You hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Perhaps it was because everything that transpired earlier had felt like a dream and closing your eyes made the most sense. You wondered if you had actually been reading one of those novels Natalia had packed for you to pass by a rainy afternoon and conjured up the delicious events that had occurred in your mind until you roused from your slumber.

No. You knew you had been within the strong arms of Jaehyun’s for some time. And after you both became still from the bountiful passion, the last thing you remembered was his lips softly pressing over one of your brows, and your eyes fluttered shut.

You were at peace.

As you became alert again, however, your bliss felt short-lived as panic rose in your chest.

Had Jaehyun spent his afternoon with you and then departed? It did make sense if he had. There was always a lot to do on the ranch and playing around with you all day long would no doubt put further strain on the daily chores.

But it was Sunday, and as Jaehyun stated yesterday, the weekends were for rest.

As you gathered yourself up, wrapping your robe around your body, you looked around your room. There was no sign of the man anywhere. Going into the bathroom next, you saw the pile of damp clothing was gone, including your own.

“Maybe I really did dream it all up,” you mumbled dejectedly, going down the stairs at a snail’s pace, each step descending you further into despair.

Just how much did you like Jung Jaehyun?

You knew part of the dejection came with your past. As a woman with a career, you had often struggled with relationships. You knew of successful people who managed both, but you weren’t so lucky. You invested too much time into your job or personal growth that having a partner felt somewhat of a burden. When you did attempt to make room in your schedule for someone, it never felt genuine enough. You were used to sleeping with corporate bachelors, finding the bed empty of their presence once you woke again. There was nothing that spurred you on to find true romance within the city.

Dream or not, you had hoped Jaehyun would be different.

Slumping into the kitchen, you stopped and blinked rapidly when several sounds and smells hit you at once. It felt foreign to stand there and watch the back of a man over your stovetop cooking something that made a sizzling sound. As you regained some coherency, you realised it was bacon and eggs and the man before you was the one that had travelled with you all the way to Nirvana more than once.

Jaehyun hadn’t gone anywhere.

Overwhelmed with relief and the swelling in your chest, you rushed forward and buried yourself into his back. Jaehyun relaxed into your embrace and chuckled. “Missed touching me that much, huh?”

“You didn’t go.”

“Of course not. That would be rude of me to just—hey. Are you crying?”

You tightened your grip around his waist so he couldn’t turn to confirm his suspicions. Sniffling, you shook your head against him. “No.”

“Have I overstayed? I thought you might be hungry, is all. I figured whilst you rested, I should dry my clothes and then I wanted to make sure you ate something before I left. We’ve been rather physical today, both in and out of the house. You need to regain some energy.”

You pressed your lips into his clothed left shoulder blade and hummed in response. A smile crossed your lips with how relieved you felt. Your emotions, normally well in check, were now over the place and you were surprised with how giddy you were after foolishly crying over his back.

Blayne was surely changing the way you processed things. And Jaehyun was affecting your heart in ways you didn’t quite understand yet.

You didn’t want to try to figure it out either. If you started to apply logic to the situation, you might end up in a position that didn’t allow you to hold onto Jaehyun anymore.

You were too comfortable nestled into him like this.

“You know, I’m trying to cook here.”

“Am I bothering you from doing so?” you queried with a giggle, and Jaehyun moved quickly, a squeak coming from you as he grabbed you and pulled you in front of him. You reached for the spatula he had placed down in the bustle as he wrapped his arms around you. “Oh, so it’s now on me to cook, huh?”

“I wanted to experience what was making you feel so good right now,” Jaehyun murmured into you, peppering you in light kisses over your neck. “I can see why you didn’t want to let go.”

“Missed touching me already?” you teased and grinned when he chuckled softly near your ear.

“You made a bad choice in sleeping with this Cowboy, Y/N.”

“Oh yeah, how so?”

“I might want to keep doing it more often.”

You glanced over your shoulder as you nudged him playfully. “The food is ready. Let’s eat before we discuss where you’re going to bed tonight.”

The new week started with a smile permanently embedded upon your lips. You had kissed Jaehyun goodbye earlier before the sun had risen, knowing he had to get home before the day of work began for him.

You managed to fall asleep for a little longer until your alarm went off, and you happily took a shower and got dressed. You had a Zoom call at ten with Pierce to discuss the planning process so far and took your time preparing for your drive to the township over for stable internet connection.

All whilst humming a happy tune to yourself.

You could tell you were still on a high from the connection made with Jaehyun yesterday. It wasn’t just because of the , though you had to admit, he was an exceptionally good lover. Last night, you hadn’t moaned his name around the walls when you climbed into bed with him, though. He had simply held you and told you some stories about his upbringing, and you had shared your own. You felt content. It was a first that you had met someone who wanted to know more about you than what was under your clothes.

It empowered you as you drove down the country roads, stopping when you saw a familiar horse cantering across a field towards you.

Jaehyun pulled Blaze to an easy halt and tipped his hat in greeting at you, and your insides did a somersault. You felt like a teenager experiencing your first crush as you leaned out the window beaming up at him.

“Hello, Cowboy.”

“It’s a good morning today, Miss City. Off to work?”

“I have a Zoom meeting with my boss,” you mentioned, and Jaehyun nodded. You glanced over at another horse in the distance rounding up the cattle. “Shouldn’t you be over there helping poor Avery?”

“Poor Avery? You’re more worried about my cousin than me?” Jaehyun asked as he leaned his forearm onto the horn of the saddle. “I’m wounded.”

“You’ll be fine. The man I spent a lot of time with yesterday seemed pretty strong and capable.”

Jaehyun grinned. “Did he now?”

Avery was now on his way over, and you straightened up in your seat, wiping the adorable smile off your lips. Jaehyun frowned at your sudden disposition and then glanced lazily over his shoulder. “Are we hiding this?”

“No. Yes. No… I mean, I don’t know. People might get the wrong idea.”

“And what idea will that be?”

You scrunched your face up as you answered. “That I’m willing to sleep my way around to get changes here.”

Jaehyun was silent for a moment and then burst into hearty laughter when Avery came to a stop. The newcomer looked between you both and then cocked his head to the side. “What joke did I just miss out on?”

“Miss City here just made my day,” Jaehyun managed to say, adjusting the hat over his head from how amused he had gotten. “I think I’m going to be laughing all day after that one.”

“It wasn’t meant to be funny!” you exclaimed and waved off Avery. “Ignore him. He’s not all with it.”

“He’s been in an exceptionally good mood all morning. Maybe you might know of why, Y/N?”

“Me?!” you asked in an octave higher and shook your head. “I uh-”

“You best get to work before you’re late for that meeting with your city people, Y/N,” Jaehyun reminded, and you gasped, nodding eagerly.

“Good luck!” Avery called, and both men tipped their hats and farewell and turned the horses around.

You watched on only for a moment longer before driving off again.

“What is the status between Jaehyun and me?”

Whilst you didn’t quite know how close you would get to the cowboy, you hoped that what you had experienced over the last twenty-four hours wasn’t the end of it.

With the way Jaehyun had looked at you before, you were certain it was only the beginning.

“I see you’ve assimilated to being one of them,” your boss mentioned with a sly chuckle as he answered your Zoom call. You frowned, and he gestured to your outfit he could see through the video.

“Ah,” you breathed, glancing down at your sundress and then nodded. “I have plans to meet with Mrs Jung here after our meeting today. I didn’t wish to impose on her in office attire. They don’t wear anything quite like it out here.”

“Don’t come back to the office and think you can wear that here. You’re a little too relaxed by the looks of things. I hope you don’t see this as a paid holiday, Y/N.”

“I would never!” you pointed out and then cleared your throat, picking up your copy of your proposal you had printed out at the library just before. With a strained smile, you looked at your boss through the screen. “Shall we start with my recommendations?”

You had only gotten to page eight of your report when Pierce threw it down on the table and leaned back in his chair. “This won’t work.”

“It’s just my preliminary findings, Pierce. I’m still meeting with the people and finding out what they need for this to be pulled off.”

“I don’t care about housing. Where is the report I asked for about my resort land in the first place? We will not be focusing on any of this in our redevelopment, Y/N.”

“Pierce!” you exclaimed, shaking your head at your laptop’s screen. “We need to focus on the development of what’s here first before-”

“We’re not coming into the area to take on the complaints of the people in Blayne and serve their needs first, Y/N. We’re here to scout out the best place for a resort. That’s all. Besides, once we do that, there will be more jobs, and then the development of the county overall will make sense for those to undertake in the area.”

“They won’t agree to it,” you told your boss. “These people need to be offered hope first. They are very closed off to the concept of a resort. What Blayne needs is more housing to help bring in workers to the farms first.”

“When a resort comes into that area, do you think the farms will be at the forefront? Don’t worry about them. Worry about your job. You know, the one I sent you down there to do in the first place. I didn’t take you for being so soft, Y/N. I guess being a woman makes you more sympathetic to these people.”

You gaped at your boss. “That is ism, Pierce. My gender has nothing to do with how I’m handling things here. Yes, it will mean a delay in building the resort, but I know my idea will lead to the end goal becoming achievable.”

“I don’t care how many people live there.” Pierce steepled his fingers together on top of his desk and leaned closer to his webcam. “They could all get driven out of there for all I care. The resort is what I want to hear about.”

You laughed incredulously. “They’ve been here for generations. They aren’t going to give up their land for any type of pressure you’re suggesting. It was you who told me that I needed to work into the people’s favour, don’t you remember? That’s what I have been doing!”

“Have you? Because all it seems that you can report to me about is a sad township that you want to build up and not about locating the most perfect place for a golf range.”

You clamped your eyes shut in attempts to compose yourself. “I’ve yet to reach page fourteen of the proposal in this meeting. I’ve already noted down where I think the resort and amenities can go once we get the support from the locals.”

Your boss was quiet for a moment, perusing the documents before him and a finger rose to his mouth as he took in the information. A smile grew on his lips. “The back property of the Jungs, you say? Your first mission is to secure that land. Get it to me in two months.”

“Two months?! Are you serious?”

“Deadly. Unless you’re softening to all that country charm they chime on about out there.”

“Blayne needs-”

“I need you to perform your job. Stop worrying about what the people want. Give them what they need. And that is a tourism destination that will bring them greater riches than the bare land and cows ever will.”