Research notes: cowboys are thieves.
grayson
. . .
THIRTY-FOUR
“This whole time?”Maisie whispers, her voice catching. “You…you’ve kept this to yourself and made me think youhatedme?” Her watery eyes collide with mine, and it’s a harder blow than any I’ve taken in the fighting ring.
I have no words, none that will make any of this better. I created this pain in her eyes, this undiluted hurt burning through her.Me. I can only try to make her understand why, because under any other circumstances, I would have snatched Maisie up and forced a ring on her pretty finger by now.
“I did it to protect you?—”
“And who’s protecting you, huh, Grayson?” she cuts me off, her voice rising with a defiant temper I’ve never seen in her before. Her face softens, and she grabs my hand. “You are an amazing brother and make it so damn hard not to fall for your big heart. But you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. There are people who would bend over backwards to help you, only if you asked.”
“And risk their lives too?”
“It’s not your choice to make. That’s what family is for, and I know the Foxes would do everything in their power to secureyour safety, Laine and Nova’s too. You have to know that, right?”
“That’s exactly why I haven’t told them. They’ve done enough for me as it is, and I won’t let them get buried too. It’s my mess to clean up.” I can see the defiance on her face before she even speaks.
“And me?” she questions, her chin lifting. There’s so much vulnerability in her gaze. Her tongue darts out and wets her bottom lip. How could I ever deny that face? “Where do I fit into all of this?”
I stroke my thumb over her cheekbone, drawing her closer. “You, Maisie, were a casualty I never saw coming, but I won’t ever regret you blazing into my life like a shooting star. I’m just sorry I’ve damned your life when you’ve saved mine in return. I won’t be sorry for wanting you this badly anymore.”
When our lips clash, it feels like the dam between us finally bursts. There are no more secrets, no more hiding from her. All the ugly parts of me are laid bare before her, and she takes them happily–greedily.
I drag her on top of me so she’s straddling my waist. She comes easily, swinging her knee around me. Her lips feel like silk against mine, smooth and so fucking delicious.
“What are you doing to me?” she breathes shakily into my mouth before claiming my lips again.
My kisses become punishing, as if making up for every lost kiss. I need this woman right here and now. I know it’s reckless, but the best kind of things in life are. I want the kind of love that scares me because there's so much at stake, where losing it would be paralyzing. I never thought I could have the need to protect something as fiercely as my little sister and Nova— until now.
“Fuck,honey. I need you,” I growl into her mouth, sucking her bottom lip.
“You have me. All of me,” she moans.
Her words light a fire in me. My hands slip under the hem ofher dress, palming each of her cheeks. “Goddamn, woman, I’ve been dying to get my hands on these.” I squeeze, grinding her down on my hard cock and drawing a whimper from her.
“That feels so good,” she pants, grinding on me all on her own now. The truck rocks with each jerk of her hips.
“Take it,” I groan, praying to God I don’t come in my pants before the fun even starts. I have things in mind I’ve been dying to do to her since the moment my eyes landed on her. Our lips haven’t parted for more than a second between speaking. Who needs snacks when I can feast on Maisie all night?
“More,” she whines against my lips, swiping her tongue into my mouth. “I need, ah, fuck,” she pants, grinding down, my hands on her ass encouraging her.
My hands find the hem of her panties. Lace, because of course they fucking are. I slip my fingers underneath until they are just a touch from teasing her back hole. I slowly let my right hand drift lower, a centimeter at a time, letting her control this.
“Like this?” I rasp, stroking down until I’m almost exactly where I yearn to be.
“Yes,” she moans, lifting her hips for me. I take it as an answer, dragging lower until my finger glides across her slick pussy. My dick throbs at what I find.
“Is this all for me, honey? Your pussy is dripping with need already.” I drag her wetness until the pad of my pointer finger circles her swollen clit. She bucks above me, so responsive. “You like that, Mais? You want me to take the ache away from between your legs?”
“Yes, yes!” she chants, her head tipped up to the stars.
“Beg me nicely, and I’ll do much, much more than that,” I promise.
Her hips begin to gyrate, rubbing herself on my finger. Her juices are dripping down my finger, pooling in her underwear. I want to rip them off and devour them all for myself.
