Page 112 of Savage Heart

“What was that?” he says against my skin.

“I don’t know,” I say shakily, laughing.

He jerks inside when I laugh, and I clench around him, making him moan again.

“Death by orgasm,” he says, then looks at me in horror.

I stare at him for a second, and then we both burst out laughing.

He collapses next to me and pulls me against his chest as the room fills with our laughter.

When we finally quiet down, he kisses me.

“I can’t wait to experience everything with you, Iris. If you’ll have me,” he adds.

I pull him in for another kiss, letting that be my answer.

This is contentment.

Chapter 29: Hear Me Out

Maverick

“What the hell are you doing, boss?” Teddy asks as we’re feeding the horses.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s all over town that you were out with Iris Sullivan.”

It’s been two weeks since my date with Iris, and I can’t believe how much I miss her. We’ve both been busy. I’ve stopped by Prairie Rose here and there, and we’ve talked on the phone a lot, but we haven’t had any one-on-one time since our date. And since Linc started school a week and a half ago, I’m missing him too.

He asked if he could keep coming to feed the horses, and I said of course he could, but maybe he should just do night feedings so it doesn’t interfere with school . . .

“You just now asking me about that?” I say, trying to taper the edge creeping into my voice.

“Well, I thought there must be an explanation . . . that surely you wouldn’t go down that path with Iris Sullivan . . . but the way you’ve been smiling for the past couple of weeks has got me wondering. You were even smiling to yourself just now, and it’s five thirty in the fucking morning. Not to mention, you’re not the smiling kind.”

I frown. “I smile.”

“No, you don’t. Plus, it’s September.”

September is our busiest month at the ranch, with October following close behind. Everything collides at once.

Since the rodeo circuit is over for the season, Colt is back, and he’s such a huge help. He brings so much life to the ranch—it’s always great to have him here.

We pull the cattle from the high-elevation summer range and wean all the calves born in the spring. It’s a race against what could be an early winter to get the hay stacked, the grain crops combined, the fences mended, and our water systems and equipment winterized. All the paperwork puts me in a foul mood, coordinating grazing permits and removal dates and doing a massive inventory of everything, but Muriel and our team keep us running. Our horses are the unsung heroes, and we’re careful to make sure they’re not getting overworked, which means tuning up the young ones to take over.

“We’re all running on fumes by mid-September, but you’re over there grinnin’ like the cat that ate the canary,” he grumbles.

Even though I’m not getting to see Iris as much as I want, it’s true that I’ve been riding a high since she’s been back in my life.

I chuckle under my breath. “I’d think you’d prefer this version of me.”

“It’s fucking weird. And I’m worried about you, boss. We all are.”

I meet Teddy’s eyes and glance around to see some of the other wranglers listening in. Cameron and Grady also walk in, and I’m pretty sure they heard Teddy.

“He’s not wrong,” Cameron says.