“You probably think I’m nuts.”

His smile doesn’t slip as he shakes his head.

“I think I’m nuts.”

His body starts to shake again and without a word, his mouth is back on mine. His tongue darting out to rub slowly against my closed lips until I give him the access he wants. Then he slides in and kisses me hard. So hard that all my thoughts of stupid bubblegum leave instantly.

A while later, still in his arms watching Pitch Perfect, my choice not his, he breaks the comfortable silence we had slipped into after my bubblegum meltdown.

“I’m working tomorrow, pulling a double for another officer that needs the day to take his daughter on a school trip. That means I won’t see you for a few days. The last double I pulled had me sleeping almost twenty-four hours straight. But, we need to finish the plans that got cut short—not that I mind one second of how they were cut short—but I still need to finish.”

“Okay, Lee. You don’t need to explain that to me.”

“You get that we’re together now?” he harshly asks.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Then I need to explain that to you.”

“I think, maybe, I should give you a little history of my life,” I tell him, trying to not get annoyed with myself or more specifically the lack of experience I have when it comes to relationships. “I’ve been in a relationship with one man, Lee. And while I was married to him, what we shared wasn’t a typical relationship. We were both faithful and while yes, we were intimate, it wasn’t often. That being said, he didn’t explain his plans for days to come with me. If he needed to do something, he would give us a kiss goodbye and go about his business. Before Jack, I didn’t date. Not once. So, I think it would be a good guess that I’m about as stupid as it comes, when it comes to this,” I point between him and myself. “I don’t expect you to report to me.”

His eyes go hard during my little speech and when I finish talking, I wait, bracing for him to realize what a mess I am and leave.

“It might not be tomorrow, or hell even a month from now, but you’re going to fall into this relationship effortlessly. I know that because in the two days that we’ve established a togetherness, you’ve come out of your shell and without one doubt taken each step forward. I’m not telling you my plans for any other reason but for you to know while I may have to be somewhere else, I want to be here. I’m letting you know where I’ll be because I can’t be here, and trust me, I would rather be here than sitting in a patrol car for two ten-hour shifts. Give and take, darlin’. I’m giving you my plans so that when I don’t, I can take.”

“Take?” I question.

“The other night, when I took you to the clearing, I had planned for a night of four wheeling. Had my ATV out there waiting. No way in hell that I’m going to complain about how the night progressed, but I still have plans and those plans include that clearing, us and my ATV.”

“Four wheeling”?

“Muddin’, darlin’. We need to find another night after some rain though. It was a perfect night to take the trails, but the second it rains we get a sitter for Molly and go.”

“Okay, why would I want to do that?”

He laughs. “You’ll see.”

“That makes no sense, Lee. I’ve never been, but I know you end up dirty as all hell and I can’t imagine the fun in riding around getting mud up my nose.”

Small lie. I’ve heard Dani and the girls talk about all the times they’ve been off-roading. Sometimes they go in trucks, but often on ATVs. Each time they talk about them, I’ve stayed silent. Even though I’m curious, the thought of riding one of them without fear seems impossible to me. I’ve heard horror stories about people getting hurt and sometimes killed.

“It’s a rush, Megan. It isn’t about just driving around and splashing mud all over the place. You pick the right trail, hitting those climbs and knowing but not seeing what’s coming has your body on one hell of a high. After a good rain, those trails are slippery and when you come over the climbs then race down to the waiting mud—it’s all part of the rush. When that water and mud flies all over the place, I promise the last thing you will think about is that you’re dirty and may or may not have mud in your nose.”

“I still don’t see the appeal here.”

His face gets soft and I watch something move behind his eyes, gone too quickly for me to pinpoint. “How about you look at it this way. You’ll be on the back of my machine while it rushes through the trails back on old man Sampson’s property, your arms will be wrapped around my body. You will be pressed so tight to me that when the motor is rumbling and your hips move against mine, you will have to work real fucking hard not to think about how hard that is going to make me. And, darlin’, when we’re done, dirty and wet, I’m going to have a lot of fun cleaning you up.”