Need You To Choose Me (Bluebonnet Creek #2)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

SAVANNAH

March

“Double whiskey on the rocks,” I say to the bartender as I slide onto the first open barstool.

The guy gives me a curious look, but he doesn’t comment as he grabs a glass, throwing a few cubes of ice in it before placing it on the bar in front of me and pouring my drink.

The moment he starts to lift the bottle, I wrap my fingers around the cool glass, toss my head back, and down the drink.

My eyes squeeze shut as the alcohol burns down my throat, making tears prickle under my eyelids.

Shit, this is strong.

But I needed strong.

More than that, I needed to feel numb tonight.

And this was the only way I knew how to do it.

Blinking my eyes open, I wave to the guy for a refill.

I was determined to get drunk tonight.

Maybe that would help erase the last few days from my memory.

Or at least alleviate this sharp ache inside my chest.

Because today was the day I put my grandmother, my only living family, to rest.

It still felt surreal. Even at seventy-five years old, Grams was one of the most vibrant people I knew. I loved her to pieces, although some days, she drove me crazy with how independent she was. How damn stubborn. That woman was energetic, opinionated, loud, and generally didn’t take shit from anybody.

How could a person like that be gone?

One day, she was here telling me I should ditch my piece-of-shit boyfriend and find myself a nice man who would treat me well so I could focus on him and stop bossing her around already, and the next, I found her lifeless body lying in her bed.

A heart attack.

My throat grows tight as the image of her pale face flashes in my mind, and more tears gather in my eyes.

She was right, though.

Mark was a piece of shit.

Not just that, he was a lying, cheating piece of shit.

Which was the second reason I was drinking tonight.

I didn’t think it was too much to expect my boyfriend of four years to attend my grandmother’s funeral, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Mark told me he couldn’t come because he was too busy at work. To say he and Grams didn’t get along would be an understatement. So I did it all alone. Yes, my friends were there, as was half of Bluebonnet. After all, Grams was very loved in our little community, but that wasn’t nearly the same.

Now that she was gone, I was on my own.

Completely and utterly alone.

The funeral and the wake were a blur of emotions and people as I tried my best to keep myself from falling apart. I couldn’t break down in front of my small town. My family was enough of a spectacle as it was.

But then everybody left, and it was somehow even worse. It felt like the walls of my childhood home were narrowing down on me. Asphyxiating me. I couldn’t stay there. I needed to get away. I needed to breathe . I needed to forget. I needed somebody familiar.

I needed Mark.

So, I figured I’d go and visit him. The two-hour drive cleared my mind a little, but when I got to Houston, his house was empty. So I decided to drive to his office instead. Mr. Rodriguez, one of the security guards I got to know in the past, was at the front desk. After a quick chat, he let me go up to Mark’s office.

The hallway was quiet as I walked; the plush rug carpets muffled the sound of my clinking heels. I was in such a hurry to leave I didn’t even bother changing after the funeral. Most of the offices were in the dark, his colleagues long gone by now.

Except his.

The door to Mark’s office was ajar, light peeking through the small crack.

I pushed the door open just as a loud moan came from the room.

My body froze as I slowly lifted my gaze and took in the image in front of me. An unfamiliar blonde was bent over Mark’s desk, his tall figure standing over hers, his face sweaty, cheeks red as he pounded into her from behind.

Just thinking about it made my stomach roll and the bile rise up my throat.

I told you so.

I could hear Grams say those words loud and clear to me in my mind. Grams wasn’t one to pull punches, and she hated Mark. Hell, she hated all of my ex-boyfriends. Always claimed none of them were good enough for me, but what if she was wrong? What if it wasn’t them? What if it was me? What if I was the problem? What if I was broken? What if I was unlovable?

Do you seriously think somebody could love you? You were a means to an end, Savvy. You had one purpose, and you blew it. If I knew how much trouble you were going to be, I would have gotten rid of you while I had the chance, but now I’m stuck with you.

The hateful words from my past are like a slap to my face. Grabbing my glass, I chug it, only to choke on the bitter liquid.

Shit.

I bend forward as I try to catch my breath when I feel a hand pat against my back. “Easy now.”

The low, raspy voice has the hair at my nape standing at attention. Following the sound, I turn to the side, but my vision is too blurry to see clearly. All I can do is feel. Feel a big hand soothe up and down my back, making the goosebumps rise on my skin. Feel the warm body sitting next to me, his knee brushing against mine. Smell the spicy scent of an unfamiliar man’s cologne.

Finally, I stop coughing and manage to catch my breath. Blinking a few times, the guy’s face comes into focus, and my mouth goes dry, but for a completely different reason.

Holy shit, this man is gorgeous.

And tall. So damn tall. You could see it even when he was sitting. How did I miss him taking the chair next to mine, I’ll never understand. Because there was nothing subtle about this man. I was pretty sure when he entered the room, everybody knew it. My tongue darts out, sliding over my dry lips as I stare at him.

It wasn’t just his physical appearance either. There is a silent intensity shining in his light eyes as he watches me. Blue or gray? It was hard to tell in the dimly lit room. His dark hair is rich, the ends curling around his ears, and a neatly trimmed beard is covering his jaw. He’s dressed in simple jeans and a blue polo shirt that reveals his firm bicep with a full sleeve of tattoos adorning his tanned skin.

His brows pull together, a few lines marring his forehead. “You okay, Blondie?”

Hearing that nickname snaps me back into reality. Feeling embarrassed, I look away, searching for the bartender. “Fine . ”

The guy is serving the customer on the other side of the bar. I lift my hand, signaling for another round, and he nods in acknowledgment.

“Do you really think that’s a wise idea?” my companion continues without missing a beat.

Seriously? Is this guy for real?

Annoyance rises under my skin. I didn’t come here for a lecture; I came here to forget, and he was making it impossible. I tilt my head to the side to find him watching me, his long fingers wrapped around a glass of rich brown liquid. “Who are you? My dad?”

Those astute eyes lock on me, and it takes everything in me not to shudder. “I could probably be.”

I let out a snort just as the bartender appears with my refill. “You’re not that old, buddy.”

At this angle, I could see a few lines on his face, mostly around his eyes and on his forehead, but he was far from old. Older? Probably. He had what? Eight years on me? Ten tops, which would put him in his mid-thirties. Definitely not more than that.

What the hell was a guy like that doing at a random hotel bar in the middle of nowhere Texas? He didn’t seem like the country type. Even with the beard and messy hair, he was still too clean-cut for this place. And there was no hint of a Southern accent either. A passerby. Maybe on business?

My eyes dart down to his glass and the hand wrapped around it. No ring. Or line where one was supposed to be.

Why the hell are you looking at his ring finger? I chastise myself as the bartender refills my glass. Get a grip, girl.

“Some days I feel that old.” He tips his chin in my direction. “What is a gorgeous woman like you doing drinking all by herself?”

His question brings Mark back to the forefront of my mind, and the anger that’s been simmering under the surface of hurt comes back swinging.

“Lying, cheating ex- boyfriend,” I grit through my clenched teeth.

That’s better, though. Because if I focused on Mark, I could forget the empty hollowness that losing Grams left inside of me.

“Huh, so I guess we’re the same.”

It takes me a moment to register his words. My head whips in the direction of the handsome stranger, my mouth falling open. “What?”

“Today, I signed two of the most important documents in my life. Including finalizing the divorce from my lying, cheating ex- wife.”

Wife? He was married? Scratch that, she cheated on him? Was she nuts? Why would somebody cheat on a man like that ? If I was coming home to that man every night, I couldn’t imagine myself even glancing at another guy, much less cheating on him.

He lifts his glass before he downs his drink in one go, something dark and dangerous flashing in those light irises. Contrary to me, he doesn’t seem the least bit affected by the alcohol.

My throat bobs as I swallow, following his lead.

He waves at the bartender for another round. Once our glasses are filled, he clinks it against mine. “To better luck in love?”

I let out a strangled laugh, running my fingers through my hair. “Yeah, I think not. I’ve had my fair share of it, and I’m officially done with love. Hell, I’m done with men. ”

His brow quirks up. “That bad?”

I can feel his gaze roam over my face, taking in every little detail. I shift in my seat, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his sharp eyes that don’t seem to miss anything. The motion makes my knee bump against his under the table, and a jolt of electricity shoots through my body at the small touch.

He must feel it, too, because I can see his pupils dilate.

He lifts his glass to his mouth, not once breaking the contact between us as he takes a slow sip of his drink.

My gaze falls to his mouth. One amber droplet clinging to that full lip. His tongue darts out, and my heart starts to race inside my chest as I watch him sweep it off his lip.

“We’re closing in fifteen,” the bartender says as he grabs our glasses, breaking us out of our staring contest.

I look down, a strand of hair slipping from behind my ear like a shield. “Well, that’s a bummer.”

Taking my bag from the table, I push to my feet. My belly feels warm from all the drinks I had. In hindsight, it might not have been the best idea to drink so much because I still had a good hour’s drive in front of me before I got back home.

Home to my empty house and my memories of Grams.

The stranger gets up and stops in front of me.

I tilt my head back to find him observing me with a silent intensity. It’s like he can see into my very soul. Those light irises have grown darker, the shade of the sky just before the storm hits.

My stomach twists, warmth spreading through me, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the alcohol and everything to do with this man standing in front of me.

He lifts his hand, and I suck in a breath, bracing for the contact. His fingers gently brush the lock of my hair behind my ear as his gaze falls on my mouth. His jaw works as he just stares at me, and my thighs clench together as neediness pulses through me. A need I haven’t felt in so long, it leaves me breathless for a second.

“You want to get out of here?” he asks in that gruff voice that makes goosebumps rise on my skin.

My heart starts beating faster, my palms turning sweaty.

He can’t mean…

But he does.

Oh, how he does.

My teeth sink into my lower lip.

I should say no. That would be the most logical answer. I wasn’t one for hookups. I was a good girl who followed the rules. I was the type of girl who went on at least three dates before sleeping with a man.

And where did that get you? A little voice at the back of my head challenges. Dating losers who can’t make you come, only to cheat on you and leave you brokenhearted, that’s where.

This man wasn’t a loser. I don’t know how I knew it. I simply did. And I was pretty sure he knew how to treat a woman. There was this air around him. Confidence oozed off of him in waves. Besides, what did I have to lose? I had nobody waiting for me back at home, only memories and those I did not want to face. We were both available and newly single.

One night.

It would be one night where I could forget everything and just be.

Then I can go back to my boring, ordinary life in Bluebonnet Creek.

What would be the harm in that?

“Okay,” I whisper softly, the words barely audible.

Surprise flashes on his face but is quickly replaced by need. “You sure, Blondie?”

There it was. That nickname. I shouldn’t like it. But damn it, I did. There was just something in the way he said it, like a lover’s caress.

I nod softly. “Let’s go.”

He stands still for a second longer as if he’s giving me a chance to change my mind before his hand drops and takes mine, our fingers interlocking. My heartbeat echoes in my eardrums as he leads me out of the bar and into the hallway. The elevator is just about to close when his hand shoots up, and we manage to scramble inside, along with an older couple. My palm grows damp while they eye us with interest.

Do they know? Can they see we’re two strangers who are about to hook up? And if they do, why do I care? I’ll never see them again. Just like I’ll never see this man again after tonight. It didn’t matter.

I look away, my eyes fixing on our reflection in the mirror.

Now that we’re standing under the bright lights, I can finally see him clearly. He looks larger than life, towering over me a good foot, his wide shoulders taking a good portion of the tight space. His warm fingers are still safely clasped around mine. He’s dark to my light. He runs his fingers through his hair, making the thick locks unruly around his head, and his skin has a glow to it of a man who spends time out under the sun. Nothing like my fair skin that burns the moment I step out of my house.

We look good together, more than good really. We look like a couple.

Don’t go there, I remind myself. You’re not a couple. You’re just hooking up; that’s all.

He must feel me watching because his gaze meets mine, and the fire blazing in his irises makes me shudder. It’s like he’s devouring me with his gaze alone, and suddenly, the elevator seems too small, the air too thick, his hand on mine too hot.

The ride to his floor seems to last forever, but when the bell finally chimes, I barely get to say goodbye before he pulls me out into the hallway and marches toward his room. He presses the card against the lock, and the light barely shines green before I’m ushered into a dark room.

The door falls shut, and he spins us around. All the air is kicked out of my lungs as my back touches the hardwood. Soft light is peeking through the curtain over his shoulder, but then he’s in front of me, and he’s the only thing I can see. The only thing I can feel .

“You’re so fucking gorgeous, Blondie,” he rasps. Those large palms frame my face, tilting my head back as his thumb skims over my lower lip. “I saw you the moment I stepped into the bar, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.”

He leans down, but before he can press his mouth against mine, I turn my head to the side so his lips brush against my cheek, his beard sending shivers as he kisses down the side of my neck and back up. My arms wrap around his neck, fingers sinking into that lush hair to pull him back.

“No kissing on the lips,” I whisper softly as his eyes meet mine. “One night. No names. No kissing.”

My heart is beating so hard it feels like it’ll break out of my chest as I wait for his reaction.

Those were my rules, and if he didn’t want to follow them, well… Tough luck.

Those full lips tempted me so badly, but I knew kissing him would be a mistake. It would feel too personal, and I couldn’t deal with that. I don’t know what it was about this man, but I knew he had the potential to break what little of my heart was left intact, and I couldn’t allow that.

I was broken too many times by too many people. I would not allow another person to once again have this power over me.

And it started today.

With this man.

Those silver eyes darken like the sky just before the storm. The time seems to be ticking down slowly as he weighs my words, and for a second, I think he’ll reject me.

I’m about to tell him this was a mistake, but he’s faster.

Before I can blink, he flips me over. I brace my hands against the door as his lips trace the column of my neck, and that raspy voice whispers in my ear, “Whatever you want, Blondie.”

His body envelopes mine, the warmth of his skin seeping into me as his hard cock presses against the small of my back.

Holy shit, he’s big.

Way bigger than I thought.

And so damn hard.

My thighs clench in anticipation as his hands slide down my sides and onto my stomach, pulling me closer to him. My dress rides up my legs, his rock-hard length nestles between my ass cheeks, and I can feel him groan.

“Fuck, that dress has been driving me crazy all night long.” His palms slide lower. “Those fucking legs and shoes. I could see them wrapped around my waist, your heels digging into my ass as I pounded into you until I could hear you scream my name. I guess hearing you scream will have to be enough.” His hand moves to the inside of my thigh, slipping upward until he reaches my center. “ Shit , you’re so wet for me already, Blondie.” My eyes fall shut, and I roll my hips against his hand, needing more friction, needing to satiate this ache inside my pussy. “So fucking needy too. When was the last time your ex made you come?”

Too long. I shake my head. It’s been way too long since a man has given me pleasure.

“I don’t want to talk about my ex,” I breathe as I loop one hand back, my fingers playing with the soft curls at the back of his neck.

“Then what do you want?”

I look over my shoulder, and even in the darkness of the room, I can feel his intense stare on me. My teeth scrape over my lower lip. “I want your dick inside me. I want to feel you so deep that I’ll forget everything else.”

Erase everybody else.

He smirks, his fingers tracing my chin. “Don’t worry, love. After I’m done with you, you won’t remember any douchebag from your past. But first…”

In one swift movement, he turns me so I’m facing him, and grabs the hem of my dress, pulling it over my head and tossing it aside. He drinks me in, his eyes scanning every inch of my exposed skin before he nudges me down on my knees. “First, you’ve gotta earn it.”

My tongue darts out as it slides over my lower lip. He holds my gaze silently, the fire blazing in those silvery eyes matching the one burning inside of me. Without breaking our contact, I slowly lift my hands, unbuttoning his jeans, and pulling his hard length out.

My mouth waters at the sight of him, my panties growing damp as I wrap my fingers around his dick, slowly working his length with my hand.

“Blondie…” he growls softly. His fingers gather my long hair, and he wraps it around his wrist, tugging my head back ever so slightly. I can feel the slight sting on my scalp as he tilts my head back. “Open that pretty mouth and suck my cock like the good girl I know you are.”

Shit.

Nobody ever talked to me like that, but a part of me liked it. It liked it a lot.

My lips part, and I suck the tip of his dick. He softly hisses as I work his length, taking more of him into my mouth with each bob of my head, until I’m so full I can hardly breathe. He’s barely halfway inside me when my eyes start to water. There is no way I could ever take all of him, but I’m sure going to try.

“Fucking hell, Blondie,” he groans.

My tongue swipes over the underside of him as I pull back. I flick my tongue over his tip, tasting the saltiness of his precum on my tongue as my hand works at his base. His cock twitches in my palm as I slide down, taking him even deeper into my mouth, the hand on my nape guiding my every movement.

“Such a good girl,” he rasps. His hooded eyes hold mine hostage as he keeps me in place, just where the pleasure and pain meet for a few seconds longer.

I press my legs together, but it doesn’t help alleviate the ache building inside of me.

“ Shit. I’m not coming just yet.” He tugs my head back, his dick popping out of my mouth before his hands slide under my arms, and he hoists me up into his arms and carries me to bed.

He lays me down, my chest rising and falling as I watch him take his clothes off quickly until he’s gloriously naked in front of me.

The faint light coming from the window illuminates his toned body: each muscle defined to perfection, six-pack abs, that delicious V that’s leading to his hard cock… It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. He’s glorious, honed like a statue of a Greek god, only he’s not. He’s real and warm, and he’s mine.

For tonight .

He grabs my ankles, pulling me to the edge of the bed. “Rise.” The commanding tone of his voice leaves no room for argument and has chills spreading over my skin.

I lift my hips, and he slides my panties down before unhooking my bra and getting to his knees.

“What are you… Shit. ”

His fingers wrap around my waist, pulling me closer as he slides my knees over his shoulders and buries his face in my pussy. There is no finesse to it, just raw need as his tongue laps at my center. He hums appreciatively, his tongue swirling and sucking. My fingers grip his hair as his tongue dips into me, his beard scratching against my inner thighs.

“Yes, more. I need—” I let out a loud moan, my head falling back as the first wave of pleasure makes my body quake.

His shoulders shake, or maybe that’s just me. Maybe I’m the one shaking as he continues licking at me until I slowly come down from the high before pulling back. His thumb rubs at the inside of my knee as he licks at his lips, that heated gaze taking in my naked body.

“You have the prettiest cunt I’ve ever seen, Blondie. Ever tasted.”

I let out a shaky breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly. He holds my gaze as he presses his mouth against my navel and then slowly kisses his way up, each touch sending another shiver through my body.

A self-satisfied smirk pops on his mouth. “So fucking responsive.”

My hands slide over his wide shoulders as he nuzzles his head into my chest, sucking one nipple into his mouth just as his hot cock settles between my thighs.

My fingers dig into his muscles. “I need you to stop teasing me, a-and…” my voice stutters as he slides into me in one long thrust. I’m so freaking wet, he enters me without any resistance whatsoever. My nails dig into his back as he rocks his hips against me.

“Shit, you’re so fucking tight, Blondie. So wet for me, so warm, but so damn tight.”

He grabs my knee, pulling my legs further apart so he can sink deeper.

My eyes fall shut as he stretches me further, a shaky breath falling off my lips at the fullness as he slowly fills me. I lift my hips, needing more. God, I was so clo?—

“Eyes on me, Blondie,” he growls, his body freezing.

I blink my eyes open to find that hungry gaze watching me intently. “I want to see the moment you fall apart, so if you want me to make you come, you better keep your eyes on me. You want me to make you come, right?”

I nod my head silently. I wanted it more than I wanted my next breath.

“Good girl.” His biceps flex as he presses his hands against the sides of my head. “Now, wrap your legs around me.”

My teeth sink into my lower lip as I do what he says.

He lets out a loud groan as my heels dig into his skin. I’m pretty sure it’ll leave a mark, but he doesn’t seem to care one bit as he starts to move.

His thrusts become stronger, more frantic. My pussy tightens around him, and I’m so close. So freaking close—I slide my hand down, and find my clit, rubbing at the sensitive bud.

“Fuck, yeah. Touch yourself for me, sweetheart.”

With each thrust, I can feel him, feel the place where we’re connected. Warm and hard.

Those burning irises don’t leave mine as his muscles flex under my palms. My pussy tightens around him as another orgasm slams into my body. With one final thrust, he comes inside me, his body falling onto mine.

Our ragged breaths mingle together as we come down from the high. He easily flips us over, his hand brushing my hair back.

I try to pull back from him, but he doesn’t let me go, his lips press against the top of my head. “Stay.”

I shouldn’t stay. I knew better than that.

But he felt so nice. So warm.

I close my eyes.

One moment.

Just one moment to catch my breath, and then I’ll leave.

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is the sun slowly peeking through the curtains. I let out a soft groan. My head is throbbing, and the bright light isn’t helping.

What the hell was I doing last night?

Closing my eyes, I turn away from the brightness only to bump into a solid wall of muscles. I look up and then up some more, the sleeping face of an unfamiliar man staring back at me.

The memories of last night flash in quick, blurry succession—one after the other. Drinking with the sexy stranger. Leaving the bar. Agreeing to one night.

“ Holy shit .”

I slept with him. Not just that, I had the best sex of my life with this guy, and I didn’t even know his name.

One night. No names. No kissing.

Even in his sleep, he had that scowl etched between his brows, and my fingers itched to smooth it out.

Get a grip, Sav.

I needed to get out of here and fast.

I hold my breath until I disentangle from his warm body and get out of the bed. The process is slow, but he’s still firmly asleep as I quickly start gathering my clothes and pulling them on. Once I’m done, I run my fingers through my hair.

I’m pretty sure I look like a mess, but that’s what I get for hooking up with a handsome stranger.

Handsome, dirty-talking, grumpy stranger that made me feel unlike any other man before.

With one last look at the man sleeping in the bed, I turn around and get the hell out of there.