It's been a week since Wyatt and I took the horses out for a ride on his farm. I've been busting my ass at The Starlighter trying to earn as many tips as I can. Now that I've determined that I'm staying here, so long as it's okay with Wyatt, I need to start saving for my own place. It's the first decision I've ever made in my life that's felt... right.

But with that, Wyatt hasn't worked on the construction of the restaurant since our afternoon together. And what's even stranger is Loretta doesn't seem to mind. She hasn't said one word about him being absent. Granted, the crew that's been working with him has shown up, but Wyatt is the one that owes her a favor.

Not that I know why he owes her a favor.

I still haven't gained the courage to ask.

Sweating from head to toe, I step into the enclosed section of the restaurant—thankfully now with running air conditioning—and find Loretta standing in the middle of the wooden floor, towering oak beams that have been freshly stained towering above her head now. She's holding a map of the interior design plans, studying it carefully.

I never paid attention to it before, but it's obvious how much she's aged now. Her eyes are sunken in, and the once semi-noticeable wrinkles are fully prominent. Her small frame seems to be swallowed whole by the tall ceilings of this place with newly installed floor-to-ceiling windows behind her.

"Came here to stare, or do you want somethin'?" She asks, still staring at the map.

"I just came in here to ask if you've heard from Wyatt at all."

She laughs. "You think he forgot about yer little afternoon in the meadow?"

I freeze where I'm standing, still a few feet in front of her. Did someone in the town somehow spot us? Is it circulating around town? And even worse, did Caroline hear about it? Is that why Wyatt's been keeping his distance?

Loretta sends me a pointed look as if reading my mind. "Wyatt and I are close, Macey. Have been ever since his dad passed. He told me what happened."

"Oh." My cheeks grow hot from the intimate details he hopefully spared her from. "Did he say he was upset with me?"

She shrugs. "I'm not one to gossip. Ask him yerself."

"Do you think it's that easy? I can't just walk over to his house and have Caroline answer the door. We tried to hang out again and—" I heave out a sigh. "Being friends is harder than it seems. We can't be around each other if he's with Caroline."

Loretta nods and lets out a laugh. "Yer damn right. I'm glad y'all both came to your senses about that."

"I don't see how that's a good thing. What, are you happy that I won't have any distractions around here now? I'm assuming he quit?"

She hums and folds the map up tightly, slipping it into her pocket. "Get back to work, Macey."

***

The longer my shift went on, the more infuriated I became.

So, that's it, then? We tried to hang out one time, and we almost crossed a line, so that immediately cuts off any ounce of friendship we could have had? I mean, I knew Caroline wouldn't have been okay with us hanging out, so it would have ended regardless, but I at least deserved a goodbye. I at least deserved a reason.

Not really, my subconscious snapped. Not when you did the same thing to him.

I continue scrubbing the tiles of the kitchen counter so hard that my skin feels raw beneath the sponge. The minute he suggested taking Dolly out, I should have said no. I knew it would be a temptation, and yet I still agreed to go. All of this is my fault.

The back door opens to the kitchen, and I jump out of my skin, grabbing the closest knife within reach, only to let out a jagged sigh of relief when Wyatt strides in. He's carrying a bucket of cement, paint splattered on a pair of overalls draped over his body with no shirt underneath.

"Sorry." He clears his throat and takes a step back toward the door. "I thought no one would be here. Loretta said you were workin' early this mornin'."

I furrow my eyebrows together. "No. She asked me to close tonight."

He scoffs. "Of course she did."

The tension continues to grow, and it becomes so thick that I can't take it anymore. I set the sponge down and turn to face him, trying to avoid his eyes as they rake over my body. I'm in those daisy duke shorts he seemed to love so much and a tank top that leaves little to the imagination. My breasts feel heavy as his gaze lingers, my nipples hardening beneath the fabric.

"I'll go," I say. "I already finished cleaning up, anyway. Just lock up behind me."

He steps in my path when I try to brush past him, my body stumbling into his. I peek up at him beneath my eyelashes, his lips parted and eyes wild. And then his hands grip my waist firmly, backing me up against the island. I'm not breathing. I'm not reasoning. Every last thought flies out of my head from the contact.

But I'm remaining firm on my word. I can't let him do this to himself. The regret will eat him alive. "We can't," I say shakily, placing my hands on his chest. "Trust me, Wyatt, if you were..." I gulp loudly when his hands grasp me tighter. "If you were single, then it would be different."

He presses firmly against me, and I feel his hardening length on my stomach. "And what if I told you I was single?" He asks. "What if I told you that Caroline and I are done?"

I pull back from him, trying to decipher the truth. Are they truly done? Or is he just saying that in order to get what he wants? I don't think he'd do that, but I can't be certain. Not when my brain is this jumbled.

"I didn't know at first if we'd ever be able to try this again, Mace, but last week..." He leans up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I forgot what it felt like with you. How right my life seemed to fall into place just like it did eight years ago."

I blink away tears, trying to get a handle on my emotions, but it's almost impossible.

"The history between us isn't sunshine and rainbows, and we've got a lot to work through, but I can't get you off my mind, and I haven't been able to ever since you left. I've just been going through the motions here, and dating Caroline was an attempt to get over you that never worked. The truth is that it's always been you, Macey. It'll always be you."

"And how did Caroline take the news?"

Hurt washes across his face. "Not well. I'm ashamed that I used her, ashamed that I wasn't honest with her as soon as I saw you again at The Starlighter. I had to take this past week to really make sure I made the right decision."

I can hardly breathe as I ask, "And the verdict?"

He smiles down at me—that lopsided grin that's always driven me crazy. "No regrets."

The energy in the kitchen shifts, and he's boxed me in now against the island, his large hands on either side of me. He scans my lips, then my eyes, wondering if I'm wanting the same thing.

I clear my throat and stare over his shoulder as I say, "We should take this slow, Wyatt. I don't want things to escalate like they did last time. Taking your virginity was the most special night for me, but I know as much as you say you don't regret it, you lost something that night, too, and I don't want to do that to you again."

He nods and trails his fingers down my jawline, then runs them down my neck, across my chest, goosebumps following their path. "I haven't had sex with anyone but you," he says. "If you were wondering." Then, he leans in close to my ear, my hands immediately clenching the back of these damn overalls that hardly cover any part of his body. "We can wait for sex if it'll make you feel better, but my mind and body are clear on what they want right now." He rubs his erection against me for emphasis.

"Fuck." I sigh and roll my head to the side, and he takes the opportunity to attach his lips to my skin.

I've thought about this for years. I dreamt of what it would feel like if he were to ever kiss me again, but this feeling by far outweighs any dream, any fantasy I've ever had. His lips are ecstasy.

He flicks his tongue and moans into the crook of my neck.

"I'm disgustingly sweaty," I try to say, but he latches on hard and sucks, forming a hickey.

He releases my skin with a loud pop. "You taste sweet," he mutters. "So damn sweet. I want to taste more of that sweetness, Macey. How slow are you needin' to take this?"

Oh my god.

I moan just at the mere thought of what he's insinuating. My hips buck against him, grinding against his erection, and before I even think twice about it, I unhook the damn overalls to let them bunch around his waist, and for the first time, I'm able to drool over the damn planes of hard muscle he's created since I last dated him. I'm finally able to check him out without fear of him noticing. Right now, I want him to drink whatever expression is showing on my face all the way up.

Paint is still spotted along his arms from whatever project he was working on before he came over here. He's panting heavily as he watches my eyes roam over each and every ab, to the prominent v-line pointing like a damn target to what I'm lusting for.

He sinks to his knees in front of me, tentatively glancing up at me as he grabs the buttons of my shorts. "Let me taste more of that sweetness."

I nod and relax my elbows behind me on the island, letting him drag my shorts and panties down. I'm soaking wet, I can already feel it, and Wyatt groans at the sight before him.

And then almost immediately, like he physically can't hold himself back, he presses his tongue on my clit, and I scream so loud that I cover my own mouth with my hand. My body is elongated before him, most of my weight being held by my elbows behind me, and when I glance down, when I see Wyatt's face between my thighs, his eyes softening from the taste on his tongue, I already feel my climax approaching.

I throw my head back when he slips his tongue inside of my pussy, grunting at the slickness he finds. As good as this feels, as good as he's making me feel, my body is craving more. Like a map memorized by heart, it knows the pleasure can feel more than this. It knows the one part of Wyatt's body that isn't being used.

"Come here," he says sharply, and he hoists me up until my back slams down on top of the island. He's so much stronger than he once was, and regret instantly flashes in his eyes. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

I eagerly nod. "Yes. I'm fine, just—" A moan emits again when he scatters dishes and pots and pans to the side. They clatter into the sink, but neither of us cares. He strips the overalls and his briefs completely off, and his cock bounces from being released. It's hard and thick, and my mouth is watering at the sight. "Wyatt, are you sure?" I pant.

"I've known from the moment I laid eyes on you that you'd be my wife one day, Macey Taylor. I've been thinking about doing this again with you for a long, long while."

He brings his cock to press against my entrance. I'm wet and throbbing before him, and I watch as he bites hard on his lip from the feeling. He's waiting to see if I'll agree, but honestly, how can I say no? He ended things with Caroline for me. He wants this. As much as I don't deserve it, I won't pass this up. Not in a million years.

We have so much to work through, and we certainly don't have an easy road ahead of us, but this right here between us has always felt right. I've never doubted our chemistry for a second.

I scoot my hips towards him, letting him know I want this, and he wastes no time. He takes me right on top of this damn island, sliding in until he's fully hilted inside of me. We're both speechless as I adjust to his length, and he's breathing deeply through his nose.

"This is gonna be...quick," he mutters. He grabs my hands and pins them behind my head, slowly beginning to move. His thrusts are long, deep, and possessive. He's marking his territory, and I'm loving every second of it. "It's even better than I remembered."

I arch my back as his thrusts become stronger, all of that newfound muscle making its appearance. He's brutal, pouring all of that pent-up anger and resentment into me with each slap of his skin against mine. The dishes are rattling beside us, and glass shatters on the floor, but he doesn't ease up. Not one bit.

My eyes roll to the back of my head as he continues to hold my wrists pinned over my head. When I finally focus my eyes back on him, he's staring at my breasts, how they're bouncing with each and every one of his thrusts beneath my tank top.

"Come for me," he pleads.

My jaw drops open with pleasure at his relentless pounding, but he's tentatively holding my face, staring into my eyes as he leans over me, caressing each thrust with the gentle touch of his fingers. And then he runs his thumb against my bottom lip and whispers, "I love you. Come for me."

Just at the sentence, I shatter around him completely. My nails dig into his back, and beads of sweat appear on his forehead as he feels my climax rush onto him. "Birth control?" He's hardly able to get out.

I nod, and he sighs in relief as he comes into me with a low growl of satisfaction, his cock twitching with the last remnants of his release filling me up, my name a whispered prayer on his lips.

We're both panting heavily, unable to speak from breathing so hard and then we both laugh. We're laughing so much that both of us become even more breathless, gasping for air as I clutch my stomach.

"God damn," Wyatt says with a permanent smile plastered to his face. He runs a hand through his dirty blonde hair, ruffling it even more than I had just seconds ago. "I wanted our first time again with each other to be special. Not in a kitchen. Especially not in The Starlighter, but..." He laughs again. "I certainly won't forget it."

I sit up and slide off the island to grab my underwear and shorts. "We need to clean now," I tell him, giggling when he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around his waist. "I'm going to wash the dishes that fell. You scrub that counter down with bleach. I wouldn't put it past Loretta to be able to sniff out what we did here. She'll cut our heads off with an ax." He's still not moving, so I jut out my ass to hit him. "Hurry! What if she decides to show up and sees us here like this?"

He chuckles lowly into my ear, raising goosebumps on my skin. Still behind me, he tilts my chin up to glance over my shoulder and presses his lips against mine. My whole world stops, everything halts, and I melt into his touch, not a worry in the entire world.

"Now we can clean," he says with a wicked grin.

A/N:

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