Page 6 of Haunted Hayride with the Mountain Man

Regret shines in Nova’s eyes when she slides down my body, heels hitting the floor with an audible thud. My heart is racing, eyes bleary, like I forgot time and place. All the blood in my body has been replaced with gasoline, I’m in overdrive, adrenaline leading me along.

As if on autopilot, I reach for the door handle. “I should check on her.”

Nova only nods, righting her outfit and attempting to fix the mess I made of her hair. She doesn’t say a word, just follows me out the door as I get my own clothes back in their starting position.

“Are you getting hungry, girl? We should get you back to the farm.”

But I couldn’t mean it less if I tried. No part of me wants to leave this hotel room but it’s not fair to either of them if I stay.

Nova’s behind me again so fast, I hadn’t realized she’d left. Suddenly she’s handing me a bag of baby carrots and a bright, red apple that’s so fragrant it overpowers her scent.

She shrugs. “I really wanted a Kit-Kat bar, but I settled for apples and carrots to go with my energy drinks.”

I must look like a cartoon character, blinking rapidly as I try to bring my brain into focus. Her lips are still rosy from my kiss, pupils blown wide, the flush of her cheeks spreading all the way down her chest. Her top’s not perfectly situated across her shoulders, bunched and twisted from where I wrapped my fist in the fabric.

“Horses can eat apples and carrots, right? Or am I making that up?”

I snap into action. “Yeah. Yeah, they can.”

“Maybe she’d be more comfortable tied up off the back patio. I can get us those glasses of wine, meet you over there?”

If I didn’t know better, I could convince myself she was trying to get me to stay rather than just being helpful. When she smiles up at me, waiting for my answer, it’s the only thing that’s keeping me calm.

I can’t leave.

Not yet.

Not until I see where this could go. It might be nowhere, it might not be the right time, but damn do I want to find out.

“Sure. I’ll meet you over there.”

She nods, escaping into her room and closing the door. When I hear the lock click, for once, I don’t even entertain the thought of bailing. I want this. I want to get to know her, even if we need to slow down. If I can calm my blood pressure, I’d do anything to spend the night talking to this woman. I shoot an apologetic text to Foster.

The hotel is quiet, unexpectedly so, but it’s the epitome of off-season. The trees have finished dropping their brightly colored leaves, the ground littered in a layer of auburn that releases the most delicious smell with every step Aster and I make. There aren’t lights in any of the rooms and even though the weather is unseasonably mild, I can’t help but notice the chilling void of not having Nova beneath me.

I could get used to this. I could get used to a lifetime with her.

The thought should terrify me but all it does is fill me with a calming warmth I’ve never experienced before. With Taylor it was all adrenaline and ignored boundaries. Our courtship was the absolute definition of love bombing, we went from zero to 100 at the speed of sound. I don’t want to do that with Nova, I want to peel back the layers one by one, taking my time with every step.

The second I see her though, my willpower goes out the window and all I can think about is her curves, unwrapped for me, making her feel things she’s never felt before.

“Thanks for the apples,” I croak when I spot her around the corner, “though I’m pretty sure you should have picked up the chocolate too.”

“Chocolate man, are you?” She wraps herself in a thin blanket, the short sleeves of her shirt doing nothing to keep her warm, not when my body should be doing it.

“I eat pretty much anything but I’ll admit, I have a weakness for sweets.”

Without me needing to say a word, I’m showing her the proper way to feed a horse and the trepidation wears from her face more with every gentle nibble from Aster. She’s thoroughly enjoying her treats, it beats the hell out of a dinner of hay and oats back in the barn. She loves adventure, I know that about the mare already.

“I don’t know where I’ll end up after my job at the haunted hayride ends, but I know I’ll be coming back to visit Aster.”

Nova’s hand rubs over my skin like a flint, sparking my nerve endings back to life. “That’s sweet. She really likes you too, I can tell.” She draws her eyes up to me. “Almost as much as I do.”

I love that she’s not afraid to go after what she wants but I might not be everything she deserves.

“I’m not sure I’m staying in Ashwood once my dad no longer needs me.”

I don’t explain the obvious reason why I’d no longer be needed, I think the words are better left unsaid. And anyway, I couldn’t force them out of my mouth if I tried. I have to be vulnerable though, so I continue with another bitter part of my life story.