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“What? I’ve never cheated at a game in my life,” I say emphatically.
He lunges across the table, sending the game to the floor in pieces as he grabs me, pulling me under him. “You better not be lying to me, Dahlia Roxanne.” When he uses my middle name, I know he’s serious.
“Or what?”
He doesn’t respond. He just grabs my ribs, tickling me as I burst into a fit of giggles.
“I’ve missed that laugh.” He hovers over me, reaching up to brush the hair from my face. The moment is sweet, intimate. I want to lean up and kiss him, but I don’t move, scared to ruin the moment.
“Hey, I just remembered something,” I say. “You slept in your underwear last night, but you wore them in the hot tub, soooo what are you sleeping in tonight?”
His expression falters as his head falls forward. “Oh shit, I didn’t even think about that.”
“It won’t offend me if you sleep in the nude.”
“You think I can sleep next to you butt-ass naked? You have way too much faith in my self-restraint.” He flops onto his back, lying next to me on the living room floor.
“You can borrow one of my thongs.” I laugh, rolling onto my belly and propping myself up on my elbows. “But based on what I felt earlier, I don’t think it’d hold you in very well.”
He reaches his hand up in the air, bringing it down hard on my ass with a loudsmack!before grabbing a handful.
We spend the next few hours laughing and talking about everything from memories of our childhood to how my business is doing. He tells me that he and his siblings want to plan a surprise 35th wedding anniversary for their parents.
“I think I’m ready for bed.” I yawn, stretching my arms overhead.
“Why don’t you go get changed? I’ll clean up the kitchen and meet you in there shortly.”
I brush my teeth and moisturize my face before changing into my pajamas and crawling beneath the covers. A few moments later, Ranger comes into the room. I hear the clinking of his belt buckle being undone, and I start to roll over to face him.
“Stay facing that way, young lady,” he reprimands me, and I giggle as I hear his jeans hit the hardwood floor. The bed moves as he slides in behind me. “I’m going to place this other pillow between us.”
“Can I roll over now?”
“Yes.”
I roll to face him, our faces only a few inches apart. “Is that pillow for you or for me?”
“For you. My self-control is hanging by a thread, and I just agreed to sleep naked next to you. It’s like gasoline on a fire.”
“Do I get a kiss goodnight?” I ask hopefully, knowing I’m really pushing the limits. I can see him debating with himself, but I don’t give him time. I lean in and press my lips to his. It’s gentle and soft—almost delicate—until I feel the tip of his tongue against my lips. It goes from zero to 100 in seconds. His tongue is in my mouth, my hands are on his bare chest, and his hands are sliding up my back, beneath my shirt. He leans into the pillow between us, his body halfway over it as he starts to press me onto my back. I don’t want this to stop. I want him to give in, but I muster up every little bit of strength I have left and break the kiss. I also want him to simmer—to be consumed with nothing but thoughts of what could be between us. “Sorry, didn’t mean to let it get so carried away. Sweet dreams.” I smile up at him as shock settles over his face.
“Fuuuck,” he groans, his head hanging low as he pulls himself off of me and flops back onto the bed. “Fuck it.” He sits back up, grabbing the pillow from between us and putting it over his crotch as he walks toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom!” he shouts, the glow from the moon illuminating his bare ass as he rounds the corner and exits the room.
“Why? Whatcha doin’?” I can’t hide my giggle.
“Exactly what you were doing earlier. You better be asleep when I get back,” he shouts before I hear the bathroom door slam, causing me to erupt into a full-blown fit of laughter.
10
RANGER
“What’s gotten into you?” Decker shoots me some side eye as I saddle up my horse.
“Nothin’.” I know he caught me smiling to myself—something I’ve caught myself doing several times lately.
