25. Dylan
When I bring a new horse to the ranch, I give them space and time to adjust to their new surroundings. It”s essential.
And I”ve felt the same for Lara. Give her time to come around.
But she”s keeping me on her terms—choosing Andrea, Andy, Anthony, or whatever that boy”s name is, and it might be fun, guys, and alcohol right now for Lara, but it can evolve into other nasty things. Like drugs. Like my mom.
So, I don”t care if Lara”s a big girl who can look after herself. I want to protect her. Nothing will pass through unnoticed. I”ll do everything to make damn sure of it. And then, who knows… maybe she”ll give me a real chance. I won”t just be fun for her.
My heart aches for a real chance. It”s the reason I want to make sure I”m not fucking my plan up.
The leather of my steering wheel cracks beneath my grip as I glance at the plush bear and a bouquet of roses sitting in the passenger seat. I hope they”ll bring a smile to her face—soften her up. Make her happier than that fucker”s bottle of wine.
Taking a breath, I turn onto her parents” property, and Lara is sitting on the porch swing. She gets up when I park, and I roll down my window.
”Afternoon, darlin”,” I greet, which earns me a smile despite the eye roll.
Tiny baby steps.
She opens the passenger door to slide in, and her gaze falls on the presents. I hold my breath, gauging her reaction. Seeing her pleased with sparkles in her eyes makes my heart skip.
”Surprise,” I say as she picks the gifts up so she can sit.
She buckles her seatbelt and places the bear and roses on her lap. Then she boops the plushie on its nose. ”What”s all this?”
I turn the truck onto the open road. ”Something I wanted to do.”
”Hmm. He”s cute.”
Don”t say it. Don”t say it!
”I hope, uh, Antonio won”t mind,” I blurt before pressing my lips together.
Way to go, man. Ruining the moment, not even a minute into the ride. Idiot.
While I”m at it, let me ask if they used protection and what position they did it in last night.
My grip on the wheel tightens.
”Andrew,” she says after some time. ”His name is Andrew.”
”Right… Andrew,” I mumble his vile name.
”And he doesn”t mind,” she says. ”And even if he does, I don”t care… Why would he, anyway?”
Shit.
There isn”t a way out of this, and lying doesn”t seem like the best solution since she looks ready to take the sharp end of the roses and poke my eyes out.
”I mean—aren”t you?—?”
She sighs. ”Dylan… I”ve told you before, I”m having fun right now.”
”Yeah, but you”d be surprised how quickly someone changes their mind about what they want after—” I trail off, my foot pressing harder onto the accelerator. ”Having sex.” I gulp.
She places the gifts on the dashboard, and her green gaze connects with mine. ”Has that ever happened to you with one of your hookups?” Her voice drips poison, and I hope jealousy accompanies what she says. But I need to figure that out.
My mouth twitches, and I lean one arm across the seat. ”I was just reading on the internet?—”
Lara stares out the windshield. ”I don”t want anything right now. I thought I said this before when you were bugging me.”
”I get it. I get it,” I attest. ”But… are you still… seeing him?”
”We aren”t a couple. As I said five seconds ago,” she snaps and huffs. ”Talking to you is like talking to a damn wall.”
Don”t push it, man.
Don”t fucking push?—
”That”s not what I asked, though,” I grit out before I can stop myself.
Damn it!
”Are you my dad now?” She crosses her arms. ”Whoever I”m sleeping with or seeing is none of your business. And if this is going to be you grilling my ass the entire ride, I”m getting out. I don”t need this shit. Especially not from you if you”re going to be a judgmental prick.”
Shit!
My eyes dart to the lock, ensuring she can”t jump out of my truck.
I”m still questioning her motives and won”t take chances right now. Swallowing down the green-eyed monster of jealousy, I place a hand on her thigh.
Thankfully, she doesn”t slap it away.
”Okay. I understand, I”m sorry. If you”re not okay sharing details with me, that”s fine. I respect your decision. I didn”t mean to make you feel like I”m judging you. It”s just that I care about you and want to make sure you”re okay.”
I do. This is all true.
She glares at me. ”I. Am. Freaking. Fine.”
You”re lying.
”Okay. I”m sorry for overstepping, and I promise to respect your boundaries from now on,” I admit, hoping I will. I squeeze her thigh through her jeans. ”Let”s just enjoy the ride and have a good time. Is… that still okay?”
”As long as you stop asking about Andrew,” she warns, and I nod in agreement.
My brain scrambles for anything to say that might close this gap between us, but I”m coming up empty, and I”m terrified of creating higher walls around her that I won”t be able to climb over.
”Where”re we going?” she asks as I pull off the main road.
”To the river. I was going to take us to the pond. It”s frozen up, and I figured it would be nice,” I say, revving the truck to get onto the snow-covered road. ”I was going to suggest a hike, but it”s kind of too cold. And then I thought you might be too sore after… Andrew.”
Fucking damn it.
I shut my mouth like a bear trap going off, but it”s too late. I said it already.
I don”t dare look her way, but I feel her rage threatening to smother me from that seat beside me.
”Andrew, Andrew, Andrew. Are you seriously still talking about him? Shit, Dylan. Why”re you obsessed with him?”
I almost swerve the truck off the road. ”Excuse me?”
”You keep bringing him up. I”m starting to think something”s going on.” She throws her hand in the air. ”Do you swing that way or something? I won”t judge if that”s what you”re looking for. Gotta say, though, you really know how to pick ”em.”
I”m about to holler at the top of my lungs.
I finally slide my gaze over to her dramatically. ”Did it look like I fucking swung that way when I had all eight inches of my dick down your throat the other day?”
I have a complete death wish.
Lara”s mouth drops open. I don”t blame her. I”m surprised by my comment, too. It”s degrading, but I don”t miss the way she licks her lips next, and her eyes dart to my lower region before flicking back up.
It”s freezing outside, but it”s scorching inside this truck.
”Get over yourself. Stop being a pig.” She then looks away. ”Andrew has a dick, too, you know.”
Now that”s funny—because—in my opinion— ”Bet he hasn”t even made you come. Ever.”
I”m pushing the limits again, clutching the wheel so hard that I”m surprised it doesn”t snap.
”Are you a stalker, too, now… watching if someone hasn”t made me come yet? Should I be concerned since we live so close?” She bats her eyelashes at me.
I chuckle darkly. ”You wouldn”t be with me if?—”
”Is that right?”
My fingers press into her inner thigh. ”If it had been with me… you wouldn”t have been able to walk for days?—”
”Oh, yeah?” Lara whispers in a sultry-low voice. ”Do you have a review board from the girls you”ve slept with?”
There she goes.
”Wow,” I mock. ”That”s the second time you”ve brought those other girls up, Lara. You”re starting to sound like me now.”
”Dylan? Fuck you.”
”Sure sounds like you”re jealous to me,” I keep going, turning left and driving by the river. ”And you”re right about something else… I am obsessed with someone, all right. And it”s not that fucker, Andrea, let me tell you… he”ll end up in jail sooner or later, so it”s best if you drop him pronto.”
She snorts. ”Or what?”
I slide my gaze over to her. ”Or I”ll show you what you”re really missing… and… make sure everyone knows you”re mine.”
”I”m not yours,” she hisses.
We”ll see about that. ”Mmm.”
”I mean it,” she snaps.
My lips pull back ever so slightly.
”Trust me, Dylan. You”ll never satisfy me,” Lara concedes. ”You couldn”t.”
”That a challenge? ”Cause let me tell you, I don”t sleep with girls. I fuck them deep and hard,” I say. ”And I make sure it ain”t about me when I fuck them, and I certainly ain”t gonna make it about me when I”m inside of you. In fact, I owe you a favor.”
The heat in the truck rises.
”In a truck, no less? How romantic,” she drawls, and while I”d love to take her somewhere romantic because she deserves nothing but the best, I”ll be pushing my luck. ”With the flowers and bear? Dude? All you”re missing are chocolates and a bubblegum ring.”
From the corner of my eye, I see her squinting sarcastically and wearing a sour expression.
”God, you”re annoying,” she adds lowly.
I was about to say it first, sweetheart.
”Yeah… but I bet if I slide my fingers down your pretty panties right now, they”d be drenched, wouldn”t they?” I say, scrambling to beat her.
”Sure. If that”s the ego boost you need to sleep at night… go ahead,” she throws back.
I”ve had enough.
”That”s it. That”s it! I”m fucking done, Lara,” I snarl. My head pounds. And my dick is moments from bursting from how much I want—no—need her. I want to prove to her once and for all that whatever we have is serious.
I pull to the edge of the woods overlooking the river and stare out the windshield, so frustrated and flustered that I don”t even know my own name right now.
”Well… cool. It was nice knowing you. Don”t worry about me. I”ll get home on my own,” she says casually. There”s hurt in her eyes as she unbuckles her seatbelt, blinking rapidly, almost as if trying to hold back tears.
If only she knew we”re on two separate pages, and that”s not my intention.
I click the button once more to check that the doors are locked. She mistakes it for me, unlocking it for her, and she tries the door to no avail.
She whirls her head my way, and before she can yell at me, I grab the back of her nape and press my mouth to hers.