Chapter 13 #2
This girl was phenomenal. Her rhythm increased.
He tried to match, tried to distance his mind so he didn’t explode before her.
Sweeping his tongue into her mouth, he savored the extra contact.
It made him even more possessive. He hugged her tighter and thrust harder.
They groaned and panted into each other until she briefly tensed, then bucked her hips.
She tried to cry out, but Cash swallowed the sound.
His peak slammed into him; his embrace tightened and he spilled his release.
They finally broke apart, gazing into each other’s eyes. Could she feel it, too? This time was different. It wasn’t mad hookup sex. It wasn’t recreating an event to make sure she’d never forget their night together. This time had been about them. A promise that they had a future.
She stroked his face. He could get addicted to the tender light in her eye.
A truck engine made both their heads spin toward the road.
“Perfect fucking timing, Dillon,” Cash growled. He eased Abbi off him and helped her back into her bottoms. They were in the middle of his yard; the trees should block the worst of what they’d been doing.
“Do you think he saw?” she hissed, pink staining her cheeks. From the orgasm or because she was ready to die of embarrassment? “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not sorry about anything we did.” He helped her up and brushed dried grass off her clothes.
He rubbed her back and led her around to the front door.
He didn’t want this experience to make her skittish about hooking up anytime, anywhere.
He wanted to make sure she was comfortable having sex in the backyard, the barn, the pastures, his truck—wherever the hell she wanted it. He was onboard.
“I just shouldn’t have—”
He bent down and nipped her neck. She squeaked, giving him a playful swat. He chuckled. “You should’ve, and I can’t wait until you do it again. Like you said, I’ve got a lot of land.”
Finding her hand, he wrapped it in his. She gave him a grateful look.
Was it the talk with her parents that had her second-guessing her actions?
Or was she that flustered that Dillon might’ve seen them together?
She could’ve walked buck naked down the road and Dillon wouldn’t care.
He was dopey over Elle. Cash, on the other hand, might get a lecture about getting close to Daniels’s sister when she’d come looking for closure.
Well, he might not be able to give her closure, but he could love her.
Cash swallowed. Where the hell had that thought come from? He was just thinking of having his first adult relationship. But, no, it made sense. He wasn’t about to get serious with someone he couldn’t love.
Abbi squeezed his hand. They rounded the house just as Dillon was getting out of his pickup.
Dillon’s brows rose when he spotted Abbi and his smile faltered. “Hey. I was just checking to see if you wanted help fixing fence since we’re moving cattle next week.”
Cash bristled at Dillon’s tone. Only last spring, they’d mended their own figurative fences after Dillon had spent a couple years resenting Cash for being an unreliable prick. And while Cash might’ve fooled around with women, he’d never brushed off work.
“Yeah, I was just heading out there.” He might’ve detoured into the bedroom to feast on Abbi for another hour, but hopefully she’d still be here when he was done. He tugged Abbi under his arm. “Dillon, I told you about Daniels’s sister, Abbi.”
Abbi hooked an arm around Cash’s back, her grip tight, like she was anchoring herself to him. Was she nervous to talk to Dillon?
Her smile was hesitant. “I came to Moore to find you two and learn more about him.”
Dillon’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry about his death, Abbi. I wish…I wish I could’ve done more. I’ve never felt so paralyzed in my life.”
She shook her head. “I know it wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry, I didn’t come here to break open old wounds.” She shuffled her feet and pressed closer to Cash. “I just wanted to know about his last day. He was here one day and the next he was—” She cut off with a choking sound.
Cash squeezed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, a move that earned him a hard look from Dillon. Cash countered it with his own challenging glare.
“I can try to answer any questions,” Dillon said. “But I doubt I have much more to tell you than Cash has.” He shot Cash a look that said, Have you even told her anything?
Cash rolled his eyes as if to say, Of course, I’ve talked to her but I haven’t told her that .
Abbi drew in a stilted breath. “You know what, I think I’m okay. Cash has told me some stories about Perry and I really don’t want to make you two relive that horrible day.”
Dillon ducked his head. “Daniels was a good soldier.” Cash nodded, too, because he had been until his last few days. “But feel free to talk anytime. Cash can give you my number.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I can see why he talked about you two all the time. Said both of you should buy a lotto ticket for getting stationed together.”
It’d definitely been unusual, but Cash wouldn’t have survived the eight miserable years without Dillon, even if they weren’t stationed together they still coordinated their leave.
At the time, he’d told himself he was staying in the army for Dillon, but it had really been because he hadn’t wanted to come back home and be the mediator between his parents again.
And it made him feel like utter horseshit that the only reason his parents had moved away and left him the house was because Dillon’s dad had gotten sick and passed away, showing them life was too short to be miserable together.
All his uncles must’ve been going through some shit because they’d agreed to sell the farm and ranch operation to Cash and his cousins.
“You gonna be okay here while Dillon and I head out? Make yourself at home and—” he dug his keys out of his pocket, “—take the truck if you need to run any errands.”
Abbi peeled away, letting go of his hand last. “Nice to finally meet you, Dillon. You boys have fun.”
Cash watched her sway into the house and gave her a final wave. Dillon watched him.
“I don’t fucking believe it,” his cousin muttered.
Cash snapped his gaze back. “What?”
Dillon shook his head. “I saw you two and thought you were stalling and bluffing and using her until she lost interest and went back home. But you really like her.”
Cash glanced at the house again. Abbi was inside “making herself at home” and the rightness of it settled deep into his bones. “Yeah. I do. Mom wasn’t thrilled.” He winced. What had made him confess that?
“Aunt Patty’s not the one dating her. Look, I know—”
Cash arched a brow for him to finish, but Dillon grimaced like he’d swallowed pickle juice.
“I know,” Dillon continued, “your parents have had shit going on and it’s more than affected you. But I don’t want to see you in forced isolation because of their drama.”
“I am their drama.”
“No.” Dillon vehemently shook his head. “You’re their child. Whatever happened was between the two of them, but even I could see you took the brunt of it.”
Cash took his hat off and swiped his hand through his hair before putting it back on. “I told them about meeting Frankie every week.”
“Good.”
“I’d like to invite her out, you know, sometimes—for meals and shit.”
“Good. She’s your grandma, too.”
“It’s just…when I think about the shit I went through, I think of her. She lost her daughter and her grandson for almost twenty years. She just has two fat cats for company.”
Dillon clapped him on the shoulder. “Not anymore.”
Cash sucked in a deep breath and shook all the emotion off. “Let’s grab our tools and I’ll tell you about Sissy’s new escapade.”