AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Walking to his old Jeep, actually his dad's old Jeep, he looked over all the tools and parts displayed on the cart, trying to remember where he'd left off on the repair work. Picking up a screw and some washers, he stared at them, wondering where to begin. His mind was usually quieted and focused once he got out here and worked on this old truck. But, not today. He knew stalking out and leaving never solved anything. Tucking the hardware into his pocket, he lovingly ran his hand over the softly worn leather of the driver's seat. He imagined his dad sitting there, his smile as wide as the barn, happy to be here in his beloved Jeep with his son, working together once again.
"Dad, what do I do now? She's got me tied up in knots."
His dark head turned, those deep black eyes so much like his own shined upon him, and his dad said back to him, "Go be the man I taught you to be. You screwed up. Admit it. Apologize for it. Move past it."
Swallowing the large knot in his throat, the moisture gathering in his eyes made the vision he'd imagined of his dad float away and disappear. A quick shake of his head and he knew his dad was right.
Walking quietly back to the house, he entered from the garage. Opening the back door to the house, he slipped into the back washroom to wash his hands and splash water on his face. Pulling his shaking right hand from his pocket, he dropped the screw and then one of the washers on the floor. Bending to retrieve them, he chastised himself for being clumsy and scolded himself to get a grip.
Once he'd washed and dried his hands and face, he silently walked into the kitchen. Disappointment caved in his chest when he found it empty. She looked good standing in his kitchen, smiling as she worked. Her very presence lit the room with a light from within. Crossing the floor to her bedroom, even though the door was open, he knocked and stuck his head in. "Megan?"
Greeted with silence, he tamped down the panic he'd begun to feel and checked that her bathroom was empty. As his heartbeat increased, he checked his bedroom, the mud room, and the deck off the living room patio doors. His phone sent off a double buzz, and he quickly pulled it from his back pocket. The security system alerting him that the window in the den downstairs had been opened. Rushing to the basement stairs, he descended as quietly as he could in case someone who isn't supposed to be here had entered the house. Pulling the gun from inside his waistband, he dropped his arm to his side and peered around the corner. Finding an empty hallway, he peered into each door as he advanced to the den.
Glancing around the doorway, what he's greeted with was an empty room and an open window. He managed to groan out "Megan" before rushing and looking out at the ground below. The rocky surface below the window doesn't leave footprints as dirt or sand would, and he quickly made a mental note to change the landscape around the house.
Running to the back door just the next room from the den, he exited the house and slowly made his way around the side and to the back of the house. No one was there. Nothing of note disturbed and no Megan.
Glancing at the back garage once again, he headed that way to make sure she hadn't come looking for him. Swallowing the panic that threatened and taking deep breaths to calm his ragged breathing, he spotted smears of blood on the stones. The thumping of his heart made his hands shake, the churning of his stomach now threatening to let loose the piece of toast he'd eaten this morning. Turning the handle on the garage door, he eased himself inside, closing the door silently and flattening his back against the wall. Allowing his eyes to adjust, he took in his surroundings. Keeping his footfalls quiet, he stepped farther into the garage. That's when he heard her. A soft whimper that was barely discernible, but loud enough in the quiet of the garage to be heard. Turning his head in the direction of her voice, he struggled to listen. Her breathing was coming in short spurts—similar to that of a scared child. Glancing at the floor, he saw more smears of blood and inhaled deeply at the thought she might be injured.
"Megan?" He called to her, still wary in case she wasn't alone. Her soft, shaky voice replied, "Ford?"
He walked past the Jeep to the back of the garage and saw her eyes, round and dark peering up at him from her crouched position, the fear evident in them and on the tightness in her usually serene face.
He whispered as his head swiveled around, "Are you alone?"
Her head bobbed quickly up and down.
In one swift move, he holstered his gun and bent to scoop her into his arms. He crushed her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Her arms quickly wrapped around his neck and she cried into the crook of his neck where it connected to his shoulder. Her heaving shaking body felt warm against his, her fresh scent floated to his nostrils, and he had to fight to control his rampant heartbeat.
He crooned soft reassuring words into her ear and hair. "You're safe. It's okay, honey. What happened? Why are you out here? It's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you, honey."
Between sobs, she managed a few words. "I thought they found me. I heard a noise." She tightened her arms around his neck and burrowed deeper into his body.
"Okay. Shush, it's okay, honey. You're safe." He felt like a heel using her fear to continue holding her, but dammit she felt perfect crushed against him. Her lush curves fitted themselves to his body as if she were made for him.
He held her tightly until he felt her shaking subside a bit, then he reluctantly pulled away to look at her.
"What did you hear?"
"Two clicks or taps or something." She swallowed, "It sounded just like before the fire at my house. Like something dropping or something, I don't know, then the flames started."
"Okay." Smoothing his fingers lightly over her soft cheeks, he said, "Honey, my house isn't on fire. I think that was me you heard. I came in the back door."
Her features held that puzzled look for just a couple of seconds, then her hands flew up to cover her face. "Oh, God, I feel so stupid."
He kissed the top of her head and breathed her in. Slowly her hands moved away from her face and wrapped around his shoulders.
"I'm sorry," she said into his neck. "I think we need to talk."
"I do too."
Then she kissed his neck, and he heard her inhale his scent followed by a soft moan. More kisses followed by a little nip just below his ear and his body roared to life. Blood thrumming through his veins made it hard to hear anything but her soft breathing, the sound of her kisses on his neck and her light little moans.
Holy fuck!
Chapter19
Mmm. He smelled so good. He felt so perfect against her body. So right. She kissed his neck without thinking and the way she felt his body respond made it totally worth it. She made him feel like that. Like he made her feel. She felt the thickening of his cock behind that offensive zipper, but she felt how quickly it grew for her. She sighed with relief because she wasn't sure he felt the same way as she did. She felt right here, with him. As long as they were here, secluded up in the mountains, why couldn't they enjoy each other in a physical sense? They were both in their forties, unmarried ...
