28. Rescue Me
Chapter 28
Rescue Me
Esme
I obviously knew there was danger lurking around the corner, ready to pounce at any moment. I knew that I shouldn’t have said anything to him. I knew that doing so would put him in danger. What I didn’t know was how little time it takes to fall in love with someone. I also didn’t know how quickly they’d be able to find out what I did.
I look down at my phone as another text comes through. I feel like my stomach has fallen out of my ass as I stare at the text.
Why did you go and have to tell him?
Now we have to kill him too.
What a shame, you guys would have made a perfect couple.
I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat and look around. I feel like the trees have eyes, and every one of them is on me. The hair on my arms is standing straight up, the chill racking my body. I’m so fucking stupid for getting comfortable.
I drive the heel of my hand into my forehead. “Stupid, stupid,” I say to myself. Sitting up and straightening my back, I hold my head high and take a big deep breath in. I close my eyes on the exhale, although it comes out shaky. I do it again, trying to convince myself that I’m okay right now. If I go back inside right now, Asher will know what’s up. When I saw the first unknown-number message come through, I ran to the barn to check it. I didn’t know what it was, but this was the last thing that I expected.
I open my eyes and almost jump out of my skin when Asher is leaning against the doorway, staring at me.
“Holy fuck!” I screech. “Don’t fucking do that, you ass. You scared the shit out of me.” I storm past him, pissed that he scared me so badly. He doesn’t know why I’m hyper-sensitive right now, but that doesn’t matter.
“Hey hey—” he says as he grabs my hand and pulls me into him.
I spin, my body hitting his body with a hard thud. He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, and I nuzzle into his touch. It’s so easy to just give into it. He feels so safe, if only he knew that danger lurked around the corner because of me.
With that thought in mind, I step back to make some space between us.
“Okay, spill.” he says, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing—” I say, scratching the back of my neck. “Why, what’s up? Why were you out here?”
“Well, I came to check on you since you ran out of the house.”
“Oh yeah, I’m fine.”
“You can tell me anything, Princess,” he says, taking a step forward. He dips his head a little, to get more at eye level. “I will help you however I can. Ya know, I haven’t let you get hurt thus far.”
He gives me a lopsided grin, and I can’t help but smile back. This man is like a disease, everything he does is contagious.
“Would you rescue me?” I blurt out.
His smile drops, and his jaw tics.
“Who the fuck do I need to kill?”
I look at him and bark out a laugh, but he doesn’t break.
“Oh shit, you’re serious?”
“Of course, I’m fucking serious. I’ve never killed someone before, but there’s always a first time for everything.”
I gape at him with an open mouth. Am I turned on by this?
“Soooo—” I say, rocking back onto my heels. “I’ll take that as a yes?”
“Fuck, yes, it’s a yes. You say the words and I will take down anyone who hurts you. No one will ever get away with that shit.”
Okay yeah, I’m turned on. Should this be a red flag? Eh, probably, but I like the color red.
“Okay, okay chill out,” I say with my hands out.
“Tell. Me. What. Happened,” he grits out. I’ve never seen the man so angry. I need to diffuse this situation, like now.
“Hey hey—” I’m the one to move forward now. I place my hand on his cheek, and he leans into it. I guide him down so our foreheads are touching.
“I’m okay right now,” I made sure to include right now since it’s not technically lying. I don’t want to worry him. I bring my lips to his and kiss him. I kiss him deep and hard and let all of my feelings transfer to him. He feels it because he kisses me back with the same passion.
“I’m okay right now,” I say again for clarification. We separate, but our bodies remain close.
We both zone out for a moment, enjoying the moment of quiet. Asher is the first to break the tension bubble that was building.
“Oh yeah, next weekend there’s a roping. I was wondering if you’d be my date?” He wiggles his eyebrows, and I can’t help but laugh at him. He really knows how to turn my mood around.
“I’ll bring both of the horses so you can mess around, and I’m going to rope with a friend so you can watch if you want. It’ll be overnight, but it should be fun.”
“Oh my god, yeah! That sounds so fun! But also, what’s a roping?”
He laughs, but I’m really not joking. I have no fucking clue what is it.
“Exactly as it sounds. We rope cattle and compete to see who can do it faster.”
“Okay! Yeah, I’m totally down.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah for sure!”
“Okay, it’s a date then,” he says with a smile. He leans down, so his mouth is grazing the shell of my ear as he whispers the next part, “maybe I’ll even show you my roping skills up close and personal. Tie you up and fuck you real deep and slow, pop that little cherry of yours.”
He leans down to kiss me again, and I can’t breathe. My heart is hammering with a mix of excitement and sadness as our lips collide. This will probably be our last date before I have to leave. And this may also be when I lose my virginity. Fuck, this is going to hurt.