Chapter 35
reed
She was barely speaking to me. The tension was so thick, I didn’t think there was anything sharp enough to cut it. It felt like it did last summer. The few words that I did get out of her were quick and cutting. She was hurt, and knowing Lina, she knew exactly how to ice me out.
“Do you want me to get dinner?” I asked her as she came out of the shower.
Her hair was still wet. Fuck! This was torture.
She was wearing Daisy Dukes and a crop top, showing off more skin than I needed her to right now. My cock twitched against my zipper.
“Do whatever you want,” she said, not even looking at me while she shoved her feet into her boots.
“Going somewhere?” I grabbed one of my boots, preparing to go with her.
“Out,” she said simply.
Seeing me shoving my feet into boots, she straightened up, looking me in the eyes. My breath caught. There was so much pain and sadness there.
“Please, don’t come with me,” she pleaded.
“Lina—”
“Please.” Her please broke my heart. “Christian and Kale are meeting me. I’ll be fine. I won’t leave my drink unattended for one second. I promise.”
It was the most she’d said to me in several days.
I didn’t want to dampen her spirit and tell her no.
I wanted to give her everything she needed.
And if she needed this right now to help her blow off some steam, I had to let her go …
even if it killed me … even if it felt like every muscle was being torn from my body to let her go without me.
I gave her a nod. “Text me if you need me to come get you.”
She gave me a small, sad smile, and it was the biggest punch in the gut. “Thank you,” she said before leaving me behind in the trailer.
I tried not to worry, stretched out on the shitty kitchenette booth bed.
I lay there, my hands behind my head, staring at the ceiling and listening to every sound around our camp.
Every voice sounded familiar. Every crack of wood sounded like someone sneaking around in the dark.
Every horse whinny sounded like an alarm that someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be.
I had my bag right beside me, just in case I needed to retrieve my . 38 if we had an unwanted guest.
My ears strained to hear Lina’s boots running up the stairs.
She didn’t go anywhere slowly. She went mach speed, just like Mushu.
I didn’t want to be the one who slowed her down.
She was young and vivacious. Anyone who locked her down would be lucky, but it didn’t need to be now.
It didn’t need to be me. Not unless she wanted it—truly wanted it.
I wasn’t about to push her into anything she didn’t want to do.
I would love her but leave her wild. She would always be my wild girl.
But goddammit, I was losing patience. My heart was bleeding in my chest, and I needed to stanch it. Otherwise, I was going to bleed out.
I needed her to put me out of my misery.
I was so on edge. Jude called me tonight after Lina left, telling me that they were going to go after some lost cattle and didn’t know how long they’d be gone.
Marshall and Jace were moving the herd to rented pasture and would remain on watch duty.
He assured me Penn was with Romy, but they were going to be the only ones on the ranch for a little bit.
Hazel had turned herself over yesterday to serve her sentence, and now it was just Romy with two kids. I didn’t like the sound of that.
I needed to talk to Lina about leaving first thing in the morning.
Junior was up to something. I felt it.
Unable to lay there, I threw the blanket off, shoved my legs into pants, and shrugged on a shirt. I pulled on my boots and picked up my wallet, keys, and cell phone.
I checked my phone and sent Lina a text.
Me
Your time’s up, sweetheart.
I wanted to give her all the time in the world to process and make a decision about us, but time didn’t feel like it was on our side anymore.
Not when I could feel something ominous was brewing, like a shift in the wind.
I needed to find out Junior’s whereabouts, and unfortunately, there was only one person who could tell me.
Me
Did Junior ever show back up after I was there the other night? Is your friend OK?
Elise
Friend’s fine. You checking up on me now, husband?
Okay, bad idea to text her. She must be on one.
Me
Nevermind. Forget I asked.
Elise
Don’t be an ass. Sure he has. Going to let me see Penn soon?
Me
I’ll have my lawyer call you again.
Elise
I don’t want to go through your lawyer, Reed.
Me
It’s your only option now.
Elise
She’s my daughter! It’s not my only option.
Fuck! This was going south quickly. Without a text back from Lina, I headed out the door. Going to my truck to get my Glock from under the seat instead of my .38 because it concealed better, I clipped it beneath my waistband, covering it with my shirt.
My cell buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, reading it as I walked back toward the rodeo grounds.
Lina
Please, Reed. I still need time. You need to fucking give it to me.
Yep, she was still upset and probably drunk. Perfect combination for Lina.
Me
Something’s up at Thornbrush. We don’t have time for this anymore.
Lina
What’s going on?
Me
I don’t know, but Jude called and said they needed to go find some missing cattle. Penn’s with Romy, but they’re the only ones on the ranch right now. This doesn’t feel right to me.
At the same time, Lina’s text came through.
Lina
Fuck! Just tried calling Dad. His phone went straight to voicemail. They must be out of range wherever they are.
Me
Where are you? I’m going to come get you.
Lina
I’m leaving now. I just told Christian.
Me
Don’t leave by yourself. Stay there. I’m coming to get you.
“Fuck,” I cursed, quickening my pace, not wanting her to leave the bar by herself.
Lina
Already left. Walking back now.
I was running now, needing to get to her before someone else did. My heart pounded out of my chest. I couldn’t let anything happen to her.
Then I saw her silhouette speed-walking toward me.
“Reed!”
She picked up her pace, and I ate up the distance with my long strides until I could grip her arms, steadying her. She tipped her chin up to look at me. Her face was stricken, her eyes wide. She smelled like bourbon and shampoo, and her hair was now dry in wild waves.
“God, you’re beautiful.” I couldn’t help myself. She looked wilder now than I’d ever seen her, and with the thought that I couldn’t reach her in time if something happened to her … I don’t think I’d ever be able to live with myself. “I need you, Lina. This has been torture. I’m in fucking pain.”
“Like I’m not in pain? I know. It’s torture for me, too, but this hurt feels different,” she said, shaking her head. “What’s going on at Thornbrush?”
“Some of the herd is missing, and they’re all heading out to search. Romy is alone on the ranch.”
“Shit! That’s not good. You think it’s Junior?”
“We need to find out for sure. Have you seen your stalker looming around at all tonight?” I asked, looking around us as if he was going to pop out from behind a tree at any moment.
“No, I haven’t seen any sign of him. I was glued to Christian and Kale’s side the whole night, even though Kale was getting fucking annoyed with me shooing off the buckle bunnies.
” She huffed a laugh, but there wasn’t any humor in her voice.
She sounded as frantic as I felt. “What should we do, Reed?”
“Well, you can’t drive tonight if you’ve been drinking. I could drive us and take Mushu’s trailer, but that would mean leaving the fifth wheel and your truck here. I think it’s best we wait a little bit and leave first thing in the morning.”
“How am I going to sleep after this?”
“I know. I’m not going to be able to sleep, either. Come on.” I slipped my hand to her lower back not wanting to push my luck, leading us back to the trailer, the whole time scanning our surroundings. “He didn’t fucking come like I told him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wayne Urban. He was supposed to come with answers. It’s been two weeks. I warned him,” I growled, my fist clenching at my side. I felt the weight of the Glock at my waist.
As soon as we were in the trailer, Lina went to pull away, but I swung her back to me, needing to hold her.
“Reed, I—”
“I know, sweetheart. You don’t need to tell me anything. Not tonight. I just need you.”
I could feel her breath freeze in her chest. Her heart was pounding against mine.
I tipped her chin up to gaze into her smoky, brown eyes.
Eyes that had captured me from the beginning when I saw her across the Saddle Room bar.
So full of desire and mischief, big and beautiful just like her heart.
Eyes that made me fall in love with her from the moment I saw her.
“Reed …” She hesitated. I hated that she hesitated. “I—I can give you that.”
“That’s all I ask.” I leaned down, pressing my lips to hers. Feeling her immediately melt against me as I deepened the kiss, stroking down the middle of her tongue with mine.
She moaned into my mouth.
Her hands gripped my shirt as she started to walk backward, her mouth never leaving mine.
We stopped momentarily to pull off our boots, coming back together while we unbuttoned and shucked our pants.
I set down the Glock on the counter and helped her out of her shirt and bra, letting my palms run over her hardened nipples until she gathered the fabric of my shirt to help me out of it.
We left a trail of clothes on our way to the bedroom. The back of her legs hit the bed, and I hoisted her up onto the mattress, my hands never leaving her, wanting to feel every curve and dip. I ran my fingers up the inside of her thighs, parting them so I could fit between them.
Lina scooted up the bed until her head rested on the pillow. Her hair spread out like a halo around her.
“You’re so beautiful. I can’t get over how gorgeous you are. Every time I look at you, it’s like the air is sucked right out of my lungs.”
“Reed.” Her brow furrowed like she was in agony. I couldn’t stand hurting her.
“I know. You’re my fire. Sucking the oxygen right out of me. If this is the last time I have you, that I can feel you, I want to make this last.”
She arched up, capturing my lips, nipping and sucking. “No talking. Please.”
I wanted to make love to her, let her feel everything I felt in every touch, in every kiss, in every whisper against her skin.
I was going to worship her first, and then once both of us were desperate, needing more, I was going to bury my cock inside her, leaving my mark.
Claiming her because no matter what happened after today, she would always have my heart whether she’d accept it or not.
“You have me, sweetheart.”
I didn’t need her to reply. She just needed to let me love her.
I trailed kisses along her jaw, pressing my lips down her throat, sucking on that sensitive spot beneath her ear.
Her fingers threaded through my hair, holding me to her.
My hands cupped her tits, dragging my thumbs over her stiffened peaks.
She hummed. Her hips rolling beneath mine, seeking that friction I knew she was already desperate for.
“Reed,” she whined. “I need you inside me.”
“Not yet, baby. I need to taste you first.”
I continued my journey, my mouth coasting over her chest until I could pinch her nipple between my teeth. I gave a little bite before capturing it into my mouth, letting my tongue swirl over it. Her hips bucked in response, nearly coming off the mattress, my dick brushing her clit.
“Do that again,” she pleaded.
“Can’t have the other one jealous.” I pressed kisses to her sternum as I traveled to her other breast, taking it between my teeth until I could suck on it, flicking it with my tongue just like I knew she wanted me to do to her clit.
“Oh, Reed.” Her back arched.
I lowered myself, letting her feel my weight above her, letting her rub against my piercings while I paid special attention to her tits. I could feel myself leaking onto her pussy. I was already desperate for her.
“Sweetheart, if you keep that up, I’m going to come all over you before you can even feel my cock inside you, and I still need to suck that pretty little clit.”
Her hips stilled. “Can’t have that.”
She pushed on my shoulders then, and I couldn’t help chuckling. “Feeling a little greedy, are we?”
“I need your mouth on me, cowboy.”
I inched down her body, pressing my lips to her belly, along her hip bones, and right above her clit. Her hips rolled in response.
She nearly flew off the bed when I wrapped my mouth around her clit, swirling my tongue just as I’d done to her tits. Her breaths came fast and heavy. Her hands gripped my hair with intensity.
“That feels so good.” She moaned.
“You taste like heaven,” I whispered into her core, my lips brushing against her while she writhed. “The best fucking dessert.”
“I need your tongue,” she demanded.
I speared my tongue inside her, as deep as I could go, while I drew circles around her clit with my fingertip.
Her hands gripped me harder, but I could tell she needed more.
“Baby.” I got up, repositioning us so I was on my back and she was on top. “Sit on my face. Take what you need.”
I scooted down until she was directly above me and pulled on her hips.
“Sit, sweetheart.”