Chapter Thirteen
River
The job offer from John Miller is like an uninvited guest who won’t stop knocking—polite enough to make you feel bad for ignoring it, but obnoxious enough to ruin your whole damn day.
It’s the opportunity I’ve been working toward for years, the kind of career move that should have me jumping for joy.
Instead, every time I think about leaving Wild Horse Ranch, and Colby, I feel like someone’s yanked the reins right out of my hands and left me flailing.
So, naturally, my solution is to avoid him entirely, which works about as well as a screen door on a submarine.
After the way he laid his feelings out the other night, I thought for sure he would beg me to stay. But Colby didn’t say a single word about it. Instead, he just looked at me with those stormy gray eyes of his and gave me a tight-lipped smile.
I have one more day to decide. One more day before I have to choose between the future I’ve been chasing for years and the man who’s quickly becoming the love of my life.
Colby is sitting in the living room, reading a book, when I walk into the kitchen. I stop and just stare at him, taking in his handsome features, and I have to fight the urge to run over and kiss him. But instead, I force myself to keep walking and go into the pantry.
“I made you some dinner,” he says, closing his book and getting to his feet. “It’s in the oven.”
“Oh. Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. The cook is off on Sundays, and you were working late. It’s the least I could do.”
I take the plate from the oven and set it on the table.
He’s made me steak and potatoes, and my stomach growls at the sight.
He’s been doing things like this all weekend.
Bringing me lunch. Making sure I’m eating.
Cooking dinner. I can’t figure out what the hell has gotten into him, but the more he does, the more conflicted I become.
I cut into the steak and take a bite. It’s perfect. Just the right amount of seasoning. The potatoes are fluffy and flavorful, and the butter is creamy and sweet.
“You sure you made this?” I tease.
Colby stands and saunters into the room before he leans against the counter. He’s wearing a dark pair of jeans and a tight gray t-shirt, and my mouth goes dry. Jesus, this man is sexy.
“I watched some YouTube videos.”
I snort. “Of course you did.”
“Hey, if it makes you happy, I’m willing to learn.”
His eyes bore into mine, and I shiver. “Well, it’s delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
We stand there, staring at each other, and the tension between us builds. It’s thick and heavy, like the humidity before a thunderstorm, and it’s making me dizzy.
I take another bite and chew slowly, trying to ignore the way his eyes are roaming over me. But it’s useless. He’s got something he wants to say, and he’s not going to let up until he gets it out.
“Colby,” I warn, putting down my fork. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
He lets out a breath, and his shoulders slump. “River, I—”
“What? Just spit it out.”
“I just need to know if the reason you’re considering this job is because you’re trying to get away from me.”
“What?”
“Are you running, River? Or is this what you really want?”
His words hit me like a sledgehammer, and the impact knocks the wind out of me.
I’ve spent years building walls around my heart.
Walls so thick and high no one could ever scale them.
And then Colby came along, with his stormy gray eyes and rugged smile, and now every time he looks at me, he’s chipping away at the brick and mortar, slowly breaking down every barrier I’ve ever erected.
So, that begs the question. Am I running?
“I don’t know,” I whisper, looking down at my hands.
He pushes off the counter and stalks over to the table. His hand comes down hard on the wood, and his eyes are pleading. “That’s not good enough, River. I need to know.”
“What do you want me to say, Colby? Huh? That I’m falling for you? That you’ve completely dismantled all of my defenses and I’m terrified of what that means?”
“Yes. All of that. And more.”
“Colby, please,” I beg.
“Please, what? Be patient? Give you time? Well, I can’t, River. I was willing to, but now you’re halfway out the door. So, you either need to give me a reason to hope or tell me right now that you’re leaving. Because I can’t keep doing this dance with you. I won’t. It’s killing me.”
I close my eyes, and hot tears trail down my cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. Don’t say you’re sorry. Just tell me what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours.”
But I can’t. I can’t say the words. So instead, I do the only thing I can to show him how I feel.
I stand and push the chair aside. My fingers find his collar, and I pull his face down to mine.
Our lips meet, and everything else disappears.
There’s no job. No John Miller. No Christian.
No pain or fear or insecurity. There’s just Colby.
Just him and me. And this undeniable spark that’s been burning between us since the day we met.
His hand slides down to my ass, and he lifts me up onto the table. Our tongues dance, and his hands explore, moving over every inch of me like he’s trying to memorize the feel of my body beneath his touch.
“Fuck, River,” he growls.
He tugs my shirt up over my head and tosses it aside. My bra follows, and his mouth descends onto my breasts, sucking and teasing the tender flesh until I’m gasping for breath.
His teeth graze the sensitive bud, and I whimper. He does it again, and I buck against him, desperate for more.
“Goddamn, Thurston,” he murmurs. “You taste so fucking good.”
“Colby, please,” I whine.
“Patience, babe. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
His hands move to the waistband of my jeans, and he makes quick work of the button and zipper. Then he pulls them down and slides them off my legs. His tongue finds my inner thigh, and he kisses and licks his way up the sensitive flesh until he reaches the apex.
I gasp and shudder as his mouth finds my center, and his tongue teases and tastes, driving me wild. My head falls back, and I grip his shoulders, holding on for dear life.
His fingers find my entrance, and he strokes the sensitive skin.
A low moan escapes me, and I roll my hips, pressing against his hand.
He pushes inside, and his thumb finds my clit, circling and rubbing until my toes curl.
The sensation is too much, and I can’t hold back.
My body tenses, and then I’m spiraling over the edge, calling out his name as the orgasm crashes through me.
He continues licking and stroking until the last wave subsides, and then he kisses his way back up my body. His mouth finds mine, and he kisses me deeply, letting me taste myself on his lips.
I reach down and grab the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head. My fingers trail over the ridges of his abs, and he shivers. Then my hand moves lower, and I palm his hard length through his jeans. He groans, and his eyes flutter closed.
I unbutton his jeans and push them down. His cock springs free, and I wrap my fingers around it, stroking him slowly. He moans and rocks his hips, thrusting into my hand.
He grabs the backs of my knees and pulls me to the edge of the table. I lean back and spread my legs, and he settles between them. His cock nudges my entrance, and I bite my lip.
He looks up, and our eyes meet. The raw desire and passion I see in his gaze makes my heart skip a beat.
It’s as if he’s looking right into my soul.
And what he sees is me. Not the broken, damaged girl I’ve been pretending to be.
But the woman I was before my life fell apart. The woman I was always meant to be.
Then he thrusts into me, and we both cry out. His cock fills me completely, and my walls clench around him, welcoming him home.
“Oh, God, River,” he grumbles. He begins to move at a slow and steady pace, like he’s savoring every second. I wrap my legs around his waist, and his hands find my hips. He rocks against me, his cock moving in and out, over and over again, until I’m on the verge of exploding all over again.
My body begins to shake, and he picks up the pace, thrusting deeper and harder. I grip his arms, and my nails dig into his skin. His teeth sink into the base of my neck, and the mixture of pleasure and pain pushes me over the edge.
I call out his name, and my walls clamp down around him. He grunts, and his fingers grip my hips harder as his cock pulses and releases deep inside me.
We cling to each other, panting and sweaty, and I let the warmth and contentment wash over me. I feel safe here. With him. I feel loved. But the second those thoughts creep into my mind, the cold reality of my situation seeps in, and a familiar heaviness settles over me.
If I stay here with Colby, that means giving up the future I’ve been working so hard for. Colby doesn’t need a foreman. Lewis is the foreman. And he’s a damn good one. There’s nowhere for me to grow at Wild Horse Ranch, but at John Miller’s, I can have it all.
Except Colby Burke.