Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
GRIFF
H er warm body pressed against me, I held her tighter. Laying here with Elle in my arms, I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in such a short amount of time.
I’d never met anyone who was so in control of every aspect of her life, but so willing to hand the control over during sex. But this wasn’t just sex, it hadn’t been at all with her.
She was the only woman I could see myself with beyond my bed—or porch in this case. I could see her, Parker and me being happy together. My only focus would be keeping the two of them safe and happy.
It scared me because, for years, I’d only had myself to think of. Now I had the two of them to worry about. Thankfully, I have had a great example in my parents. They love each other so much that I felt like the third wheel at times, but I knew they loved me. I wanted them to meet Elle, and Parker, and that was something I’d never even considered before. They would love her and my dad would do everything he could to make Parker feel comfortable, and mom would hover with a plate of cookies. My mind raced with the possibilities of what a future with her would be like.
“Why are we awake so early?” She groaned as she rolled over in my arms, breaking the thoughts I was having.
“Well, we slept outside and are kind of at the mercy of the sun, Puddin’.”
“Don’t call me that,” she said as she cuddled toward me, making the swing sway.
“Oh, but I love how much you hate it, so I think it’s sticking.” I chuckled and pressed my lips to hers. I controlled the kiss, moving my hand to the back of her head in the palm of my hand, my fingers wound in her hair.
Elle threw her leg over my hip. She shifted so she was pressed against me. I wanted her this close to me forever. “It’s not, I will cut you off if you keep calling me that.”
“Woman, it is.” I shifted, ran my hand up her neck, grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. Our tongues slid against one another, and I caught her lip between my teeth and gently bit on it. Her moan shot straight to my cock, and Elle shifted, tossed the blanket off us, and straddled me. God, I loved looking at this woman. Reaching up, I grabbed both her breasts in my hands, and she let her head fall back, her long hair tickling the tops of my thighs.
“If you aren’t going to take control, you better get off me,” I said, bucking my hips, making her bounce. Elle slid her hips and reached down, taking my cock in her hand.
Gravel crunching made us freeze, and Elle’s wide eyes locked on mine. “Who the fuck would be here this early? And how the hell can we be caught twice in less than twelve hours?” She whispered as she rolled off me like whoever it was would hear her.
“No idea.” I pulled the blanket up and watched a vehicle round the corner. Groaning, I let my head fall back onto the pillow.
Ryder got out of the truck, and I watched him look at the trail of clothes that spread from my truck to the front step. Elle pulled the blanket up to her chin and cuddled closer to me in an attempt to hide.
“Good morning.” Ryder said laughter hidden in his words, as he stopped at the bottom step.
“What do you want?” I grumbled.
“Elle left her wallet on the table when you two left.” Ryder held up the black wallet and placed it on the railing of the porch. “You paid for the last round of drinks, by the way.” His voice was light and I knew he was lying.
“Glad I could help,” Elle said as she buried her head into my chest.
“You working today?” Ryder asked as he started to walk away.
“Not sure, I think I’ve got someone better to spend my time with.” I let my hand slide over Elle’s hip.
“Alright, talk to you both later.” Ryder waved as he walked back to his truck. The engine roaring to life made me turn back to the woman in my arms.
“Where were we?” I smirked, and she slapped my chest. Ryder drove out of my yard, and I pulled the blanket off her delicious body. Letting my eyes roam the curve of her shoulder, the swell of her breast, the dip of her waist, and the rise of her hip made my cock swell. She had the most exquisite body I’d ever laid eyes on.
“I thought you didn’t leave anything behind?” I asked as I shifted her so she was straddling me.
“Must have slipped my mind. There was a man who’d defended my honor and then claimed me as his, I was a little distracted.” She smiled and ran her hands down my chest.
“Hey, Griff,” Parker called as he hopped out of Elle’s truck.
“Hi pal, it’s good to have you back.” I let the horse out of the pen and ducked through the bars as Parker bounded over to me.
“Making any headway with her?” He asked as he climbed the panel, and watched the horse wander off into the pasture.
“She’s coming along, doesn’t like me too much, I’m afraid.” I chuckled as I watched him shake his head.
“You’re too big.” He didn’t turn to look at me just kept staring at the horse. “Think I could give it a try?” Turning to face me, his eyes were wide and full of hope. I knew that look anywhere. The boy was horse crazy. It was in his blood, his soul, and I’d seen him around the animals. His gentle spirit made them feel at ease.
“Talk to your mom, and if she’s okay with it, then yeah you can work with her tomorrow.” He hopped off the fence and fell into step beside me without another word.
“Parker, I need to talk to Griff for a second, why don’t you take your stuff inside.”
“Is this about Dad’s new place?” He asked as he picked up his backpack.
“New place?” I looked at Elle, and she just nodded.
When the door closed, Elle let out a long sigh and leaned against the grill on her truck. “Troy’s living at my old place.”
“He bought it and kicked you out?” I was so confused.
“No, he said a friend of the family bought it, and he’s there to build it up into a business to teach reining and horsemanship.” Elle drew in a ragged breath and looked up at me, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.
“Do you believe him?” I asked, moving beside her, so she wasn’t staring into the sun.
“Whoever bought it paid the Hays boys ten million dollars. Troy’s well off but there’s no way he could get his hands on ten million cash.”
“The place wasn’t even worth one. There’s no land left other than a few quarters, and everything except the barn needs to be pushed into a pile and burned.” It made no sense. Last year I’d offered the Hays boys a million for the place, and they were determined to stay until someone would give them more. I guess they’d got their wish, but even a generous appraisal of the value wouldn’t have come near three million. “Troy didn’t happen to offer the name of his friend did he?” Elle just shook her head and looked down at the ground.
“I’ll be back. I have some work to do.” Kissing her head, I took off toward the barn. We had to figure this out quickly, and I needed to know what was going on. Having my office in the barn made my home feel separate from the business of the ranch and I could make my home my respite from the ranch’s business. But now I wished I was working in the house, listening to Parker and Elle.
Grabbing the phone, I dialed Phil. “I just saw Elle pull back into the yard, why are you calling me?”
“I need you to do a background on Troy Wilson.”
“Griff, that’s Elle’s ex, do you know what you’re doing?”
“He moved into the old Hays place and I need to know who he knows. Elle just told me there would be no way for him to pay what I know it went for. There’s a backer, and we need to know who it is.”
“So essentially he kicked his ex-wife and kid out of their home?”
“Look, I’m not complaining about that.” I thought of that beautiful woman in my house, making it feel like a home, rather than just a house. “It was a dick move, but I'm more interested in his motive and the fact that there was someone willing to put their own ten million behind it.”
“I’ll get on it. Hey, speaking of the Hays boys, Billy is missing. Do you know anything about that?”
“No, first I’ve heard of it. Not like it’s really sad for the town to be down one less drug-dealing drunk.”
“Griff, do you need to tell me anything?”
“Not my handiwork, this time. I’m sure he’ll turn up alive and well.” He’d turn up alive, how well would be questionable.