16
“T his is it. The honey hole.”
Reese arches a brow. “I knew it. That’s what you call all the girls.”
I laugh. Give her ass a squeeze. “Nah, baby, just you.”
Self-control deserting me, I lean in and kiss her pouty lips. Reese clings to me as her tongue tangles with mine.
I waited too damn long to kiss this girl, and now I’m taking every chance I get to have her mouth on mine. But kissing isn’t all we’ve been doing. Sex. In the barn. The lodge. My apartment. Her chalet. We’ve fucked all over this goddamn ranch.
I can’t keep my hands off her.
I need a neon sign above my head that flashes the reminder We’re Just Friends. Because at night when I’m buried in her sweet pussy, I forget about all the reasons it won’t work. I forget to be careful. My brain only has space for Reese. I’m obsessed.
But I’m not an idiot.
This is for the summer. I’m helping her out—for Grady.
And then she’ll go.
“What exactly is a honey hole?” Reese asks when we break apart and continue our trek to the river.
“It’s a fish mecca.” The fishing poles bounce over my shoulder. “A secret spot no one knows about.”
She laces her fingers with mine. Wrinkles her nose. “Should we be sneaking off in the middle of a workday?”
Hell yes. She needs a distraction. After the visit from the private investigator last week, the pretty wrinkle in her brow hasn’t budged. Not that I blame her.
My stomach’s been in a knot since I heard the news.
I said I’d respect her privacy, that I wouldn’t dig into whatever she’s running from. One thing is obvious, though. She’s a vault of fucking secrets.
I shouldn’t get involved. I should step back and let her deal with them herself.
But a little voice inside of me says it’s impossible.
Reese spreads out a blanket and settles on the riverbank while I bait and cast the lines.
“Is it true the fish can hear you?” she asks, pulling out snacks from the basket she brought along.
I laugh. “Nah, Birdie. My dad just wanted me to shut the fuck up.”
Above us, the hot June sun shines. Birdsong sounds in the trees.
I smile as I settle beside Reese. Instead of sandwiches or water—actual nourishment—she’s brought along bags of chips, gummy bears, and Sprite. It’s like her body exists on sugar alone. As long as Reese is eating, that’s all that matters.
Leaning in, I spin my baseball cap backward so I can kiss her properly. “What’s with the junk food?”
A flush spreads over her cheeks. “It’s my way of rebelling. Gavin never let me have sweets. Not even on birthdays.”
“Hell, you never had a birthday cake?”
Her teeth tug at her lower lip. “No. We never had parties. Or at least real parties with balloons and candles. It was either in a club or I was alone in a hotel room.” She thinks about it. “I think the last party I had was when I was seven. My mom made me a unicorn cake.”
My stomach tightens.
“Gavin always checked us in under the most ridiculous names,” she says, stretching out on the blanket. “For hotels or tours, we were the von Trapps or the Waltons or even”—she laughs—“the Bradys. But we weren’t happy. Not like those perfect families on TV. I think maybe he thought of us like that.”
There’s so much sadness in her voice. All I want to do is take it away.
I drag a hand through my hair. “You ever think about tracking down your folks?”
“Sometimes.” She exhales and stretches in the sunshine. “Sometimes I wish I could see my parents. For one day. Just get answers. Sometimes I don’t understand why they gave me up.” She shrugs. “Sometimes I do.”
I give a nod, not wanting her to be sad any longer. “Go on, Birdie girl, put those pretty toes down in the water.”
She does, giggling as her pink-painted toes meet the ice-cold water.
“Doing things different, that’s what you’re doing.”
She smiles, a certain fragileness in her expression. “Yeah. I like that.” She rests her head on my shoulder. Her blonde locks tickle my arm. “I like the way you make me feel, Ford. Like I can do anything.”
Damn if that doesn’t steal the breath from my lungs.
“You can, you know.” When she doesn’t answer, I ask, “What would you do if you could do anything?”
“I don’t know. I think that’s what I’m out here to find out.” Twisting into me, she opens a bag of Combos. “I’ve never loved the rat race of the tour. The exhaustion. I loved it because I was told I loved it. Because I felt like I owed Gavin.”
Before I can ask what she means, she says, “I just want out. I don’t want to go back.”
Over my dead body.
I shake my head against the sudden fury.
“What would you do?”
“Anything but be locked up again.”
My gut roils. When she talks…it’s desperate. Caged. Christ, I hate it.
“Would you sing?”
“Only my songs. I’d do everything my way. I’d travel. Go to Paris. It’s my favorite spot in the world.” Gathering her hair over her shoulder, she begins to braid the long strands. “Either way, I’ll be out of here by summer’s end.”
A pit opens in my stomach. I shake off the emotion. Of course she has to leave. This girl can’t stay on the ranch forever.
She cocks her head. “What about you? Do you like it here?”
I think of the job offer hanging over my head like a noose. There have been two more texts from Savannah and a phone call from Jim. Screened them both.
“I do. It’s the greatest gig in the sky. But sometimes I feel like it’s not mine.”
“What do you mean?”
Feeling like I’ve said too much, I rub my jaw. “It’s not my ranch. I’m just here.”
“Where would you be if you weren’t?”
Good question.
“I got a job offer,” I admit. Talking to Reese is easy. “It’s in New York. I’d be working as a commentator for the Renegades.”
Her eyes go wide. “Would you take it?”
“It’d mean leaving my brothers. This life.”
“Well, if you like it here, you should stay,” she says simply. “Do something you want, Ford. Put a baseball diamond in the pasture.”
I chuckle. “Ain’t a bad idea.”
“When do you have to decide?”
“End of summer.”
She gives me a sad smile. “Looks like we both have countdowns.”
My teeth grind together.
Reese squeals as the fishing pole clatters to the ground. The line jerks tight, telling me we’ve got a fish.
“Shit.” So damn involved in our conversation, I’ve barely paid attention.
We scramble up. I grab the pole and reel it in. Right before I can pull the fish ashore, it escapes the hook. Its colorful body splashes into the water.
“Get it, get it,” Reese says, half-laughing, half-dancing beside me.
On instinct, I stick a hand into the water.
“Holy fuck,” I blast. In my hand, is the wriggling fish. “I didn’t think it’d actually work.”
Reese screams and breaks into a laugh, which pulls one from me. Big and bright. I blink at the noise. It feels like it’s been so damn long since I’ve had someone to share a moment like this with. My brothers are alright—but a gorgeous girl can’t be beat.
She leans down and inspects the fish, her eyes wide and curious. “What kind is it?”
“Rainbow trout.”
“He’s so pretty,” she breathes. Her green eyes find me. “Can we let him go?”
I swallow the tight knot in my throat. “Yeah, we can.” My brothers would give me hell, but I crouch and release the fish into the water. In seconds, it’s gone.
When I straighten, Reese is bending over to check the second line.
I grin. Fuck self-control. I never said I had any.
I slip my hand up her dress. “Oil check.”
Reese gasps and spins around, her eyes widening. Then she smiles. “Better pay attention to the fish.”
“Nah, baby.” I tug at the end of her braid. Prowl for her. “I like you better.”
A smile lights up her face. “You do, huh?”
I grab her up in my arms. She whimpers as my mouth meets hers. Walking her backward, I press her back against a tree and absolutely inhale her.
This girl is better than adrenaline, a rock climb, a day at the lake. She is pure bliss. Wild, fun, and fiercely sexy. She’s the best damn time I’ve ever had, and I don’t want to let her go.
I let loose a low moan into her mouth as her nails rake through my hair. My cock throbs. I feel like a goddamn teenage kid trying to rein in his hormones. Can’t stay away from her—won’t.
My hands quickly slip her lace panties down her thighs.
“Your body, Reese,” I murmur, “is an absolute goddamn stunner. Has me absolutely fucking feral.”
She clings to me, spreads her legs.
“Lord have mercy,” I growl as I slip my cock into her warmth.
Over and over, I thrust. Reese’s gasps sound in my ears. Sweat drips down my spine. Her body moves and bends with mine. The back arch, the hip roll, I’m out of my goddamn mind.
“That’s how you ride a cowboy, baby. Just like that.”
Voices sound from the forest. Glancing around the tree trunk, I spot guests led by a guide, traipsing for the falls.
Reese squeaks.
I grin.
“Oh my God, Steve, look at that spotted thrush.”
“Ford,” Reese hisses. Her cheeks are bright pink. “There’s a group right there.”
“So stop talking.” I kiss her, shutting her up. Drinking in all that sweetness. “Before I spank that ass and give everyone a real show.”
The hungry look in her eyes tells me she wants the sting of my hand.
Yanking her away from the tree so I have the best angle, I bring my palm up.
The sharp slap echoes through the silence.
The tour moves on into the forest.
Reese releases a sigh, the breathy sound shooting straight to my aching dick. She tilts her head back, blonde hair tangling in the tree bark. I run my hand up her throat and squeeze lightly.
She bucks wildly. “Faster, faster , Ford.”
“Birdie girl,” I whisper, gritting my teeth. “I’m going to fuck you so goddamn hard you’ll feel me for days.”
She whimpers, runs her nails through my hair, bites my shoulder. “So deep. I can feel you so deep.”
I pump harder, drawing her into me. Our hearts thunder.
Mine.
Mine for the summer.
I don’t get close. I don’t do commitments. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.
All I know is that the moment my lips meet hers, I know I want to keep doing it with Reese.
We get back to the lodge at dinnertime. Guests file around a corner and enter the cantina. After Reese and I return the poles to reception, she gives me a kiss, then turns to go.
I snag her hand. “Hey, where are you goin’?”
“I don’t know.” She gives me a teasing grin. “Nowhere?”
“Very fucking funny.” I band my arms around her slender waist. “Want to keep the day goin’? Come back to my place?”
“And?” Green eyes glittering, she lifts a brow. “Ford Montgomery, are you trying to get me into bed? Again?”
Funny how weeks ago that’d be my MO. But for once, I’m not thinking about how to get this girl into bed. I’m thinking about how I can get her to stick around a little longer. I like talking to her. And if talking means we find our way into bed, I can deal with that, too.
“Could cook you dinner.” I give her a smirk. “God knows you need a home-cooked meal.”
She punches a finger in my chest. Scoffs. “Combos are a king’s meal, and don’t you forget it.”
“Whatever you say, Birdie Girl.” Then, because I’m an absolute sucker, I drop my mouth to hers and inhale this girl who’s shaken up my entire world.
A throat clears from behind us.
We pull back from each other. Dakota stands nearby, a white pastry box in her hands.
“Playing hooky?” she asks.
“Don’t tell the boss,” I say.
She holds a finger to her lips. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Dakota’s dark eyes land on Reese.
“There’s someone here to see you.” Dakota hesitates. “He said he’d wait, but I’m not sure if he’s supposed to be here.”
Reese stiffens. Her eyes fly to the leather couch near the great windows. “Oh my God. It’s Gavin.”
My eyes lock onto the bastard. A man in his late forties adjusts his tie and scans the lodge with an expression of disdain. Suddenly, all I want to do is fasten him to my truck’s hitch and do several hundred donuts in the parking lot.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” I take a step forward.
“No.” Reese shoves me back. “Stay here. Let me handle it.”
Before I can say anything, she rushes away.
Dakota comes up beside me. Her touch is cool as she slips a hand around my bicep. “She’s scared of him.”
My hand balls into a fist. “Yeah. She sure as fuck is.”