“Easy for you to say now, but you don’t even know me, Xavier. We’ve been dating all of one day, and now, you’re willing to take a bullet for me? Do you understand how insane you sound?” I crossed my arms over my chest to protect myself from the hurt and rage flickering across his face.

“I care about you a hell of a lot, darlin’. Don’t dismiss my feeling for you. I’m a man of my word.” He reached his hand forward, but I pulled back. I would give in to his sweet words and charming drawl if I felt his touch.

“I think we’re moving too fast,” I blurted. “This is crazy.”

“I’m crazy about you,” he shrugged, “but yeah, we can slow things down. I understand, baby.” My gut twisted at the soft term of endearment aimed at me.

“I don’t want to fall in love with you only to have my heart broken by another person.” I looked away from him, finding more interest in the dirt road than his intense gaze. His thumb grazed my bottom lip, pulling my eyes back to him in a flash.

"You listen to me, darlin'. I ain't gonna break that beautiful heart of yours; I ain't a piece of scum. I'm a cowboy – we fall hard for our women, and we love 'em just as hard. We never let 'em go, you hear me?"

I nodded my head, taken aback by the conviction in his tone. He meant every word. He planned on falling in love with me. I was speechless. No one had ever been so straightforward with me before.