Chapter 5
TRIG
The night before, Ellie never woke up when I got her in my house. Once I kicked the door shut behind me and Beau, I set her on my couch and quickly began to strip her of her icy layers. But when her boots were on the floor and I moved to the hem of her shirt, I stopped.
Looked to Beau. He’d stayed with me in the past, so he knew to find towels and an extra blanket in the laundry room. He dropped to his knees on the floor beside me.
“What?” he asked, confused as to why I wasn’t helping her. Beau was two years younger, with pitch black hair that was messed up after tugging off his hat and a goatee, making everyone tell him he looked like a famous country singer.
“No fucking way are you seeing what’s mine,” I said to him.
He looked between me, then the unconscious woman, then back.
“Yours?” he asked, confused.
A dark thrill shot through me. Possessiveness, fierce and potent as I glanced at her. No fucking way was my brother seeing her bare.
“Yes, she’s mine .”
His eyes widened in surprised understanding, then a slow smile spread across his face. His hands came up so I knew he wasn’t going to touch her, probably in response to my junkyard dog snarl. “Just like that?”
That was what my parents said happened to them, meeting at a mutual friend’s wedding. By the end of the reception, they knew they’d be having one of their own.
They had, not six weeks later. Were pregnant with me a month after that.
I nodded, because while we–me and all my siblings–all believed them, it hadn’t happened to any of us. Not one of the nine of us had found their person. Until now.
“Just like that.”
Beau exhaled and laughed. “Shit, man. That’s… that’s good. That’s real good. Guess your decision’s been made about going back on the circuit?”
The competition season was fast approaching–not that it was obvious based on the blizzard we were having–and it was almost time to leave Devil’s Ditch to compete again. Sponsors had expectations, even with a bum knee. We’d gone over all of this at dinner.
Now? He was right. Everything changed. The answer was clear. My choice was obvious. Her.
“Yup. Not happening,” I told him. “If we’re startin’ a family, my rodeo days are done.”
His eyes practically bugged out. “Family? You don’t even know her name.”
I shrugged.
He looked down at the unconscious woman. “Okay. You sure you got her? She’s pretty hypothermic. I can stay if you need me to and–”
“I got her,” I said, grabbing one of the towels and swiping at her wet and icy hair. “Get outta here before we have to come rescue you, too.”
He gave her another quick glance. While I didn’t see a hint of heat or interest in his eyes, I wanted to poke them out anyway.
What if she got a good look at him and wanted him instead?
It’d happened before on the circuit. On a night out, I didn’t stand a chance standing beside Beau.
I had money. A house. I could provide. But I was definitely a hell of a lot older than whoever this woman was.
At least a decade. My youngest brothers, Shep and Zeb, were closer to her age.
Fuck Shep and Zeb. And Beau was seeing how beautiful she was. How perfect. None of them were getting this woman.
I felt ridiculously possessive and Beau seemed to pick up on it.
“All right,” he said, complying. “I’ll be in Bozeman, but if you need me to circle back…”
He pushed to his feet.
“Thanks,” I told him. Meaning it. “I won’t. My family can get here by snowmobile real quick if necessary.”
“That’s right. There’s, what, eight of you Wilders?”
“Nine.”
He whistled, then slapped me on the shoulder before he left. “Must be nice. I just have Cammie and she’s the same age as your youngest brother.”
“Zeb.”
“Exactly. If all of you are like this, then he needs to steer clear of her.” He grinned, knowing he was joking. Maybe. “While I’ll miss you on the circuit this year, I’m real fuckin’ happy for you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I always knew I wanted to be in the rodeo.
I’d been mutton busting when I was five and never looked back.
When I graduated high school, I went pro, traveling the country competing ever since.
Yet, instead of in some far flung location, I’d found my woman in a blizzard right in front of my house. Fucking finally.
Instead of stripping her of anything else, I scooped her up and carried her upstairs and to my room. Only when she was on my bed did I rid her of her wet clothes. It’d been impossible not to take in her full tits, soft curves, and perfect pussy while doing so.
I’d felt a little like an asshole, because I only touched a woman who was willing and interested.
Conscious, too. But this mystery woman was my woman and I had to take care of her.
Hell, keep her fucking alive. Ridding her of her wet clothes wasn’t an option, it had been a requirement when she was hypothermic.
Modesty be damned. Not that she had anything to be modest about, not with me.
But I wanted to see her for the first time when she offered herself to me like a gift. A present I could unwrap and savor.
Putting her into one of my t-shirts, I tucked her beneath the heavy covers, then shucked down to my boxers and climbed in behind her.
“Fuck,” I muttered. She was fucking freezing! In my hold and surrounded by flannel sheets and a thick down comforter, she quickly started to thaw. Then, got nice and warm in my arms. She didn’t know it, but she slept in my hold until dawn, when I slipped from bed and the temptation of her body.
Going forward, she wouldn’t be wearing anything in my bed– our bed–so the t-shirt she wore was my gentlemanly consideration of her until I had the privilege of her body. Which would be very soon.
Now, she was awake. I’d already made coffee and brought in wood from the back porch to keep the fire in the fireplace going. My cabin would stay nice and toasty. I’d do anything–and I meant anything– to keep my woman warm. Or get her hot.
Fuck, was she pretty. Ice blue eyes, long dark hair. It was matted and wild from the storm and sleeping with it wet. She had a crinkle down one pale cheek. But she was pink and rosy and warm. Sleepy, as if she’d been well fucked and slept hard because of it.
My dick got hard at the sight of her in my shirt. In my bed. I may have held her all night, but I hadn’t touched her in any carnal way. I yearned–and my balls ached–to do so, to learn every soft curve I felt against me all night long.
But not yet.
While I saw interest in her eyes, there was also wariness. I didn’t blame her for being hesitant. In fact, it made her smart, being cautious in a stranger’s bed. Except I wasn’t a danger to her, so I told her so.
“You’re safe here, Ellie. You don’t know me, but you gotta believe that I’d rather be stomped on in the ring by a pissed off bull than let anything happen to you.”
Tension left her shoulders. “Okay,” she whispered.
I had so many questions. Where had she come from? No one on the interstate would have veered so far and ended up in Devil’s Ditch and definitely not the dirt road in front of my family’s ranch.
She had to have been on one of the nearby ranches to start with. My brother, Colt, was the county sheriff. I could have him do some digging.
The snow wasn’t letting up until later and it’d take time to dig out. Other than her almost freezing to death, I couldn’t think of a more perfect arrangement to get to know my woman.
“Do, um, you play poker?” she asked.
I frowned at the random question. “Poker?”
She nodded.
“Like with your guy friends,” she added. “People in town.”
I shook my head and stood, because I needed to give her room. Sitting beside her, being able to touch her, was too tempting. “No. I gambled enough on the back of a bull.”
She studied me for a moment, then must’ve come to some kind of decision because her shoulders relaxed and she even smiled a little.
“Okay.”
She climbed from the bed.
Holy fuck. She’d looked good in my t-shirt when I put it on her, but she’d been unconscious.
Now she was awake and standing in front of my bed and my dick was ready to break through the zipper in my jeans to get to her.
The neckline was wide and showed her delicate collarbone.
The hem hung to mid-thigh, but the worn fabric outlined her perfect tits and those delectable nipples.
Lush, shapely legs meant the rest of her was going to be a perfect fit, a perfect grip for my big hands.
It was hotter than the sexiest piece of lingerie.
All I had to do was tug up the shirt and there’d be her pussy. I bet it was the prettiest pink and tasted like honey. My mouth watered to find out.
My brain was screaming at me to push her back onto my bed, drop to my knees and eat her out until she screamed my name, then claim her so she screamed it again.
My mind, though, switched to her almost dying. To me being so close to missing out on finding my woman. On her being fuckin’ alive. “First thing I should do is spank your ass for being so reckless with your safety,” I murmured.
“Sp–ank me?” she sputtered, her cheeks flushing even brighter. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
I leaned against the doorframe. Unless she planned on jumping out the window, she’d have to get past me to leave. “You sure about that?”
“I didn’t!” she all but wailed.
“You weren’t mine then, but you’re mine now and you’re stayin’ put.”
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, which was cute as fuck. Clearly, she wasn’t used to having her man thinking of her safety. That changed starting now.
“Yours?” She looked around as if my room was a bare, cold prison.
I couldn’t help but grin. “Yup.”
She shook her head. “No way. I’m not yours.”
He tipped his chin toward me. “Your nipples tell a different story. Do they get hard and poke toward every man?”
She glanced down, gasped, then quickly crossed her arms. “Oh my God.”
“Don’t worry, sugar. I love knowing you want me as much as I want you. This is all for you.” I put my hand over the length of my dick pressing painfully against my zipper and adjusted it.
Her eyes followed the motion, then widened when she got a good look at how much I wanted her. All those thick inches were for her.
“Don’t worry, I’m not claiming you. Yet. While I want to feed my dick into that pretty mouth of yours, you need some food first. Hungry?” I asked.
While her body was telling one story about her interest in being claimed, her mind wasn’t quite ready, so I’d circle back later.
Same with why she didn’t want to call anyone to let them know where she was.
It was a given in rural Montana not to go off without notifying someone of your plans and whereabouts.
Hell, my cell rarely stopped chiming with the family group text when someone even went into town for milk.
For now, it was time to take care of Ellie in other ways.
She blinked at the obvious change of topic. Eventually, she shook her head, but her stomach rumbled and gave her away.
I grinned when her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Come on, I’ll scramble some eggs and toast for us. I bet you’d also like some coffee.”
The eagerness that flared in her eyes was a sign that she liked her caffeine. Probably more than she liked me. I held out my hand for her.
She eyed it, then down at herself, not ready to show me the outline of her nipples again.
Going to my dresser, I pulled out a hoodie, then some thick socks and set them on the bed. “Here. Put these on.”
“Where are my clothes?”
“Dryer.” She had no way to leave with the several feet of snow blanketing everything, but I was reassured she definitely wasn’t going anywhere in just my hoodie and socks.
She eyed the bathroom door.
“Bathroom’s in there,” I said, and pointed to the huge master bath. “A new toothbrush is in the second drawer. Come out when you’re ready.”
Unwillingly, I left her, heading to the kitchen and the task of getting Ellie fed… with food.
She emerged a few minutes later and I froze while grabbing the shredded cheese from the fridge to stare at her.
My sweatshirt was enormous on her, covering her down to just above her knees. The thick socks went up mid-calf. There was only a few inches of bare skin exposed, yet she was sexy as hell, especially since I knew beneath she wasn’t wearing panties or a bra.
I wasn’t ever giving her clothes back and if I had my way, she’d only ever wear mine or go bare.
I groaned at the sight of her. Fuck, I was going to come in my pants. No question pre-cum was soaking into my boxers.
She looked everywhere but at me.
I pulled out a chair. “Sit.”
She did and I grabbed a mug for her coffee. I took the moment facing the counter to adjust my dick again, using the top of my jeans to hold it in place. Thankfully, my untucked shirt hid the tip from sticking out above my belt.
“What’s in Seattle that has you wantin’ to rush back real quick?” I asked, setting the steaming mug in front of her along with a little container of cream.
She added a half inch of it to the top, then took a sip.
Shit. Not what, perhaps a who. I hadn’t thought she might already be claimed. There was no ring on her finger, but she was so fucking beautiful that all kinds of fuckers probably sniffed all around her.
“Boyfriend?” I asked between clenched teeth.
She shook her head. “No. I go to school there.”
I’d been mentally preparing to go all the way to the coast just to tell the fucker he lost his shot with Ellie and that she was mine now. Not that she was a student.
Wait, she looked young, but how young? I was thirty-four and didn’t mind that she was younger. But I needed her fucking legal. “School?” I asked, neutrally.
“I’m a junior studying accounting.”
Well, then. She was probably smarter than me and my siblings combined.
“Impressive,” I said, returning to my work making us some breakfast. It also meant she had to be at least…
twenty-one? What the hell did I know about counting higher than eight seconds?
I’d skipped college and gone straight into the pro-rodeo circuit where I literally flung myself off the back of an angry bull. Talk about stupid.
She shrugged and took little sips of her coffee.
“If you’re in school there, then what brought you to Devil’s Ditch?”
Her eyes widened. “We’re in Devil’s Ditch still?”
I arched a brow. “Still?”
She knew the town and the use of still meant she started here.
She bit her lip. “I saw a sign for it as I was, um… driving and thought I made it farther in the snow.”
“Nope. Still in Devil’s Ditch. You’re on my family’s land here. Wilder Ranch.”
She glanced around. Took in the kitchen. My house wasn’t fancy, but it was built sturdy and big enough for a family I hoped to have someday. Now that the woman I was going to fill with my babies was at my kitchen table, it was going to be sooner than later.
My dick was eager to get right on that.
When my thoughts went one way, hers obviously went another.
“Family? Wait. You’re… um, married?”
I dropped into the seat beside her, took her hand. “Not yet, sugar. But real fucking soon.”