Rescued Love (Sweetwater Valley #7)

CHAPTER 11

NATHAN

I’m an idiot.

I spent the most amazing evening with Kimball yesterday, one that only made what I knew to be true even more real. She’s mine.

There I was, practically floating in the clouds with how much fun it was and how much peace she brought me. I pulled my phone out to send her a goodnight text and horror set in.

I didn’t get her number, and I didn’t give her mine.

Yeah. Like I said, I’m an idiot.

It should have been the first thing I did after she accepted my apology with a level of grace I did not deserve.

But I didn’t. Probably because I was too stunned to even think about it considering part of me expected her to kick me out on my ass and never talk to me again. But my woman did no such thing. She showed the same kind of empathy to me that she shows to the animals under her care.

And later, when we were watching a movie, she snuggled with me and the jealousy I felt with the way the kitten, Midnight, was curled against her chest, disappeared. I’m aware how ridiculous it is to be jealous of a cat, but I didn’t care.

I wanted to be as close to my woman as the cat was.

And I was. It just required some patience, which is not something I’m normally known for.

She even cooked for me. It was delicious even though she tried to downplay it like it was no big deal.

All of that after I kissed her until neither one of us could breathe. It felt so damn right that my knees buckled a little bit. Not like I would be admitting that out loud any time soon, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

After all of that, I didn’t get her number.

I’ve been fuming all day to the point Grandpa has been eyeing me suspiciously. I’ve barely even grunted at the man I look at like a hero. It’s not his fault, not even a little bit, but I’m just in a piss poor mood.

“I can’t take it anymore,” Grandpa’s voice cuts through my moody as fuck thoughts. I look up to find him standing on the porch, his eyes intent and full of questions as he stares down at me. “Why are you treating the world like it’s done you wrong today?” He tilts his head slightly, his voice going hard, “Did you fuck up your apology to Kimball like your introduction?”

I chuckle for the first time since I realized that I fucked up. The way he wants to protect my woman warms my heart.

“No,” I sigh, “nothing like that.” He makes a hand motion like he wants me to elaborate and my shoulders slump. “I explained where I was coming from and why I was an asshole when I met her,” I explain.

He arches an eyebrow, his tone measured, “That sounds like a good thing. At least she was willing to listen to you.”

“She was,” I agree and nod. “More than that, but I did apologize and recognized that I was out of line. She seemed a little surprised I wasn’t just throwing excuses her way.”

I look out into the pasture and get lost in the memory of how soft her hair was when I buried my fingers in it while kissing her. So fucking soft. My fingers twitch with the need to do it again.

“Oh hell,” Grandpa curses and I snap my gaze to him. “You’ve fallen ass over tea kettle for the girl.”

I open my mouth to refute his words, but then snap it closed because I can’t. “She’s mine,” I tell him honestly.

“Well,” he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, “okay then.”

I can’t help but grin. Grandpa is the kind of man to roll with the punches and his reaction to my news only proves it. Again.

He pushes, “Then what’s the problem?”

“I apologized. She accepted and forgave me. I asked if we could spend some time together.”

“She turn you down?” His eyes sparkle with amusement as he teases me.

I huff out a laugh, grateful that the man can help to get me out of my head and out of my funk. “No, she agreed. She was done for the day and invited me back to her place.” His eyebrows shoot up and I shrug one shoulder. “We watched a movie and shared some popcorn. Then she cooked me dinner. We talked and,” I rub the middle of my chest, the same spot that’s ached since the moment I left my Kitten last night, “it was nice.”

“Seems a little more might have happened.” He eyes me speculatively. Before I can respond, he holds up his hands and shakes his head. “I don’t want to know.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you anyway,” I shoot back at him and causing him to bark out a laugh in response.

“That doesn’t answer why you’ve been in such a shit mood,” he says when he’s stopped laughing.

“I forgot to get her number,” I mumble the words, barely getting them past my lips.

Grandpa raises his voice, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

I clear my throat and say again, louder this time, “I didn’t get her number.”

His mouth drops open, obviously shocked by my lack of follow through when it matters the most. I don’t get the chance to plead my case before he’s doubled over laughing. At me. At my expense.

It’s not like I blame him because I am the guy who forgot to get her number. That’s on me.

“I was distracted,” I have to project my voice to be heard over his damn laughter.

“Clearly,” he wheezes slightly. With a shake of his head, he stands up straight and gets himself under control. “You realize there is an easy fix here, right?”

I blink up at the man waiting for him to fill me in. He doesn’t.

The look he’s giving me is expectant as hell and makes me want to squirm where I’m standing. I swear the intensity coming from him just ramps up the longer the stalemate continues. It would be far easier, for me at least, if he’d just spit it out.

As I think through my problem, realization dawns on me. Before I can ask him for the keys to his truck, he tosses them my way. When he crosses his arm and gives me a nod full of pride, I flash him a wide grin.

Yeah.

He has the right idea. I’m going to go see my woman. I know where she is, and I’ve been itching to see her since I walked out of her apartment last night.

There’s no reason to wait either. I want to see her, and I don’t want her to think I was spinning lies last night when I told her I was interested in more than a quick fuck just because I didn’t get her number.

The moment I get into the truck and close the door, I look down and take in my clothes. I’m covered in dirt, and I don’t smell the best I have in my life. With a grimace, I push the driver’s side door back open and step out.

Grandpa gives me a curious look as I race towards the porch steps. “I’ve been working in these clothes all day. I need to take a shower and change or else my woman might not let me into her place,” I shout as I hustle past him and into the house.

His laughter follows me as I head to my room and then go about getting clean and changed. This was definitely the right move. I’m hoping to get in some more cuddle time, at the very least, and dirty from working isn’t going to help me with that.

My dick throbs, reminding me I want a whole lot more than just some cuddle time. I do, but I can wait.

She’s worth the wait.

Grandpa has settled into one of the rockers on his porch when I head out of the house. I give him a side eye and tease him, “I thought you were looking out for me, and you were ready to let me go to her all dirty?”

He grins at me and winks. “I can’t spell everything out for you.”

I groan, “I thought you were on my side.”

“I’m on my great-grandkid’s side,” there’s a twinkle in his eye with his words.

I still just as I step off the bottom step of the porch. Kids always seemed like something far off in my life, if that was even in the cards. The thought of Kimball round with my babies?

My cock becomes a steel fucking pipe as it presses against the fly of my jeans. The woman already glows like she’s made of light. Pregnant? I can’t even imagine.

My chest aches again and I rub the spot as my feet become unglued and I head toward the truck. How has this woman gotten under my skin so quickly?

“Don’t show up empty handed,” Grandpa shouts.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” I assure him with a wave. “I’m thinking some food and flowers will soften my fuck up.”

“Second fuck up,” he reminds me.

I huff out a laugh and shake my head before I start the drive into town. I don’t know of many places to get food other than The Goose. For some reason, stopping and getting something to go doesn’t feel right. Not in this situation.

I want to put some more thought into it. I want her to know I didn’t go with the easy route.

When I pull up to the grocery store in town, I hope they have a deli section with sides and premade food. I also hope they have bouquets of flowers because my woman definitely deserves some flowers.

The thought of Kimball being disappointed that I didn’t get her number feels like a weight on my chest. I don’t like the thought of her being upset. Not even a little bit.

I’m fucking thrilled that there are options when it comes to ready to eat food. I proceed to go overboard, grabbing almost everything they have to offer because I don’t know exactly what Kimball will like. I’d rather have too much than not get her favorite or something she even likes.

I grab a bundle of bright flowers that, I think, will make her smile.

My palms are sweating when I pull into Kimball’s apartment building. I hope she’s home. But what if she’s not?

You would be able to call and ask her if you had thought to get her number.

Fuck.

I climb out of the truck and scoop up all the bags and flowers before I can think too hard about what I’ll do if she’s not there. I guess the only thing to do would be to wait for her. Which I don’t have a problem with at all.

The memory of her holding that little black kitten to her chest yesterday makes me smile as I head into her building and toward her apartment. It’s obvious that she has a connection with the cat. I’m not sure why she’s hesitant to adopt it.

I can understand that it would be dangerous for her to set the precedent of adopting all the animals she has a connection with. Kimball has a giving spirit and I’m sure she makes sure to connect, in some way, with every animal who comes through the rescue.

Yeah, I can see how adopting even one might cause a whole snowball effect.

Still, it was obvious how much Midnight means to her.

I could adopt the cat.

The thought has me pausing at the end of Kimball’s hallway. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. The reality is that I’m not planning to stay here.

My eyes squeeze shut because the thought of leaving Kimball behind, of her not being in my life, is painful as fuck.

You’ve been unhappy for a long time. Maybe it’s time to do what makes you happy and deal with the consequences later.

Maybe.

I shake off the thought because the need to see Kimball is so strong that I can’t ignore it for a second longer. “Should have looked in the lot for her truck,” I mumble to myself as I realize that knowing if she’s home yet or not would have been simple.

But I was too worked up to think clearly then.

Now I’ll just have to take the risk and hope that she’s already home.

After hesitating for a moment at her door, I fumble the things in my hands just enough to get a hand free and knock. My heart is in my fucking throat as I wait for her to answer.

When the door swings open, I breathe out, relief filling me. I stare into her surprised eyes for a moment and take in the way gold flecks dance through the brown. I get lost there, the peace of her presence settling around me and rescuing a bit of my heart from the blackness I’ve been subjecting it to for years now.

Maybe it’s time for a change for longer than just a visit.

I shake my head, the thought evaporating as my gaze travels down my woman and take in her outfit. She’s clearly changed from whatever clothes she wore to work because she’s standing in front of me in a pair of leggings that mold to her shapely legs like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

Then there’s her shirt. It’s clearly old, the way it’s worn tells me that. It’s big on her, big enough to be falling off one shoulder. A shoulder that doesn’t seem to have a bra strap over it.

My gaze travels to her chest as I swallow hard. I can just see her nipples standing at attention and begging for my mouth.

Fuck.

She’s fucking braless.

“Nathan,” she squeaks, and I force myself to meet her eyes again, “what are you doing here?”

I step into her space without even thinking about it. The warmth from her body makes me wish I weren’t holding anything in my hands. My arms are begging to be wrapped around my woman and tucking her into my chest.

It’s where she belongs.

Does she have any clue the way she’s gotten to me already? Does she have the slightest inkling that not taking her yesterday when I kissed her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life?

I had no idea that I even had that level of self-control.

“Kitten,” I rasp and watch as a beautiful smile curls her lips upward. “I realized that I didn’t get your number or give you mine. I went to send you a text and knew I had fucked up. Again.” I hold up the flowers and the bags, “Since I couldn’t call or text, I brought some food.”

Her cheeks heat in the most delicious way and I give into the need simmering inside of me. I lean forward and kiss her forehead, and she practically melts into me. It’s a simple thing but filled with inexplicable trust.

There’s humor in her eyes when she straightens and looks back up at me. “You could have just called the shelter, you know?”

I scoff and then shake my head. Maybe that’s what Grandpa was trying to get me to realize.

With a shrug of my shoulders, I admit, “I wanted to see you too and this gives me the perfect excuse.”

“Well,” she grins up at me, “who am I to turn away a man bearing flowers and food?”

When she steps back and opens her door wider for me to enter her apartment, I miss the closeness instantly. I hate it. I follow closely behind her when she heads toward her small kitchen.

The need to be near her all the time is kinda fucking scary, but I don’t think I want it any other way. I should be running the other way, but I’m finding that I only want to be closer to her.

This pull is fucking strange as hell.

Embrace it.

Kimball throws a cheeky smile over her shoulder and my heart starts to pound in my chest. “What kind of food did you get?”

I bark out a laugh and plop the bags down. “Honestly? A little bit of everything since I didn’t know what you like.” I hold the flowers out in front of her and watch as her eyes soften when she looks down at them. “First things first, I’m sorry for totally forgetting to get your number. If I could have kicked my own ass when I realized, I would have.”

Her laugher wraps around me and before I can think too hard, I snag her around the waist and pull her against me. The flowers might not fare well considering they’re trapped between us, but with the way she’s looking up at me, she doesn’t care.

And neither do I.

When she melts into me, again, I spear my fingers into her hair and tilt her head right where I want it to deepen the kiss. I slide my tongue along her bottom lip, and she opens for me immediately. I groan when I taste her.

I’ve been almost feral thinking about the way she tastes since I kissed her last night. My cock is begging me to undress her, find out if she tastes just as good everywhere, and then sink into her slowly. Then fast. Then hard. Then all of it together until we’re a sweating, panting mess.

Her stomach makes a growling sound that has her jerking back and looking up at me with wide, eyes full of embarrassment. Laughter bubbles up in me and the adorable way she glances away while biting her lip tells me she’s trying not to join me. My grip on her tightens and she looks back up at me right before the sound of her giggles mixes with my own amusement.

How can such an innocent sound make me feel so good?

“Come on, Kitten,” I murmur as I gently untangle my fingers from her hair, “lets feed you. Then I’m in desperate need of some cuddles.”

Her eyes move over my body, and she grins. “Yeah, you really look like you’re cuddle deprived. We’ll have to fix that problem.”

Fuck yes.