She closed her eyes at the touch, as if it helped to steady her. “It’s a sobering thought to think you’re completely alone. Creatures aren’t meant to be alone.”

I sat up in bed and grinned at her. “Creatures?”

“Four-legged or two-legged. We aren’t supposed to be on our own.” She bit down on her lip. “I think I might look for my mother’s family, and judge for myself if I should stay away.”

A strand of her hair fell forward, coming to a rest on her cheek.

I lifted it, tucking it back in place, before moving to tug her lower free from between her teeth. “How will you know if they’re good people or not?”

“They probably are not, but I have to see myself. I’ll know.” She grinned. “I have horse instincts, remember? We can tell who are good and who are not.”

I grunted. That was true enough.

I traced my finger over her face again, down her chin, resting in the cleft there before falling back to my side. “I worry about you.”

“Why?”

“Because I care about you.” It was more. We both still hadn’t said the words.

She smiled. “I’m fine. I’ve always been fine.” She laughed, poking me in the chest. “It’s you I worry about. You aren’t fine, unlike me.”

I started to laugh and then thought about it. “Shit. You’re right.” I slid my hand against hers, lacing our fingers again. “You’re more stable than I am.” I couldn’t help myself. She was an inch away, an inch too far. I tugged her onto my lap, and she squealed until she straddled me.

I was tired. I wasn’t hard, but he would rise again. It wouldn’t be long. I ran my hand down her back, around her ass, and cupped her there. I couldn’t stop running my hands over her. I felt my dick stirring. It wouldn’t be long at all.

I rocked her over me, and she let out a full-body sigh, tipping backward.

She let go of the sheet, but it didn’t fall all the way. It fell open, letting me see her. I tugged it down and then cupped one of her perfect breasts.

I could watch as the sun bathed her through the window for hours. I felt her hair on my legs. Both her breasts free for me to touch, lick, taste. They were there for me to hold on to, every inch of her was. She was soft but toned.

I let go of her breast and ran a hand down her waist, rubbing over her stomach and then lower, lingering on her nub. She shuddered slightly, breathing heavier, as she always did when I touched her there. And while she remained like that, literally a buffet for me to touch and taste, I leaned forward and caught one of her nipples in my mouth.

She surged alive, straightening and sliding her hands through my hair. She moved higher on my lap, and I held her tight to me, my teeth biting her gently. I licked around her breast, loving the taste of her, loving how I could almost touch her anywhere and she would gasp in pleasure.

“Brody,” she said on another sigh.

I let go of her breast, tipping my head back so her lips could find mine.

I could die touching her like this.

Her mouth on mine. Her legs straddling me. My dick rising to her entrance.

I caught her bottom lip with my teeth, and she gasped lightly and slid down onto me.

I opened my eyes and looked up. She was gazing down at me, a look of wonder in them, and her hands found my face. Her thumb rubbed over my lip in a familiar gesture that I hadn’t known how much I’d missed until right then. I felt her body tighten, then that look of wonder melted into something more, something warm, something kind, something overwhelming. I felt it surge through me, and I wanted to say it first. I didn’t know why, but I knew I had to.

I leaned back so I could see her, making sure I had her full attention.

“I love you.”

At my words, that emotion was named.

It was something loving in her, but her lips found mine. That was her response, and I couldn’t do anything except savor the touch. I held her hips and began to move her up and down on me. She rolled them with me, riding me, but I wasn’t content this way. I laid her down, my lips never moving from her, and I bracketed her between my arms, thrusting in slow, deep strokes. I rode her this time. Her legs lifted, her ankles hooking around my back, and I began to thrust harder and faster.

I skimmed a hand down her side, rubbing against her breast as we kissed.

I kept moving in her. She kept moving with me.

We were synced. Maybe we always had been. It was something deeper than us. I felt it when I first saw her on that horse, crossing in front of my car. It’d been there the whole time, like we were literal soul mates.

And as I thought that word, it clicked in place for me. Everything flooded loose.

We were.

I just hadn’t realized.

I stopped moving and lifted my head.

My eyes found hers, and she twisted her head to the side. “What’s wrong?” she asked, touching my mouth.

I caught her fingertip, kissing it before releasing it. “I have never felt like this with someone before.”

I lowered my lips to hers.

It wasn’t the first time I made love to her, but it was the first time I was in awe of it.

Brody

Gayle was glaring at me.

I was sitting across the dinner table from my manager and raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the look?”