Rope My Heart A cowboy second chance romance

Chapter 37

Jax

Holding Lily Mae in my arms again and kissing her until she is breathless feels like the sun is on my face all day. My heart is literally skipping a beat or two. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be holding my baby in my arms again like this.

The day she left broke me so badly I never thought I'd be able to breathe again. The days turned into weeks and months and boy did I almost give up. If it weren't for her daddy kicking my ass and the fact that I had Ralph and Rose to keep an eye on, I swear to God I would have been at the bar looking at the bottom of a few whiskey glasses for the rest of my life.

The hardest thing after losing my folks was when Lily Mae waved goodbye to me for the last time. And now we are here right at the top of the mountain with all of Eagle Ranch and Whispering Pines beneath us, and Lily Mae's lips on mine. I feel as if I have died and gone to heaven, seriously I need to pinch myself.

She tastes of mint and coffee, her fragrance something sweet yet musky fills my nostrils. I hear her let out a groan before she murmurs into my mouth.

"You sure do know how to kiss, cowboy." Her eyes are hooded reminding me of emeralds glinting, the color has always held me they're intense and mesmerizing.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself, Lily Mae. I can do plenty more to make you feel good than kissing your lips."

"Steady on, Mr. McCoy we're only just getting started. Slow remember." Dammit that is a word I don't particularly like, in fact I wish it weren't even in the dictionary. Whoever came up with that word needs a severe talking to.

"Yes, Ma'am. You got it," I assure her.

"Good now where is my surprise, you promised me one," she says coyly and dammit is she flirting some with me?

"Come, give me your hand." I take hers and notice how like before her hand fits perfectly in mine. Her skin is soft as silk sending shivers through my body and a tingling in my balls.

I lead her to the tree line and through the natural arch where the branches have bowed some. It's a magical area and as kids we always thought it was the fae's den or something. Weird I know but hell as kids we had some imagination on us.

As she takes in the picnic blanket and a double wicker basket that folds out with a bottle of champagne on ice in a metal bucket, she lets out a gasp. "Jax, this is so romantic. When did you set all this up?" She goes towards the blanket and kneels down. Just watching her makes my heart melt and pool for her. This woman is beautiful, Prince sang a song that was made just for her. Because Lily Mae, my sunset sweetheart is the most beautiful girl in the world. Her auburn hair hangs down her back, my mind wanders to fisting it and pulling her head back slightly to kiss those cherry lips of hers again.

Her smile is perfection, her eyes dazzle and dance not something I've seen much of since she has been back home. I wish I could capture this moment forever.

"You've got champagne, strawberries, oh, and smoked salmon. Is this crusty bread from my momma? It looks like her signature loaf."

"That would be correct, Sunset Sweetheart. Your momma baked it specially."

"Well I never, how did she pass that on me? I never smelt her bread baking today and she'd never give you a loaf that's a day old."

"It's a secret, never you mind about that. I hope you're hungry because we have a lot to eat. It's not too early for you is it to have a glass of the finest?"

"It's never too early for champagne, Jax. Only we have to ride back."

"Don't worry we'll just have a glass or two then relax and look up at the sky like we used to. I've cleared my whole day to be with you, Lily Mae."

Her look is one of surprise. "Your entire day? Seriously? Jax you never take time off. Are you feeling okay? Come here, let me feel your head maybe you have a raging temperature."

I chuckle and throw my head back. She watches every moment licking her bottom lip. Fuck me this woman is irresistible, I could take her right here, right now. My body wants to take those damn pants off her and spread her legs and hook them round my neck so I can lick her pussy and tease her clit. From memory my sweetheart tastes like honey, pure nectar. My balls tingle and I feel my dick beginning to swell. She doesn't look below my waistline, thank God because that'd be a sure giveaway that I am sporting a boner right now.

Instead, I go sit next to her and kiss her lightly on the cheek. "You must have gotten up awfully early to lay all this on, Jax."

"For you I'd do anything. If you asked me to move the sun out of your eyes, Lily Mae I'd be on it."

She nudges me playfully with her shoulder. "Let's tuck in I am hungry." I pour the champagne for us in crystal flutes that I had from my parents, and hand her a glass.

"What shall we drink to?" she asks.

"To new beginnings and second chances, sunset sweetheart. To finding each other again."

Lily Mae tilts her head and I wonder if maybe I said the wrong thing. Perhaps I'm jumping the gun a bit here since she did only agree that we'd see each other whilst she is here for the next three weeks. But miracles happen, magic is real. Isn't it?

We clink our glasses and hook our arms around each other's like we used to do and take a drink of the fizzy, gold liquid. The bubbles tickle my nose, hers wrinkles. It's adorable.

"To new beginnings and temporary second chances," she says. It doesn't go unnoticed that she has slotted the word temporary into our toast. Mm, I need to work around that. Let's face it, Lily Mae might live in the city where her job is but she hates her boss and could set up on her own here in Eagle Ranch. Maybe all she needs is a little nudge. For now, I'll take what I can get because sitting here with Lily Mae beside me, feeling the warmth coming off her body and her allowing me to see her again after all these years, is too much to throw away. I'd literally do anything for my girl and it's true if the sun where blinding here I'd find a way to move it out of her way.

We tuck into the breakfast spread that her mother helped lay on for me. I got up at the crack of dawn to pack everything up and bring it up here in my truck then headed back home to take a shower and have a meeting with the ranch hands. Since I am planning on working my magic on Lily Mae all day and spending time with her, I needed to make sure none of my chores on the ranch fell behind.

Naturally, I spoke with her daddy and he was more than happy for me to take a day to spend with his daughter. I'm betting Mr. Thompson would love nothing more than his Lily Mae to be back together with me again, having the wedding and those grandbabies I know he and Mrs. Thompson want.

Am I ready to be a daddy? It's all I want to be. Usually it's the woman, right but trust me, I want a family of my own. I want the whole nine yards, the picket fence, the woman happy and content not having to want for anything but working if that is what she chooses to do. I'd love nothing more than for Rose and Ralph to be aunt and uncle to a couple of my own rugrats and spoiling them absolutely rotten.

My own parents passed away and it was a shock that they were taken from us way too soon and too early in their own lives. Nobody saw the accident coming. One minute they were there at home doing their own thing, and the next we had the sheriff at the door telling Rose, Ralph and I that there had been an accident.

So, yeah, having a family of my own is high on my agenda. However, I know Lily Mae wants her career and hell she might still not choose for a long-term relationship at the end of the rodeo event. Our fate is in the starts, lets hope they fall favourably on me, because I'd love for Lily Mae and I to be aligned just like we should be.

Then I feel her hand on my thigh, her thumb drawing circles making my dick rage in my pants. The heat of her hand is scorching a hole in my jeans.

I place my glass on the ground making sure it's not going to fall and move closer to her. As I lean forward, I take my hand and pull her into me with my hand behind her neck at the base of her skull. My left hand slides up her leg inch by inch. Lily Mae lets out a gasp that sends shockwaves through my body.

Is she giving me a signal to carry on?