“Yes,” Ireply, smiling at the pair of brothers. All my worries that Marshall might use his missing limb as an excuse to isolate himself fly right out the window. He might be a grump, but he’s got family looking out for him.
“Dr. Carter!”
Melissa’s high-pitched voice carries over the deep rumbles of the mountain men around me. My assistant makes her way over to us, looking nothing like herself in a pair of faded hip hugger jeans and a red tank top. Her hair is pulled back into a frizzy ponytail, giving her appearance a casual look.
She looks happier than I’ve ever seen her.
“Melissa,” I stand to greet her, and she surprises me by pulling me in for a hug.
“I’m so glad you made it. I just went on this horseback tour that was amazing!” she squeals.“You’re gonna love this place!”
She glances at the group of men, and Victoria.
“Which one is yours?” she asks me.
“This is Marshall,” I say rubbing his shoulder with my palm as I slide back into my seat at his side. Pointing around the table, I introduce everyone.
Her eyes linger on Mark for a beat longer than anyone else, and I feel distinctly uncomfortable as they stare at each other. Marshall nudges my shoulder as he leans over to whisper in my ear.
“Tell your friends to get a room.”
My laughter breaks the intimate moment between them, and Melissa’s cheeks turn a fiery crimson as she pointedly avoids looking at Mark. He doesn’t seem the least bit ashamed. His hazel eyes stay locked on Melissa until she leaves. I might not be the best with interpersonal relationships, but I’ve got a theory it won’t be long before my assistant winds up with her very own mountain man.
Chapter Seven
Tabitha
“We could wait,” Marshall offers. His meaning is clear. Before I can find the words to tell him that I don’t want to wait to have sex he continues, “But I don’t want to.”
We’re home now. The rustic cabin tucked high up on the mountain with two large fields on either side of the winding dirt driveway. The pang of longing that hit me square in the chest when I saw my new home took my breath away. Everywhere I looked was evidence of what my future holds.
An orchard with never-ending rows of fruit trees that I will see grow taller as the years pass. The vegetable garden that takes up one entire field. At a glance it has everything we would need for dinner. Sun ripened tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and snap peas, among so many other plants. One day our children will help us tend that garden. They’ll learn firsthand how to grow their own food and how to barter with their dad down at the farmer’s market.
Knowing that I picked the right man, that fate brought me all the way to Crescent Ridge to marry Marshall makes my chest light. Science can only go so far to explain this connection between us. That immediate spark.
The elevation in my body’s core temperature and the pounding of my heart signal arousal. His dilated pupils reveal the same need.
But it’s so much more.
It’s the light touch of his hand to my lower back as he guided me around the cabin. The easy way he introduced me to his friends and took their teasing. It's the vulnerable honesty when he confessed that he didn't expect to bring home a wife today. It’s the sharp unyielding tone of his voice when he corrected the judge. I’ve never had someone looking out for me like that. And it’s the way his dark eyes fixate on my face, searching for any sign of uncertainty or dismay.
“I don’t want to wait either.”
He steps into my space, the sheer size of him making me feel like one of Jupiter’s tiny moons orbiting in his massive gravitational pull.
“I’ll be gentle,” he promises.
A rebellious part of me hopes he won’t.
Marshall’s kisses start gentle, his lips light on mine. It feels like fireflies buzzing through my veins. Light electricity with a little bit of heat. It’s a nice kiss. A good kiss. But it’s not what I need.
The need clawing at my spine. At my throat. It demands more.
“Marshall,” I plead.
“Don’t,” he growls. “You’re asking for more than you realize with that breathy little tone.”
He might believe otherwise but I do know what I’m asking for. I want it all. All his rough edges and scars. I want him just as grumpy and surly as he was at the airport.
