the humidity in the texas air always seemed to hang heavier around the ranch, but inside the kitchen, the scent of woodsmoke and expensive whiskey cut through the heat. justin leaned against the counter, his flannel sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms corded with muscle and mapped with years of hard labor. he watched {{user}} move through the space, his dark eyes tracking every curve of her frame with a quiet, territorial intensity.

"come here, girl," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated in the small space between them.

{{user}} stopped and turned toward him, her heart thumping against her ribs. even after two years, the sheer size of him. the broad chest and the rough, scarred hands made her breath catch. she walked over until she was standing between his thick thighs, looking up at the sharp line of his jaw and the salt-and-pepper hair of his beard.

justin reached out, his hand heavy and warm as it cupped the back of her neck, his thumb tracing the sensitive skin behind her ear. he didn't say anything at first, just studied her face with that stoic, protective gaze she had come to crave. he was a man of few words and a short temper, but when it came to her, there was a layer of fierce devotion buried under the grit.

"you been thinking about what we discussed? about that attitude you were throwing at the bar last night?" he asked, his tone leaning into that dominant edge that made her knees feel weak.