Chapter 27 Brooks
Brooks
She kissed him. I saw it with my own two eyes, and it knocked the wind right out of me.
I let it ruin my entire mood until Harper finally gives up and says we can leave.
I feel shitty about the way I acted, but I couldn’t stay there and watch Aspen kiss someone else all night.
Even when I tried to focus on something else, my eyes were always searching for her curly head of hair, wondering what she was doing.
It’s pathetic, really.
Even after I got home, I sat inside by the window so I could keep an eye out for when she got home. I could say I just wanted to make sure she got home ok, but really I wanted to make sure she actually came home and didn’t stay the night with him.
I didn’t go to bed until I knew she was home. Which was late.
So now I’m in my office in a shitty mood while I work through a pile of emails I’ve been avoiding for the past week. I keep getting Aspen’s friendly yet pushy emails—Following up on this or Please respond at your earliest convenience.
I can’t respond because all my stupid brain can think of is her.
There’s a knock on my office door.
“Come in.”
Aspen walks in looking nice and refreshed and not pissed off and tired like I am, which only pisses me off even more.
“Morning, Brooks. Here’s your coffee and your jacket from last night. Thank you for letting me borrow it.”
Why does she have to be so nice? And so fucking beautiful?
“No problem. You can just put it there.” I point to the chair, and she lays it down.
“You got home late last night,” I say, sounding like an overbearing father. Can I not just be calm for five seconds?
“I didn’t realize I had a curfew,” she says with a smirk.
“You don’t,” I say quickly. “Of course you don’t. Just noticed you got home late.”
“We all went out for a drink after the fair,” she explains.
“Hmm.”
“Why? Were you worried I went home with someone else?”
Yes. “Nope. You can do whatever you want.”
“That’s right. I can do whatever I want. Because your son broke my heart and you’re well on your way to doing the same.”
Wait. What?
“Aspen—”
She holds up her hand. “No. I don’t want to hear it again. I know why you won’t do anything with me. I understand it. But I cannot sit around pining over another Calloway man.”
“I know that.”
“I’m trying my best to move on. To get you out of my head. Dawson is nice. He’s responsible. He’s fun and attentive. He should be the perfect guy for me. I’m trying to focus my attention on someone besides you.”
I grit my teeth and try to remain calm. “I understand that, Aspen.”
“Really? Because it seems like you’re judging me for staying out late with a man who has been nothing but kind to me.”
“Fine, Aspen. Do whatever you want. I don’t care.” I’m not mad at her. I’m mad at myself for caring so much. I’m mad that she’s right. I am being unfair. I’ve said that nothing can happen between us, but every time we’re near each other, I want her all over again.
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
She turns on her heels and storms out of my office. Not even a second later, Harper appears in the doorway looking very confused.
“Everything ok?” she asks slowly.
Shit. I wonder how much of that she heard. “Yeah. All good.”
“You sure? Aspen looked pretty upset…” She looks from me to the hallway.
“She’s fine. Do you need something?” I snap at her.
“Whoa. Someone’s in a bad mood. Is there… something going on between you two?”
Obviously not now. “No,” I state firmly.
“Are you sure? Because if there was, you know you could tell me, right?”
Harper has always been kind to me. We’ve been through so much together over the years, and she’s my right-hand woman here at the ranch. If I ever needed to get something off my chest, she would be my go-to.
But I can’t find it in me to admit that I have feelings for Aspen. I mean, she’s over a decade younger than me, and Zach… God, Zach would never forgive me if he found out what’s happened between Aspen and me.
No, I need to keep all of this to myself.
“Yeah, I know, Harper,” I say, much calmer than before. “But nothing is going on there.”
She sighs. “Alright. I was gonna see if you wanted to grab lunch later at that new place down past Fourth Street, but I don’t really wanna go if you’re gonna be like this.”
“No, let’s plan on it. I need to go into town anyway.” I stand from my desk. “I’m gonna go ride for a bit. Text me when you’re ready to go.”
“Ok.” She looks at me strangely, but I don’t stop to try to figure out why. I need to get out of here, and I do my best thinking on the back of a horse.
I spent the rest of the day avoiding Aspen.
Childish, yes, but necessary. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.
I’ve never been this messed up over a woman.
Maybe it’s because she’s the one woman I can’t have.
Maybe it’s because I actually enjoy being around her.
Maybe it’s because it feels like she’s the perfect woman for me but we’ve been thrown into a shitty circumstance. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I want her to be mine. I don’t know how to stop wanting her. No matter how hard I try, she’s always on my mind.
So that evening when I see her step out of her cabin with an overnight bag on her shoulder, I freak out.
She’s trying to forget me like I’m trying to forget her, but I know deep down that I don’t want her to forget me. Which means I have to stop her.
She’s going to him.
Blood thunders in my ears. I can’t let her go.
Fuck it.
I yank my front door open and step out into the slight drizzle that’s just started.
“Aspen!” I call out to her.
She stops and looks over at me. “What do you want?” she yells back, her voice laced with annoyance.
“Don’t go.”
It’s what I should’ve said the first time she told me to tell her not to go. I’m an idiot for waiting so long.
“What?” she asks after several seconds of neither one of us saying anything.
“Don’t go,” I repeat a little louder.
The rain is starting to come down harder now, but I can see her slowly blink as she processes what I’m saying.
She takes a step toward me, and I do the same to her.
“Are you saying this out of jealousy?” she asks.
“I’m saying this because I’m done pretending that I don’t want you. I’m done pretending that there’s nothing between us. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
She runs at me, and I open my arms, ready for her to make the jump. I lift her up, her legs wrapping around me as her mouth crashes down on mine.
It’s happening.
It’s finally happening, and I’m not going to stop it this time.
I walk us back to my house since we’re both soaking wet from the rain. Once we’re inside, she drops her bag to the floor, and I gently set her down, but I don’t break our kiss.
She’s mine now. All mine.
I grab the bottom of her wet shirt and pull it up over her head, dropping it down on the floor.
She does the same to my shirt as we slowly make our way to my bedroom. I unhook her bra and let it fall in the hallway.
We’re walking too slow for my liking, so I pick her up again and finish the walk back to my room, placing her down on my bed. I kiss down her neck, all the way down to her nipple. I pull it into my mouth and suck.
She moans loudly, and the sound goes straight to my dick.
“Goddamn, you’re perfect,” I murmur as I move to her other nipple.
She reaches for my belt buckle, and I let her undo it. Her hand presses against my chest until I climb off of her so she can get my jeans off.
She unbuttons my jeans and pushes them all the way down with my boxers. She watches me carefully as I step out of my jeans and kick them away.
She starts to lower to her knees, but I stop her. “Darlin’, you don’t ever need to be on your knees for me. I’m the one who should be worshipping you.”
In one swift movement, I’ve got her back up and on the bed, tugging off her wet leggings. She’s completely bare in front of me, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I drop to my knees and trail slow kisses up her thighs. I blow gently on her pussy, which makes her wriggle.
“Brooks, please.”
“Hmm. You want me to eat your pussy, Aspen?”
“Please!”
I give her center one long lick before I zone in on her clit. My fingers play at her entrance. She’s already so wet for me, so I easily slide two fingers inside her. She squeezes them tightly, and I can already imagine how my cock is going to feel inside her.
“Oh my god!” She grabs onto my comforter.
I keep licking and sucking until her legs are shaking around my head.
“Brooks, I’m gonna come!”
I don’t stop what I’m doing to tell her I’ve been dying to have her come on my tongue for months. I keep my momentum steady until she cries out my name again.
When I pull away, I focus on her swollen lips and flushed cheeks, and all I can think is that she’s finally all mine.
I crawl up her body until my cock is perfectly lined up with her entrance. “You’re sure about this?” I ask. “There’s no turning back after this.”
“I’ve always been sure about this, Brooks.”
Yeah, that’s right. I’m the one who’s been an idiot.
My eyes close as I press inside. She’s so fucking tight. It feels too good.
Once I’m fully seated inside her, I open my eyes. She’s watching me carefully.
“Are you ok?” I ask.
“Yes, I just need you to move.”
“I just need a second.”
It’s been so long since I’ve had sex, and she feels too damn good. The last thing I want is to embarrass myself by coming too soon. Once I steady my breathing, I start moving. Slowly at first, but then I get into a rhythm. She lifts one knee closer to her chest, which helps me get a deeper angle.
“Holy fuck, Aspen. Too good. It’s too good.”
“I know. I know!” she cries.
Her tits bounce with every thrust, and I find myself absolutely entranced with this woman. The way her mouth opens in an O when I hit deep inside her. The way her back arches off the bed. The way her eyes roll back. The way we fit together. Everything about her is perfect.
I feel myself getting closer to the edge. I know I’m going to come any second. It’s in this moment that I realize I’ve fucked up because I forgot a condom.
I pull out of her quickly and finish on her stomach.
As I catch my breath, I stare down at her in pure amazement. It’s never been like that before. Sure, I love sex. Who doesn’t? But with Aspen, it felt like so much more.
She’s ruined me forever. And I think I might be ok with that.