Waking up the next day knowing he was here with us and just a few yards away made me feel a certain way I couldn't describe. I didn't know what he was really doing here but whatever he wanted to achieve I wouldn't let him have it.

Last night kiss lingered on my lips like those soft pair of sinful lips never really left. My heart thumped just rethinking the moment that must not be repeated again.

I sighed heavily, disappointed with myself that I let me felt things for him when I was the one who was dead set on never ever getting back together, for the sake of our's sanity.

The clock hit five in the morning when I rose up from my bed and into the shower, getting ready for the day. I wasn't one to wake up early in the morning but I needed to give the new ranch hand a list of tasks he had to complete today and I promised mads a fresh baked cookie first thing in the morning.

I throw on a simple white sundress and pair of my scandals before going to Madeline's bedroom to check if she was up. I gave her a peck, smiling at her sleeping figure before heading downstairs to the kitchen. I wrote down a long list of things to do and started to work on Madeline's cookie, hoping to finish before she woke up.

The sun was starting to go up and sky started to get brighter as minutes past. I lost myself in cooking breakfast and baking cookies when I felt a pair of strong arm sneaking around my waist pulling my body backward flushed against a hard chest.

" Good morning, boss. " his voice hoarse and low, soft lips pressing firmly against my flesh while teeth grazed my earlobe.

Electric shot through the stream of my blood. Butterflies fluttered inside. His touch did interesting things to me. It warmth my chest, filled my thoughts with excitement. My lips parted at the contact and legs getting weaker. I didn't make an attempt to move.

" Woah. Are you not felling well? " he asked, voice laced with concerns as his hands rushed up to support my weight.

A simple touch and sexy voice, I was a goner. I hadn't get laid for way too long. Four years long.

I thought it was just me becoming a mother that no males seemed to intrigue my interest, turned out it was him after all who had my in every possible way. I was still his even if we weren't together. Fuck me.

" Can I go in now, Daddy? " Madeline's voice snapped me out of my thought.

I turned my head towards her voice and there she was peaking her head into the room, hiding against the wall. I straightened my body up, standing on my own without his help as our little girl strolled into the room with a giant grin on her face and her bunny clutching in her arm.

" Good morning, princess. " Nick picked her up and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

A smile formed on my lips as my eyes trained on her happy face. She had never been so happy before until she found her missing piece. I took a leap toward the two and stood on my tip toe to kiss her cheek.

Nick took this opportunity to snake his free arm around my waist again. I glared at him trying to get out of his grip when Madeline giggled pushing my head into her dad's chest, making the bastard smirked in delight. Traitor.

" Did I just walk into the Salvatore's house hold? What a beautiful family. " Rudy squealed as she walked through the back door.

My eyes widened in shock realizing my friend had just caught me in a rather intimate moment of our so called family she was never going to let me hear the end of this.

" Are you hungry, baby? " I cleared my throat, pushing out of his grip and thankfully he let me.

" Yes. " both father and daughter answered at the same time and I narrowed my eyes at the father.

" Sorry. Thought you were asking me. " he shrugged.

I cocked an eyebrow at him before walking over to the counter top and grabbed the list I had written for him. I slammed the piece of paper in his hand before taking Madeline from his arm.

" Aren't daddy having breakfast with us, mama? " she asked, wrapping her arms around my neck.

" No. Daddy needs to work. " I smiled as I heard him scoffed under his breath.

" Say good luck to dad and we will go to your room, okay? Mommy will give you a bath. " I said and she nodded her head.

" Rudy, you stay here and don't move. Don't touch the food until we came back. " I ordered making she groaned.

The father and daughter said goodbye sadly and I almost scoffed at their over dramatic farewell. It was like he was going to war and wouldn't return until her eighteen birthday.

...

I admired his toned abs from the window of my kitchen like a creep I was. I watched his muscle flexed as he raised the axe in the air and slammed it on the piece of wood, cutting it in half.

He was shirtless and when there was a man without a shirt in your sight, you stared.

His golden skin shined under the morning sun, hair slighting damped from the sweat, and eyes hooded focusing on the task he was doing. I took my time trailing my eyes over to his washed jeans, the pair that hung so low giving me the perfect view of his v line. Our new ranch hand looked magical.

I could swallowed him whole right now.

" You're drooling. " Rudy's chuckle snapped me out of my dreamy daze.

" Huh? What? " I straightened up my posture, wiping my mouth the back of my palm.

My so called friend somehow found this amusing as she threw her head back laughing her head off like a maniac she was. I scowled before turning back to doing the dishes.

" You look like you could jump him any moment now. " she giggled.

" Oh fuck you. " I whispered, glancing at my daughter who was playing with her puzzles near by.

" You meant him? Oh honey, I know you do want to. The sexual energy I'm getting from you and him a moment ago is wildly strong. " she smirked and I threw a cookie at her.

" You still love him, don't you? " she asked, hitting a soft spot, hitting home.

I closed my eyes sucking on my own breath as my heart skipped a beat over her painful question. I always loved him. I never really stopped or tried to move on because in my heart he was it. I knew that and he knew that so I nodded my head, answering the question silently.

" Does he know? " I nodded my head again.

" Then why are you not together? I assumed you talked over your past actions? You moved on from the past and the things you have done to each other. You clearly still in love with him and him with you. Don't you want to try again? For the two of you? For Madeline? Truth to be told my god daughter deserves a family with loving parents. "

Hard question. Dangerous zone. I took a deep breath before answering.

" I have this terrible urge every passing seconds he was in the same room, to go on the same forbidden path we went through. I want to risk it all to just be in his arms again. "

" But, I can't do that. I know I can't. I will hate myself for hurting him and me again. Because that's what we both do to each other, hurting each other in the process of falling in love. I don't want to go into something knowing we would end up doing the same thing again. "

Rudy's eyes softened and I could feel my eyes burning like they were on fire as tears threatening to pour out. She pulled me into her arms and wrapped me around her embrace, soothing my pain away.

" Then it's up to him to fight for you and change the outcome. " she whispered. I nodded my head sighing in defeat.

" Your neighbor is throwing herself at your shirtless tragic love story by the way. "

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