing a pair of stunning tits. I dreamed of these, imagining how they’d fit in my hand, and I didn’t do them justice. Their weight is perfect. Each one fits in my hand as though they were made for me.