“Me, too,” I whispered back. He ran his hands around my waist and pulled me into him sealing our lips with a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. This kiss was different from the rest. The way his tongue caressed mine, and the slow pull of our lips, conjured a heat that spread deep into my soul.

I shifted to straddle him and deepened our kiss, but he kept it slow and intentional. I lifted my hands and pulled off his beanie letting it drop to the floor so I could tangle my fingers in his hair. I needed to feel him grasped between each finger. For years, I’d sat in this room thinking of him, dreaming of him, and capturing him in my art. I was finding it hard to believe he was here, and he was mine.

Wes lifted my waist slightly and pushed me back on my bedroom floor, crawling over me. He pulled away from me only briefly and ran his hand down my cheek. “This is wild,” he whispered. His eyes traced all over my face. The awe in his voice had me feeling a little uneasy until he spoke again. “You were right here all along.”

I nodded and pulled his lips back to mine in an attempt to swallow the tears that had threatened to seep from my eyes. He shifted his weight and settled between my legs. The solid feel of him right where I’d begun to ache pushed a soft moan from my lips. He groaned back in response and pressed himself tentatively against me. I pressed back. I wrapped my hands around his back and clenched my fingers against his skin, silently demanding more.

“Wes.” My dad’s voice echoed down the hallway.

“Fuck.” Wes flew off me and scrambled to his feet.

“I hope you left those thoughts of yours you mentioned the other day at home.” My dad’s question rounded the corner with him when he approached my door. I straightened my hair and pulled down my shirt but remained seated on the floor.

“Yes sir, Mr. Hunter, sir.” Wes’ words ping-ponged against each other.

“Oh hell,” my dad said and rolled his eyes. “Steve, Wes.” Then he directed his attention to me but only briefly. His eyes darted around the room choosing random places of focus instead of me. “Capri, I think you may want to consider moving out soon.”

“Hell, yes!” Wes shouted and leaned forward with his hand in the air to my dad. My dad shook his head, and Wes brought it back to run his hand through his hair.

“Wes.” My dad looked at him again, and something strange passed between them. A series of nods, blinks, and grunts even. Then my dad left.

“Sorry, they weren’t due back for another two days,” I said as Wes helped me up.

“We’re finding you a new place, Capri.” He leaned over placing a kiss on my cheek. “I need to be able to dry hump my girl in private,” he called over his shoulder but stopped at my door and turned to look at me. “’Night, baby,” he said and winked on his way out.

“My lady.” I dipped in a bow allowing Capri to walk through the door because I was a gentleman, and gentlemen fucking bowed. “What do ya think?” I asked following into the shop behind her.

I’d wanted to introduce her to Rocco since she told me she couldn’t see colors. I wasn’t gonna lie, that shit shocked me. Not that she was colorblind, but I could tell how much it bothered her, and how insecure it left her. That wasn’t gonna fly with me. No way should a girl like Capri feel bad about herself because she couldn’t see red. Red wasn’t even all that. Screw red. That was why I wanted her to meet Rocco. So she could see that she could still be proud of being an artist.

“It’s really clean,” she said surprised and I stood a little taller. That compliment on my place of employment shot straight to my heart. “And I like all the artwork on the walls.” She pointed to the sketches covering the walls.

“Nice touch, huh?” I asked unable to wipe the grin off my face. I’d drawn most of them, and of course, Capri recognized what a badass I was. This was something I’d like to see from her one day also, to be able to display her art with her pride overruling her fear.

“Nice breasts.” She nodded up to one of the sketches closest to the ceiling. Crap, yeah, I did that one, too. Abort artwork, abort.

“Come say hi to the guys.” I put my hand on her back ushering her away from the waiting area and through the saloon door that led to the floor. It took the guys a few seconds to realize that we were there, and then the buzzing died down.

“Marilyn, what on Earth is that girl still hanging around with you for?” Blue shouted, pushing his glasses up onto his head. He peeled off his gloves, wiped his hands, tapping his customer on the shoulder to let him know they would take a break. “When ya gonna realize you’re too pretty for this guy.” He smiled and winked at Capri.

“He’s quite pretty himself,” she chimed back, leading Blue into a smoky chuckle.

“You are a gorgeous bitch, Marilyn,” Trace yelled from the back where he’d finished wiping down his customer and wrapping her arm.

“Hi, Trace.” Capri waved her fingers over at the oaf.

“Hey, doll.” He winked back. All this bullshit winking.

“Rocco here yet?” I asked checking the time on the clock.

“Should be,” Blue mumbled, shoving a cigarette between his lips. “Smoke.” He nodded and shuffled toward the hallway that led to the back entrance of the shop.

“I get to meet Rocco now?” Capri pinched her eyebrows up at me.

“Sure do, I wanted to make sure you met him.” I smiled at her expression and fought the urge to take her into my arms.

“You tryin’ to set me up or something?” she asked with a smirk and folded her arms over her chest leaning toward me.

“Aw, hell no.” I reached out for her and pulled her toward me, wrapping my arms around her body.

“Oh that’s good then ‘cause I’m already seeing someone,” she said smiling playfully up at me with her chin resting against my chest.

“You are?” I said giving into her game. “He must be a dashing fella.”

“Dashing?” She giggled. “That’s one way to describe him, I guess.”

“Psh, more like a dickhead,” Trace said from his station. I flipped him off, not taking my eyes off Capri. Who took his eyes off the most beautiful woman in his world? Not this lucky son of a bitch.

“Well, how would you describe him?” I asked leaning my head into her neck. I sucked in a deep breath and sighed into her.

“Charming.”

“Hmm.” That sounded right. God, she smelled liked a strawberry.

“Chicken choker!” Trace yelled, and I ignored him. What idiot would remove his face from his woman’s fruity neck? This homie was leaving his face buried wherever his lady let him be.

“Kind.” I shook my head into her neck. The way I wanted to fuck her right now on my shiny counter was not so kind. For her or the counter.

“Keister beater!” Trace yelled again making Capri tense in my arms.

“Ignore him,” I whispered against her skin and laid a soft kiss at her collarbone. She softened immediately.

“He’s pretty hot,” she said, tilting her head and giving me the full length of her neck. I immediately brushed my nose from the base of it up to her ear. Strawberry. I opened my mouth and sucked the skin below her ear into my mouth, swiping my tongue across it slowly. I felt the vibration of her quiet moan through my lips.

“Que paso cabron!” Capri bounced out of my arms leaving me cold, empty, and saluting Rocco at my waist. I ran my hands through my hair and grunted out my frustration. “At ease, bro.” Rocco cackled as he passed through the saloon doors and made his way straight to Capri.

“Muneca. Why haven’t we met yet?” Rocco reached his hand out to Capri. She hesitantly placed hers in his and darted her eyes from his other arm and his face. He placed a kiss on her hand.