Page 70 of Blue Norther
We stood there, silent for another moment. The very first colors of sunrise caught on the horizon.
“See that little clearing over there?” Colt pointed off to the left, where a small cove had been carved out of the trees that led to the forested part of the property.
“Did you pick up lumber-jacking as a hobby after I left?”
“No.” He chuckled, pulling me into his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Lachlan and Hayes helped me clear it out about a year after our divorce. It was hard; an old oak tree kicked my ass. But I won in the end.”
“Why did you clear it out?”
“You can’t see it yet, but when the sun comes up, you will.”
And he was right. The sun kept rising, not yet quite over the edge of the land, when I could finally see beyond the porch and into the trees.
“You put a swing out there?” I didn’t know how I’d missed seeing it in the time I’d been back at our house. It was tucked out of the way, so anyone who wasn’t really looking for it could easily never find it. But still…
“I did. Planted an entire patch of violets around it, too. I spend a lot of time out there. Reading your books. Feeling close to you.”
I looked over our shoulders to the second floor of the house. The nursery window faced that spot.
“Colt.”
“I’ve been thinking about how sweet it will be to let the baby play over there when he’s a little older.” His head lowered, pressing his lips to my head.
“I missed this,” I admitted softly.
“This?” he asked.
“Living life with you.”
“I missed it, too.”
He leaned down, his face so close I could feel the warmth radiating off of him. “Can I kiss you, Violet?”
“Yes,” I panted. “You don’t have to ask. I’m yours.”
“You are. Mine. Only mine. And I’m yours.”
His lips crashed into mine. It was passionate and explosive, and yet it felt like that kiss narrowed the world down infinitely small to a space where just he and I existed.
Colt’s hand moved from cupping my chin, ever so gently lifting my face to reach his, his other hand going down my body. He stopped at my breasts, groaning at the way he could feel how ready and willing I was to receive his touch. My nipples were hard, the shirt doing nothing to hide the way they strainedagainst the fabric. I was desperate to feel his touch there. Desperate for him to kiss all over my body.
As if he read my mind, Colt broke away from our kiss. His hand slid up under my shirt, palming my belly as his mouth wrapped around my nipple. One second I was standing with both feet firmly on the ground, the next I was floating, as every nerve ending in my body lit up with excitement.
“God,” I hissed.
“Quiet, Vi,” he whispered after he pulled away. “My dad is up and likely walking the ranch somewhere right now. We don’t want to get caught.”
The thought of that should have made me want to run inside and hide, but it only added to the throbbing between my legs.
“Naughty girl. You like the idea of us sneaking off to do something, don’t you?”
“Reminds me of the first time you made a move, and we ended up in the hay loft.”
“Hayes was a real cock block that day. Couldn’t stop yelling out for me.”
I laughed. “We made up for it at the springs that night.”
Colt groaned. He walked us over to my favorite spot on the porch. Sitting down in my chair, he guided my body closer until I climbed on top of him.
