smoothness of her skin, savoring it. He trailed those hands up her neck, acknowledging just how small she truly was. Traced her jaw, ran his thumbs over her lips, priming them just a little before he took them.
He moved his hands into her hair, weaved his long fingers through that soft platinum thickness, and fisted them there, holding tight, but not too tight. He wouldn’t hurt her. He hoped and prayed she wouldn’t be frightened, that she would accept his advances, because he honestly wasn’t sure how he was going to pull it back if she said to stop. When his mouth, hot and dry, finally touched hers, tasted hers, he thought he’d died. She was so sweet. So hesitant and willing. So trusting. He felt that trust like a physical touch and refused to do any damage to it. He clamped down tightly on his desire and released her mouth, pulled back then gently placed a tender kiss on her forehead and returned to the job at hand.
Together they made quick work of the rest of the fence. Josiah had to put forth extra effort to stay focused on the job at hand and not on the woman working alongside him. He could still feel her, still taste her. And he wanted more. He’d kept this fire carefully banked and under control, but that simple kiss, his mouth on hers, had stoked the flame and now it burned. Hotter and hotter.
Quietly he observed her, making sure Crimson wasn’t upset by what had happened between them, that she was all right. She seemed to be. Twice she’d caught his eye and a blush crept across her face, and then a smile curved her lips.
Josiah pounded the last nail into the wood and tugged on the wire to see how tight it was. “It looks good,” he said. “Let’s grab that last bit of debris and the tools and call it a day.”
Crimson nodded as she began lifting a broken post into the truck bed. Once all the supplies were loaded up and all the broken pieces of fencing, too, they headed back to the ranch.
CHAPTER SIX
Alpha and Dangerous
Crimson Sage
BY THE TIME WE’D arrived back at the house Ethan was already home, playing outside with Daisy. We sat in the truck for a moment, just watching them. “Josiah?” I asked after a moment.
“Yeah?”
“Are we going to tell anyone… about us?”
“That depends. Did you not want to?”
“I’d like to keep this private for the time being. Ethan is just finding himself here, and I don’t want to supply him with any distractions. Is that okay?”
“It’s okay. I’m not sneaking around though. I won’t be made to feel like we’re doing something wrong. We’re not.”
“No, I didn’t mean that. I just don’t want to confuse him. And what about Billy? What do you think he’s going to say?”
“I’m pretty sure Billy already has a pretty good idea of how I feel about you.”
“He does?”
“I’ve done my best to keep everything under wraps, mainly because you weren’t ready, but Crimson? I’ve had my eye on you long before you arrived here.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Just know that Billy shouldn’t be a problem and we’ll keep things under the radar for the time being, so as not to confuse Ethan, but if it comes up, then I’m going to be straight with him.”
“Thanks.”
“Seeing as how we have an audience right now, I won’t kiss you. We’ll have a bonfire tonight, and I’ll figure something out, because I definitely want to be kissing you again. Soon.”
I blushed at that and nodded, opened the door, and stepped out. Ethan ran up and threw his arms around me.
“Hey, Sis.”
“Hey, Kid. School okay? You have homework?”
“Just a little.”
“Well, I’m going to jump in the shower then you boys meet me at the table so we can get it done.”
“Ah, c’mon! It’s Friday! I have all weekend to get things done.”
“Well, you’ll do it now and then have all weekend left to enjoy your free time.”
Ethan grumbled good-naturedly then ran to tell the other boys. Normally I
He moved his hands into her hair, weaved his long fingers through that soft platinum thickness, and fisted them there, holding tight, but not too tight. He wouldn’t hurt her. He hoped and prayed she wouldn’t be frightened, that she would accept his advances, because he honestly wasn’t sure how he was going to pull it back if she said to stop. When his mouth, hot and dry, finally touched hers, tasted hers, he thought he’d died. She was so sweet. So hesitant and willing. So trusting. He felt that trust like a physical touch and refused to do any damage to it. He clamped down tightly on his desire and released her mouth, pulled back then gently placed a tender kiss on her forehead and returned to the job at hand.
Together they made quick work of the rest of the fence. Josiah had to put forth extra effort to stay focused on the job at hand and not on the woman working alongside him. He could still feel her, still taste her. And he wanted more. He’d kept this fire carefully banked and under control, but that simple kiss, his mouth on hers, had stoked the flame and now it burned. Hotter and hotter.
Quietly he observed her, making sure Crimson wasn’t upset by what had happened between them, that she was all right. She seemed to be. Twice she’d caught his eye and a blush crept across her face, and then a smile curved her lips.
Josiah pounded the last nail into the wood and tugged on the wire to see how tight it was. “It looks good,” he said. “Let’s grab that last bit of debris and the tools and call it a day.”
Crimson nodded as she began lifting a broken post into the truck bed. Once all the supplies were loaded up and all the broken pieces of fencing, too, they headed back to the ranch.
CHAPTER SIX
Alpha and Dangerous
Crimson Sage
BY THE TIME WE’D arrived back at the house Ethan was already home, playing outside with Daisy. We sat in the truck for a moment, just watching them. “Josiah?” I asked after a moment.
“Yeah?”
“Are we going to tell anyone… about us?”
“That depends. Did you not want to?”
“I’d like to keep this private for the time being. Ethan is just finding himself here, and I don’t want to supply him with any distractions. Is that okay?”
“It’s okay. I’m not sneaking around though. I won’t be made to feel like we’re doing something wrong. We’re not.”
“No, I didn’t mean that. I just don’t want to confuse him. And what about Billy? What do you think he’s going to say?”
“I’m pretty sure Billy already has a pretty good idea of how I feel about you.”
“He does?”
“I’ve done my best to keep everything under wraps, mainly because you weren’t ready, but Crimson? I’ve had my eye on you long before you arrived here.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Just know that Billy shouldn’t be a problem and we’ll keep things under the radar for the time being, so as not to confuse Ethan, but if it comes up, then I’m going to be straight with him.”
“Thanks.”
“Seeing as how we have an audience right now, I won’t kiss you. We’ll have a bonfire tonight, and I’ll figure something out, because I definitely want to be kissing you again. Soon.”
I blushed at that and nodded, opened the door, and stepped out. Ethan ran up and threw his arms around me.
“Hey, Sis.”
“Hey, Kid. School okay? You have homework?”
“Just a little.”
“Well, I’m going to jump in the shower then you boys meet me at the table so we can get it done.”
“Ah, c’mon! It’s Friday! I have all weekend to get things done.”
“Well, you’ll do it now and then have all weekend left to enjoy your free time.”
Ethan grumbled good-naturedly then ran to tell the other boys. Normally I
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