12. Mira
Mira
“Did you get everything boarded up?” I ask Cord when he comes in the door of his cabin.
He looks dead on his feet and so damn exhausted.
He’s spent the last hour boarding things up around the ranch.
A pretty intense storm is expected overnight.
He sent me back to the cabin telling me to go to bed and get some sleep.
But the truth is, I didn’t want to sleep, not without my husband home.
He gives me a weary nod, presses a kiss to my forehead, and says, “I’m going to bed.”
He’s already given me his bed in his room, and he said he’d take the guest. I tried to insist that I was the guest, but he gave me one of those panty-melting looks and said, “You aren’t a guest. You’re my wife.”
I stand from the couch, thinking of the nightmares that are likely to plague him. He seems to sleep so much better when I’m beside him. “Wait, I get cold at night. Do you think you could sleep in the same bed with me?”
He gives a quick nod. He’s either too exhausted to object or he enjoys sleeping next to me. I hope it’s the second reason.
In his bed, I put my head on his shoulder, loving the way his body relaxes into mine. It’s so much easier to sleep when we’re together.
“You were right,” I tell him, “Valor Ranch is amazing.”
I’m woken hours later by a loud clap of thunder, and I fight not to whimper. I hate reminders of that night.
Cord’s arm wraps around me sleepily, but his eyes aren’t open. I think he’s between wake and sleep, and I don’t want him worrying about me. He has to be exhausted after our day, and tomorrow is going to be just as tiring. “You go back to sleep.”
I wrap myself in my robe and make my way toward the kitchen. I pause in the living room when I see Molly and Milo cowering underneath the couch.
“It’s okay,” I croon to them. “Come in here with mama.”
The two of them follow me into the kitchen. My eyes go to the window just as lightning flashes, lighting up the sky purple. Lightning is one of nature’s most beautiful shows, but it just reminds me of the scariest moment of my life.
I struggle to focus on my breathing, the way my therapist taught me. I don’t know if the anxiety around storms will ever get better, but I’ve spent the last few years trying to at least ease it.
Strong arms wrap around me from behind, and I melt into Cord. My back is to his chest, and some of the tension leaves my body now that he’s here. “Shh, I’ve got you. I’m right here.”
We stand in silence for a long moment, neither of us moving as the thunder cracks and the lightning flashes, and through it all, my man is a steady support.
“I was sixteen and driving on a night just like this. A truck driver had a medical emergency at the wheel. He lost control of his vehicle, and it crossed the double lines.”
“Fuck, sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” he murmurs.
“They had to use the jaws of life to get me out. There were so many surgeries after that, and the doctors didn’t think I would ever walk again. I remember being so scared.”
“You fought your way back, my brave warrior,” he says.
Hearing him call me brave does something to my insides, it warms them and reminds me that I’m strong. I clear my throat and tell him, “I’m lucky to be alive. But these things still really freak me out. But you don’t have to stay up with me. You have an early day tomorrow.”
“We’re married. Your burdens are my burdens,” he rumbles.
He presses a soft kiss to the top of my forehead, his beard tickling my ear. Then he steps away long enough to grab a saucepan and heat up milk. He makes me hot chocolate, keeping up a steady stream of chatter as he does. He tells me funny stories from his time in the military.
“It sounds like you guys spend a lot of time pranking each other,” I say when we’ve settled on the couch in his living room.
There’s a fire going in the fireplace, and he insisted on covering me with a quilt.
Molly and Milo are resting on the floor at my feet in a nest of blankets that Cord put down for them.
The sweet hot chocolate warms me up even more with every sip.
But the warmest thing of all is how kind my husband is.
He chuckles. “You serve with people long enough, and you get a read on them, their sense of humor, the things they’d find funny or annoying. Helps ease the tension to prank each other.”
“Thanks for this,” I murmur when we’ve drifted into silence again.
Outside, the thunder has already started to quiet, and the lightning is becoming more sporadic. The sound of the rain coming down is still loud on the roof, but I find it’s not quite as terrifying now that Cord is beside me.
He nods. “Anytime you’re scared, you come to me.”
I finish my hot chocolate and set the mug on the coffee table. I lean close to him, licking my lower lip.
“What if we distract each other, just for tonight?”
His gaze strays to my lips. “I thought that was against the rules.”
“You’re right,” I agree and start to pull away.
It’s not fair for me to run hot and cold. He’ll start to feel like I’m using him. But then Cord strokes his beard and says, “Unless, of course, we argue about jurisdiction. Do the terms of the original agreement still hold if we’re in another location?”
“That’s a good point. Maybe we can bend the rules?”
He ducks his head, kissing me deep and slow. One hand cups my head while his other works at the belt on my robe until it’s open.
My nipples pebble beneath my thin sleep shirt, and I instinctively put my chest against his. Even through the material of my shirt, I love the way we feel pressed together. I rub myself shamelessly, whimpering the entire time. “It’s been too long. Need you now.”
“Soon,” he promises, his hands dipping beneath the hem of my panties until he finds my silky folds. He swirls my wetness around on his fingers, coating himself in my juices. “You’re so responsive for me.”
“I’ve been wet all week,” I admit quietly as his thick finger breaches my channel. It feels so good to have him inside of me. It’s what I’ve been quietly craving.
He groans. “Kept falling asleep with my hand on my dick and wishing you were there.”
His words have me clamping down on his digit. Behind me, I feel his erection nestled against my ass. He pushes forward, seeking his own friction.
“Make love to me,” I whisper, needing this more than my next breath. I don’t know how either of us have survived this past week when the only thing that makes me feel sane, makes me feel whole, is being with my cowboy.
“You have to come for me first,” he croons. “Come like a good girl then you can have my big, thick cock in this tight pussy of yours.”
I whimper at his words. He’s so big, and he’s filling me so much.
I didn’t even realize how empty I was until he put his fingers in my pussy.
I rub my clit furiously, stars finally exploding behind my eyes.
When I come, it’s with his whispered words of praise in my ear.
He’s telling me how much he likes to see me touch myself, how it turns him on to know his wife is playing with her clit.
Between his words and the first orgasm, I’m even more desperate for him. I need to feel his big cock, pushing into me, claiming and owning my body. “Inside me. Now.”
I toss all of my clothes on the floor, bumping him with my elbow twice, but he doesn’t care. He’s naked just as quickly as I am. Later, I’m going to spread him out and kiss every inch of his skin. I’ll let him know his wife adores him. But first, I need him to fuck me. Long and hard.
I stretch out on the couch, and he’s over me in an instant. His velvet steel cock slides into my weeping pussy in one smooth stroke. “You belong to me. You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go.”
My hands trace his body, feeling the muscles in his back ripple with every powerful thrust. “You’re so big, husband.”
He groans, his hand finding its way between our bodies so he can stroke my clit. His roughened skin is just enough friction to make me even wetter. “Say it again.”
“Big.”
He growls at me, and I grin. But then he picks up the pace, thrusting even faster and demanding I say it again as he pants above me.
“Husband,” I groan out the word softly as the orgasm sweeps over me. His must start at the same time because suddenly, my body is milking his cock. I’m taking every drop of his come deep inside. There’s something so primal about knowing he’s filling me up with his seed.
He collapses onto the couch next to me, pulling me close. His head rests on my chest, listening to my heartbeat, as he murmurs, “You always make it so good.”
Cord
I smile the next morning when I wake and see Mira curled up against me.
Her hair is wild, and her body is naked.
We spent all night last night touching each other and kissing and making out.
At some point, in the middle of the night, I hauled us both back to the big bed.
My plan was to let Mira sleep more comfortably.
But then she woke back up, and we made love all over again.
When we go back to Asheville, I suspect she’ll retreat behind her rules again. But that’s okay. This weekend has shown me that I’m making progress with her, even if there are moments when it doesn’t feel like it.
I get out of bed, feed the dogs, and go to walk them. I let out a slow whistle as soon as I step onto the front porch.
This whole place is a mess from the storm last night. It was every bit as bad as predicted if the downed tree limbs and debris are anything to go by. We’re going to have a hell of a long day ahead of us on the farm.
The dogs finish their business just as Kane comes jogging into my front yard. He points with his thumb behind us. “There’s pretty bad damage in town. Some of the businesses had trees fall on them, and people lost windows and shingles. A bunch of us are going to lend a hand.”
My heart warms hearing him say that. Even though I hate the storm damage that was caused, I love living in a place where neighbors are willing to drop everything to help each other.
Before I can open my mouth, Mira pushes open the screen door and steps outside. She’s wrapped in a slinky little robe. I want to spend the day removing that with my teeth and loving her in our bed. “What’s going on?”
I quickly relay the situation only for her to square her shoulders. “Okay, we’ll be there to help.”
Seven minutes later, we’re in my truck. I love that Mira threw on some clothes, grabbed a protein bar, and just showed up.
It takes us almost two hours just to get into the heart of town because there are so many trees on the road.
We keep stopping to use chainsaws to break them down.
Once we’re finally in town, I’m relieved to see that although the damage is bad, it’s not as severe as it could have been.
Still, though, we have a few rough days of cleaning up ahead.
We hurry over to the tent where Ranger Scott is in his wheelchair.
He’s bouncing one of his kids in his arms and issuing orders to everyone around us.
He runs the Scott Ranch here in Courage County.
When his grandfather died, he made it required that each man marry very quickly.
As a result, each man fell in love with a mail order bride.
It’s the kind of stuff that I used to think was a little bit crazy then I met Mira, and I get it.
Love is crazy, and it makes us do crazy things for the ones we care about.
We get our marching orders from Ranger, but before Mira leaves, I grab her and plant a possessive kiss on her lips. Don’t want any of the men around here getting any ideas about who this beautiful girl belongs to.
Then I head off in the direction of Sprinkles, Sadie’s donut shop. I move around a stack of lumber that one of the guys is already building. He must have cut up a hell of a tree to have this much firewood.
Cartwright falls into step beside me. He’s the town lawyer. He handles almost everything legal that we have going on. “Just wanted you to know I finished your request.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“Tiny problem though. My office was hit with some damage, so it might take me a few days to find the papers.”
“Expected that,” I answer.
“Now, are you sure about this?” He asks. He asked me twice during our phone call.
“A post nuptial agreement is the right thing to do. It protects her financial interests and ensures she won’t struggle because of the choices I’ve made. Any thing I’m missing?”
He shrugs. “People get testy when it comes to money. Talk to her first, and whatever you do, don’t co-mingle accounts until you’ve made decisions together. After that, it becomes very messy to keep her free from your debts.”
I grunt because all I care about is protecting her. If I have my way, she’ll never even find out about my debt. She shouldn’t have to carry the burden just because I walked into our marriage owing more money than I can possibly pay off in a lifetime.