CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Katarina
“This isn’t very professional,” I complained .
Jack had me pinned against the empty end stall in the stables, his mouth on my neck. My eyelids fluttered shut as he sucked on the pulse beneath my skin. God I loved it when he did that, my body turned to putty in his hands. For someone with hardly any experience he sure knew what he was doing.
“Feel free to make a complaint to HR,” he rumbled, before diving back down to my throat again. My hands began their own dalliance under his damp shirt. He’d been baling hay before I distracted him. I’d been innocently leaning against the wall, silently watching him. His back muscles flexed in a way that had heat churning in my gut and I may have sighed out loud, which drew his attention and well, here we were…
I raked my nails over him, I loved how solid he was. A wall of muscles covered in thick, tan skin that tasted like salt and sex. He huffed out a breath against my neck as I squeezed.
“If you keep doing that, I’m going to have to find something to restrain you with,” he groaned.
I giggled. “You wouldn’t dare,” I teased, an undercurrent of do it in my tone and I was so glad he caught it.
“Right, where’s that rope I saw earlier?” He glanced around and shackled my wrists.
“No!” I squealed, trying to pull them away and failing miserably. He gave me a look that said I was in for a ravishing and my excitement grew. He tickled me, I shrieked and giggled and we ended up on the floor of the newly cleaned stall, rolling in the hay.
“Kat? You in here?” Daisy’s voice rang out and my stomach dropped in fear.
“Shit,” I whispered and shoved Jack off me, leaping to my feet and frantically righting my clothing and wiping my mouth. I glanced down at Jack who was looking at me with a strange expression on his face. Emotion swam behind his eyes, a sadness floating in their depths that made me uncomfortable.
He got to his feet, just as Daisy appeared around the stall door. She frowned when she saw me and Jack clearly looking awkward, her mouth tightened in disapproval and that sinking feeling hit my belly once more. Although she’d let him into the house, she was still wary of him, and I knew she wouldn’t appreciate it if she caught us in a compromising position .
“Everything okay?” she asked, her piercing eyes flitting between us.
“Sure,” I said, a little breathlessly from all my efforts to act casual. I glanced at Jack who was still looking at me with that expression. A muscle ticked in his jaw before he turned away and grabbed the broom.
“Sure,” he said over his shoulder, the word clipped, and I cringed at the tension that now radiated from his shoulders. Guilt clawed at me, and I hated that I rebuffed him in front of someone but I didn’t know how I felt about him, about us. And I certainly didn’t know how to have that conversation with my sisters. I needed him to understand that this was complicated and I needed time to come to terms with it and figure out how to handle it.
“What’s up?” I asked, brightly.
Daisy continued staring between us. “Those men from the other day are back, just thought you should know.”
“Okay, I’ll be right down,” I said. This time at least I was prepared for them. I had a plan. It would be enough to pay them off and make them go away so I had some breathing room to plan what to do with all the other people we owed money to.
Daisy nodded and left the stables. There was an uncomfortable tension between me and Jack, the stall suddenly felt too small. I watched him continue sweeping, not facing me and I wanted to put my arms around him, tell him I was sorry for my panic, but I couldn’t move or form the words.
I turned to leave when he asked, “Want me to come with you?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I got this.” I tucked my hands into my pockets.
“I don’t doubt it,” he replied and his faith in me gave me the boost I needed to go and deal with these two assholes.
They were on the porch, waiting patiently for me while Daisy glared at them and blocked their entrance to the house. Martin was there in his stupid suit with a smug smile and Muscles in tow.
“Ah, Ms. Cartwright, we meet again,” Martin said, like we just bumped into each other.
“That’s what happens when you keep coming to my property,” I replied, sharply.
Martin’s mouth pulled into a thin line of displeasure. “Well, by all means let’s make this quick. My money?”
“I’ll have it for you tomorrow,” I started. Martin opened his mouth to argue but I held up my hand. “There’s a cattle market today, I’ve got a couple of breeding heifers to sell along with some other cattle which should fetch a nice price. I’ll give you an extra five percent for your patience,” I finished. It made me sad to sell the cows but I had no choice. At least I only needed to sell some of them.
“Twenty percent,” Martin retorted.
“Eight percent,” I countered. “And I let you walk off my porch with no injuries.” I gave them both my meanest grin and Daisy cracked her knuckles.
Martin glanced at Muscles who nodded reluctantly. “See you tomorrow then. But if any money is missing, nothing, including your boyfriend, will keep me from coming into that house and taking what I’m owed.” Martin nodded behind me and I turned and saw Jack was standing about twenty feet away, arms folded across his chest, watching us.
“Wouldn’t Mommy be so proud,” Martin drawled.
Nausea swam in my gut at his spiteful words. Daisy growled and lunged for Martin but I was quick. I managed to wrap my arms around her waist and drag her back before she did any damage. He chuckled and doffed his imaginary hat at us, waving goodbye.
“You shoulda let me teach him some manners,” Daisy grumbled.
“Oh, pipe down,” I snapped, unhanding her. I glanced back to see Jack was walking off to the stables, satisfied we were okay. I was glad he hadn’t come down here and made a scene, but I also wanted him to wrap me in his arms and carry me away.
“I don’t know what’s happening there, but it needs to stop,” Daisy warned, her voice low. I turned back to find she’d been watching me and the look of longing that was probably on my face.
“Nothing’s happening,” I replied, my voice wavering and even I wasn’t convinced.
“It seems like we’ve got enough problems without that happening. How much money do we owe?”
I bristled, hating the insinuation that I couldn’t fix this for us. “None of your business, Daze.”
“It is when it affects where I’m living. How many other slimeballs are gonna come out of the woodwork?”
I held up my hand, silencing her. “I’m handling it.” She had a look in her eye like she was planning something and it made me nervous. “Daisy, I’ve got it under control,” I added, firmly.
That night I lay in bed tossing and turning, thinking about Jack and the look Daisy gave us and the way I felt. I wanted to sort through my feelings, but they were so unclear that I didn’t know where to start.
I sighed and threw the comforter off me, feeling smothered. I grabbed my phone and opened my chat with Jack. The last thing he sent me was a kissy face emoji and that brought a smile to my face. Then I saw he was online too .
I tapped out a message.
Kat: Can’t sleep either?
Jack: Nope, too busy thinking about how I didn’t get to taste you earlier.
I smiled so hard and squirmed in my bed.
Kat: Don’t say things like that when we’re not in the same bed.
Jack: I didn’t say anything.
I sent him the eyeroll emoji.
Kat: Fine, don’t type that.
A moment later it said he was recording a message. I received the ten second clip and pressed play. It played through once but I didn’t hear anything. I turned my volume up and then pressed play again, pulling the device to my ear. His heavy breathing filled the room and I scrambled to turn the volume down right as he moaned my name.
“Oh shit,” I groaned, more turned on than ever at what he was doing. I’d slept with a few men over time and none of them ever moaned. Some of them tried, and failed miserably, at dirty talk. But no one had ever made the sounds that Jack did. The heavy breathing, the tortured, pleasurable moans, they did something to me. Something dark and needy.
Kat: Are you doing something you shouldn’t be?
Jack: You wanna come down here and find out?
I leapt off the bed and padded over to my door, pulling it open a crack and listening in the dark for any noises. When I heard nothing, I stepped out, tiptoeing down the stairs and snuck out the front door. I ran across the damp grass in my bare feet, the blades tickling and leaving wet kisses on my skin.
He wasn’t waiting for me like I expected. I pushed the door and it creaked open. I slipped inside and closed it, leaving damp footprints on the wooden floor, I skipped to his bedroom and knocked.
“Come in,” he called, his voice thick and I smiled to myself at the delights that awaited me on the other side.
I crept inside and closed the door behind me. The room was pitch black, I couldn’t see in front of me, not even the faint outline of furniture.
Then he was pressed against me, shoving me back into the door and attacking my mouth. There was an urgency to his kisses, an anxiousness that I returned. I didn’t know where it came from, only that I needed him now. I hadn’t ever needed someone, let alone a man, like this before.
My shorts were down and my leg thrown over his shoulder and before I could even beg, his tongue was sliding over me, pressing down and I slumped back against the door, his arm slung over my hips, pinning me in place.
He made me come quickly; fast flicks of his tongues followed by slow, hard presses that had fireworks exploding behind my eyes. I screamed as my body detonated under his touch, my orgasm fast and intense and then I was lifted from the floor.
“I’m sorry sweetheart but this is gonna be hard and fast, I need you,” he grunted as he put me on the bed. I heard him pulling at his clothes, then my legs were spread as wide as they could go and he was shoving himself inside me in swift, brutal, punishing thrusts that made my eyes roll back in my head. I fisted the sheets, moaning and thrashing my head as each powerful pulse of his hips hit a new part of me that I hadn’t discovered.
“Oh my God, yesss,” I moaned. His arms went under my ass, tilting my hips and I babbled like a mad woman as he panted over me.
“Goddamn it’s so good,” he huffed, amazement in his voice and I would have smiled if I wasn’t busy moaning over what this man was doing to me. “I’ll never get enough,” he added.
My body began readying for another peak that I thought was impossible. I felt it rolling through me like a wave, slowly building in intensity. He kissed my neck, laved his tongue over my skin and I tangled my fingers in his hair, holding him to me. He worked his way up to my ear and his hot breaths over my sensitive lobe had shivers wracking me.
“Scream for me, sweetheart,” he whispered. And like he cast a spell on me, my body tightened and that wave crashed into the shore. I screamed, the sound muffled at the end as he clamped a hand over my mouth. I bit down on his fingers as my body continued pulsing and I heard his curse as he shuddered on top of me and filled me up.
After a while I tapped his hand and he removed it from my mouth and rolled to his side, pulling me with him. I tucked my head into the crook of his neck and he stroked my spine.
“I panicked. Although I wanted you to scream for me, I didn’t want all your sisters and Leo barging in to see what the noise was,” he chuckled.
I giggled sleepily. “No one’s ever made me scream like that before.” I nipped at his pec.
He groaned and tightened his grip around me. “You say the sweetest things.” We lay in silence, both of us drifting into sleep. When I awoke later with a start it was because he was crying out.
“No, don’t touch me!” he shouted, writhing in the bed, the sheets tangled around him.
“Jack?” I asked, confused and sleepy.
“I’m sorry!” he shouted.
“Jack? Are you okay?” I shook him but he didn’t respond. I got up and padded over to the light and flicked it on and he lay in bed, asleep but sweat poured from him and his brow was pinched, his lip wobbling.
“Charlie, don’t leave me here alone. Please come back!” he wailed, and my heart beat faster, my eyes filling with tears at the pain in his voice.
I settled next to him and stroked his damp brow, shushing gently.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her, I’m sorry Charlie!” he called out again and tears sprang to my eyes. He was stuck in a nightmare. We’d never spoken about the history between us other than some mentions of Daddy visiting him in prison but we never talked about my mother. She hung between us like a ghost that we both ignored.
Now she was front and center, demanding attention.
“It’s okay,” I soothed but I didn’t know which of us I was soothing. Eventually he settled and the little whimpers that fell from his lips tore me in two.
There was a scratching at the door followed by a low whine from Teddy and I got up and let him into the room. He bounded straight over to Jack and rested his head on the edge of the mattress, just staring at Jack, and the sight almost broke my heart.
Jack never gave any signs that what happened still affected him, or if he did, he hid it well. But it was in his dreams that this strong, gentle and unbreakable man was tortured by his actions and memories.
He slowly began to settle, and I laid myself over his damp body, needing connection and some comfort for all the emotions this brought up for me too. Would this be our future? Our ghosts lingering between us, jumping out and scaring us when we thought everything would be fine ?
Did we even have a future?
My mind kept me awake all night, locked on conflicting thoughts of me, Jack, and our lives. When the sun rose in the morning, I kissed his forehead and leaving him in Teddy’s capable paws, I snuck back home. It was the weekend so I knew I wouldn’t be seeing him in an hour to work on the ranch. I got back into my own bed and tried to sleep. I dozed for a little while but awoke when my phone beeped.
Jack: Where’d you go?
I smiled sadly.
Kat: You snored.
Jack: Then I’ll buy you the prettiest ear plugs you’ve ever seen.
Jack: I’ll make ‘em pink, to match your cowgirl boots and Stetson.
I snorted at his silliness. But the idea of him doing something as small as buying ear plugs for me made me wonder if he saw this as more than it was.
“He’s just joking,” I muttered to myself before burrowing further under the duvet, trying to hide from all the thoughts running round my brain.