“Do you have any idea how much pain you’ve caused me?” My voice is shaking as I stare at Cash, taking in the dark shadows around his eyes and the tired expression on his face.

“It wasn’t my intention,” he says softly.

“It wasn’t?” I laugh. “You’re a prick. After pouring my heart out to you, after everything we’ve fought for, getting you as far as possible in such a short time, you went to Paeroa. You said you’d never risk your life again, and yet—” I shrug, fighting for words. That he went to a bull riding event shouldn’t be a big deal. But it is. None of the accidents he had ever stopped him from pursuing this madness of his. I harbor no false hope that this time things are different.

“Erin.” Cash touches my arm gently. I pull back, frustrated, furious, hurt.

“Sleeping with you was a mistake. Do you realize how you’ve just made me feel? Dirty, used, like the last few weeks were just a big joke to you.” I pause to regard him for a moment. He remains quiet, his eyes taking me in, his expression betraying no emotion. “I thought we had something, and then you up and left, and betrayed the trust I put in you.”

I start to squeeze more clothes into my suitcase.

“I won’t let you leave,” Cash says with enough determination to make me look up from my task.

“Why? Because you’re used to the world catering to your every whim? Big newsflash. You don’t own me.”

“I love you.”

I blink, confused. “What?”

“You heard me.” He’s reached me in two long strides and sinks onto the bed, bringing his face close to me. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry that I can’t let you go. You’re far too important to me.”

I scoff, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. “Obviously not important enough that you wouldn’t betray my trust.”

“I never betrayed your trust, Erin,” Cash says. “I promised that I would never ride, and I haven’t.”

“I don’t believe you.” I cross my arms over my chest as I try to read his expression. He looks honest, his words ringing with truth, but maybe he’s just a good liar. “Why did you go to Paeroa, then?”

“To buy Dillinger.”

I stare at him for a few seconds. His words echo in my mind, but I can’t quite grasp their meaning…or make sense of them.

“To do what?”

“To buy the bull.” Cash laughs at my shocked expression. “My guys are readying his new home this instant.”

“Why would anyone want to buy a bull if they’re not planning on riding it?”

“In the beginning, I planned on getting back in the saddle. But then you had that accident, and it got me thinking. I don’t want to lose you, but more than that, I want to live. I want to see where this relationship might take us. And then a friend called to tell me that Dillinger was going to be euthanized because he’s become too uncontrollable and I knew I had to save him.”

“You never rode?”

Cash shakes his head, and a little smile lights up his eyes. “No.”

“You sure?”

“I promised I wouldn’t.”

My doubts slowly begin to melt away. I want to throw myself into his arms, thankful that he didn’t risk his life. But I hold back because he still hasn’t answered all my questions.

“Why?” I ask warily.

“Why what?”

“Why would you buy him?”

Cash sighs, and for a moment it feels as though even he doesn’t know the answer to my question. “Dillinger’s cost me a lot of money. It might not sound like a good investment, but I think I know the right people to tame him. And even if he won’t be tamed, he sort of saved my life, not literally speaking. I owe him that, in a twisted kind of way.”

“But…” I shake my head. “He almost killed you.”

“Yes, but he was an unwilling participant in the matter. No one gave him a choice. Besides, the way I see it, without Dillinger I might never have met you.” He pulls me onto the bed. I settle beside him, my hands instinctively touching the gruff on his cheeks. “You know what? I actually asked him if he wanted to spend the rest of his life in Madison Creek, even though it can be quite boring? I mean, nothing ever happens.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said you better make my stay worth it.” He pulls himself on top of me, his weight pinning me down. I wrap my legs around him, my core tingling with anticipation. “I wouldn’t think of disappointing you, Erin. I made a promise to you, and I’m going to honor it. Unless…” He places a soft kiss on my lips. “Unless you break up with me.”

“Break up with you?” He can’t be serious. I laugh at his ridiculous statement. “Even if I wanted you, you wouldn’t let me leave. Remember?”

“I’m glad we’ve established that.” His lips brush my cheeks, trailing down my neck, my collarbone. I grind my hips against his and find him rock hard. “Do you want to leave?”

Do I want to leave?

Hell, no. I want to stay for as long as I can.

For as long as this lasts. But what is this?

“I don’t understand,” I whisper. “When you say ‘break up with you,’ are you talking about a therapist patient kind of relationship or—”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, Erin. My family knows. My friends do. Maybe even the whole town.”

“Know what?”

“That I’m fucking you. I told my Dad at some point. Strangely, he had changed his mind and thought it was a good thing. By now, everyone knows we’re an item.”

“You told your dad?” I’m so mortified I could crawl under a rock. “But nobody’s mentioned anything.”

“Because I asked them not to. What?” He laughs at my horrified expression. “There’s no such thing as a secret in my family. You might as well just spill it out because once they’re done with you, they’ll know all the skeletons you’re hiding in the closet and then some.”

I short laugh escapes my throat. “Nice way of talking about your family.” I’m mortified, but at the same time, I feel giddy beyond control. The whole world knows about us. It’s official. There’s no going back. “Aren’t you supposed to ask me first whether I was okay with it?”

His eyes glint with mischief. “I asked you…in your sleep. You said yes.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am.” He sounds so grave, my smile slowly vanishes.

Something’s wrong.

In a good way, but still wrong.

“Why are you smiling?” I ask warily.

He squeezes his hand inside his pocket to retrieve his phone. “I thought you might not believe me, so I recorded you.”

He scrolls through his apps and then hands me his cell, pressing play.