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He returns it. “Like I said, I do a lot of traveling through rural areas whenever our charity fund needs it. And besides, I don’t like to confine myself to any one environment. It’s nice to have both. Big city business and quiet country retreats.”
I stifle a smile, although a tiny part of me can’t help but feel a twinge. Imagine being able to have that—not only one place to call home, but many. All I’ve got is my tiny little apartment that Devan and I can barely afford to keep over our heads.
Then we reach the spot, and I push any thoughts of my depressing low-budget lifestyle from my mind. Tonight is about having fun. Sharing some of the more scenic parts of small town life with the sexy guy who rescued me from a world of trouble at work. That’s the least I can do, after everything he did for me earlier, right?
And if it means we get to spend more time together, well then, that’s icing on the cake. Because frankly, I’m glad I don’t have to stop gazing at his perfectly proportioned face anytime soon.
Seriously, the man won the genetic lotto, from the looks of it.
He parks the car and before I can even finish unbuckling my seat belt, he’s come around to open my door for me once more. I slide out with a smile for him, and when he takes my hand to help me from the car, he lets it linger in his grasp, his fingers interlacing between mine.
I lead him away from the car and wait for the headlights to automatically shut off. When they do, I hear Xander intake a soft breath, clearly taken aback by the scene. I have to admit, it even takes my breath away, despite me being familiar with what we’re about to see.
The town spreads out at our feet, a carpet of gabled roofs and winding streets, the occasional streetlight or illuminated window lighting the scene like strings of Christmas lights. Overhead, the moon hangs bright and three quarters full—enough to give us a good view all the way along the valley to where the river sparkles in the distance, snaking through the hills on the far side of town.
From this grassy cliff edge, we can see everything. All of the town that’s been my entire world, for my whole life.
“Absolutely breathtaking,” Xander murmurs. But when I cast a sideways glance at him, he’s not looking at the scene. He’s gazing straight at me, his eyes bright with desire.
I tilt toward him, unable to resist his gravitational pull for long. “This is it,” I say with a gesture. “My whole world.”
He glances away from me for long enough to drink it in.
“Pretty small, I know,” I murmur, my chest tightening.
He loops an arm around my waist and draws me against his side. I lean into him, grateful for the warmth of his body in the slowly chilling early fall evening air. “I might be biased at the moment,” he says, his chest rumbling with the sound of his deep baritone voice. “But I have to say, I find it charming.”
I tilt my head up, so my chin rests against his strong pec muscles. “You’re definitely biased.”
His mouth quirks into a grin. Then he reaches up to brush a stray piece of hair back from my forehead, tucking it behind my ear. His fingertips linger, tracing along my jawline, and I shiver with desire. “Perhaps,” he agrees amiably. His eyes shift back and forth, as if searching mine. Whatever he’s looking for, he must find it, because a moment later, he tips his face a few inches closer, until we’re so close we’re sharing the same breath between us. “Melanie,” he says softly, and my name has never sounded so damn sexy. “You realize I want you, right?”
I let out a soft laugh, even as my belly tightens and my thighs clench, the desire I’ve been feeling all night coalescing into something more potent. I can tell I’m already starting to get wet, just standing this close to him, breathing in his scent, feeling his hard chest pressed against mine. I can’t help it. I suck in a deep breath. “I noticed.”
He grins. “If you don’t want me, there’s no pressure. We might have an awkward drive back to town, but that’s all.”
I shake my head so hard he releases me. I wrap my arms around his waist and step back against him. “Trust me. The feeling is very mutual.”
His smirk widens. “Good.” Then his hand rises back to its position against my cheek, drawing me closer, his free hand slipping around my waist, tightening, drawing me in against him. I tilt my body against his, my eyes drifting his as he kisses me, slow and hard.
Fuck.
He tastes as good as he smells. No, better, because there’s a hint of something salty underneath. His lips part mine, and his tongue slides into my mouth, insistent. I tilt my head to the side, wrap both arms around his neck, and let him take control.
