Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
He doesn’t talk to me the whole ride to his house. I start to speak a few times, but then change my mind. Maybe it will be better if I can look at him when I’m talking to him.
We pull up to his ranch and walk inside the house.
When I walk by the mirror in his entryway, I see my reflection and grimace at the bruise on my head. I don’t stop to inspect it because I have a feeling that is one of the reasons he’s so upset.
I sit on the edge of the couch, now a little nervous because he still hasn’t said anything and it’s driving me crazy.
“Say something, Michael.”
He takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his hair. He sits down on the coffee table in front of me and pulls my chin so I’m looking up at him.
He winces when he looks at me.
“It doesn’t even hurt,” I tell him sincerely.
Pain is etched all over his face. “I did that to you.”
I shake my head at his nonsense. “You didn’t do this to me. The jerk that bumped into us did this.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t you see? I can’t even protect you. What kind of man am I?”
“You’re the best man…” I start to tell him.
He struggles to stand up and I instantly start to worry that he may have reinjured his leg, but he walks easily over to the crutches.
He’s looking away from me. His voice is husky and filled with emotion. “It’s probably best you leave in the morning, Nova.” He walks slowly out of the room and I sit there astounded at the turn of events.
I thought we were doing well. I know I was. I hate that the stupid jerk at the club knocked into us. But falling like that could have happened to anyone.
I sit there for the longest time, debating what to do.
I could leave and drive home tonight, but that doesn’t feel right.
I don’t want to leave period. In my heart, I’ve been hoping that we would continue our relationship past the two weeks.
I stand up and start pacing the living room floor. So many things are going through my head. But finally it hits me. I can’t just leave. I can’t walk away from him. I love him and I’m pretty sure he feels something for me too.
With determination, I stride from the room toward his bedroom. I open the door quietly, thinking that he may already be in bed.
But the sight before me about floors me.
He’s sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. I stand there staring at the corded muscles of his back under his T-shirt, his broad shoulders and thick forearms. He’s so handsome.
I start pulling off my clothes and slide under the covers next to him, rolling over so I’m facing his back.
“What are you doing, Nova?”
“Well, one thing I’m not doing is leaving you,” I tell him.
He shakes his head. “You’re better off without me.”
I raise up on my elbow. “You really think so? Because I think that if I left here, I’d be leaving part of my heart behind.”
I can feel my heart racing in my chest. I know I could be reading this wrong and he could send me packing, but I have to at least try. For both our sakes.
He lifts his head up, still not looking at me. “But I hurt you…”
I interrupt him. “No, you didn’t. I love you. How can I leave you knowing that?”
He turns then and looks at me. “You love me?”
I shake my head at him. “Yes, I fucking love you.”
He starts to say something, but then stops. He stares back at me and I can see his mind racing. “Nova, I love you too. But you deserve a better man than me.”
Frustrated, I tell him heatedly, “There’s not a better man than you, you stubborn ass. Look, I’m naked under here. I love you. You love me. We don’t know what tomorrow brings. Hell, you might wake up and never want to see me again. But what I do know is that we have to try. If you love me like you say you do, then you need to forget everything else and just love me, Rancher. That’s it, just love me. The rest will work itself out.”
He pulls the covers back and lies down next to me. He slides against me and covers my hip with his hand. “I love you too much, Nova. I can’t give you up. Fuck, I know you deserve better, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life being the man that you need me to be.”
I kiss his lips softly. “You’re already all I need.”
He pulls me across him and I lay my head on his chest. “You too, baby. You’re all I’ll ever want and all I’ll ever need. Forever.”