She held out her hand and examined it, marveling at the intricacies of the engravings and the beauty of the colors together. It was perfect, and she couldn’t have chosen anything better or more fitting. In the same breath of delight, she shook her head. “I love it, but I can’t accept it. It’s too nice. Much too nice.”

“I want to—”

“And I’m sure it was too expensive. You need the money for other things.”

“Nothin’ that can’t wait.”

“No, Wyatt. I don’t deserve something like this. Really, I don’t—”

He silenced her by leaning in and covering her lips with his. As before, the touch was tender and made her forget about everything but the connection with him—one that plied open her lips as much as her heart.

This man . . . Who would have guessed how swiftly and completely she’d come to care about him? Not only was she attracted to every aspect of his good-looking body, but she loved everything about him from how sweet he was to Astrid to how hard he worked on the ranch. He had so many good qualities and was a better husband to her than she could have dreamed of having.

She suspected she never would have had this kind of relationship with Phineas Hallock had she married him, especially this kind of attraction, passion, and desire. She didn’t know much about marriage, but she knew these feelings for Wyatt and this bond developing between them were special.

Just how special was it?

The question startled her enough that she pulled back. He didn’t press in and attempt to continue, but his lips brushed her cheek, then her chin line, then the tender spot where her neck met her jaw.

She gasped and shifted to give him all the room he needed. His arms slid around her as though he couldn’t bear to let her go. She wanted to assure him he had nothing to worry about, that she’d never leave. But how could she make that promise?

As his kiss moved to her ear, his breath, his presence, his power seemed to surround her, and she closed her eyes as heat swirled inside. He placed a kiss into the hollow of her ear before grazing downward. She clutched his shirt, trying to keep from drowning in the sensations his touch was awakening inside her.

At a rattle of the door, she released him. In the next instant, Judd stepped into the cabin, and she jumped up from Wyatt’s lap, forcing him to let her go. For a second, she stood motionless attempting to gain her bearings.

Judd’s bushy white brows arched high as his gaze swung between Wyatt and her. “Came to get grub. Guess I can wait.”