Lina
Already left. Walking back now.
I was running now, needing to get to her before someone else did. My heart pounded out of my chest. I couldn’t let anything happen to her.
Then I saw her silhouette speed-walking toward me.
“Reed!”
She picked up her pace, and I ate up the distance with my long strides until I could grip her arms, steadying her. She tipped her chin up to look at me. Her face was stricken, her eyes wide. She smelled like bourbon and shampoo, and her hair was now dry in wild waves.
“God, you’re beautiful.” I couldn’t help myself. She looked wilder now than I’d ever seen her, and with the thought that I couldn’t reach her in time if something happened to her … I don’t think I’d ever be able to live with myself. “I need you, Lina. This has been torture. I’m in fucking pain.”
“Like I’m not in pain? I know. It’s torture for me, too, but this hurt feels different,” she said, shaking her head. “What’s going on at Thornbrush?”
“Some of the herd is missing, and they’re all heading out to search. Romy is alone on the ranch.”
“Shit! That’s not good. You think it’s Junior?”
“We need to find out for sure. Have you seen your stalker looming around at all tonight?” I asked, looking around us as if he was going to pop out from behind a tree at any moment.
“No, I haven’t seen any sign of him. I was glued to Christian and Kale’s side the whole night, even though Kale was getting fucking annoyed with me shooing off the buckle bunnies.” She huffed a laugh, but there wasn’t any humor in her voice. She sounded as frantic as I felt. “What should we do, Reed?”
“Well, you can’t drive tonight if you’ve been drinking. I could drive us and take Mushu’s trailer, but that would mean leaving the fifth wheel and your truck here. I think it’s best we wait a little bit and leave first thing in the morning.”
“How am I going to sleep after this?”
“I know. I’m not going to be able to sleep, either. Come on.” I slipped my hand to her lower back not wanting to push my luck, leading us back to the trailer, the whole time scanning our surroundings. “He didn’t fucking come like I told him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wayne Urban. He was supposed to come with answers. It’s been two weeks. I warned him,” I growled, my fist clenching at my side. I felt the weight of the Glock at my waist.
As soon as we were in the trailer, Lina went to pull away, but I swung her back to me, needing to hold her.
“Reed, I?—”
“I know, sweetheart. You don’t need to tell me anything. Not tonight. I just need you.”
I could feel her breath freeze in her chest. Her heart was pounding against mine. I tipped her chin up to gaze into her smoky, brown eyes. Eyes that had captured me from the beginning when I saw her across the Saddle Room bar. So full of desire and mischief, big and beautiful just like her heart. Eyes that made me fall in love with her from the moment I saw her.
“Reed …” She hesitated. I hated that she hesitated. “I—I can give you that.”
“That’s all I ask.” I leaned down, pressing my lips to hers. Feeling her immediately melt against me as I deepened the kiss, stroking down the middle of her tongue with mine.
She moaned into my mouth.
Her hands gripped my shirt as she started to walk backward, her mouth never leaving mine. We stopped momentarily to pull off our boots, coming back together while we unbuttoned andshucked our pants. I set down the Glock on the counter and helped her out of her shirt and bra, letting my palms run over her hardened nipples until she gathered the fabric of my shirt to help me out of it.
We left a trail of clothes on our way to the bedroom. The back of her legs hit the bed, and I hoisted her up onto the mattress, my hands never leaving her, wanting to feel every curve and dip. I ran my fingers up the inside of her thighs, parting them so I could fit between them.
Lina scooted up the bed until her head rested on the pillow. Her hair spread out like a halo around her.
“You’re so beautiful. I can’t get over how gorgeous you are. Every time I look at you, it’s like the air is sucked right out of my lungs.”
“Reed.” Her brow furrowed like she was in agony. I couldn’t stand hurting her.
“I know. You’re my fire. Sucking the oxygen right out of me. If this is the last time I have you, that I can feel you, I want to make this last.”
