Texas Big Man

Serves me right. I hear her tools dropping on the ground. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll live,” I grit out, though I know that I’m going to have one hell of a bruise.

“Well let’s make sure,” she says with determination. “There’s too much to do around here without you having a broken hand.”

“I don’t have a—” Melena has already walked away back toward the house where the first aid kit is. I don’t have a broken hand—I’ve broken bones before and this isn’t it. But if she wants to see for herself that I’m fine, then I’m not going to argue with her.

The skin on my hand is already darkening, and I can already tell it’ll be a hellish blue by tomorrow morning. It isn’t going to be comfortable working with that kind of bruise, but I’ve done it before. And I keep the first aid kit supplied with basic painkillers. I know that I’ll be fine, but I like seeing her concerned about me.

Her determined stance doesn’t change as she sits me down on the steps to the house and goes to get the kit. I hide my smile as I do what I’m told.

She sits down next to me and opens the kit, pulling my hand into her lap as she does so. I don’t move, not daring to make her realize that it’s the most contact that we’ve had in days, and the feeling of her bare skin under my fingers is a heaven that I want more of.

Melena gently looks at where I struck myself, and I wince when her fingers brush ever so gently. It’s tender. There’s a bump that’s rising.

“No stitches or anything,” she says, “or even I guess a bandaid.” Her cheeks go pink. “I guess I didn’t need to drag you all the way over here.”

“That’s okay,” I say softly. “I’ll take a couple of those pain killers.”

Before I can stop her, she’s off the steps and is back in a minute with a glass of water. I swallow the pills that she hands me. That’ll be good when they kick in. She takes my hand again, and I let her, incredibly aware of the fact that her fingers are lingering on my skin.

“I’ve never seen you fumble,” she says. “What happened?”

“I don’t think you want to know that.”

Melena frowns. “Why not?”

“Because I was thinking about you?”

She sucks in a breath, shocked, but I can also see the instant desire that comes into her eyes. “About me?”

“About you.”

I watch her swallow and try to find the words. “What about me?”

“It would be easier to show you, Melena. Are you going to ask me to kiss you again?”

Her eyes drop to my mouth, and I know that she’s remembering those brief moments in the stable. I hope that they’re branded in her brain the same way that they’re branded in mine.

Melena bites her lip as she’s still staring at my mouth. Then, slowly, she shakes her head. Like she’s forcing herself to make the motion. “No. And you can call me Mel, you know.”

My stomach drops. I’m not sure what’s holding her back, but I don’t want us to be dancing around each other anymore. We’ve been doing it long enough.

“Okay, Mel,” I say, turning toward her on the steps. She’s still holding my hand, though I think that she’s forgotten. So I grip it harder. I want her full attention. “Just so there’s no confusion, I want you.”

I let the words hang in the air between us.

“This chemistry between us isn’t something you find every day, and I want to see how far it goes. But if you want it, you’re going to have to ask me. I would never force you—or anyone—and I’m not a thief who takes what doesn’t belong to me. So if you get curious, I’m all in. You know where to find me. But you need to say the words.”

She’s leaning closer to me, eyes flickering all over me like she can’t settle on which part of me to look at. “What happens if I ask you?”

I smile. This is an opportunity to tell her exactly what I imagine when I think of her. “If you ask me to kiss you, I’ll kiss you.” Leaning closer, I make her meet my eyes. “And if you wanted me to do more than kiss you? That depends. If we’re going slow, then I’d take my time. I’d pull off every piece of clothing you have and kiss every inch of your body. I’d spread you out on that table in the kitchen and feast on you until you were screaming, but I wouldn’t let you come until you were so desperate you were begging for it. And then I’d carry you upstairs to my bed and do it all over again until we both couldn’t move from exhaustion.