us.
“For the most part. It'll hold for the time being.”
Caroline took a wooden tray from the bottom cupboard and I placed the plastic covered plates on it, along with a couple of pieces of pie.
I could feel Hayden's gaze following me as I moved around the kitchen, and the look in his eyes warmed me almost as much as his touch. Indeed, his look at that moment was like a touch. He had no idea how much his very presence affected me. Then again, maybe he did. I met his adoring gaze with my own and determined that there was enough electricity between us to light up the whole state of New Mexico.
I held the tray on my lap in the truck as Hayden drove to his place. As soon as we got in the house I took the food to the kitchen and reheated it while he took a quick shower. Ten minutes later, he entered the kitchen wearing clean jeans, no shirt, and barefoot. Just seeing him this way did heady things to my emotions.
“Come here, baby,” he said in that low drawl of his.
I immediately stood and went into his warm embrace. Standing on my tip-toes, I pressed my face against his neck and breathed in the intoxicating and familiar scent of him. Tangling my fingers in his damp hair, I sighed.
“I missed you, Raine,” he breathed, burying his face in my hair. He pulled back a little and looked down at me, his sensuous mouth curving up in a smile. “Let's hurry and eat.” He pressed a work-roughened hand to my face, caressing it softly. “I've got some plans for you.”
“Oh, really?” I comically arched an eyebrow, making him laugh. “Then by all means, let's hurry.”
Hayden and I sat snuggled together on the porch swing with a quilt wrapped around us. A couple of mugs of hot chocolate sat on a white iron table. A large citronella candle burned brightly on another table. The night was cool, the sky was dark, and the stars were out. It was beautiful.
We quietly listened to the peaceful sounds that filled the night. A slight breeze rustled the leaves on the tall trees and the soft serenade of the crickets was soothing to our ears. The light of the full moon made the small grove of trees look magical, providing the perfect ambiance for us.
I pressed my head against Hayden's shoulder and he rested his chin against my forehead. As I sat with him this way, a feeling of warmth surrounded me that could not be put into words. In all my years of marriage to Jerome, I had never felt this kind of warmth. I never knew it existed, and I was happy to be making these new discoveries with Hayden.
The obvious differences between us would concern a lot of people if they were in our situation. Some people would be concerned about the whole black-white, cowboy- city sister thing. But these things didn't concern me, and they didn't concern Hayden. The differences meant nothing to either of us because they were shallow thoughts. However, he meant everything to me, was everything to me. In essence, I guess our differences are what drew us together. Now, he was the air that I breathed. And I knew at that moment, if I ever had to be away from him, my heart would literally break in two.
“Raine.” Hayden's gentle voice drew me from my pondering. He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes, his gaze intent. He silently let his thumb caress my cheek for a moment. “I love you, baby.” He smiled. “I love you so much, and I want you to be my wife.”
The softly spoken words brought immediate tears to my eyes. I hadn't told him I loved him because he had never said the words to me. But oh, how I had wanted to tell him! How my soul had cried out the words! It cried out even now.
I pressed a hand to his bearded face as tears spilled down my cheeks, refusing to be stopped. “I love you, too,” I whispered. “And being your wife is what I want more than anything.”
He smiled and brushed the tears from my face with his fingers, tightening his embrace. “Let's make it soon, Raine. I'm tired of living alone.”
I looked into his eyes and
“For the most part. It'll hold for the time being.”
Caroline took a wooden tray from the bottom cupboard and I placed the plastic covered plates on it, along with a couple of pieces of pie.
I could feel Hayden's gaze following me as I moved around the kitchen, and the look in his eyes warmed me almost as much as his touch. Indeed, his look at that moment was like a touch. He had no idea how much his very presence affected me. Then again, maybe he did. I met his adoring gaze with my own and determined that there was enough electricity between us to light up the whole state of New Mexico.
I held the tray on my lap in the truck as Hayden drove to his place. As soon as we got in the house I took the food to the kitchen and reheated it while he took a quick shower. Ten minutes later, he entered the kitchen wearing clean jeans, no shirt, and barefoot. Just seeing him this way did heady things to my emotions.
“Come here, baby,” he said in that low drawl of his.
I immediately stood and went into his warm embrace. Standing on my tip-toes, I pressed my face against his neck and breathed in the intoxicating and familiar scent of him. Tangling my fingers in his damp hair, I sighed.
“I missed you, Raine,” he breathed, burying his face in my hair. He pulled back a little and looked down at me, his sensuous mouth curving up in a smile. “Let's hurry and eat.” He pressed a work-roughened hand to my face, caressing it softly. “I've got some plans for you.”
“Oh, really?” I comically arched an eyebrow, making him laugh. “Then by all means, let's hurry.”
Hayden and I sat snuggled together on the porch swing with a quilt wrapped around us. A couple of mugs of hot chocolate sat on a white iron table. A large citronella candle burned brightly on another table. The night was cool, the sky was dark, and the stars were out. It was beautiful.
We quietly listened to the peaceful sounds that filled the night. A slight breeze rustled the leaves on the tall trees and the soft serenade of the crickets was soothing to our ears. The light of the full moon made the small grove of trees look magical, providing the perfect ambiance for us.
I pressed my head against Hayden's shoulder and he rested his chin against my forehead. As I sat with him this way, a feeling of warmth surrounded me that could not be put into words. In all my years of marriage to Jerome, I had never felt this kind of warmth. I never knew it existed, and I was happy to be making these new discoveries with Hayden.
The obvious differences between us would concern a lot of people if they were in our situation. Some people would be concerned about the whole black-white, cowboy- city sister thing. But these things didn't concern me, and they didn't concern Hayden. The differences meant nothing to either of us because they were shallow thoughts. However, he meant everything to me, was everything to me. In essence, I guess our differences are what drew us together. Now, he was the air that I breathed. And I knew at that moment, if I ever had to be away from him, my heart would literally break in two.
“Raine.” Hayden's gentle voice drew me from my pondering. He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes, his gaze intent. He silently let his thumb caress my cheek for a moment. “I love you, baby.” He smiled. “I love you so much, and I want you to be my wife.”
The softly spoken words brought immediate tears to my eyes. I hadn't told him I loved him because he had never said the words to me. But oh, how I had wanted to tell him! How my soul had cried out the words! It cried out even now.
I pressed a hand to his bearded face as tears spilled down my cheeks, refusing to be stopped. “I love you, too,” I whispered. “And being your wife is what I want more than anything.”
He smiled and brushed the tears from my face with his fingers, tightening his embrace. “Let's make it soon, Raine. I'm tired of living alone.”
I looked into his eyes and
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