Chapter Eleven
FLORA
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I REACH FOR his belt. My pulse quickens with every second that passes. The metal cools my fingers, and the clink sparks a thrill through my veins. His buckle doesn’t open.
He grins down at me, a wild mix of impatience and desire. “Need some help?” With one swift motion, he shoves his pants to his ankles.
Lord, I wish there was more light to soak up his sight.
“That’s better,” I tease, taking his shaft in my hand. He’s bigger than I remember. And so hard his cock twitches.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” His fingers wrap around my wrist. “You do that, and I’m good as done.”
I giggle as I shimmy my panties from under my derrière. The cold picnic table bites my ass.
He catches my panties at my knees and slides them down my legs.
When his mouth touches my thigh, I buckle. “Thorn, I’m already so close.” I dig my nails into his bare shoulders. “If you kiss me down there, l, I don’t think...” My words trail off when his mouth presses hot kisses against my inner thighs.
“Just a taste,” he promises.
I gasp at the first flick of his tongue on the spot that makes me come alive. He lied when he said it was just a taste. He takes his time, exploring and licking me with gentle strokes. With every flick and swirl, he coaxes me closer to the edge. He sucks gently on my clit, sending spirals of pleasure racing through my body.
“Thorn, I’m so close—”
“Damn, woman. The way you say my name.” His fingers grip my jaw, and tilt my head upward to meet his mouth.
The spark of dominance and his silent claim makes my breath hitch. I feel his fierce urgency to my core. Mixed with the possibility of anyone catching us at any moment, it is exhilarating and terrifying simultaneously.
He grips my hips and plunges inside me. I gasp at the initial sting mixed with pleasure. I can feel every inch of him, thick and powerful. It sends a rush of adrenaline through my veins.
He pauses, and every nerve in my body tingles. “You okay?” He’s gauging my reaction.
“Yes,” I manage to breathe out, caught between discomfort and an irresistible urge to embrace him fully.
“You’re so damn tight,” he growls with hints of pleasure.
“It’s been a long time,” I rasp.
“How long?”
“Since you.”
“I’ll take it slow.” His grip on my hips is firm but gentle. “I want this to feel good for you.”
He stares down at me like he did when we were young. That caring, loving way always ensuring I was alright, confirming he wasn’t rushing me. The kind of love I haven’t felt since. The kind that I ran away from.
“Where did you go?” His voice presses into my thoughts.
I blink and force a smile, not that it’s difficult. I’m with him, exactly where I always wanted to be.
“Nowhere.”
“You can tell me.”
“I know.” I thrust my hips. “Don’t stop.”
I don’t want to think about the past or what happens between us next. I want to feel in this moment and worry about everything else later.
“Let’s make like a Christmas tree and light up together.”
I laugh so loud that he covers my mouth, reminding me where we are. That someone could burst through the door. His hand covering my moans is a turn-on I can’t describe.
His thrusts are gentle, drawing out the pleasure amidst my initial discomfort. He’d always been thoughtful like that, putting me first—always.
He presses his forehead against mine. “You okay?”
“Faster.” I quicken my pace.
A delicious sound travels up his throat. He picks up speed, and my pain transforms into pure pleasure. He thrusts deeper. The tightness of my body wraps around him, drawing him in.
Every thrust and kiss pulls me closer to the edge. Then his hand dips between us, and his fingertips graze my most sensitive nub. His expert rubs and flicks create waves of pleasure that radiate from my core and spread through my limbs.
“Thorn...”
He pounds into me faster now with primal power, deeper and harder, in perfect harmony. His labored breaths are ragged against me. Every time he enters, I spiral closer to the edge, tension tightening—coiling. I feel the unmistakable pulse of him reaching his peak and hear his deep, throaty moan as he says my name. The sound spans deep into my heart where I’d long thought I’d closed it off.
The warmth of his release sends shockwaves through me. The world outside fades, and I shatter into a whirlpool of pleasure.
THORN
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“WHAT THE HELL happened to you?”
Deep purple and blue swirl around my brother’s eye, and his nose is swollen and puffy around the bridge and nostrils.
“You wanna give me a matching one?” He taps the side of his cheek as he strolls past me.
“I do.” I cradle my coffee mug to keep from slugging him.
I might have slept off my initial anger, but not all of it. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, wishing Flora had stayed with me. Wishing I could wrap my arms around her and never let go. But I didn’t dare push her into anything last night. Ending up naked in the gazebo had been as shocking as a lightning strike. And when she hinted that she better head back to her room, I let her go—and it had been hard as hell.
The cupboard door bangs as Theo grumpily yanks out a mug. “I’m sure your punch will hurt more than Dani’s lil’ love tap.”
I chuckle, not surprised Dani pummeled him and impressed at the same time.
“Shut up,” he grumbles. “We ended up at the medical center, and it’s broken.”
“You deserve worse.” I’m only half serious.
I want to be angrier. I want to shout at him and maybe get into a scuffle. But mostly, I just want to move past this. He’s my brother, and we have been through so much together. I’ve been there for him, but when I decided to rebuild our father’s ranch, he’d been there for me.
“I know I deserve worse, dammit!” He slams the pottery mug on the counter, smashing it like confetti. “Fuck.”
He drops the handle on the bits across the counter and runs his hands through his uncombed morning hair.
“You look like shit, man.” My voice remains calm, which I’ve learned drives him crazy.
His head tilts and his heated glare lands on me. “I’m sorry, Thorn. Alright? I’m sorry I chased Flora away. I’m sorry I hurt you. I was young and stupid. And honestly, I didn’t know you loved her. Not so much that you’d choose celibacy and wait over ten years to team up with the gossipy Quylt sisters and an unstable Dani to try and win her back.”
I slowly sip the velvety liquid and watch my silence make him squirm.
“I’m sorry I lied and tricked you,” he continues, needing to fill the awkward silence with anything. “And tricked her. And watched you suffer and still said nothing.”
Each gulp of coffee sharpens my senses, preparing me to tackle the day’s challenges. Today is pivotal. A nagging uncertainty lingers inside me. Where do I stand with Flora? My approach must be done with care. I must uncover her feelings and let her know I’m serious about our future. Marriage looms large in my mind. This could finally be our beginning of forever.
“I’m sorry I tried to sabotage any time you spent with her this weekend. Or that I would’ve continued to sabotage so you wouldn’t find out I lied.” He takes a deep breath. “Say something, dammit.”
“This is unexpected.”
“What did you expect? That I wouldn’t feel bad? I’m not an asshole.”
“That’s still up for debate.”
He scoffs. “What do I have to do?”
I resume my morning coffee affair, enjoying how my brother’s mouth twitches like he has a mouthful of comments ready to go but is trying his hardest to wait for my answer.
“You owe her an apology.” I know damn well I’m not going to get anywhere with her if she can’t trust my brother. And as much as he’s a dick every so often, I love him. I don’t want to cut him out of my life, so he needs to get on board and make a damn effort.
His jaw tightens. “Fine.”
“A real one.”
“Not a problem.”
“Genuine.”
“I got it, Thorn.”
I nod. “And I plan on marrying her, so get that through your thick skull.”
He doesn’t reply.
“Theo?”
“Yeah, yeah. You plan on marrying her. Thick skull. Got it.”
“And have a shower before we go. You smell like a stagnant pond in the middle of summer. I also think your nose is a little crooked.”
“It is crooked, isn’t it?” He touches it and hisses. “That woman is nutty as a squirrel in a peanut factory.”
“It looks better.”
He chuckles sarcastically. “A crooked nose looks better on my face?”
“A definite improvement.”
“You’re the asshole.”
I hold up my arms. “I didn’t punch you in the face.”
A sharp knock interrupts us.
I cross the room and glance through the peephole. “It’s the Quylt sisters.”
“Great.” My brother yanks a long strip of paper towel off the roll.
“And Dani.”
“Lock the door.” He points at me, his tone low. “And slowly back away.”
I smirk. “I’m not going to do that.”
“Don’t you dare let that kooky—”
I pull open the door.
Dani frowns. “We have a problem. Flora got the job.”
“What job?”
“Her dream job.” She sighs and walks past me into our suite.
I step aside for Wilma and Faye and shut the door.
“Your nose is lookin’ sore.” Dani smiles.
Theo glares. “No thanks to you.”
“Oh, Theo.” Faye rushes into the kitchen to make an ice pack with cubes and a tea towel. “Put this on your eye for the swelling.”
“Thanks.” He presses it against his eye, but his other eye still scowls at Dani.
“Go put a shirt on,” she says.
He lifts his arms. “Why hide what I’ve sculpted.”
Wilma makes herself at home, filling mugs for the three, who settle comfortably around the small table. Theo also pulls up a chair, turns it around, and straddles it.
I lean my hip against the counter and cross my arms over my front. “More details about this dream job would help.”
“This morning, she got an email from the travel magazine she’s been waiting to hear back from, and they accepted her as lead travel photographer.”
A bone-deep chill creeps through my veins. “Travel?”
“Yes. She’s leaving. For weeks or months at a time to travel the world. The one thing she’s been working her life to do. And we haven’t even sealed the deal yet.”
Faye rests her hand over Dani’s. “Sweetheart, is she leaving today?”
“No. But when she sees the email, it will be where all her focus goes. The rest of the weekend will be shot.”
“She hasn’t seen it?” Wilma drawls, quietly observing from her spot.
Dani shakes her head. “She was sleeping when it popped up on her phone. So I got rid of the notification and hid the email.”
“Good.” Faye grabs a few packets of sugar and tears them open. “She doesn’t need to see that yet.” She sprinkles the sugar in her coffee.
“I can delete the email.” Dani looks between everyone for confirmation.
“Yes,” Wilma and Faye say at the same time.
“She’ll never know,” Dani adds.
“By the time she finds out, she’ll be settled back home.” Wilma drinks her coffee black.
“And she’ll never know we hid it.” A smile plays on Dani’s mouth.
“And then when she gets another email, she won’t want to leave.” Faye rips open three more sugar packets.
“Perfect—”
“Hold up,” I tell them all. “Do you hear yourselves? You can’t do either.”
Theo snickers. “This group is evil.”
“We can.” Wilma stares at me with that serious, no-nonsense dare.
“Enough.” I set my coffee on the counter. “Dani, get up.” I snap my fingers.
“Why?”
“You’re going to unhide the email.” I can’t believe I have to spell it out for her.
She crosses her arms, leans back in her chair, and glares at me.
I sigh. “Dani, hasn’t she been lied to enough?”
Dani glowers at Theo.
“Exactly. We’re not lying to her.” I grab my Stetson and run my fingers through my hair before putting it on.
“She won’t stay, Thorn.”
“Then she doesn’t stay.” I walk to the door, my heart breaking with every step.
Shit. It wasn’t supposed to go this way.
“Yeah, well, you’re not the only one who wants her to stay.” The desperation in Dani’s words ricochets inside me.
I inhale deeply before turning around. “We can’t take this away from her. Especially not after everything that happened last night and all the lies she’s lived with. She is full of regret now.” My eyes land on Theo. “She regrets listening to you.” I look at Dani. “She regrets leaving you.”
Dani’s scowl doubles.
“I won’t do this all over again to her. I won’t. And deep down, Dani, I know you won’t either.” I wait a few seconds and add, “we have to let her choose her future. Not control it.”
Dani huffs, and the chair scrapes on the floor when she slides it from the table.
“Fine, but you better bring all your fucking charm to the table because if she leaves again, this time, it is on you.”