Lucia Jordan's Four Series Collection: Chosen, Whipped, Lick, Risk (41 page)

She tried to hide her smile by chewing on her bottom lip. Slowly she took a step forward and hitched her finger in the band of his pants. The spot between her legs was throbbing painfully. “I’d let you,” she said as she dipped her fingers lower, brushing against the smooth tip of his cock.

He sucked in a sharp breath and reluctantly stepped away. She tried not to let the disappointment show on her face.

He tipped her chin up. “You have no idea how badly I want to bend you over that chair right now and bury myself deep in that sweet pussy,” he growled.  While holding her chin he drew his thumb across her bottom lip. His dirty talk only made heat surge through her core. She clenched her muscles tighter.

“Don’t let me stop you,” she breathed.

“Not tonight. Tonight, I just want to hold you.”

“Oh,” she said, feeling a mixture of emotions bubbling inside her.

“Do you remember the last time you were simply held close? Do you even know what it is like to be held and feel safe?”

She shook her head. If she had to be painfully honest, she couldn’t remember the last time she had or felt any of those things.

He nodded. “That’s what I thought. Tonight, I just want to hold you close. I want to feel your hair against my cheek as you sleep. I want you to go to sleep in my arms knowing that there isn’t anyone in this world that is going to hurt you ever again.”

Her arousal took a seat on the back burner as his words fell on her like a warm blanket. Tears fell past her lashes and down her cheeks. She was so sick of crying. She’d done more crying in the past week then she had in the past three years, but something else was happening. With each tear she shed, she felt a piece of her heart and soul slide back into place. She was healing and it never would have been possible if it weren’t for Trevor.

She nodded, unable to find her voice due to the tears choking her. Trevor walked them over to the bed and pulled back the patchwork quilt. He allowed Lacey to slip into bed first. Turning on her side she made room for him to climb in beside her. He turned off the light and slipped into bed, lying on his side facing her. Gently he pulled her against his chest, pillowing her head on his bicep. His other arm circled protectively around her waist as he drew her tightly to him.

As she got settled, she pressed her thigh between his legs. His semi erect cock twitched and she giggled. “Sorry.”

“I bet you are,” he teased, kissing the top of her head. “Now, get some rest.”

She was already beginning to drift and she was vaguely aware of him brushing his lips against her forehead.

She sighed and snuggled closer.

“I love you,” he whispered.

She tried to respond but was unable to resist the fingers of sleep as they pulled her down.

***

The next morning Lacey woke early. The clock on the bedside table said 5:06
in bright blue letters. Why in the hell was she wide awake? She frowned. The bigger question was why was she feeling better rested than she had in months?

Go back to sleep, dummy.

Her body refused to listen because her bladder had other things in mind. Slowly she extricated herself from Trevor’s limbs and slipped from the bed. The floor was cool beneath her feet. She shuffled through his bag, since it was already open and the closest, until she came up with a pair of his boxers. Quickly she pulled them on and slipped from the room, in search of the bathroom.

After finishing her business and washing her hands, she quietly made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. The lights were off but the early morning sun was sifting through the lace curtains. The coffee pot on the counter was on and appeared to be full. She lifted a cup from the dish drainer and poured herself a cup. Silently she pushed open the screen door and stepped out onto the back porch.

Immediately she was graced with a breathtaking view of the sun rising over nothing but wide-open fields of crops. The sky was exploding with vibrant pinks and hues of golds. The air was still cool and damp but it felt nice. She took a seat in one of the swings and pulled her legs to her chest. Slowly she swayed back and forth as she sipped her coffee.

She was lost in her thoughts of dealing with her mom and Trevor revealing that he loved her—she didn’t notice the presence of someone else until he was right next to her.

“Good morning,” a deep voice said.

“Shit.” She yelped as she spun around and spilled coffee all over the place. Color tinted her cheeks as embarrassment flooded through her. She usually didn’t speak so brashly in front of people.

The man chuckled. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. His voice was deep and husky.

She climbed to her feet. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone was up. I just got some coffee…” she stammered.

“Calm down, darling. You don’t have to apologize. I’m Denver,” he said extending his hand.

She knew immediately who he was as soon as she saw his face. “You must be Trevor’s dad?”

He laughed again. It was a warm and comforting sound. “I am.”

“You two look so much alike.”

She was in shock. This was what Trevor would look like when he got older. Denver was a good-looking man. Well-built with very little signs of aging.

“We get that a lot,” he said. “Care if I join you?”

“Not at all,” she said as she sat back down. Denver sat in a chair beside her, staring out at the sunrise. Now the tip of the sun was peeking over the horizon.

“I talked to Annie last night when I got home,” he said suddenly. He took a sip of his coffee, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

“Oh yeah?” Suddenly Lacey felt as if her peaceful morning was going to be severely upheaved. She was certain he was about to tell her to get the hell away from his son.

“I did, and she put it together last night.”

Lacey swallowed the sand that was in her throat.

“P—Put what together.”

“Who you are.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, her nostrils flaring slightly. Her hands were beginning to tremble as anxiety crept up on her. This was it.

“You’re Mitch and Emma’s girl aren’t you?”

And with that statement, all the air left her lungs. Panic began to take over and the need to run started to swell inside her chest.

Denver then turned and looked at her, his bright green eyes shining in the light of morning. It wasn’t anger or contempt she saw but understanding and compassion. “It’s okay. You’re not to worry about us. Who your family is doesn’t make who you are,” he said kindly. He then continued, “We’ve known your momma and daddy for several years. Your daddy is a good man and your momma is…”

“A crazy piece of work?” she supplied.

He laughed and shrugged. “To put it nicely, yes.”

“I wasn’t responsible for all the drugs and stuff. I didn’t even know Robert was into all of that stuff until it was too late.”

He nodded knowingly. “At first when Annie was talking about you I had my concerns. Seeing you here in front of me, I don’t believe for a minute that you could have been involved with any of that.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to give you a little piece of advice. The only control someone has over you is the control you allow them to have. Your momma has her hooks into you deep. She’s a controlling woman and she’s not taken kindly to not having you under her thumb. She tried that with your sister and it didn’t work.”

“How do you know I have a sister?” she asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

He chuckled. “Small towns too close together. Not much happens down there that we don’t hear about up here. Anyhow. If you let her know how much pain she’s caused you, she is going to just press her thumb down harder on you.”

“What do you suggest?”

“I can’t tell you the answer, only provide perspective. But closure doesn’t always have to come with confrontation. It can make it harder, in fact.”

They both sat in silence for a long while. The creaking of the screen door brought them around. Trevor emerged sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He looked like a kid with his tangled curls matted around his head and creases from his pillow on his cheek.

“Hey,” he said in a raspy voice.

“Son,” Denver said as he hefted his large frame from the chair. He folded his son into a massive bear hug.

“Pop,” Trevor said as he clapped him on the back.

“Good to see you.”

“You too. I see you two have already met?” Trevor said as he rested a hand on Lacey’s shoulder.

“We did. Had us a good ole talk. Hey, I need your help for a little while today setting up the tents and getting things ready for your mother’s big shin-dig.”

Trevor looked down at Lacey, silently asking if she’d be okay.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t plan on going
anywhere
at all today!”

He looked at her puzzled, but she just offered him a bright smile and patted his hand.

“Splendid. Then I’ll meet you at the barn in fifteen minutes. Have to go get the cattle up,” Denver said.

“Pop really? It’s not even six!” Trevor grumbled.

“You’re not so famous that a few hours of chores won’t hurt you, or have you forgotten who you are.”

Trevor grunted a response. “Can I at least have come coffee first?”

“Yep. Drink it on the way to the barn. Use the disposable cups, your momma’ll skin ya alive if you break one of her good cups.”

“Fine.”

Denver laughed and made his way down the steps, his boot-clad feet landing heavily with each step he took. How in the hell he had ever snuck up on her was a thousand dollar question.

“You’re good here? Pop’s couple hours of chores usually lasts about six.”

“I’m good,” she said leaning her cheek against the back of Trevor’s hand.

“You’re not going to your mom’s?”

Without hesitation she shook her head. “I don’t need her in order to find my closure. All I need is me. I’m good.” It was the first time she could ever recall actually meaning it. There was a strange cloud of peace that settled around her as Denver’s words sank in. There was no need to close the door with her mother, because she’d already closed it a long time ago. Just going home would kick up a hornet’s nest and stir up trouble she didn’t need or want. She was content to start her life over and that meant with the man standing beside her.

He’d made it very clear that he still wanted to be with her. They would deal with the other issues as they came, but for right now, she was content to just be with him.

“It is too early for you to sound like a fortune cookie. I’m getting some coffee.” Leaning down, Trevor pressed a warm kiss to her mouth. His tongue slipped and began to tease her bottom lip. A tingle of pleasure rippled over her as goosebumps dotted her skin. She sighed and leaned into the kiss, but he pulled away quickly.

Her mouth pulled down into a pout as she let a little protest squeak.

“Later.” He winked.

“Promise?”

“Count on it.” He flashed her a wide smile and walked back to the door. Before walking inside, he stopped and looked at her.

“Lacey?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m proud of you,” he said.

She smiled and he disappeared into the house.

***

As it happened, the men didn’t return to the house until the evening. The minute Trevor walked through the door wearing a ripped and dirty pair of Levi jeans, a dusty tee shirt, and a backward baseball cap, Lacey was certain her ovaries were going to explode.

He kissed the top of her head as he snagged a chocolate chip cookie from the platter. Her heart fluttered.

“So what you ladies been up too all day?” he asked as he looked around the kitchen filled with six of the most important women in his life.

“Your mom and sisters have been showing me how to make soaked cherries.”

“Ooo, soaked cherries. Yummy.”

She giggled when he wagged his brows at her. While preparing the cherries, Dylan and Meg had told her that the alcohol soaked fruit had be Trevor’s favorite thing, even before he was legal to drink.

“Uncle Twevor, uncle Twevor,” came a high pitch squeal from the other room. In a matter of seconds two little boys chased by three slightly older girls came bounding into the room.

“Look how big you guys have gotten,” Trevor said as he knelt down and was attacked by the five children.

Lacey’s heart swelled to the point of bursting as she watched the kids place sloppy kisses all over Trevor’s face while wrestling him to the floor. The three girls belonged to Meg and the two boys belonged to Rachel. While being in the house with all the ladies, she quickly discovered she loved this family. They were all so loving and inviting, not cool and distant like her mother or her sister. She watched as the siblings had interacted and felt a slight pang of jealousy. She and her sister had never been that close, and it wasn’t a likelihood that they ever would be.

“My momma says when I’m as big as you I can play baseball too,” one of the boys said proudly.

“Nuh-uh stupid. You’re too dumb to play ball,” the oldest of the girls said hatefully.