Page 53 of Promised to the Cowboy

“The motel? You’d never?—”

“You were the first,” she whispers. “The only. You were the first person who felt safe enough to let in. It’s always only been you.”

“Darlin’...” My voice is raw. “If I’d known, I would’ve?—”

“You were perfect. You were exactly right. Exactly what—who—I needed.”

My hand shakes as I cup her cheek. “That first time… I wasn’t gentle. Did I hurt you? Was there blood? I’d never have?—”

Evie laughs, surprising me. “Cowboy, I’ve been riding horses since before I could spell my name. If there was anything down there to break, some hard-headed barrel horse took care of it years ago. You didn’t hurt me. You haveneverhurt me.”

I search her face. She’s watching me with those soft, steady eyes, no regret, no hesitation—just a quiet, fierce trust that completely undoes me.

Evie rolls her hips in a slow, deliberate circle, pulling a ragged groan from my throat. “Andthis,” she murmurs against my ear, “floods me with oxytocin. Happy hormones. Medically and scientifically good for the baby. So hurry up, cowboy.”

Her walls flutter around me, hot and silky, drawing me deeper.

That’s all it takes.

I lose it. I embarrass myself as I come apart hard, spilling inside her with a broken groan. My whole body shakes with the force of it.She holds me through, feathering her hands up and down my spine, grounding me.

I roll to my side, breathing hard, pulling her with me so I’m not crushing her. Burying my face in her neck, I inhale her scent. “Sorry, darlin’. Sorry.”

Evie presses a soft kiss behind my ear. “Don’t be sorry for wanting me so much, Gabe.”

I cup her face with one hand. “Never that. I’m sorry I couldn’t hold back. That you didn’t?—”

She silences me with a finger to my lips. “How about you make it up to me in the shower?”

I’m out of bed before she finishes the sentence, reaching down a hand to help her up.

Evie laughs softly. “My man is eager.”

My man.

Fuck, I love the sound of that.

I pause to watch her walk naked toward the adjoining bathroom, mesmerized by the gentle sway of her ass. I love the swollen lushness of her stomach, the flare of her hips, the healthy glow of her skin.

I loveher.

The realization settles over me, calm and certain. No panic. No doubt. Just the truth.

She glances back, catching me standing there like an idiot. “You coming?”

I grin. “Yeah. And if I have my way, so will you in about two minutes.”

She laughs, eyes darkening with promise, and disappears into the bathroom. A second later, the shower turns on.

I follow her into the shower like a man on a mission, and I keep my promise—twice. By the time we finally step out, Evie’s skin is flushed and glowing, and I’m wearing a grin I can’t seem to wipe off my face.

Later that morning, after breakfast and a second cup of coffee, I take her hand.

“Come with me. Got something I want to show you.”

She raises an eyebrow but lets me lead her out the back door and across the yard. The sun is warm on our shoulders, the air carrying that sweet mix of hay, grass, and distant rain. When we near the stables, I pull a clean bandana from my back pocket.

“Gonna need you to trust me for a minute, darlin’.”