A Real Cowboy Always Trusts His Heart by Stephanie Rowe

Author:Stephanie Rowe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Authenticity Playground, LLC

Chapter Eighteen

Zoey knew what was going to happen before they got home.

She knew what was going to happen before they'd walked into the quiet house, with Brody and Keegan already retired to their bedrooms.

She knew what was going to happen when Ryder walked her to her bedroom door.

But the fact she knew didn't do a damn thing to keep her hands from trembling and her heart from pounding as she turned to face him in her doorway. "Thanks for a great night, Ryder."

He smiled, trailing his finger down the side of her face. "My ZoeyBear," he said softly. "You smiled tonight."

She was still smiling. "I did."

"You feel better?" There was an undercurrent to his question, a subtext she couldn't quite decipher. "Better than when you first came back to town?"

She cocked her head, considering the question. "You know, I do, actually. My heart feels so much lighter than it has in a long time." She smiled. "Lissa, Erin, Jaimi, and Mira are so great."

He nodded. "They are." He moved closer, his eyes searching hers. "And?"

She breathed deeply, well aware that his hips were less than an inch from hers. His chest, too. They were so close, so connected, hovering beside each other. He smelled so good, like warmth and safety and man. "And what?"

"Anything else about the evening meet your fancy?" His lips were almost on hers, so close she could almost taste them.

"You mean the band? They were good."

"Yes, they were." He nuzzled the side of her neck, just barely skimming with his lips. "Anything else?"

She closed her eyes, pressing back against the doorframe. Her bed was only a few feet away, and they both knew it. There was no way she could initiate, though. Would he? Neither of them would be that stupid, right? To take this thing that was sizzling between them and take an irreversible step, like they had so long ago. "Keegan and Brody are nice."

"Fuck them." He gently bit her collarbone. "I want you thinking only about one man when I'm this close to you."

She opened her eyes. "What man is that?"

He met her gaze. "Me, ZoeyBear. Me."

"Ryder, my best friend?" The question hung in the air. Friend.

He went still.

She waited. Not sure what to say. Not sure what she wanted to say. Not sure what she wanted from him.

Finally, he pulled back far enough to look at her face. "Answer one question for me, Zoey."

She nodded, her heart pounding at how serious he looked. "Sure."

"Do you feel happier when you're with me, or when you're not with me? Truth."

"With you." The answer was instant. She didn't even have to think about it, and it tumbled out before she had time to consider whether she wanted to admit that, either to herself or to Ryder.

It didn't matter, though, because the moment she said it, he smiled, a gorgeous, heart-melting smile that seemed to reach inside her and ease all the pain that still lived there. "That's what I thought." Then he slid his hand behind her neck, drew her to him, and kissed her.

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