“All right, everybody out,” Griffin says loudly from the corner of the porch.
I turn, eyes wide, wondering what’s going on. King just smiles.
Griffin walks across the porch. “Let’s load up. We’re going into town for ice cream and a movie. Everybody’s going.”
“But we just ate cake for dinner... and it’s a school night,” Eli says, totally confused by it all.
Thank goodness the sun is starting to set because I know my face is as red as a cherry tomato.
Griffin ruffles Eli’s hair. “Are you really complaining about ice cream for dinner and seeing the new action flick on a school night?”
Eli seems to think about it. “No, sir!”
Everyone laughs as Eli takes off running toward the trucks.
“I’m just going to go out to the barn... and check on the horses,” Mia says.
She’s not been herself all afternoon, but I’ve been a crazy person and haven’t gotten to talk to her about it. Ryan goes up to her as she tries to walk off the porch to the side of the barn and puts his hands on her waist. “Oh no you don’t, you’re coming with us.”
“No, I’m not. I’m going to...”
Ryan grabs on to her hand and tugs her toward him. “Nope. If you’re going to be my date for the cattleman’s ball then we’re going to have to be comfortable around each other. Come on, we can pretend it’s a date.”
All the color drains from Mia’s face. She looks as if she’s about to pass out or hyperventilate. She seems to count to ten and take a few deep breaths, but nobody notices because they’re all leaving, and nobody asks us if we want to come with them.
King wraps his arms around me and stands up, holding me against him. “Alone at last,” he murmurs, his hot breath against my neck.
I put my arms around his neck, and he walks us inside the house. He passes through the kitchen, the dining room, the office, and when we get to the stairs, he takes them without even taking a breath. “You seem like a man on a mission.”
He kicks the door open to his bedroom and then kicks it closed behind us. “All I’ve thought about all day is having you in my bed. I hope you weren’t joking earlier, Nat. Because I plan on having you over and over until you’re completely satisfied and there’s no doubt I’ve bred you.”
A tremble goes through my body. “Yes,” I moan.
And for the next three hours he does just that. Over and over again.