Page 31 of Meant for You

“Yeah.” No fucking way was I telling her about the only other one I had. She’d discover it herself soon enough.

She glanced back down at my chest. “Can I touch one?”

Christ. “Sure,” I choked out.

One of her delicate fingers touched the ring through my right nipple, lifting it and sending zaps of pleasure through me. Fuck. I needed to get the hell off this bed, or her innocent exploration of my piercings might kill me.

“What does it feel like?”

My dick pulsed. “Ah…”

Her head tilted to the side. “Like when they’re tugged on or whatever?”

“Yeah, good.” I sounded like I had a vise on my throat.

She flicked it again, and I grabbed her hand, gently pushing her back and climbing off the bed. “I need to go.” I yanked my shirt on. I wanted her in a way that bordered on insanity, but I had to be careful and approach this the right way. No matter what she said, she still had a way to go to forgive me. I’d hurt her, and she wasn’t going to just forget that overnight.

“I had a good time last night,” she said.

“Yeah, me, too.” I needed to get the fuck out of there before she saw what was going on behind my zipper. Still, I stopped at the door before I walked out. “I’ll call you later?”

She smiled and nodded.

My abs did that fucking tightening thing again.

“And, Eves?”

“Yeah?”

“Dating lessons start this week.”

I heard her suck in a breath as I walked away.

Chapter Seven

Everly

I climbed out of the truck and rounded the hood. It was hot and I’d been out in the sun all day working. Cassy had taken pity on me and sent me to Rocktown to get more feed. Since she’d gotten to know a lot of people through Cal, she’d managed to get a better deal there than she could in Springhaven. And I didn’t mind the thirty-minute drive one bit.

A chance to wind down the window and blow off some steam by singing at the top of my lungs was always welcome.

I was also hoping to see Dane. I’d missed him in my bed last night, which was crazy since I’d spent years without him beside me. But having him back for one night, that feeling of safety, of comfort…it was addictive.

Probably dangerous as well. I couldn’t let myself get used to it. I was trying to be more independent, not go back to the way we were.

“Dating lessons start this week.”

He’d also texted me this morning, like he always used to before he disappeared on me. I was still struggling with some seriously mixed emotions. But I knew the idiot had been trying to protect me when he left—I did—but as usual he’d done it in that single-minded way when it came to me.

Somehow I needed to make him understand, get it through to him, that I didn’t want or need him making those kinds of decisions for me.

Spending more time together would help with that. Getting to know each other again, who we were now. He wanted to start my “lessons” this week, and so did I, but things were so busy at the ranch. I thought while I was here I’d go see him and we could work out when we both had some free time.

I pushed the doors open to Rocktown Ink and walked in, and as usual, music was playing loudly.

Jimmy Chew, an unlikely mix of beagle, greyhound, and cattle dog, came running out to greet me, all long legs and wagging tail. “Hey, Jimmy.” I gave him some love, patting his boxy head and down his long slender body, and got a big doggy grin for my trouble.

I glanced up at Trix, who was standing behind the counter, and grinned. Trixie Faraday was twenty-three, Jimmy Chew’s owner, and was one of my best friends. I loved her style and regularly wished I could pull off her look. Trix dressed super feminine, was blessed with pixie features, vibrant green eyes, and had the most amazing riot of black-and-blond streaked hair. Her arms were covered in bright beautiful ink, and she had a small gold nose ring.