5. Jonas
Jonas
After I kissed Melody and she rushed from the kitchen, I burned my fingertips grabbing one of the cupcake pans without an oven mitt.
I don’t know what the hell is going on. I wanted to run away, too. It was supposed to be the kind of kiss between two people who have a mutual physical attraction.
But I’d read something in her eyes that had spooked the fuck out of me.
I always thought Melody was tough and didn’t need anyone, especially me. But after I kissed her, I saw in her eyes that she’s only acting tough.
Please-don’t-hurt-me was written all over her face. And clarity had smacked me between the eyes like a swish from my horse’s tail.
Her standoffish ways with me are because her trust in someone has been broken. And now I’m feeling guilty.
I didn’t recognize she bluntly asked me about sex to save herself from expectations that lead to disappointment.
My phone rings, and I answer it on speaker while I clean up the mess I made in the kitchen. My brother Kurt’s voice booms into the room telling me he’s stopping by in a few minutes with some of Mom’s shredded barbecue chicken.
By the time he arrives, I have everything back in order.
I stick the barbecue he brought into the fridge and then put my boots on. “Let’s walk out to the barn so we don’t accidentally wake the kids.”
Kurt glances toward the back of the house and points. “The light on in there, is that Kaden’s room?”
I glance at the hallway. The light is coming from the room where Melody is staying. I’m not surprised that she’s awake. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep quickly either. I rub the skin in front of my ear.
“Does it still ache?” Kurt asks as we head toward the barn.
One of the big guys at the Children’s Home liked to punch us in the side of the head. I took a hard hit to the ear and even all these years later, I swear that sometimes I still feel that pain.
“Nah.” I open the barn door and we walk in.
All of us brothers had a hand in building this. Wilder put in the ventilation and then later built a wash bay. Me and Kurt and River helped Marshall make the stalls and then Leo and I built the tack room. Flint made the custom saddle stands.
We work together as adults the same way we did as kids. Like we’re one unit. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one of us needs something, everyone jumps to help.
“You drove out here just to bring me the barbecue?” I ask after I switch on the light then close the door behind us.
Kurt grins. “And to see your handsome face.”
“Shit.” I laugh as I walk through the barn checking on the horses. They’re quiet and content in their spaces. “What’s going on?”
His grin fades. “Sunny got mad at me today.”
I look at him in surprise. My brother has known Sunny since right after we were adopted by our folks. She’s one of the town’s two veterinarians and the least likely person I know to get mad about anything. “What happened?”
“Some guy passing through town was at the diner going on and on about how pretty she was and how she was his ideal woman. He commented on her tits and that pissed me off.”
“What’d you do?”
“I told him he ought to ask her out. I said I’d watch her five kids while he took her to the movies. Then I said she was pregnant with my baby now and could really use a night off. Well apparently, the waitress beat feet to tell Sunny what I said.”
I laugh. “I’m betting now there’s a rumor going around that the two of you really are knocking boots.”
Kurt lifts his Stetson and scrubs his hand over his hair.
“I don’t know about that but when she saw me, she put her hands on her hips and said for me to stop trying to interfere in her sex life.
So I said what sex life? I happen to know everything’s as dry as a desert because you’re not getting any. ”
I laugh until my sides hurt.
Kurt scowls. “She said she’d get some just wait and see.”
“So what’s the problem?”
He gapes at me. “Are you serious? The problem is that she’s not like that. I can’t stand idly by while she tries to screw some guy just to prove a point.”
“You’re right.” I nod. “You need to stop her.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” He looks relieved at the prospect of interfering in her potential sex life. “Yeah, I’ll tell her it’s not a good idea.”
“Think she’ll listen?”
Kurt looks uncertain. “I don’t know. She’s pretty mad.”
“Don’t tell her it’s not a good idea. You have to be subtle about it.”
“How?”
We stand around talking, brainstorming ways he can do that.
By the time he leaves a few hours later, I’m finally tired enough to head to the couch and try to get some sleep.
It doesn’t go well and when the sun rises the next morning I’ve only catnapped. I drag myself up and stretch, then quietly make my way to the kitchen to get the coffee started.
Melody is already up and in the kitchen at the counter in a pair of shorts and a faded T-shirt that shows a few inches of her soft skin at her waistband. I catch a glimpse of a small tattoo and that brings me and my cock fully alert. I wonder what the tattoo is and how far down it goes.
“I made coffee,” she says.
“I’ll have some when it’s done brewing.” But what I really want is you.
“I’ll get dressed and wake the kids.” She darts around the island like she’s about to sprint away. I catch her by the arm when she’s close enough and she stops but won’t look up at me.
“I think I understand where your thoughts have been, so let me make everything clear. You know that I want to fuck you. But you also need to know that doesn’t mean I’m going to use you or trample on your heart.”
“You don’t understand at all.” Her jaw tightens, then she lets out laughter that sounds forced. “What’s going to happen between us has nothing to do with either of our hearts.” She looks at me then. “I don’t love you and I never will and I know it’s the same for you.”
“Why do you sound so upset?”
“I’m not upset.” She scoffs like I’m way off base. “I’m half awake and I don’t know why I have to justify just wanting a little dick and nothing else from you.”
“I didn’t say you did. And it’s a lot of dick. That’s what I’m going to give you.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it’s so.” I touch her lips. “In here.” I touch her ass. “In here.” Lastly, I touch her between her legs. “And in here. You can choose the order.”
Her eyes darken. “I’m fine with all of that.
The sooner, the better. But that’s all I want.
A lot of wild and crazy sex. No boundaries there.
We can swing from the ceiling and we can use toys or ropes as far as I’m concerned.
But this?” She taps the center of her chest. “Is out of bounds. Don’t even try it.
We’re a few encounters of sex, that’s all that will eve be between us. ”
She tugs her arm free and walks off.
I frown, not understanding how she could have done such a turn around since last night. We had a good evening and a great kiss. At least I thought. Maybe I completely misread her. Maybe she’s not being vulnerable. Maybe she’s not acting tough at all and she’s just being who she is.
I pour myself a cup of coffee. I can’t figure her out and that bugs the hell out of me. I take a sip of the brew, then promptly spit it out into the sink. That shit’s strong enough to make my balls shrivel like raisins. I pour out that pot of coffee and make a fresh one.
Why is she saying her heart is out of bounds? Because of her? Because of me? I’m not the world’s greatest catch, true, but I’m still…whoa…what the hell am I thinking?
I’m standing here fretting that a woman I don’t feel anything for doesn’t feel anything for me? Clearly my brain is still sleeping.
While I wait for the coffee to brew, I push the nonsense I’m thinking aside and go find a clean shirt from my suitcase. I shake out the wrinkles and whip off the shirt I was wearing.
“Am I driving…” Melody’s voice trails into silence as she stares at my bare chest.
“The kids to school? Yes. I was going to do it but when I was in the barn last night, I thought I saw a water stain on the roof. I need to get up there and check it out.”
“I see.”
“If the roof is leaking it has the potential to lead to respiratory issues for the horses. After that, I’ll check in on my ranch and make sure everything’s running smoothly there.”
“Be careful.”
I grin. “Are you worried about me?”
She points toward the front door where I took off my boots last night. “I mean be careful what you track in. You stepped in something and brought it into the house.”
“You sound like my wife.”
She snorts and it sounds like an insult.
“Hey,” I call out as she starts to head back the way she came. “You’re sexy as hell when you’re grumpy.”
She gives me a look then leaves.
I finish dressing, pour my coffee into a travel mug, then pick up my Stetson. I’m looking forward to the moment when it’ll be just the two of us and I lay claim to her sweet curves. I can’t wait to be balls deep in that woman.
That thought makes my day suddenly get a lot better. Whistling, I head out to get started on the chores.