He does, easily taking up more than half the bed. “So I’m definitely your first husband, then.”
“Oh my god.” I slap his chest, then fall into a fit of laughter. “I think I would have told you if you weren’t!”
“I don’t know. You were hard to deny in Vegas. Like you had practice or something.”
Rolling my eyes, I snuggle up next to him. “Don’t blame all of that on me. You weren’t even that drunk.”
He makes a throaty sound as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. “What about serious boyfriends? Had any of those?”
“Two. But the first was high school puppy love, so I’m not sure he counts. The second was in college.”
“Ah. Must’ve been a real winner if he made you give up dating.”
“No, I dated after him. I just haven’t recently because…” Well, because I met Dean ten months ago, and my interest in other guys vanished. But after his reluctance about the future of our relationship, he probably won’t want to hear that. “I guess I’ve been busy with work. How about you?”
“I haven’t had any boyfriends. Not really into that kind of thing.”
“Oh, be serious.” I poke his stomach, and his abs go rock solid beneath my touch, even as he laughs.
“You don’t want to know the truth, sweetness. It’s kinda sad.”
“You’re a horn dog, huh? I can see that.” The whole mysterious cowboy vibe he has going on is sexy as heck, and I can’t be the only woman who thinks so.
“Nah. Not really. I mean, when it happened, itwaslike that. But it’s been a long time.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to hear that? I kinda like knowing you don’t make a habit of hooking up with every pretty girl who bats her lashes at you.”
“I was referring to the relationship part.”
“Oh.” NowthatI did expect.
“I haven’t had a serious girl in years. I don’t do the long-term thing.”
There it is. The flat-out warning.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’m not good at it. I get too focused on work—just like my old man did—and I can’t give a woman the kind of time she deserves.”
He is absolutely a dedicated, hard-working man. Most ranchers are. They love their work, and they love their animals. Lucky for him, I grew up in that life, so not only am I used to it, but I also appreciate it. But somehow, I don’t think that’s what’s really holding him back.
“You’re doing all right with me,” I say, tracing a fingertip over the ridges of muscle in his stomach.
“Yeah, but we’ve only been together for a month, and we’ve only seen each other three times since we started this.”
“But we talk or text almost every day.” I wake up looking forward to hearing from him, and I fall asleep every night with a smile on my face because of him, too. “That hasn’t pulled you away from work, has it?”
“Not really. Aside from thinking about you all damn day.”
Thank god. It’s not a profession of love, but it’s something. “Be careful, boss man. Sounds like you’re getting soft after all.”
“Ha ha.” He tugs a strand of my hair, and I snuggle closer.
“But seriously, you’re worried about giving someone enough time, but you’re doing just fine with me.”
“You don’t live in Montana. It’d be different if we saw each other all the time.”
“Would it? You work, go home, and text or call me. If I lived closer, it’d be the same, except we’d get to spend some nights together.”
He stares up at the ceiling for a long beat. Either he’s considering my words, or I’m pushing too hard. Finally, he clears his throat. “But someday that won’t be enough. You’ll want more, and what if I can’t give you that?”
