13. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
Blue
I still haven’t figured out the connection between all of the places that the drone footage was found on.
Some are so damn random they don’t make any sense.
Why in the hell is Hilltop Bar on there?
Or the trailer park halfway to Campton?
They aren’t ranches, or even agriculture at all.
Oddly, I’ve been antsy to make it back to Clay’s place. Seeing Libby’s picture has kept the little hairs on the back of my neck up for the last week.
It’s frustrating that my job keeps me away for so long, when all I really want to do is stay close to keep an eye on her.
I shouldn’t.
She’s off limits.
But she’s a burr under my saddle that is getting harder to ignore.
I had to go up to the Benoit place yesterday to check out a batch of steers they were selling. Usually I look forward to flirting with Patty Benoit, since her husband passed last year.
Yet this time, all I could think about was Libby.
Maybe I should just give in. Fuck her a few times, have some fun, get her out of my system.
The more I get to know her, the more it worries me that I might not be able to just walk away.
That’s the best reason to hold her off.
I’ve been careful for a long time not to get tied down. I love my job, and the road.
Well, shit. There are some days where it’d sure be nice to have a warm bed to crawl into, without having to play the same ol’ games at the bars to find someone.
One day.
Yea, but.
I ain’t getting any younger.
And after seeing Dixon settle down, seeing how ridiculously happy he is, it makes me start to question my convictions.
We were like the three amigos. Dixon, Wade, and me.
At least Wade is still single. He lost his heart a long time ago to a woman he could never have, so I know he’ll be there.
But sitting here at this worn desk piled with old receipts, on a chair I barely trust with my weight…my pulse races in my ears at the thought of her walking through that door at any moment .
When the handle clicks, blood rushes to my crotch like some sort of twisted Pavlovian response.
“Blue?” Clay’s voice kills a hard-on faster than a douse of cold water.
“Yep.” Dropping my head, I pretend I’m staring at a slip of paper instead of scowling at him for being him.
He drops a six pack of my favorite beer on a clear spot. “I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the time you’re spending here.” He takes a long breath, then pops one of the tops and hands it to me.
Then opens one for himself.
“I gotta go back in,” he sighs, taking a long pull from the bottle.
“Shit.” I mirror him and take a drink to mask my silence.
What the hell do I say?
“I’m gonna take another twenty up to the sale this weekend before checking into the hospital on Monday. They want to do a round of radiation and chemo.” His mouth pinches up so tightly it looks like a cat’s ass.
I glance at the piles that are slowly being whittled down. “Do you know which ones? I’ll be sure to grab their papers. Will help with the final values.”
He nods, and digs a note out of his pocket. “Here’s the ear tags. Thanks again, Blue. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to repay you for your help.” His chest expands, then his shoulders droop. “I hope I live long enough to try. ”
“Enough with that. You’ll be fine, just wait and see.” I tilt back in my chair. “You’re tough as nails, I know you can beat this.”
His thick fingers rake along his graying whiskers.
I swear he’s aged ten years in the last few months.
“We always think we have plenty of time, don’t we?” he asks morosely, then turns on his heel.
The snapping of the latch seems to echo behind him when he leaves.
That’s sobering.
What would I do if I found out my own clock was ticking?
Libby.
Because she’s a once in a lifetime kind of woman.
And I wouldn’t want to die knowing I’d missed my chance.
But I’m the asshole that just wished Clay well, while deciding I’m going to give in on his daughter.
Well. I might make her work for it a little more.
The second beer goes down easier than the first, so I better put the rest in the fridge.
When I hear the click of the door, I pull them back out. “Here Clay, figured you’d want another—”
Libby appears, a broad grin splitting her cheeks. “Yes, please! We need to celebrate!” She takes the cold bottle and twists off the top. It’s obvious she hasn’t talked to her father yet .
She’s like a ray of sunshine after a storm, and I feel my own lips turn up watching her throat work with every swallow.
“Gah, that is bitter. I like the wine coolers better.” She holds the amber bottle up to show it’s already half empty.
Her blue eyes lock with mine.
Before I can stop her, her knees frame one of mine, hugging her thighs around my leg.
I kinda like that she’s getting comfortable with me.
“Guess what?” She’s practically bouncing out of her snug jacket with excitement, rubbing herself deliciously against me.
“Chicken butt.” I grin, wrapping my free ankle behind hers, locking her in place.
She snorts just as she’s about to take another drink, pausing to compose herself enough to purse her lips.
The faint scent of strawberries pulls me closer. My palms itch to cup her hips and tug her onto me.
“So…” She draws the word out and fists my collar, bending so her nose almost touches mine. “I found an investor!” Her hot breath pours sweetly over my mouth.
I inhale her passion. She’s more intoxicating than any alcohol.
My voice drops, heady with the nearness of her. “That’s fantastic news. I knew you could do it.” I want to close the gap, the narrow bridge of air between our lips that crackles with tension .
Her blond brows knit as she lowers herself until the heat of her pussy burns through my jeans where she sits. “Really?” Her chin tilts. “Or are you just saying that?”
She still clings to my shirt, but her thumb moves to trace against my bare collarbone where she’s pulled the fabric away.
“Libby…right now, I’d say anything to keep you where you’re at. But I also knew you’d find a way. Anyone who dares say ‘no’ to you is like holding up a stop sign to a hurricane.” I can’t help myself, I let one of my palms reach down to cup her tight ass.
Fuck it, I want her.
Something in her opal eyes shifts from the glimmer of doubt, to the sparkle of fire. “Is that so?” Her thighs squeeze my leg as she moves closer. “So what sign are you holding up?” Her nose brushes mine, hovering that honey mouth of hers over my whiskers.
“Rebels welcome,” I growl, snaking my other arm around her waist, then crash my lips against hers.
Her breath catches, and she freezes before her fingers light on my jaw.
Everyone else before her was leading me here.
A lifetime of fleeting faces disappear into one.
Hers.
My grip grows tighter, pulling her to me.
But when she pauses, lifting her succulent mouth away, I almost groan .
“Blue…I’ve never kissed anyone before,” she whispers, staring into me with wonder glinting her gaze. The pink dart of her tongue darts out leaving a shimmering trail. “I don’t want to mess it up.”
I should stop right now.
Instead I want to be the one to teach her. Be all of her firsts.
Show her how good it can feel.
“You won’t, but I’m happy to let you practice.” My thumb finds her cheek and I let my fingers drift into her silky hair, guiding her back to my hungry lips.
She’s tentative, almost gentle in her exploration.
Maybe I don’t have the patience she needs. I find myself desperate to taste her, pushing my tongue between her teeth until she moans a sweet vibration against me.
She’s berries and beer, mixed with an innocence that I guiltily want to own.
It makes my cock leak in my jeans.
Her hands start to stray, one curling behind my head, the other working it’s naughty fucking path down my chest between us.
When she cups my crotch, I halt her with a gasp.
“Not here. As bad as I want to, I’m not giving in while I’m in your dad’s office.” Pulling her wrist up, I press my lips to her palm .
Her puffy mouth forms a pout, then rises into a sly smile. “But somewhere, though. That’s better than ‘never’.”
“I think I may have lost the battle to a hurricane named Libby.” I pat her hip.
The realization of where I am cools the heat in my blood. “And he may walk in at any moment. Where do you think the beer came from?”
She glances behind her to the two remaining bottles in the pack, making a perfect “O” with her lips. “Shit. Dad only drinks when something big happens.”
When she stands up, I can feel the damp spot on my thigh from where she soaked through our layers of denim.
God, that makes my nuts ache.
Damn it, doing the right thing is ten times harder now that I’ve had a taste of her. “You can tell me about your investors later. I think you might want to talk to him first.”
I’m an idiot.
I could be balls deep in her wet little pussy.
Why am I encouraging her to leave?
Clay has no idea the sacrifices I’m making for him.
Her bottom lip rolls between her teeth as she glances towards the door. “Okay, but just one more.” She reaches for my chest, but I’m quicker. Rising to tower over her, I pull her into me, pouring every ounce of longing into the urgency of my kiss.
I want her to know I’m ready .
That I’m past the doubt and worry.
I’m willing to dive into the shadows with her.
Holding her body to mine, I mold her to me like I did that day on the dancefloor, until we’re pressed so tightly, we’re almost one.
Not yet, but soon.
When I pull away, I think she takes a piece of me with her.
“I don’t know what I did to convince you, but I’m glad it worked.” She gives me a crooked grin.
Loosening her ponytail, she threads the tie around her hair, smoothing it into place. “How’s that?” She tilts her head.
“Perfect.” I know she won’t be back today.
Once Clay fills her in, she won’t want to see me.
But now that the floodgates have been opened, I know this little sample won’t be enough…for either of us.