Arizona groaned as something jostled her pillow. Without bothering to open her exhausted eyes, she yanked the covers over her head.

“Wake up, honey,” Garrett whispered. “I want to take you on a hike.”

“No way,” she grumbled.

Clearly he was joking. They’d made love all night. At least three times... or was it four? She could hardly lift her arms let alone her legs. As she shifted away from him, her thighs protested. If she didn’t get at least four hours of sleep she’d be completely nonfunctional.

“We have to leave now,” he said. “I’ll grab some clothes from my room and be right back. I need you up and dressed in five minutes.”

“What time is it?”

“About 4:45 a.m.”

“We’ve only been asleep an hour. Two at the most,” she said.

“I know, but you can sleep all afternoon if you want.”

“Can I sleep now instead? Whatever you want to show me will still be there in four hours.”

“Not this,” he said. “I’ll be back in five minutes and if you’re not up and dressed, I’m going to carry you out to the horse’s water trough and dump you in it.”

“Do it and you’ll never get sex from me again.” She opened one eye and glared as if they were both open.

“You can’t resist me,” he said in a smug tone. “You now have four minutes and thirty seconds. Tick tock.”

The mattress shifted as his weight left the bed. She heard the door open, then close. Dammit. She wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t drop her into the slobber-filled water trough. So although her body twitched and throbbed at the slightest hint of movement, she got out of bed with the force of sheer will. Whatever he planned on showing her had better be damn good.

Three minutes later, she’d pulled on a pair of loose jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and a stretched-out hoodie. She wasn’t about to reward him with a cute outfit. In her condition, he should be happy she’d even left the bed.

After shoving her feet into thick socks and a pair of hiking boots, she lumbered toward the door. It swung open, almost clocking her.

“You’re up!” He grinned. “I was actually looking forward to dropping you in the trough.”

“You’re evil.”

“Nope. I’m resourceful.”

“All right, what’s so important that you need to drag me out of bed before the sun’s even up? It’s still dark outside,” she said.

“You’ll see. Come on.”

He grabbed her hand and led her to the truck. As soon as she was belted in, she leaned back to rest her eyes. When she opened them again, he was pulling off onto a narrow, unpaved road. She sat up.

“Where are we?”

“Near the top of the Gallatin Mountain range,” he said.

“You dragged me out here to see trees? If you’ve seen one forest, you’ve seen them all,” she said.

“Not true at all. But no, I brought you here for something really special.”

After parking the truck, he helped her out. He led her toward the edge of an overlook built into the side of the mountain. She sucked in a breath. Lights from Bozeman blanketed the valley in a yellow glow. A thin line of orange outlined the black shadow of a distant mountain range. She gazed up at a sky pregnant with stars. A falling star arced across the sky for a split second before vanishing.

“Did you see that?” she asked.

“The meteor?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you make a wish?” he asked.

“I’m not awake enough to think that fast,” she said.

“Another one will come soon enough.”

“Did you make a wish?”

“I did.”

“What did you wish for?” she asked.

“If I tell you, the wish won’t come true.”

“Oh.” She turned her face toward the heavens. “Then I won’t have to tell you mine either?”

“Not if you want it to come true.”

As she waited for another falling star, she combed through all the usual wishes. More money, a better job, a Mafia boss’s death, the usual. She held back a laugh.

Before she could resume her catalog of wishing options, a star jetted across the sky.

I want someone to love me.

The wish struck her in the heart as if she’d been hit because it was the most truthful she’d been in weeks. She’d spent her whole life waiting for someone to love her and it hadn’t happened yet. Sure, Gerri loved her, but it wasn’t the same as having a partner in love. A person to share her deepest dreams and desires with, someone who really cherished her for who she was.

Tears sprang up. She looked up and tried to blink them away before they fell.

“That must have been a powerful wish,” he said softly.

“It was.”

“I hope it comes true.”

“Me too.”

“Look.”

He pointed toward the horizon. She backed into him and his arms wrapped around her chest. His lips pressed against her head.

“This is what I wanted to show you.”

Words escaped her as the sun’s curve peeked over the horizon to paint wispy clouds bright shades of orange and red. With the sky ablaze, her heart beat in time with his. Nothing could be more perfect than this moment. She was exactly where she needed to be. And it was all because of him.

“I found this place when I was sixteen,” he said.

For a moment, the green-eyed monster reared its head. How many other women had he brought here?

“I’ve never shared this with anyone before,” he said, as if reading her mind.

“Never?”

“I never met anyone special enough to bring here.”

“Garrett…”

She swallowed back all the emotions, nearly choking on them. If she told him how deeply this had touched her, was she setting herself up to be disappointed? If she spoke of her growing feelings toward him, would everything spiral out of control?

Maybe all of the amazing sex last night had fried her brain. That had to be it. And she was tired. Too tired to make any declarations about…well, anything.

She pressed her lips together. It would be better if she stayed quiet. After she got a good night’s sleep, if she still felt like she was falling… She couldn’t finish the thought. She blocked it out and turned to kiss him. Keeping her mouth busy with something that didn’t involve heartfelt confessions was her best option. Because once she told him how she truly felt, she’d never be able to take it back.

* * *

Garrett wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He never wanted to let go. Watching the sunrise with her at his secret spot was even better than he’d imagined. He hadn’t slept a wink that night. Instead, he’d lain awake watching her sleep while wondering how he could ever let her go.

It wasn’t just the incredible sex, but there was something else weighing on his heart. It wasn’t lust; he knew exactly how that felt. It was something more. Something that reached into his soul and refused to let go. But he wasn’t ready to call it love. Not yet. He wasn’t ready for the implications. If he was falling in love with her, he’d be risking a broken heart. He’d been through the pain of losing someone he loved twice. Once with his mother and once with his ex. Was his heart strong enough to handle the possibility of another failure?

He hadn’t intended to open a can of worms by bringing her up the mountain. He’d only wanted to share the sunrise with a woman who appreciated nature. She’d already shown him how much she loved animals with the way she groomed the horses. She’d taken over feeding Smokey weeks ago, and insisted on helping him feed the cattle. Ranch life wasn’t for the faint of heart, but she’d adapted to it. It was hard not to fall in love with a women who loved the ranch and everything on it.

“Should we head home?” she asked.

“Not yet. I have something else to show you.”

“Is it in your pants? Because I don’t know if I’m ready to get pine needles stuck in my butt right now,” she said.

“I’ve got blankets in the truck.”

Her laughter sent blood rushing into his cock. He groaned.

“The things you do to me,” he murmured.

“I’ll do anything you want, after I get some sleep.”

“Just one more stop, please?”

“Oh now you’re not playing fair. You know I can’t resist you when you bat your eyes at me like that,” she said.

“But it worked, didn’t it?” he asked.

“Yes. I may be sleepwalking, but watching the sunrise was amazing. So if you’re taking me someplace equally incredible, then I’ll find a way to stay awake.”

“I promise it will be worth it,” he said.

* * *

Arizona leaned back in the truck and rested her eyes. A whirl of questions twisted through her brain. She couldn’t seem to focus long enough to rein in her reaction to him. While they were standing on the precipice, she’d almost confessed her feelings. But they weren’t even real, were they? Had she fallen for their lie? Did she actually fall in love with him?

And why had he brought her to watch the sunrise? It didn’t have anything to do with pretending to be engaged. So why do it?

Every day brought new challenges with it. If she wasn’t learning how to clean a horse’s hooves, she was battling her growing infatuation with him. But was it simply infatuation, or was it something more, something deeper?

Sex had already taken their complicated relationship to another level. She’d made a huge mistake by falling into bed with him again and again, but she was powerless to resist. The sex was too good. He could ask her to make love on the front porch and she’d do it just to get close to him. His hard body was to die for, and she wanted to make as many great sex memories as possible before she had to leave.

But did she have to leave? He hadn’t said much about what would happen after his father passed away. Although he’d said she could stay, their conversations had always been vague. She wouldn’t be able to live with him forever.

One day he’d decide to finally settle down and he’d need to look for a wife. She’d be extra baggage and wouldn’t stand a chance against one of the shifter women. They were all gorgeous with perfect, long manes of expertly styled hair. Standing next to them, she was a weed among flowers. He’d never choose her over one of them.

She needed to talk to him to find out what he planned to do after his father’s death. But as she opened her mouth to start the conversation, he pulled into a secluded parking lot.

“We’re here,” he said.

He looked so happy that she didn’t want to ruin the mood. She could talk to him later. As soon as they got home she’d bring it up. But until then, she’d enjoy the day.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“You’ll see, come on.”

They walked hand-in-hand down a trail through the woods. The distant roar of water became louder as they looped around an outcropping of rocks. A rolling river rushed alongside the narrow trail. Downstream, it disappeared over the edge of a waterfall.

“It gets slippery. Watch your step,” he said.

“Okay.”

As she descended the steep path, water sprayed her arms and legs. Prickles of cold water jolted her awake.

“It’s freezing,” she said.

“You’ll get used to it.”

“What do you mean? I’m not going in.”

“Yes you are,” he said in a playful tone.

“No way am I taking a dip in—”

Her heart leapt into her throat as she reached the bottom of the waterfall. Twenty-five feet of cascading falls emptied into a frothy blue pool. It looked like something out of a travel brochure. A secluded paradise cut off from the rest of the world.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

“Not as beautiful as you, but it’s a close second.”

She blushed. He loved to flatter her, especially when he wanted her naked. The gleam in his eyes betrayed his true intention.

“I’m not going skinny dipping,” she said.

“Really?”

He lifted his shirt over his head and set it on a rock. Sunlight streamed through the trees to illuminate a perfect six-pack. She feasted on his broad shoulders and strong biceps. Every inch of him was pure perfection. He shouldn’t even be allowed to be this hot. It should be against the law.

“Still not coming in?” he asked.

As he unzipped his jeans, she groaned. He pushed them over his hips and disregarded his boxers too. His long, erect cock stood proud against his belly. How he could be hard after twelve hours of sex was beyond her. It had to be a shifter thing. What else could explain his ability to fuck like a rabbit all night?

“Do I have to come over there and take off your clothes for you?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Her eyelids dropped as lust flooded her. Resisting was pointless, but at least she could make him work for it. After removing everything but her bra and panties, he stood back to admire her.

“You really are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“Impossible,” she said. “There are so many shifter women who are much prettier.”

“None of them even come close to you.”

“My ass is too big.”

“It fits perfectly into my hands, especially when I have you backed up against the wall.”

“My hips are too wide.”

“Not at all. You’re so sexy when you walk. If you didn’t have hips, you wouldn’t be so sensual. Those Victoria’s Secret supermodels could learn a thing or two from you. I’d love to see you walk a runway in your panties.”

“You’re so dirty sometimes.”

“More than just sometimes,” he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her.

She sighed as his hands skimmed her waist before settling onto her hips. Warm, wet kisses slackened her muscles. If they’d had a bed to fall into, she would have. Maybe getting into the freezing water wouldn’t be so bad. At least she’d be able to float.

His lips blazed a trail of fire down her throat. She tossed back her head and moaned. As he traced the edge of her collarbone with his tongue, she wrapped her hand around his cock. She stroked and squeezed and rubbed the pad over her thumb across the tip. He shivered and backed her toward the pool. When her feet touched the cool water, she stopped.

“This is way too cold,” she said.

“If you get it quickly, you’ll get used to it faster.”

“I’d rather ease—”

He scooped her up and before she could react, he tossed her into the pool. She shrieked as she hit the freezing water. Adrenaline blasted away any last vestige of exhaustion. When she broke the surface, she pushed hair out of her eyes.

“I’m going to kill you,” she growled.

He grinned and dove in. As he surfaced, water rolled down his body. His stunning chest glistened in the light. Droplets of water fell from his hair. Every inch of him glowed with warmth and vitality. Her mouth watered as she swam closer. She couldn’t wait to taste his lips again. And she didn’t have to.

He drew her into his arms. The hard length of him pressed against her belly. She reached between them to casually stroke him. His eyes darkened and he crushed his lips against hers. She returned his fervent kisses with a passion she’d never known. They’d been intimate more times than she could count, but each time felt as if it were the first.

As his hands swept down to cradle her butt, she stroked him faster. His breath hitched and he nipped at her bottom lip.

“You drive me crazy, woman.”

“How crazy?” she asked.

“Crazy enough to do this.”

He lifted her with one hand and pressed his cock against her panty-covered pussy. With deft fingers, he pushed the fabric aside. He slid one finger in and stroked back and forth with increasing pressure. She gasped and clutched his forearms. He responded with a second finger, then a third.

As she writhed against his hand, tension coiled in her pussy. Her breath came out in sharp pants. Her eyes closed and she gnawed on the edge of her lip. A soft whimper escaped her lips. He could have asked her to do anything in that moment and she would have agreed to it. Anything to keep his hand right where he’d planted it.

“I want you to come for me,” he whispered. “I want to watch you explode and feel your tighten around my fingers. Come for me.”

She leaned into him, unable to catch her breath as he glided his finger across her clit. The tiny, swollen nub ached for his touch, and when he returned to vibrate his thumb against it, she shattered. Ragged waves of orgasmic release crashed into her, stealing her thoughts, and leaving her floating in a mindless sea of pleasure.

Her muscles clutched at his fingers, milking them, demanding more. And he knew what she needed. He lifted her onto his cock, plunging into her slick, pulsating heat, filling her with every inch of him until she’d taken all of him.

Slow, rhythmic thrusts pushed her into a second orgasm. Back arched, toes curled, her body jerked against him. She quivering uncontrollably as he wrapped her against his solid strength. This was the kind of man she needed in her life. Someone who could bring her to the heights of ecstasy and make her feel safe at the same time.

As his breath grew ragged, his thrusts increased. She moved in time with him. Water sloshed around them as he plunged deeper, harder, faster, bringing her to another explosive orgasm. And when she soared over the edge, he pulled her close and came with her.

Locked in his embrace, a flood of emotion rose up to claim her. She loved him. It wasn’t a flurry of endorphins, or a thought brought on by a lack of oxygen. He was her oxygen. His breath became hers. The pulse of blood through her veins synced with his. And even if she’d had the energy to deny it, she couldn’t. They belonged together. And she wanted to confess everything in her heart.

Suddenly his head snapped up.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“No. What?”

“Shh.” As he cocked his head to once side, he released her. He pushed her behind him. “Someone’s out there.”