—
Later, in bed, she thanked him again, for the day and for everything else he’d given her. She never imagined she’d have this, feel this way. Take her clothes off and not be afraid of what he saw. Be held by someone. Lie skin to skin, so close that she fell asleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat.
Not even in her wildest dreams did she think she would have the courage to share a shower, walk around nude, get cookies, and burn up the kitchen table. Stephen had done that because he refused to let her hide. And he was the only man she didn’t want to hide from.
They lay naked now, her back to his chest, his thick arm wrapped around her. She was tired, achy, but more content than she’d ever been.
“Matt’s pumped about the new babies.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I talked to Abby.”
He kissed the back of her head and cradled her breast in his palm. “You’d make a great mother.”
She didn’t answer, just traced her fingers along his arm.
“What?” He pulled her a little tighter against him.
Seconds passed. She couldn’t hide from him and his instincts where she was concerned, so she told him. Relayed what the doctors had said, and before she was even finished, he turned her in his arms, sheltered her with his body until her eyes filled with tears. Maybe more about Stephen’s arms around her than what she was saying. She’d accepted that a long time ago.
“It’s not for sure, but…I would love any child. I could adopt. I’d like to adopt children with disabilities, and I could do that alone.” She was grateful for that but it pissed her off some that they’d more readily let her adopt those children because they were the ones no one else wanted. Every child should be wanted.
“Yes. You could. But you shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
He didn’t say she’d do it not alone with him.
Chapter 37
Hannah sat on a bale of hay just outside the back of the barn. She tugged on the leather straps, working them loose to adjust the special saddle to fit the small four-year-old she’d see later today. Pausing, she shook out her hands.
“You did too much yesterday,” Lexie said, stopping beside her. “You should take something.”
Yeah. She should. But she smiled at the worry on Lexie’s face. “I’m good. You don’t need to be here on a Sunday, Lexie. It’s your day off.”
Lexie made a disagreeable sound under her breath and continued about her business. “You think it’s going to work?”
“I don’t know.” She wondered if Lexie had seen the news last night. “Stephen said there’s still a chance. The public still has time to rally.”
“And if not?”
“If not…” She shrugged. “I guess I’m moving.”
“This is all such a load of shit. Just a load of stinking shit.”
She agreed.
“Hannah?”
Stephen. “Out here.” She got up to meet him.
“Mighty fine man that makes a girl smile like that just by calling her name,” Lexie said, amused.
Yes. Mighty fine indeed, and the smile spread. She watched him amble down the barn aisle toward her, especially hot in jeans and boots. Unshaven, looking more like an outlaw than a millionaire.
He met her midway, pulled her in for a hot kiss, and everything in her steadied with his arms around her. Or one arm, as it was at the moment. Curious, she eased back. “What do you have there?”
“Might be lunch.”
“Might be?”
Stephen pulled a small wicker basket from behind him.
“You packed a picnic?” She didn’t even try to hide her shock.
“Yeah, well, my mom might have helped a little.”
She cocked her head. “Are you trying to cheer me up?”
“Am I cheering you up?” He smiled down at her. “Because I don’t like to lose, so if it’s not working, then I’m just a guy looking to eat lunch with a beautiful woman.”
Hannah pulled his face down to hers and kissed him again. The warmth that had started with a smile slid down her spine and straight to her core when his tongue swirled around hers. Even more when the arm around her moved lower until his hand smoothed over her bottom. “I think it’s working,” she said against his lips.
“Good. I’ll get the horses. Why don’t you grab a blanket for our picnic? And other activities.”
Her heart skipped at the thought of the other activities he had in mind.
The land in this part of the country was mostly flat, but there were groves of trees to break up the landscape, and the grasses higher up in the fields swayed like untouched earth.
“Warm day,” he said.
“Mmm.” A warm May day, summer already trying to push spring aside. And both of them in jeans.
She glanced over. Lord, he was hot on a horse. Cowboy. Playboy. Warrior. CEO. Master of his domain. She could only shake her head.
“What?”
“Just thinking you look like a cowboy.”
“Is that a bad thing?’
“No. Though it could be kind of irritating for a girl. How you look good in anything.”
“Well.” Stephen’s hot gaze traveled over her. “You look good in nothing. And just so you know,” he added with a smile, “I don’t find that at all irritating.”
Okay. Now she was burning.
“I saw a spot on our last ride I wanted to take you on.”