“You’re awfully quiet,” Cody said as he drove from what would soon be their home back to the bunkhouse. By walking, it would only be a mile, but driving meant going back to the farm road, traveling half a mile to the main road, and then another one to the lane leading up to the ranch house on Sunflower Ranch. “Thinking about what color paint you want to use for the inside of the house?”

“No, I was worrying about whether or not you will be happy with me in the bedroom,” she answered.

“I can always depend on you to be brutally honest, can’t I?” Cody said.

“I can’t change who I am,” she told him.

“And I’m so glad you can’t. That’s just one of the things that I love so much about you, and, honey, you could never disappoint me—not ever.” He turned in to the lane and drove right past the house.

“I hope not too, because I really love you,” she said.

He parked in front of the bunkhouse, and this time, she waited for him to come around the truck and open the door for her. Instead of waiting for her to unfasten her seat belt, he reached across her lap and did it for her and then scooped her up in his arms. He asked her to open the door for them, and once they were inside, he locked it behind them and didn’t stop until he had gently laid her on the bed.

“Today is a big step for both of us, and I may carry you over the threshold when we move into our house too. The third time will be after we’ve said our wedding vows.” He leaned down and his eyes went all dreamy.

She barely had time to moisten her lips before the kiss, and this time it wasn’t only scorching hot, it was full of promise for the future. When it ended, she wiggled free and stood up. “Did you just propose to me?”

“No, I didn’t…love.” He drew her close to him and hugged her tightly. “What I said was just a promise of a proposal. When I really pop the question, you won’t have to ask.”

Stevie pulled away from him, kicked off her shoes, and pulled her sweater up over her head. Cody’s eyes changed from dreamy to downright hungry when he saw the black lace bra. She pulled his Western shirt free from his pants, unsnapped it from the bottom to the top in one fell swoop, peeled it down his arms, and tossed it on the floor with her sweater. He gasped when she ran her fingers through the blond hair on his chest and then undid his belt and slowly unzipped his jeans.