My bottom lip juts out. “But I want to spoil you too.”
“Kiss me.”
I do instantly. My mouth smiles against his. When I pull away, my grin is left behind on him.
“Love me,” he murmurs.
My hand reaches for his and rests it over my heart. The wild thump greets his touch. I’d never felt such a giddy hitch in my pulse until him.
He must sense it too. His posture is relaxed as he leans into my personal space. There’s a flicker of unease in his eyes when he stares deep into mine.
“Stay with me.”
My nose brushes against his. “I’m not going anywhere.”
His exhale blows a tangled section of my hair. “You want to go back to Cloverleaf Meadows.”
Confusion works my mouth soundlessly for a few beats. “Are you worried it isn’t safe?”
“That’s not the issue.” His gaze abandons mine, roaming across the open field surrounding us. “I’d foolishly hoped you’d think of this as your home.”
“Keller’s Keep is our home,” I insist. “Our secret hideout. But Benson Farmstead is still my home too.”
“Right.” The happiness that has been building inside him instantly snuffs out.
“What is it?”
“I feel like you’re actually mine here. In Cloverleaf Meadows, I have to share you.” That rare vulnerable edge returns to his voice, slicing me where it hurts.
“Hey.” I brush the crumbs from my hands and cup his face. “You’re mine, Colton Keller. I’ll shout it from the middle of Main Street if you’d like.”
His cheeks get pink and I bite back a whimper. “You’d publicly claim me?”
“Haven’t I already?”
The steely clench of his jaw suggests I didn’t do a good enough job of it. “You’re never open about your relationships. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“My relationships?” I snort. “There haven’t been any.”
His stare penetrates mine again, peeling at the defensive layers that trap secrets. “Why is that?”
“Umm…” It’s a question I’ve often asked myself, but the answer is finally clear. “Nobody was good enough until you swooped in and snatched me. Normal guys can’t compete with this.” A sweep of my arm motions from the custom she shed to the sprawling acres we’re parked on, pausing at his truck that’s named after my eye color, and ending on our celebration picnic. “I needed an obsessed, morally gray bodyguard armed to protect me. One who’s fluent in the arts of abduction and stalking. He also must be extremely thoughtful and pierced for my pleasure.Oh, and taught himself how to ride a horse. You know, the full package. It’s a rare find.”
A pleased noise escapes him. “When you put it that way, it sounds like I was delivered from your wish list directly to your doorstep.”
“It’s beginning to seem that way, hmm?” I press a soft kiss to his lips. “We’re in this together. It doesn’t matter where we are.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” The words might be more for him than me.
But it reminds me of why he stashed me out here in the first place. “What’s the latest with your father?”
Colton’s features lose any semblance of joy. “He’s in the hospital.”
My chest tightens. “Do you want to see him?”
“No.” The answer is harsh and final.
“I don’t blame you after what you shared earlier.” Saliva sticks in my throat like glue. “And that seemed like a censored version.”
