Read Dirty South (A Blue Collar Bad Boy Romance) for Free Online

down ever so slowly, and his lips press against
mine. And this time it isn't a fantasy. Boone Tillman is really kissing me. His
lips are surprisingly soft and gentle. They massage mine, and then part.
    His arm slips around my back, pulling me against him. Our
tongues touch, and I almost gasp. I could melt into him at any moment. I wrap
my arms around the back of his neck, running my fingers through his hair. I've
imagined this moment for years.
    I feel his hand bunch up the fabric of my shirt against my
bra strap. Our mouths open wider, our tongues exploring. He tastes like
cinnamon. I want to feel him against every inch of my body.
    Suddenly, he pulls back. He's breathing hard, and he puts
his hands on both sides of my waist as though he's steadying himself.
    "I have an idea," he says.
    "It better be a really good one," I reply.
    He throws his head back in a laugh. "Just give me a
minute." To my surprise, he walks away and takes his phone out of his
pocket. I can't hear his conversation, but my interest is certainly piqued. I
take a deep breath and try not to giggle, wondering what my teenage self would
think of this moment.
    "Alright, now it's my turn," he says, walking back
and putting his phone in his pocket. He extends his hand, palm up. I smile, and
place mine in his. His hands are shockingly rough, from years of working
construction, no doubt. He leads me back over the stones and down to our
horses, not letting go until the last moment.
    Silently, we saddle up, and he nods over his shoulder.
Annalise naturally follows his stallion's lead, and I look around
absentmindedly at the spreading shadows from the trees. My gaze falls onto the
back of Boone's head, and his wide shoulders. My body is aching for him, but my
mind is starting to shout out all the reasons that I should stop now and head
home.
    When we get back to the trail, he heads in the other
direction, away from the stables. At the next fork, he takes the left trail,
and I realize where we're going. We reach the campsite after a couple miles,
and in the setting sun, I can see a small fire being stoked by a shadowy
figure. I glance around. The rest of the campsites are empty.
    "It's usually busier this time of year," I note.
    "I didn't want us to be disturbed," he says with a
smile, his white teeth catching the last of the sun. I frown. Is he saying he
reserved all the campsites just to get me alone? "And before you ask, no.
This is not part of the normal 'Boone Tillman experience' as you put it."
    I shake my head, but the truth is, I had been wondering. I
hop off my horse, and Boone takes the reins and hands them to the man by the
fire.
    "Thanks, Raoul," he says quietly, and Raoul
murmurs something back to him. I look around the fire. There are soft blankets
spread on the ground and up against the large logs that provide seating. Raoul
walks away, leading the horses, and soon I hear the sound of an engine.
"Dinner," Boone says, taking a couple baskets from behind a log.
    "You have excellent taste in horses," I say,
settling onto a blanket as he unpacks the food, and a bottle of red wine.
    "I always wanted horses of my own. My grandfather had
to sell his eventually, just to keep his land." He glances at me. "I
didn't grow up with very much money, so it's nice to be able to spend it."
    "What was the first thing you bought, when you did have
money?" I ask.
    "I paid off the rest of the mortgage on the farm.
Would've bought the horse back, too, but he had passed by then."
    I tilt my head, feeling impressed. "So is that where
you grew up, on the farm?"
    "Sometimes. And sometimes with my mom, when she had her
act together enough. My dad wasn't around. Then later, a few foster homes a
couple hours outside the city."
    "What about your grandfather?"
    "You mean why didn't I live with him?" I nod.
"He was a fine man, and tried his best, but he wasn't much of a caretaker.
He was starting to get dementia, and sometimes he'd just forget about making
meals for a couple days. The