Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Dakota
S tanding in front of the closed wooden doors, I can’t take my eyes off the gold plaque that reads ‘Private Suite.’ With my hand linked with Chance’s, we stand there in silence, not ready to cross the threshold and find out what waits on the other side.
Last night had been a dream. We stayed in each other’s arms through the whole concert, swaying and singing as Greyson performed his heart out for the town. For one night we put everything aside, all the shit that has happened over the last few weeks, and just enjoyed being in each other’s company.
When he took me back to his house last night and took me to bed, it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. When I thought he was being caring and attentive during our weekend together, that was nothing compared to the way he treated me last night. He was gentle and caring—until he wasn’t—and gave me the most mind-blowing orgasms I didn’t even know could physically be possible.
“Tell me something no one knows,” I say, lacing my fingers through his.
We’re lying in his bed, my head resting on his bicep, covered just in his sheets.
Our breaths have finally come down after our last session of lovemaking; our skin glistening with sweat.
“There’s lots people don’t know,” he says with a chuckle.
I turn and fold my hands over his bare chest, feeling the hard muscles underneath. Resting my chin on my hands, I give him a lazy smile. “Pick one.”
He rests his hands under his head, looking up at the ceiling, staying silent. He sighs heavily, and I feel my hand and head moving up and down with the movement.
“I hate ice cream.”
“What?” I pop my head up. “Who hates ice cream?”
“I do,” he says with a chuckle.
“But…how?” I ask, amazed. “I’ve never known anyone who didn’t like at least one flavour of ice cream.”
“Not me.”
“Is it all sweets?” I place my head back on my hands, looking up at him.
“No, I like cookies and pie just fine. I don’t know, maybe I just don’t like frozen foods.”
“Huh.” Of all the things I am expecting—or hoping—Chance would tell me, I wasn’t expecting that.
“What about you?” He asks, bending his knee, further encasing my body against his. I can feel his arousal, the hardness lengthening under my stomach, as he lifts his hips and rolls into me.
“I…uh…” His movements leave me temporarily dumbstruck as my body starts to remember the way he made me feel not that long ago.
“Come on now, Counsellor, don’t hold out on me now.”
The smile on his face doesn’t help restart my line of thinking. He looks so happy. So peaceful. This is a side of Chance I don’t think anyone’s ever seen before. It makes me extremely happy that I get to be the one to see him this way.
“Let me see...” I tilt my head to the side, letting my cheek rest on my hands, enjoying the rise and fall of his bare chest. “I’ve always wanted to use my law degree to help animals.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Maybe do some pro bono work to help with animal cruelty cases? Work with shelters and things to help save animals? I just hate that a lot of time they have no one to fight for them, and they just get caught up in paperwork and legal jargon.”
He lifts his hand from behind his head and sweeps a lock of stray hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “You have a big heart, Dakota Myers.”
“I don’t know about that,” I chuckle. “I’m sure there are a lot of people I’ve faced in the courtroom that would disagree with you.”
“Nah, they’re just intimidated or upset because you kicked their ass.” He continues running his fingertips through my hair. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re a badass and scary as hell, but you also have a huge heart.”
“Are you scared of me, Mr. Declan?” I raise the corner of my mouth, hoping he’ll take the challenge.
“Terrified.”
In one quick move, he flips us, and I find myself underneath him. Caught up in a tangle of sheets, I laugh until he kisses me senseless, and I can’t remember what it was we had been talking about.
He held me until the morning, and didn’t let me out of his sight, not even when we had to stop at my place this morning so I could change.
Now, as we stand at the doors, with everyone that we’ve spent weeks trying to impress on the other side, we’re frozen.
I clutch his hand tighter, feeling my palm get sweaty despite the cool air being pushed from the air conditioner into the narrow hallways.
“Hey,” Chance turns to me, sweeping my hair off my shoulder and cupping my cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“Oh, yeah?” I smile up at him, feeling the heat of a blush under his palm.
I didn’t think much about the outfit I was putting on before coming here. We only had enough time for a quick stop at my house as we were running late as it is. Under Chance’s watchful eye and roaming hands, I was only able to throw on a fresh pair of jeans, black tank top, and blue button-up shirt, which I’ve tied at my waist. He told me it was appropriate for a rodeo, and I believed him. It was hard not to when he wouldn’t stop touching and kissing me.
“Yeah.” He leans down and whispers. “You’ve got a glow to you. Did something happen to put a smile on your face?”
“Oh, you know, nothing special.” I shrug, looking up at him through my lashes.
“Nothing special, huh?” I can feel his smile along my neck as he places kisses along my skin. “I’ll need to try harder tonight if last night wasn’t memorable.”
I trail my fingers along his broad shoulders, feeling the muscles I’ve spent hours burning into my memory. The hard divots and bulges earned only from the endless hours spent on the ranch.
The dip of his head hides us from view, giving me enough courage to tilt my head back and truly give into the rush of the moment. I’m no longer worried about the people on the other side of the door. All I care about is the feel of his short beard along the column of my neck and his hands over my body.
I’m immediately transported to last night. The rush of his calloused hands over every inch of my skin The way he held my breasts and rolled my nipples until I almost came from just his touch.
I suppress a moan as my body heats. I can feel the outline of his erection as it presses against my stomach, releasing a new wave of desire through my body as he clings on to me.
“For fuck’s sake,” Wyatt’s annoyed voice sounds behind me.
Chance nips at my neck before standing with a smile. “Problem, Winters?”
I turn to see Wyatt roll his eyes. Over his shoulder is the open door to the suite with a mix of people both openly gawking and those trying to appear uninterested.
I know this is why we’re here. We’re supposed to be showing all these people how madly in love we are, but for the first time, I don’t want it. I want to be back in his bed or under the cover of his hat and have this just for us.
“You’d better get in there. Bronc riding is about to start.” Wyatt turns and walks back into the room, leaving us standing on the threshold.
“Shall we do this?” I ask, looking up at him.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” Chance grunts, taking my hand once again and facing the suite.
I straighten as I face the room, pulling every ounce of fake confidence I’ve learned over my years in the courtroom. Taking my first step into the room, I act like I own it. It’s a trick I learned long ago after I first passed the bar. If I enter the courtroom as if I’ve already won the case, I have the upper hand. I’m applying the same theory to the sponsor’s suite at the rodeo.
Walking through the crowd, we say hello and nod at the other investors. People I recognize from the previous events fill the room, sending watchful glances as they follow us through the crowd. Chance stops us behind a row of seats overlooking the arena.
I watch as I see the cowboys preparing and the horses in the chutes. I don’t know all the terminology or order of a rodeo, but Chance filled me in on a little of the basics on the way here.
“Drink?” he asks, giving my hand a squeeze.
I nod with a smile as he leans down and gives me a quick kiss before making his way to the bar.
“Still ‘together,’ huh?” Laughlin says, making air quotes.
The sound of his voice makes me cringe. I don’t know how I ever tolerated the whine in his voice.
“What are you doing here?” I let my gaze fall to the crowd below, seeing the families laughing and enjoying themselves as the bronc riding event gets ready to start.
“Willis and Taylor are sponsors. Didn’t you know that?”
I can feel the heat of him at my side. My skin starts to crawl knowing that he’s that close to me.
I turn, taking a step back and meeting his eyes, barely registering the blonde on his arm. Recognition flickers to my brain, remembering her face as the woman from the night at the Whiskey Dam. “What do you want, Laughlin?”
“I’m just curious. Where’s your boyfriend ?”
“Fiancé, actually. And we aren’t joined at the hip, unlike most people.” I make a point to let my eyes trail to the blonde at his side.
“Fiancé. Right,” he says disbelievingly as he throws his arm over the woman’s shoulder. “And don’t be jealous, babe.”
“Don’t call me ‘babe’ and I’m anything but jealous of anything you have.” My eyes trail over the room, searching for Chance and the promised drink.
“Whatever you say,” Laughlin says with a chuckle.
“Problem here, Dakota?” Wyatt asks, appearing at my side. He eyes Laughlin up, moving protectively to my side. “Chadwick.”
“Winters,” he replies. “No problem. Just saying hi to an old friend.”
“Bullshit,” I say under my breath.
“I suggest you move along, Chadwick. The event is about to start. I’m sure your friend here wouldn’t want to miss that.”
“Come on, babe. We should go find better company, anyway.” Laughlin shoots Wyatt a final look before towing the blonde away from us.
“I had no idea he’d be here,” I say, turning back toward the crowd below.
“Doesn’t matter.” Once satisfied Laughlin is far enough away, he continues. “Have you seen Chance?”
“He went to go get drinks. He couldn’t have gone far. It’s not a big room,” I chuckle.
Wyatt is quiet for a moment before muttering, “ah shit,” under his breath.
I turn to follow his line of vision, stunned at what I’m seeing.
He’s speaking with a tall brunette, and one that looks so familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. He can speak with women, that’s not the issue. What gives me pause is the way she places her hand on his arm and laughs with him, as if she knows him—intimately.
It surely must be a mistake. There’s no way Chance would kiss me one minute and then let another woman have her hands all over him the next. Not after his confession of his feelings for me and the night we spent together.
“Who’s that?”
“Stephanie King. She’s a local vet that works with the rodeo when it’s in town.”
I turn to him, noticing how he’s not taking his eyes off her. “Something I should be worried about?”
“What? No,” he breaks his gaze away and looks down at me. “No. Chance and Stephanie are just friends. That’s all.”
“I didn’t think Chance did friends, other than you,” I laugh, bumping my shoulder into his.
“Not many.” He smirks.
“So what’s the deal then? You didn’t seem too happy to see her.”
“You’re about to find out; they’re heading this way.”