Chapter 1
GREYSON
Four Months Later
“Damn, who would have thought Roderick would hook up with Aspen after all these years?” Duke mumbles.
Annoyed, I snap, “It wasn’t a hookup, you numb nut. They’re married.”
“Yeah, same thing.”
I don’t bother telling him how different hooking up is from marriage.
As Randy goes to climb into my truck with Frankie, I tell him, “I have some things I need to take care of, so you’ll need to ride back with my brothers.”
Randy pauses, then directs Frankie to the other vehicle.
Duke fixes me with a judgmental gaze. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
I glare at him, daring him to argue.
Penny absentmindedly exits Dottie’s and goes to my truck.
“You’re in front,” I tell her.
With her hand still on the back door handle, she asks, “What about—”
“I said, you’re in front.” I slide behind the wheel and wait for her to climb in.
She does so without looking at me, which hurts more than I care to admit.
Everything was perfect until four months ago, when a little too much alcohol had me making one very big mistake.
At the time, it felt right, and I thought she was enjoying herself. In fact, I know I was.
But the next day, she didn’t just avoid me. She treated me like I had the plague.
Which sucked because I thought we had something special.
I replayed every moment in my head, wondering where I fucked up. I may have made the first move, but there’s no denying that she pushed for it. Still, she acts like she hates me.
I thought that eventually, we could go back to normal, but she can’t stand next to me at an informal party without cringing.
And while I can’t force her to like me, I can make sure she knows to respect me in front of others.
Deep down, I think I know what has her so upset. With the way she’d been coming onto me, I’d thought she was experienced, but the moment I entered her, I knew I was wrong.
It kills me to know I took something from her. That she may have had too much to drink and didn’t realize what she was agreeing to.
But there’s no turning back time.
An hour into the trip, I broach the issue.
“So, about that heifer comment…” I let the sentence hang, hoping she’ll do the work for me.
“Huh?”
“That comment you made about me wanting another heifer.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I processed the invoices for the steer.”
“Yeah, but why’d you say that?”
She shifts uncomfortably. “I don’t know.”
“Bullshit.”
For a long moment, she’s silent, which bothers the hell out of me because I thought we could somehow talk our way through this.
Clearly, I was wrong.
Instead of addressing the situation, she says, “I need you to pull over.”
“Oh, come on! Quit acting so grumpy. You can’t go stomping off in the middle of nowhere because you’re mad at me.”
“Pull over.”
“Nope. You can be as mad as you want, but I’m not playing that game.”
“Pull—” Penny sits straight up and sucks in a breath.
“You ok—”
Before I get my words out, she’s curled forward, vomiting cake and barbecue onto my truck floor.
“Goddammit!” I pull over to the side of the road and pat her back.
After a solid thirty seconds of retching, she gasps.
“How much have you had to drink?” I ask.
She glares at me.
Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed by the scent.
Without warning, I curl forward, vomiting the contents of my stomach all over the center console.
“Ewww!” Penny cries, jumping out of the vehicle.
When I can breathe again, I exit the truck and assess the damage. With only a few napkins stored in my glove box, I mop up what I can, hoping there will be a car wash nearby.
This is fine.
Everything is fine.
Penny rides in the back seat, her head sticking out the window.
The detailer says he’s booked, so I hand him 300 dollars, and he moves me to the front of the line and gives me directions to a nearby strip mall to buy clothes and toiletries.
“When can we get back on the road?” Penny asks.
“Tomorrow.”
“But—”
“I know you’re eager to get back, but you’ll be well compensated, and it’ll do you some good to relax and enjoy yourself,” I tell her. “And I’ll let you pick where we eat.”
“I don’t think I ever want to eat again.”
I chuckle. “I don’t blame you.”
We buy a few outfits from the strip mall and head to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.
I ask for two rooms, but the person behind the counter says, “I’m sorry, with New Year’s just a few days away, we’re booked.”
“Oh, come on! You must have something.” I slide a one-hundred-dollar bill across the counter.
She hesitates before saying, “There is the room the staff uses to nap in. It’s small—”
“I’ll take it.”
“It’ll be ready in thirty.”
I tell Penny the situation, and her jaw drops.
“You’re not seriously considering sharing a room!”
“We’ve all slept in the main body of the camper before when we’ve had to travel.”
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I just want to get home.”
“Look, next year is going to be busy, so let me treat you to a relaxing night—”
“Yeah, about that. I’m putting in my two-week notice.”
All I can do is stare at her, like she’s just spoken some foreign language.
“Don’t act so surprised. I’m sure there will be plenty of heifers wanting to replace me, so you’ll be fine.”
Her comment stuns me, and I wonder if I’ve been misinterpreting her aggression this entire time. That perhaps it isn’t anger that has her acting so grumpy toward me.
Maybe it’s jealousy.
But that makes no sense. Ever since we were together, I haven’t so much as looked at another woman.
The attendant allows us into our room. As soon as Penny enters, she rushes into the bathroom and slams the door closed. A moment later, I hear the shower turn on.
I can fix this. We can go back to the way things were.
Or…maybe something more.
Penny was eighteen when I’d taken her in, and even then, I’d wanted her. But she was young and vulnerable, so I kept away.
But that night…I couldn’t. I was so damn lonely. I wanted to tell her how I felt, but I knew it was selfish of me.
Still, I fucked up.
Big time.
And now she’s going to leave.
After her shower, Penny storms into the room and throws herself onto the bed like a petulant child. I freshen up for dinner, trying to figure out what to say to her.
Is it selfish to confess my feelings toward her?
Definitely.
The only decent thing to do is offer her a severance.
When I exit the bathroom, I find her curled under the covers. At first, I think she’s asleep. But then I see her body trembling.
She’s crying.
I can’t think of a time I’ve ever felt such strong self-loathing before. I have to make this right. But how?
“You okay, Penny?” I whisper.
She shakes her head.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Hold me,” she blurts.
I climb under the covers and spoon her, praying I don’t pop a boner.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not.” She sniffles.
“And why is that?”
“Just…because. I didn’t ask you to talk to me. I asked you to hold me.”
I hold her tightly so she feels safe, hoping to somehow make things better for her.
She presses back, takes my hand, and pulls it under her shirt to her breasts.
Which is…confusing.
She pushes her ass against my now-hardened cock, making me hiss out a breath.
And because there is no denying that it’s her who’s initiating, I grab her cotton sports bra and pull it up over her tits.
She yelps a cute sound, which makes me leak pre-cum into my boxers. As I rut against her, I knead her breasts, loving how reactive she is to my touch.
Her tits feel bigger in my hand than they had before, probably because of the position we’re in. Or maybe it’s just winter weight gain.
“Grey?”
“Yes, Penny?”
“I’m horny.”
“Clearly.”
“Will you take me?”
As if I could deny her.
“Of course.”
She wiggles around, and I realize she’s taking her pants off.
“Hurry!”
I pull my hand away from her breast and brush her hair aside to kiss her neck. “But I want to taste you.”
I place light kisses over her sensitive skin, hoping to relax her.
“I don’t want that.”
“Why not, baby? You know you like it.”
She makes a frustrated sound and turns around in the bed; her features a mixture of fury and frustration.
“Will you stop trying to baby me and fuck me like I asked you to?”
Yes, ma’am!
As I’m pulling off my shirt, she grabs my belt, ripping the slack from the buckle. “Hurry up, Grey!”
A spark of frustration ignites in my chest that only makes me want her more. I throw my clothes in a pile on the floor, then grab her shirt to rip it off, but as I’m about to, she slaps my hand away and gets up on all fours.
She wiggles her butt and looks over at me expectantly. “Well?”
“What kind of game are you playing, Penny?” I growl as I move behind her.
She lowers the front half of her body to the bed, presenting her pussy to me, which damn near makes me come on the spot.
What the hell has gotten into this girl?
“Hurry!” she pouts.
And because I can’t help myself, I bend, giving her pussy a long lick up the center.
“Oh!” she gasps.
“You still want to rush?” I ask, teasing her clit with the tip of my tongue.
“You asshole,” she huffs, pressing her swollen pussy against my face.
I lick, lap, and suck her sweetness until she screams her release, which takes no time at all.
It’s crazy how easy she is to please. Like she was made for me. Or maybe I just want to believe that.
After she’s come, I get into position and swipe my cock up her seam.
“It’s sensitive!” she yelps.
Deciding against torture, I move away from her clit to her velvety hole, and give a rough push.
She’s just as tight as I remember her to be, though this time, she’s not a virgin.
I wonder if she’s had another since our time together. The thought sends a wave of anger coursing through my veins.
“Yeah, that’s it. Harder…” Penny moans.
I drive into her again and again, faster and harder, relishing the sound of her crying for more.
My mind goes to her heavy breasts, and how sexy they are. I pull Penny’s shirt up, but she swears at me and yanks it back down.