CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Labor Day Weekend
Shelby—
My hands on the wheel, I answer my phone, seeing it’s Jenny.
“Hey, girl.”
“You on the road yet?” she asks.
“Yep. Your aunt came over to watch Bella and the animals. They’re going to watch princess movies and eat popcorn. Bella was excited. I’m so thankful your aunt didn’t have any plans for Labor Day.”
“I’m glad things worked out, but I can’t help cautioning you. You barely know this guy. And what kind of a name is Rio?”
“Well, maybe this time together will help me learn more about him. He’s not the bad guy everyone thinks. I know it in my heart.”
“Right, but you told me yourself, you don’t want him to know about your daughter, and you have no intention of moving back to Las Cruces, so what’s the point?”
“I don’t know, Jenny. I just know I need to do this. He drove all the way up to Cloudcroft to have lunch with me. He wants to show me his clubhouse. Isn’t that proof he wants to show me who he is?”
“I suppose. Just remember, he’s no boy scout.”
“I know that.”
“I hope he’s worth it, Shelby.”
I hope so, too, but I don’t respond.
“Will I get to see you while you’re in town?” she asks.
“I… I don’t know. I think we’ll have to play it by ear.”
“Okay.” She sounds pouty. “Fine, but please keep in touch with me, so I know you’re safe.”
“I’ll text you when I get there.”
“It’s not the getting here I’m worried about.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“All right. Drive safe.”
I hang up and concentrate on the road, her words of warning playing through my brain. I want to give Rio the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe all good things about him, but I’m not the na?ve young girl from when we first met. I have to go into this thing with my eyes open. Maybe it’ll only be a fling. Maybe we’ll both soon get each other out of our systems, and whatever this is will burn out like a flaring firework. But some part of me deep down doesn’t believe that for a second. This doesn’t feel like the kind of thing that’s going to fizzle out. It feels more like the kind of flame that catches and burns hot and bright, like an out-of-control forest fire.
Judging by the fact that I haven’t been able to get him out of my mind since our lunch together, I believe the latter is more likely. Since his visit, I stand at the counter at the store and stare out the window, daydreaming about that kiss he gave me right outside on the curb. At night, I think about what it would be like to have his hands on my body, running over my quivering skin while his mouth presses tender kisses to my lips.
I drive on autopilot until my navigation tells me my exit is approaching.
Heading west on Highway 70, I spot the exit Rio told me about. Taking it, I see the gas station on the right where we’re supposed to meet. He said he’d be in a black crew cab pickup truck. When I turn in, I immediately spot him.
I’m glad he’s already here and waiting. That means something to me—that he cared enough to be here waiting, so I wouldn’t feel weird sitting here alone in a gas station parking lot.
By the time I put my car in park, Rio is already heading toward me. I shut the car off, and he yanks my car door open, takes my hand, and pulls me to my feet and into his arms. His mouth comes down on mine before I get a word out.
I’m caught off guard, but the way he takes control and his urgency to have me in his arms, sends a thrill through my body. I melt into his embrace.
This isn’t a gentle brush of his lips over mine. This is a man hungry for my kiss, my touch. He cups my face, and his tongue delves inside my mouth.
My hands gently settle on his waist, then skim up his sides. I feel him tense and pull away, breaking off the kiss.
I frown. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Not a thing, angel. Just got a sore rib.”
“What happened?” Concern bubbles through me.
“Nothing important; just a little accident at the shop. How was your drive?”
“Not too bad.” His friend Zig is with him, and I give Rio a confused look. “What’s going on?”
“Zig’s gonna drive your car to the clubhouse. That way you can ride with me.”
“Okay.”
Rio threads his fingers through mine and leads me to the passenger seat, helping me into the truck. He closes the door and walks around to his side, sliding behind the wheel.
We’re back on the road in no time, and he reaches over, taking my hand.
I like it—the feel of my small hand in his.
Before I know it, he’s turning up a long gravel driveway beyond a tall fence. We reach a big steel building, and he parks out front.
He turns the engine off. “This is it.”
It’s nothing like what I expected, though I’m not sure what I expected.
“Wait there.” He climbs out and opens my door for me, helping me down with a hand.
I like the way he treats me—with care, like I’m something precious. Around him I feel special, and that’s something I’ve never felt with anyone else.
He holds the front door for me to precede him into the building.
It smells like fresh paint and cut wood, like everything is new, which it appears to be.
There’s a bar on the right and across the room is a nice set of caramel colored leather furniture gathered around a big screen tv. A colorful Native American rug sits under the grouping.
Beyond that is a pool table and a hallway leading to the back, and a staircase ascending to a second level.
“You’ve done all this since you got out? That’s really something. I like it,” I tell him.
My compliment lights up his face. “It’s amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it, and if you have six men to do the work.” The corner of his mouth tugs up in a smirk.
The place is empty, except for one guy behind the bar, and I can’t help wondering if that’s by design.
“Where are they all?” I ask.
“I told ‘em to make themselves scarce.” Rio grins sheepishly.
“Oh.”
He leads me to the bar.
“What can I get you, boss?” the man bartending asks.
“Bourbon,” he says, then turns to me. “What’ll you have, Shelby?”
I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, thinking. “Um, if you have orange juice, I’ll have a screwdriver.”
“Coming right up, darlin’.” The man moves off to make my drink.
I spin on my stool to face Rio, and he captures my knees in his hands.
“I’m glad you came.”
“Me, too. I don’t know what I was so worried about.”
“I do. I get it. It’s been a long time. I’m sure you’re wondering if I’m the man you remember. I plan to prove to you I am.” He tilts his head. “There was a spark between us all those years ago, and I think we both know it’s still there, don’t we?”
I glance away.
“Don’t be shy with me, Shelby.”
“I’m trying. It’s all so new—this world of yours.”
“I get that.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb stroking along my cheek, and I turn into his hand when it cups my face. “It means a lot that you came. I want you to feel comfortable here and safe. No one is going to disrespect you in this clubhouse. I promise you that. So, relax. I just wanted us to have some time to spend together. You used to open up to me in all those letters you wrote. I want us to get that back.”
“It’s hard. It’s been so long. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday, and sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed.”
“I haven’t, and you’re still beautiful. Maybe more so. You were so young that day I first met you.”
“Fresh out of high school. A lot is different now.”
He studies my eyes, and he sees the change in me. I know he does, even when I try to hide it. He’s the only man I’ve let touch me in a long time. He alone is able to break through the protective walls I use to keep men away.
There’s an edge to me now, a loss of innocence that wasn’t there before. Gone is the naivete and the belief that there is good in everyone.
“I want to hear everything, Shelby. All that’s happened to you in the past years.”
Something in me closes down. I’ve resisted sharing anything for so long, I’m not even sure I can do it. I’m not sure I want to. The minute I do, it will change everything. I won’t be the same girl he remembers. Everything will be different.
Our drinks are delivered, and he picks his up. “Here’s to us and to time I was afraid I’d never have with you.”
We drink the first one quickly as I nervously chat about the store and the weather and everything except anything personal, until the alcohol begins to take the edge off.
Rio snaps his fingers, motioning to our drinks, and the man behind the bar brings us two fresh ones. “So, you like the place?”
“I love it,” I say, glancing around.
“Glad to hear it. I have to admit, I had you in the back of my mind when designing the place. I wanted you to be comfortable here.”
“You did?”
“Yep.”
I don’t know how to answer that. It’s like he’s planned his future to include me, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I’m halfway through my second drink when I spot something against the far wall and perk up. “You have a jukebox?”
“Yes, ma’am. Go play something.”
I pick my glass up and stroll over to select some music. It’s an old machine that’s loaded with CDs. I flip through them. Some are contemporary and some are from decades past. Most of them are hard driving party songs, but I find a few that aren’t. One grabs my attention, and I select it.
Soon, a slow driving beat fills the room. I can’t help but lift my arms over my head and twist to the music as Alannah Myles sings Black Velvet in a smooth, soulful voice.
Rio leans against a post, watching me with a smile.
“I always loved this song,” I say. “My mother used to play it all the time. It was one of her favorites. I can remember her dancing in the kitchen to it. I’m surprised you have it on here.”
“I bought this thing used. It was filled with all that music.”
Rio takes me in his arms, plucking the glass from my hand and setting it on the felt of the pool table. We dance together, my body pressed against his, swaying to the beat. By the time the song ends, we’re kissing.
After a long time, Rio breaks off the kiss and studies my face like he’s trying to read me.
“I want to show you something,” he says, and then he’s leading me by the hand up the flight of stairs. He pauses in front of a door and unlocks it.
It’s a bedroom. It’s neat and clean, again surprising me. It’s a good size room with an attached bath off to the side. I take a few steps inside and turn and look at him. “Is this your room?”
He nods.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for this, Rio.” I look away. “I, um, am not very experienced with…” I break off, lifting a hand to the bed.
He slowly approaches me, and every step he takes sends a thrill through my body. Part of me wants to run, but a part of me longs to be in his arms.
Nervously, I lick my lips and keep talking. “Back when we were writing letters, when I was visiting you—you were the first man I ever thought I loved.”
“You were young. You still are.”
“I’m not that girl anymore.”
“What, the shy girl who had the courage to visit me in prison?”
I nod.
“I know you’re not, Shelby. But you’re still the girl who looks at me like you want to be mine. Am I wrong?”
I shake my head. He’s not wrong. I do want to be his. Right now, I want it more than anything. But fear skitters through me.
He taps a finger to my forehead. “Don’t overthink this, sweetheart. It’s just you and me, wanting each other like we have since the day I laid eyes on you.”
“Is that true?”
“Honest to God, pretty girl.” He cups my face and kisses me. He’s gentle, taking his time. When he lifts his head to look in my eyes, I feel like I could trust him with my life, with my heart. “There’s no one to tell us we can’t touch each other. But I want you to know I’m not going to press you for anything you’re not ready to give, okay? You say stop, we’ll stop.”
I find myself nodding in agreement, floating on a cloud of desire. This almost doesn’t feel real.
His lips settle over mine again, soft, tender, coaxing, drawing a response from me that I have no control over. It’s like my body is already his, like I’ve already surrendered everything. My heart says this is right, but my head keeps playing what-ifs on an endless loop.
What if I freeze up? What if I freak out? What if he’s too rough? Though nothing in his touch suggests he’d be that way.
“Relax, sweetheart. I can feel you shaking.”
My body is trembling. I take a slow breath. Just give it a chance , my heart screams, overriding every warning my brain is signaling. Giving in to my heart, I slip my hands up his denim shirt, cupping the warm skin of his neck.
My touch is like a damn breaking, and he backs me to the bed. A moment later, I’m on my back with his body stretched out on top of me. But there’s no panic this time. It feels good. It feels safe. He feels protective, and I need that so badly.
We kiss, and for a long time, he does very little else, until my tense muscles relax.
He shifts, and his hand drifts over my curves, then he takes my hand and brings it to the placket of his shirt. “Undo the buttons, honey.”
He’s letting me take some control, and I like that. I make quick work of the job. As soon as I finish, Rio rips the shirt off his shoulders, tossing it to the floor.
It’s the first time I’ve seen his bare chest, and I’m surprised at the ripped muscles underneath and all the beautiful ink he has going from his shoulder down his ribs. He’s also got full sleeve tattoos on both his arms.
It’s stunning work.
He drops his head, following my gaze. “You like tattoos?”
“I like yours. It’s all gorgeous.”
“How ‘bout I put your name right here?” He taps a bare spot over his heart.
“You’d do that?”
“Only for you, and before you ask, no, there aren’t any other names on my skin.”
“I’m glad.”
His flat palm returns to my stomach, resting there. “You seem more relaxed now.”
“I am. Thank you for taking your time and not rushing me.”
“We’ve got all night, Shelby. I want you to want this. To want me.”
“I do.” I say the words and, surprisingly, find they’re true. I’ve been so afraid that part of me had shut down for good. To show him, I reach for the hem of my soft v-neck t-shirt and whip it over my head.
His eyes immediately take in my lace bra.
“I haven’t worn sexy lingerie in a long time,” I whisper.
“You haven’t?” His eyes flick up to mine.
“Years ago, I would wait impatiently for the mailman to bring me your next letter, and I would dream about you every night. Jenny and I went shopping, and I saw this set. I bought it spur of the moment, hoping someday I’d wear it for you.”
It’s a push-up balconette bra with black lace over petal pink fabric underneath. The cleavage is trimmed in petal pink lace with a tiny bow in the center. The matching panties have bows on each side and the same pale pink lace trim across the scrap of fabric across my hips.
“If my dick wasn’t hard already, that sure did it. Now I really want to see the panties.” His palm moves to the front of my jeans. “That okay?”
I nod, and he undoes them, then moves lower to glide them off and toss them to the floor along with my sandals.
Now I’m lying on his bed in only my bra and panties. My chest rises and falls with my rapid breathing.
“Wow. You’re gorgeous, Shelby. Prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.” He moves onto the bed, keeping his jeans on. His palm skims over my thighs, hips, and waist, then closes over one lace covered breast. “So, you bought this for me, huh?”
I nod.
“And I’m the only man you’ve worn it for?”
“Yes. Only you.”
“That pleases me. I can’t tell you how much, sweetheart. I like that you thought to do that for me, and that you wore it today. Means a lot.” His fingertips trace along the strap, and he hooks an index finger under it, dragging it down my arm. “I want to see you.” When I don’t object, he slides his hand under me and flicks the fastening open like an expert.
I lift a brow, and he grins.
“Honey, it’s been a long fucking time since I’ve done that. Guess I’ve still got it.” His head dips, and his lips brush against mine—a barely-there touch. Then he drags the bra free and lifts his head to look at my breasts.
His eyes flare with smoldering heat, and he cups one, feeling the weight of it in his hand and stroking his thumb over my erect nipple. His head dips, and he takes it in his mouth.
The sensation has me sucking in my breath and arching my spine, thrusting them up as if to beg for more. God, it feels amazing. How many nights did I lie awake imagining how this would feel? It’s so much better than anything my teenaged mind could dream up.
Maybe because it's him, it makes it so much hotter. This man has haunted my dreams for so long.
He shifts to my other breast, licking, sucking, and nibbling until I thread my fingers through his hair, holding him there, wanting more.
God, please don’t let him stop. I want this to go on forever. I knew it would be good having his mouth on me. I had no idea how good. I moan, and he breaks free, lifting his head to look in my eyes.
He kisses me, his tongue invading, and good Lord, can he kiss.
While I’m distracted by his mouth, I feel one of his hands move over my belly, down my body, and slip under the lace, and his middle fingers slips inside me. It happens so fast; I break the kiss to gasp.
That molten gaze of his locks with mine, but he doesn’t withdraw. “You’re wet for me, baby girl. Do you know how badly I want to taste that?”
Before I can say a word, he slides out and brings his fingers to his mouth, licking them clean and never breaking eye contact with me.
“I want more,” he whispers, then slides down my body and drags my panties off.
He drops to his knees at the end of the bed and drags me to him, positioning my legs over his shoulders, and then I feel that first swipe of his tongue.
I jerk my hips, and he grasps them, holding me still.
He’s gentle as he works his magic until I’m writhing. He finds and teases my clit, driving me wild. I feel it building inside me, an orgasm that threatens to be overwhelming.
My hands fist in the coverlet as I climb higher and higher, and then I can’t hold back. I lift my hips to meet his mouth, needing more, craving more.
“Please, Rio. Oh, God.”
He quickens his pace, and it heightens the sensations, and then my orgasm washes over me like a tsunami of ecstasy, bowling over everything in its wake.
I lie there, panting, and he shucks his jeans. I barely catch a glimpse of his hard cock before his ripped body moves over me again. He stretches an arm out, reaching past me to the nightstand to dig in the drawer. Coming out with a condom, he tears the package open with his teeth and rolls it on.
He swirls the head in my wetness, lubricating himself.
“You gonna let me in, baby?” he whispers against my lips, watching my eyes.
“Yes,” I whisper in return, wrapping my arms around him.
He sinks inside slowly, which surprises and pleases me. I had expected him to plunge inside in one thrust. This is so much better.
His entire body moves over me as he thrusts slowly in and out, and the entire time, his eyes never lose mine.
One hand reaches up to brush the hair from my face. He’s being so gentle with me. Somehow, he knew this was what I needed, and boy, is he delivering.
“You with me, baby?” he asks softly.
“Um hmm. It feels so wonderful.”
“Good. That’s how it’s supposed to feel.”
I stroke my hands over his skin, covering every inch. His back, his shoulders, his arms, his chest. He’d told me he’d injured his ribs. I wonder if they’re giving him pain right now.
I hope everything else we’re doing is blocking it out.
Lifting my head, I kiss him, and it urges him on. The momentum of his thrusts picks up.
“Baby, this first time with you is so fucking good. I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to hold back.”
“Don’t hold back, Rio. I’ve waited for this for so long. We both have.”
“Do you know how many fantasies I’ve had about you? How many nights I lay in that cell and thought about this? Touching your body, eating that sweet pussy, sinking inside it. Fuck, Shelby, I never want to leave it. You’re so damn tight around my dick, and it feels so good.”
God, I feel another rush of wetness at his words.
One of his hands snakes between us and plays with my clit, arousing me all over again. It’s sensitive and quick to ramp right back up; it takes my breath away.
I clutch at his shoulders and bite his shoulder. “Oh, Rio. I’m going to come again.”
“Do it, baby. I want to feel you come all over my dick.”
His mouth clamps on the tender skin of my neck and sucks hard, and I know I’ll have a mark there. He’s marking me his, and I love it. I am his. As long as I live, I know I’ll never have this feeling with any other man. I’ll never want another man the way I want this man. He’s my soul mate. I know it as surely as I’m born. I just don’t know if his feelings are as strong as mine. I can’t help wondering how much of this is just sex for him. Am I nothing but a conquest, or is what we have so much more? It feels like it's so much more. It feels like it's everything.
I fly over the edge once more.
He reaches orgasm right after me, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch—his strong muscled body going tense and his face locked in ecstasy, but the best part is when he sinks down on top of me, his hot skin pressing to mine, and I love the feel of his weight pinning me to the mattress.
The sensation is delicious, and I wrap my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck, my eyes filling at how beautiful it all was. He made it special. He took his time, never rushing me, letting me get there, waiting patiently at each step along the way until I was ready for more.
And then he did more than make me ready. He made me eager for it.
Brushing the hair from my forehead, he stares into my eyes, his filled with an emotion I can’t name. Maybe it’s love or close to it.
He moves to my side and drags me close, cuddling me against him.
I rest my head on his shoulder and trace his ink with my fingers. I’m more content than I have been in so long.
He presses a kiss to my forehead. Then cups my cheek and tilts my face up for his kiss. It’s tender and sweet, and I know I’ll never get enough of this man’s kisses.
When he breaks off, he studies me with a small smile.
“You didn’t say, but before, I thought maybe you were a virgin.”
“No,” I whisper.
“Just really inexperienced?”
I shrug. “I suppose.”
His smile touches me. “But obviously, there was someone else. I get it; I was gone a long time. You’re a beautiful woman. I couldn’t expect you to wait for me.” He strokes my hair again and dips to brush his mouth lightly over my lips. “I need to know, Shelby. Did he mean anything to you? Are you still seeing him?”
I shake my head, my eyes closing.
“I can’t deny I’m jealous.”
“There’s nothing to be jealous about. It wasn’t like that.” A tear slips from the corner of my eye.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Before you… that other man? It was horrible.”
I feel his entire body still. “What do you mean?”
I push out from against him and sit up, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. I can’t look at him when I tell him. Clutching the sheet around me, I drag in a breath. “I didn’t want it. I didn’t want any of it. You have to know that.”
I feel his heat at my back and his gentle hand on my shoulder. “Baby, what are you saying?”
“Not long after that last time I visited you in prison…”
“Yeah?”
“I was pulled over.” I don’t get more out and already I feel him stiffening. He knows what the cops are like in this town. He’s probably already imagining a million scenarios.
“Tell me.” His voice is gravely.
“It was late. It was already dark out. I was on a highway just crossing into the city limits. There was no one around when I saw the flashing blue lights in my rearview mirror. I stopped, knowing I hadn’t been speeding. Deputy Carson approached my door.” My voice is monotone. I recite it all like a robot. It’s the only way I’ll get through it. “He made me get out of the car.”
I pause so long, Rio presses me.
“What happened, baby?”
“He had me pinned against the door, and his hand cupped my breast, squeezing. A driver passed us, and that’s when he put me in the back of his squad car and took me somewhere else.”
“Where?” Rio asks. His voice is deceptively quiet, but there’s steel underneath, and I know rage is already filling him.
I shouldn’t have told him any of this, and I shake my head.
His hand squeezes my shoulder. “Tell me, Shelby.”
I stutter in a breath and continue. “There used to be an old glass factory. I don’t know if it’s still there. He parked behind it. There was no one around. All the businesses in the area were closed and deserted. I think he’d planned it all along. Maybe he’d used this spot before.”
I don’t even have to finish. Rio spins me around and takes me in his arms. I bury my face in his shoulder and hang onto him like a drowning person.
He strokes my head, and my throat gets so tight I can’t speak. Rio says the words for me.
“He raped you?”
I nod against his shoulder.
“Baby, I’m so sorry.”
“He told me his brother was a guard at the prison, and he’d seen the log where you’d had a visitor. His brother told him the name on that log. He laughed and said, maybe I was in on that robbery. He threatened to go to the bank authorities and tell them.” I can feel the tension in him.
“So it was because of me he did that to you? My God, baby, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. He’s an animal.”
“Did you go to the hospital?” Rio whispers.
“No,” I squeak out.
“Did you report it?”
“I tried. He took me to my car and laughed, like he knew he didn’t have to worry about any consequences. I swear to God, if I’d had a gun right then, I would have shot him.” I drag in a shaky breath. “I drove to the police station. Back then, I didn’t know the entire force was corrupt. I told the sheriff, filed a report, but they did nothing. That’s when I knew I had to leave town for good. There was nothing to stop him if he tried it again.”
“And that’s when you stopped writing me, stopped coming to see me,” he whispers. “That’s why.”
“I couldn’t face you. I shut down inside. I stopped trusting all men. I avoided them. I didn’t even want to be touched. It took a long time, and still, I haven’t dated a man in all these years. I haven’t wanted to until I saw you standing in my father’s garage. Usually, moments like that—you and Zig coming in the door like that—it would have triggered me; I would have felt trapped, threatened.”
“My God, baby. I had no idea. I wish I’d known what you were going through. I wish you’d written me.”
“What could you have done? I didn’t want to put that on you.”
“And now you fear all men?”
“Somehow, with you, it’s different. There’s anxiety, yes, but the fear isn’t there.”
“Good. Last thing I’d ever want is for you to be afraid of me, angel. I hope you know I’d never hurt you.”
I nod.
He holds me a long time, and I soak in his strength, feeling so safe for the first time in forever. It’s a relief to share the burden of it with someone.
“Shelby, I’d kill any man who hurt you.”
Something in the way he says it, I know he’s talking about the Deputy.
“You can’t do that, Rio.”
“The hell I can’t.” He strokes my shoulder, and I clutch his waist.
“Don’t even think it, Rio. Please. I couldn’t bear it if they sent you back to prison because of me.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Neither is killing a man,” I retort.
“He doesn’t get to walk free after what he did. There is no fucking way that’s going to happen.” His words are softly spoken, but I know he’s deadly serious.
“Rio, no.”
“We’ll talk about this later. I didn’t even feed you. Come on. Get dressed. I’m taking you out for food.” And just like that, he changes the subject. Perhaps because he doesn’t want to argue about this.
What I told him is a lot to process, so I need to give him time, and I am hungry.
“Where?” I ask.
Pulling me to my feet, he bumps his forehead to mine. “Our place.”
“Our place? You mean Four Horses ?” I smile. It will always be our place. I like that we have that.